This is one of the most common and popular local restaurants. Maybe that's what Kansas City locals love to eat. However, traveling to many parts of the country tasting the best barbecue each state has to offer, I have a different opinion. You decide for yourself.

The price is much $$$ than other local barbecue restaurants. The ambient of the restaurant is very much high-end, not like your normal family-style, comfortable restaurant joint. Almost equivalent to your fine dining restaurant when guests receive cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Maybe that is why the prices are much higher than other local Kansas City barbecue restaurants.

We arrived at 20:45 a.m. We wanted to try their favorites in order to provide a good review for those viewers seeking best barbecue in Kansas. So, we decided to order the combo meat plate. Brisket, barbecue ribs, and burnt ends. Regardless of whether they're pork or beef, I would assume the way they cook their meat, the style of cooking, the temperature and seasoning, are probably the same.

Let's start with the time of service. We were seated without any wait. Our waiter was friendly but lack knowledge about the types of barbecue meat; not much of a talker. So, we have to use our judgment in based on our favorite choices of meat.

From the time we ordered, followed by myself taking pictures around the restaurant and back to my table, barely 5 minutes, our lunch plate arrived!!!.

That let me to believe that all the meat were done before 10:55 a.m. and the chefs plated our order as soon as the ticket went in to the kitchen! I wonder when did they cook the meat. My concern was that the plated items were cold!!

Let's start with the beef brisket. It is sliced extremely thin. The temperature was cold. It is so thin that you literally could not tell that you're eating beef brisket. Lack seasoning. Lack seared or seasoning crust on outer rim of meat. Definitely no smoke ring present. Maybe small tint in few corners of the wafer-size briskets!

Next, the ribs were tender, however, there was no flavor! It was nicely charred, seared, on the outside, but, I wonder why the meat lacks flavor. Next, the Kansas City favorite, cheesy corn, served in a bowl, was extremely cold! Makes me wonder whether the plate was placed under a warmer after plated. Or, maybe the meat items were left cold before serving to their customers.

Before I write this review, I wanted to give the manager a chance to explain. I told my waiter to call on the manager. When I asked a manager about the cooking techniques and the temperature of the food, he acknowledged that the food-brisket, barbecue ribs, and cheesy corn, should be all warm to hot. I told him that the brisket was cold. The cheesy corn was even colder. He further explained that the ribs were dry up with seasoning prior to placing them directly in to the smoker. No brining or hours of marinating. Just seasoned and cooked directly in the smoker for at least 3 hours. Therefore, the meat basically get its flavor from the dry rub seasoning and slow cooked in the smoker for 3 hours. That might be the Kansas City style in terms of barbecueing their meat. That explains why the barbecue ribs lack flavor. I have to give them the credit for being so tender though.

They have 2 sauce flavors, spicy and original. Thick consistency, sweeter and more vinagry and mustard taste than other sauces when compared to other states.

The manager offered to bring out some briskets and cheesy corn. We rejected. We explained that we wanted to know their cooking techniques and flavor in it's natural form, without announcement or coercion.

The fact that I just tasted only one Kansas City barbecue restaurant, I will not discredit Kansas City barbecue in general. I will definitely come back and try some of the popular places such as Gates, Arthur Bryant, and many more that you can find on Google.

Will I return to Jack Stack? Absolutely NO. You decide.