Shawnee's Bates City BBQ — Restaurant in Shawnee

A good friend recommended we try Bates City BBQ. Having grown up a smoker and working full-time at a BBQ pit all through school, an acquired taste for good BBQ began not just in KC, but everywhere possible in the United States. Bates BBQ sauce was very likable. Sweet, tangy, a bit smokey. I always try sauce alone before any of the meats or ribs. Then try the meats individually without added sauce. The seasoned fries were good, a large helping of a thin cut, to where using a fork or a finger-pinch to grab a mouthful. Individual fries do nothing for flavor of seasoning or potato taste. Our sides were BBQ (baked) beans and coleslaw. The beans were just that, baked. No smokey or BBQ flavor, nothing in them- just beans. The slaw was a cream variety as opposed to a vinegar-base. The slaw was watery and the only flavor was a mild cabbage pungent. Salt and pepper helped. We had the Rib Plate Plus. Two choice meats, 2 ribs and 2 sides, plus fries. We chose beef and ham. The sliced beef was good, tender, a bit chewy and a very faint smoked flavor. The bark was where that came from. The sauce somewhat accentuated the flavor, but masked that smokiness. The ham was sliced different, thick and thin, it was more chewy (cut with the grain rather than across) and again, a faint smoked flavor but no bark or skin. The ribs! Good sized bones, face down. The color made my mouth water. My friend took the first, a full center rib from the long end. It appeared to fall off the bone. I grabbed mine from under a partial fry covering, and a section of the bottom wasn't there. It was a half. They were overcooked so the meat and fat fell off the bone, so no chance of eating it without a fork. The bark was good, the pork had a good flavor, slight smoked flavor. It was a tad greasy, a little more solid fats than other ribs. Overall, my crave for smoked bbq was quenched and the 3 star critique was from the "needs work" areas. BBQ has a lot of variables to consider, and depending on different tastes is what people enjoy with BBQ. The critique is to bring things to attention to resolve them, and get better! Everything served was good, service was excellent and quick. Nice atmosphere. We will be...

How does this place have ANY positive reviews? Does this place know was KC BBQ is suppose to look and taste like? I had the burnt ends... which came out looking like cat food covered in nasty bbq sauce (to hide dry meat). Seriously....tiny flaky beef that looked like bbq beef from a crock pot. No smoke flavor. I ate 2 bites. Fries are good and homemade... slaw was fresh...tasted okay but kinda bland. I will stick with LCs burnt ends on the KC Mo side. Maybe the owner of this store should try LCs burnt ends too!!! Owner: I have made burnt ends for YEARS... I know what they are suppose to look like and taste like. What you serve is not Burnt Ends... its roast beef sloppy Joe's. It's okay if you don't know how.... but learn how. Next time I'll bring some or show you how to make them. Disgusting what you served me. I'll be going to Joe's next time and so should everyone else. PS: burnt ends ARE NOT CUT FROM THE BRISKET FLAT. That alone tells me you do not know what you are doing!!! Have you noticed your worst reviews are about your burnt ends? As a business owner wouldn't you change that? Either stop making them wrong and delete from menu-- or learn to cook them? Also saw from other reviews they use a microwave! I attached a pic of what a Kansas boy makes in Lincoln Ne. REAL burnet ends that are amazing. I had no idea a place this close to KC could mess up something like burnt ends. I wish I had taken a picture-- but was so disgusted...but glad I didn't because people see that online would be disgusted too. It's bad when the best menu item...

I called Sunday afternoon, was told my order would be ready in 10 min. I showed up 15 min later. There was one person waiting in front of me to pick up there order. I waited another 10-15 min for my order, spent $48 and some change on a slab of ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends beans, and fries. The young girl went over the order with me to be sure it was correct. When I asked her if there were any pickles she looked at me like I had a booger on my face and told me that nothing I ordered came with pickles.... I just spent almost $50 on a carry out order and no pickles...? So I proceeded to go home to enjoy my overpriced meal with no pickles with my family, opened up my orders to find the most overcooked, dried out, tough as an old boot Ba-B-Que I have even had. The flavor of the meat was BLA as best, it was so dry that we used all of the sauce they had given us on the first plate, just to be able to choke it down. Very Disappointed, disappointed in the cost, the fact that they weren't busy, but still I had to wait, the meat was so dried out, almost like it was the previous days meat, and that I spent almost $50 and couldn't get a pickle! And I tipped them prior to leaving. I normally don't leave reviews, I don't take the time, but this experience has ruined me for this establishment. Very Disappointed, I will not be wasting my money...