J’s BBQ Smokehouse & Catering — Restaurant in Olathe

I have lived in Olathe for most of my 34 years on this earth and I finally tried it out last month. Interior is a typical BBQ joint with a couple TVs and bbq bottles from around the country placed around the restaurant. Being from Kansas City, I am very judgmental on BBQ. This place is definitely up there with some of the best in KC. The food has great smoked flavor and nice crispy fries. Food is made to order and comes out in a reasonable time hot and ready to eat. The employees that take your order are knowledgeable and friendly. They will be happy to get you anything you need while also making time to make sure the restaurant is nice and clean. I don't think I saw a table that sat with dirty dishes on it for more than 5 min during a peak lunch rush.

They have the usual bbq joint offerings on the menu with a decent selection of meats and sides. Prices are also typical for a BBQ place. They also offer daily specials for those looking to save a buck or two on their favorite meal. I had the smoked turkey sandwich. It was smoked very well and had great flavor. Fries were fresh and crispy, although I wish I had tried the seasoned fries as those are usually my go to anytime they are offered at a place. The house bbq sauce is in typical Kansas City style with a nice sweet taste with a hint of smoke flavor. I am a big fan of hot bbq sauces because I like to sweat when I eat my bbq! Their house "spicy" sauce wasn't too hot or overbearing. I do prefer it to be a bit spicier, but I would guess that it would be enough for most people and the flavor was good. Free refills on fountain drinks as well, although you have to go to the front register to get it refilled. I'm not a big fan of this because you typically have to wait for the employee to be finished with what they are doing before they can help and it's a bit awkward to cut everyone in line for you to be helped next. I may be weird with my thinking on this, but I would rather get my own drink from a fountain in the dining room. But that is my ONLY complaint with this place...if you can even call that a complaint!

They also offer carryout and catering for large groups. I haven't experienced the catering side but I'm sure they do an excellent job, as everything else I experienced and saw was top notch service. As far as carryout, I was paying attention to them take orders on the phone while I was waiting for my food to come out and the wait times quoted were very fast and you would probably be able to pickup your food within 10 min of ordering, and this was during their lunch rush with a pretty full dining room.

If you are like me and have lived in the area your whole life and haven't tried it out yet or just moved to the area, I highly recommend stopping by for a nice lunch or dinner. It is a bit out of the way on the south side of Olathe, but it is definitely worth going a little out of the way to try the best bbq place I have had in that city since Smokin Joe's changed ownership. And I don't include Joe's KC in that equation because...well it's Joe's KC and it's one of the best in the Midwest. This place definitely is in my top 5 of must try BBQ in...

For what it's worth, I've been going to Johnny's for almost 20 years. I went often, usually at least once every month or two, and it was a favorite local joint of mine. Needless to say, when I arrived tonight and found it under new management, I was surprised and cautious but tried to remain optimistic. The tone had changed. The menus on the walls were now electronic screens, some of the decor had been changed around and things were arbitrarily removed. It seemed like it was trying to be more hip and modern but it just came off as corporate and generic. The place is small and local and it felt that way before, but now it felt like it was trying to be more than it is. That would've been forgivable, but my experience with the food compelled me to write up a review. Simply put, while the menu items are the same, the food most certainly is not. The brisket admittedly seems fine and was fresh, but that was the only thing I can defend in good faith. The ribs were overcooked and didn't have much of a bark, the edges mostly had more of a soft-ash texture. That could've been chalked up to a bad night, but the stinger was the sides. The baked beans were straight out of a can (I could point to you the shelf in the grocery store), and the coleslaw lacked much seasoning or flavor at all. It didn't taste like it was made from scratch or with a recipe, this was without a doubt store-bought. The meatballs were also advertised to be "smoked," implying they were fresh, but both the meat and the sauce tasted and looked as though they came out of a freezer meal kit. I loved Johnny's and was a regular customer for years so it's upsetting to see corners being cut in places where they matter while prices get jacked up higher. I think there's potential here, but there needs to be a return of homemade sides and more dedication to making sure that everything is fresh if they want to justify the price increases. KC is a tough and intense market for BBQ, and people know and expect better than this. For $15 a sandwich, I...

I am big into BBQ and am even an amateur that could probably be pro certified judge if I wanted to get serious. I don't live in this area though so I haven't made it out to Johnny's before but have seen them featured on Diners Dives and Drive ins before. I got the Tuesday lunch special plate with their brisket. I know it's not what they are known for.. but I'm a brisket guy and always out to find the best KC Beef. The beef here did not disappoint it's probably a 7.9 out of 10 great flavor, tender and thinly sliced which makes a perfect sandwich brisket. They had 3 sauces Original, Hot, and Hickory. My favorite was the Hot. Some guy above me said the hot was making him sweat or something... it's really not that hot but definitely has a good medium pepper take on the original sauce. Most places in Texas and Oklahoma would probably consider the hot here their original. What saved the 5 star review here was the beans that came on that lunch plate. These are definitely pit beans that had been on the smoker for multiple hours I'm certain. You can't fake that and they are probably the best pit beans I have had in KC that I remember. Not an overpowering fake smoke taste and just the right amount of meat and thickness with super tender beans. The shop has a great clean spread out feel lots of indoor and outdoor seating right on the edge of Old 56 Hwy just a few spots out front to park most people park back behind the shop where there is a parking lot. It just has that old KC BBQ pride feel and that staff is super friendly. Definitely stop in to this place. I think they are known for their Chicken, and Pork. I'll be back to try those soon. Definitely stop and give this place a try at least...