The latest on Kansas City barbecue: One big remodeling, two big national shoutouts

Joyce Smith
·2 min read
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Kansas City barbecue is in the news, from a private dining refresh to two national lists.

Jack Stack refresh

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue has finished a renovation of its private dining space at the Freight House restaurant, 101 W. 22nd St. in the Crossroads. The space, more than 2,900 square feet, has indoor and outdoor areas for all seasons and can now hold up to 120 people.

It remodeled its Country Club Plaza restaurant and patio last summer and added a side patio.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue was founded by Russ Fiorella in 1957. It was a storefront while his family lived upstairs. His eldest son, Jack Fiorella, worked there until branching out on his own in 1974. He later changed the name of his operations to Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue. Today it is in its fourth generation with six area restaurants.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue at 101 W. 22nd St.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue at 101 W. 22nd St.

Kudos for Q39

Food website Eat This, Not That has the “14 Best BBQ Spots in the South, According to Chefs.” The tagline: Here’s where the pros go to get their barbecue fix.

Kansas City’s Q39 made the cut. It also has a location in Overland Park.

A New York-based corporate barbecue executive chef described it as “an up-and-coming chef-driven BBQ restaurant that hits each and every flavor profile just right.”

Other barbecues on the list are in such states as Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

To be clear, we’ve argued this “in the South” point before when it comes to Kansas City barbecue. The Census Bureau says its West North Central division is Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

And Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que

Another food website, The Daily Meal, recently published “13 Restaurants That Anthony Bourdain Absolutely Loved.”

Along with restaurants in France, Italy, Spain and New York, there’s Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (formerly Oklahoma Joe’s) in Leawood. It also has locations in Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas.

“There is plenty of debate about which city has the best barbecue in the United States. Anthony Bourdain seemed to prefer Kansas City. In an article that he wrote for Men’s Health, Bourdain shared a list of 13 places to eat before you die, and the final was a Kansas City barbecue restaurant called Oklahoma Joe’s, which now goes by Joe’s Kansas City. Of course, Bourdain understood that his choice was risky — plenty of foodies feel that barbecue from North Carolina or Texas is superior.”