John took a week of vacation that has included a lot of mowing and one foray to the big city to see friends. We rendezvoused in Kansas City, Missouri then loaded in our car to head to Kansas City, Kansas to check out a bbq joint called Oklahoma Joe’s.
I admit, I was skeptical.
Oklahoma Joe’s? In Kansas City?
Slabs of hot meat on a 110-degree day?
I went online to find it is a locally-owned business that had a store in Oklahoma as well as Kansas City. Its genesis was a group of competitive barbecue fiends – the Slaughterhouse Five (great name) – and when the Oklahoma store closed, the K.C. one remained Oklahoma Joe’s.
The ambience was everything a bbq place should be. It’s housed in a gas station – really, a functional, fill-your-tank gas station. On the restaurant side you stand in line and wait, and wait, and wait, to make it to the front where a guy takes your order. Without being told, the instructions are clear: Wait till he makes eye contact, place your order succinctly and completely, and move along. There are other customers waiting behind you. It was crowded and loud and two of our compatriots ended up with barbecue sauce on their sleeves.
The food was everything bbq should be. In our group there were a couple of rib plates and two sandwiches. I had the pulled pork special with a side of onion rings. My sandwich was delicious and tender and the sauce was spot on. The report on the ribs was that they were the best – this from carnivorous connoisseurs.
Waiting for Thoreau 
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