The Rub Bar-B-Que and Catering — Restaurant in Olathe

This is about the 53rd BBQ place on our BBQ tour. We had a burnt end sandwich with the mac and cheese as a side. The burnt ends were crispy, which I prefer, but also they were dry. They were slightly sauced before-hand, we added more sauce. The cheese sauce is a white sauce. The pasta was over-cooked so it was a little too soft.

We also had a three rib and one meat platter with side, choosing brisket and beans. The ribs were the best item we had. They were just a little under-cooked, but it was only just by a bit. I would prefer this than most ribs I tend to get which are over-cooked, falling off the bone (which people believe is a compliment but it is not correct). The flavor on the ribs was very good. The brisket was some of the fattiest brisket I've had. It was also sliced too thin in my opinion. It basically disintegrated in my mouth and the flavor was almost non-existent. I think it could easily be improved, I'm not trying to be too down on it. The beans were pretty unique to the other beans in KC. I liked that they were not sweet. There was a flavor I could not pinpoint and the cashier didn't give me an inkling as to what sets the flavor apart. Maybe the wood they use to smoke with imparts the flavor. It has multiple types of beans, and some meat in it as well. They were also thick. I liked that it wasn't just a bowl of soup - another thing I often encounter.

They have an original, sweet, and spicy BBQ sauce. I did not try the sweet. The original was not sweet at all (which I prefer) and it was a little more vinegary than others in KC, and a little black peppery. The spicy had a little spice but the flavor was not as good. I generally prefer a spicy sauce. I stuck with the original sauce. I didn't personally love it or hate it, but I think if you prefer a vinegar sauce to the sweet sauce around KC, you probably will like it here.

The service was fine. There is ample parking, and handicapped parking and entrance. Restrooms are semi-accessible.

Currently, there is a pandemic and I think they could do better. Their employees should be wearing masks, especially those serving the food onto plates. This may not be a requirement of Olathe/Johnson County/Kansas, but if nothing else, it's a good-faith gesture. They did restrict seating in order to have space between dining customers, and the BBQ sauce and utensils were packaged separately. They also have a few tables outside if you're not...

The day we arrived in Kansas City, Mo , after getting unpacked at the hotel, we were hungry. We were headed to another establishment that was recommended to us by my wife's friend, when I pointed out The Rub to my wife. It was packed, so we continued on, as we were starving. While eating at the other place, I looked up The Rub menu on my phone. I found burnt ends, brisket, ribs, sweet baked beans, and sweet corn. The prices? Much lower than the sub par food I was currently eating. It was hard not to walk out and head on over for what sounded like some fine tasty Q. Sunday morning on our way home, I said "let's head to The Rub, and get some Q" They had about 45 before they were officially open, according to their online menu. We saw staff in there and my wife asked if they were open and they told us to come on in. My mouth was watering as my plate was being filled, with that sweet, mouth watering, smoked pork. We sat down and was pleasantly surprised just how delicious this meal was. Me and my wife both came to that conclusion.. we were both on the same page? Yes indeed! Asked the staff if I could take a picture of them to let them know they were doing a great job, and were very helpful. I hope every other customer has the same experience all around. In Kansas City on a visit, or just a resident who has to have some Q... Don't hesitate to stop by The Rub Bar-B-Que and Catering. Tell em' Darren Van Frankenstein sent ya! Edit-After reading some reviews, I wanted to correct a few things mentioned. For one, the beans do have a sweetness to them. My wife actually guessed what the secret ingredient was. (We'll never tell)... Another reviewer said the burnt ends had no fat, and we're rather dry. After eating an order there, and adding 2 more orders to take home for dinner... These burnt ends were moist, juicy, and had plenty of flavor adding fat...the truth will...

Original review below, I’m updating my review based on my recent experience:

New review: If you read my original review below, our take out order was messed up and I was told to call back at their restaurant. After talking with Mike, Ryan and a lady at The Rub, I have had the best customer service experience. They are so courteous, understanding and cooperative. They offered to refund or to replace our order and we decided to give it another try and I’m so glad we did! Everything is so perfect and delicious! I’m so glad we didn’t take the refund. I also want to express my thanks to the pit master for preparing these juicy ribs and burnt ends. I highly recommend this restaurant and would love to go back there and dine in this time.

Original review: We ordered our first take out from The Rub. I think something must have gone very wrong because every single item on our order was either overcooked or just prepared in the wrong way. The baked beans were too sweet as if someone poured a bottle of molasses in it. The ribs were so overcooked that the meat had all dried up and it was impossible to chew. The burnt ends were overcooked as well. The french fries were fried either when the oil wasn’t hot enough or a very large batch was dropped in the oil thus dropping the temperature of the oil. The pulled pork and sausage was the only thing I could eat without any complains. I wish I had anything good to write about the takeout but...