After 18 months of work and planning, a new Wichita BBQ restaurant is close to opening

Denise Neil
·3 min read

The last time we checked in with Wichita barbecue aficionado Buddy King about his planned barbecue restaurant, it was the beginning of 2022, and he was hoping to have the place open by spring of that year.

Now, a year and a half later, King is much closer to getting his Barrel Boys BBQ restaurant open at 2202 W. 13th St. He’s aiming for mid- to late-September.

“It was just a bigger project than we expected,” he said. “It took a lot longer and a lot more money than we thought.”

King, who has owned and operated his Barrel Boys BBQ food truck for more than six years, leased the little gray building on the northwest corner of 13th and McLean back in January of 2022. But he needed to make changes to the space, including rewiring, putting in new plumbing, adding a patio and putting in a new parking lot.

Buddy King’s specialty is brisket, and he’ll serve it and other competition-style barbecue specials at Barrel Boys at 13th and McLean. Courtesy photo
Buddy King’s specialty is brisket, and he’ll serve it and other competition-style barbecue specials at Barrel Boys at 13th and McLean. Courtesy photo

Getting the work done required hiring architects and getting zoning and architectural plans approved by the city. This is King’s first time opening a restaurant, he said, so he faced a learning curve.

Now King, who also works at Spirit AeroSystems, says he’s “really kicked it into gear.” He’s working on interior Sheetrock and paint and soon will move his 1,000-gallon smoker to the site.

The restaurant, which will have seating for about 20 diners inside, will offer King’s competition-style meats like brisket, ribs, turkey and hotlinks plus sides like cheesy corn, slaw, potato salad and brisket beans. His wife, Joana, also will occasionally prepare some of the Filipino-style barbecue that she’s become known for with the food truck’s fans.

King has spent nearly 10 years racking up accolades and awards on the competitive barbecue circuit. He started his food truck to showcase his barbecue prowess, and it earned a following. He hasn’t had the truck out much lately, he said, because he’s been busy with catering jobs and attending his kids’ to sporting events. But he does plan to set up the truck in front of the restaurant for “pop ups” sometime in July, just to give people a taste of what’s coming.

Buddy King’s family — wife Joana, right, and sons Rainen and Chase — often travel with him on the barbecue competition circuit. Courtesy photo
Buddy King’s family — wife Joana, right, and sons Rainen and Chase — often travel with him on the barbecue competition circuit. Courtesy photo

Once it’s ready, the restaurant will be open to the public three days a week — either Thursdays through Saturdays or Fridays through Sundays. As he gets his staff trained and comfortable, King said, he may add a day.

He said he’ll put special emphasis on carryout business and will offer family meal deals that people can pick up on the way home from work.

For a while, King was debating about whether to name the restaurant Barrel Boys or Tender Town, a reference to his slogan “We Take it to Tender Town.” But he’s now settled on the former.

Stay tuned for updates on pop ups and on an opening date for the restaurant.