I traveled recently to Kansas City, Missouri for a work-related trip. I know what you’re thinking, work trips are always filled with long hours and very little time for play. Well, I did not allow that to happen as Kansas City is a place that I had been wanting to visit for a while now. What better way to visit then on the company’s dime?

I only had one night to decide where I wanted to eat dinner, and being with a large group (some that actively support the local movement, and others that have poor tastes and love the big chain restaurants), we landed on Jack Stack BBQ for our compromised choice. Jack Stack BBQ has five locations in the Kansas City area, and while it is not as “local” as I would like, there were several nice features that I found refreshing. The menu was diverse and offered new takes on common items, a tactic that I have come to respect.

With lots of choices that were appealing on the menu, the recommendation that the bulk of the locals I was working with all day suggested the “Burnt Ends” and “Cheesy Corn Bake”. Now, picking an item off the menu called “burnt” anything sounded risky, even for me–someone who loves a well-done steak–but I thought, “hey, the locals love it, why not?” I ordered the Pork Spare Ribs and Sausage Burnt Ends with the side of Cheesy Corn Bake and fries. The plate came to the table sizzling hot and it looked amazing. The ribs were cooked to perfection and were some of the most tender ribs I have had. While the sausage was done well, I did not think it was something overly special. The meat was good, but it was far from have “burnt ends”, which I later discovered is something that is hit or miss. The Cheesy Corn Bake was very unique in taste and was a bit cheesy for me, but I understand the appeal and think it is a good concept. I thought that the presentation could have been done a little more thoughtfully. The kitchen was busy due to a large crowd and the way the food was put on the plate indicated the kitchen team was in a hurry.

Since I was in Kansas City, I felt obligated to drink Boulevard Brewing Co. beer and that was the only local option on draft at Jack Stack BBQ. Boulevard is readily available where I live, so I was familiar with the beer and Boulevard’s style, therefore this was not a new experience for me. With that said, the Boulevard Pale Ale and the Single-Wide IPA were nice and cold and tasted just as great as they have every other time I have had them.

Overall, Jack Stack BBQ is great at what it does and seems to represent Kansas City and its heritage of quality bar-b-que. I recommend it if you have very little time to research other options or if you are with a group that isn’t a local junkie like you.