Woodyard Bar-B-Que [KC]

Thanks to a tip from Buddy Roadhouse, I hit up Woodyard Bar-B-Que for lunch earlier this week.


This little place is not too far from our house, just across the Wyandotte County line (we're in Mission, northeast Johnson County). It's a pretty desolate stretch of road, with little retail business, sort of out of the way, befitting an establishment known first for selling wood, I guess.



Not much out here on this cold and snowy last day of January. Looking down at the BBQ house itself, I was worried that I didn't see smoke billowing forth from either of the two smoker chimneys.



Even a closer look at the front of the smoker barely revealed a whisper of smoke.



Apparently there was nothing in the hopper when I got there, and in fairness, the weather caused it to be a slow day, and not perhaps a great one to be working an outdoor smoker.

I passed on the 1/2 chicken daily special and instead ordered a brisket sandwich, with sides of beans and potato salad. A 16 oz aluminum bottle of Bud was my drink of choice in the $6.75 lunch special, with no upcharge.



The brisket was not hot off the smoker, but was still delicious. Nice strips of fat to keep it tender. Perhaps a bit on the dry side, but not distractingly so. Terrific smoky flavor, nice appearance. This may well be the best brisket within a couple miles of my house (yes, that's pretty close here). I've got a ways to go yet, but that still means it bests 4-5 other nearby BBQ options, including the oft-praised Oklahoma Joe's.

Beans were fine but not notable, maybe slightly below average. Potato salad was quite good. A bit of mayonnaise, a bit of vinegar, but not too much of either.

When Frank, one of the owners, noticed me taking pictures, he brought out a plate of ribs for me to shoot. He even moved the sauce bottle, to make sure it was in the picture:



A savvy operator, Frank. He gave me a rib too. It was quite tasty, of a texture that I imagine Smoque to offer. Not meat Jell-o, quite, but pulled very easily off the bone and didn't offer a heck of a lot of resistance to the tooth. It did, however, have a great fatty, bacony flavor. The rack certainly appeared to be baby back; I don't know if they do spares.

All around, a nice place, good food, nice people, reasonably priced. The location and physical space were very enjoyable to me, and I'll certainly be back, probably often. It's of a very different character than Bryant's or LC's, but I'm still learning the BBQ topography here, so it's hard to say where this place fits. I like it, though. Thanks, Buddy.

Woodyard Bar-B-Que
3001 Merriam Lane
Kansas City, KS 66106
913-236-6666

Oklahoma Joe's BBQ
3002 W 47th Avenue (47th and Mission Road)
Kansas City, KS 66203
913-722-3366

Aaron you are ever so welcome! Glad you enjoyed your meal at The Woodyard. I was reminiscing and pining about our lunch there as I sat here eating a slightly dry, tough brisket platter from Smoque (posted minutes ago in the Eating Out in Chicagoland category).

After splitting a bountiful rib special and a corncopia of sides, we swapped sauces with Frank and also got to sample some of his famous smoked salmon. Very tasty, but a little dry. In the salmon's defense I don't think it was fresh out of the smoker that day.

BTW, thanks for the pix. That little house in the middle of almost nowhere is, IMHO, the epitome of what a 'Que joint should look like!

Buddy

Aaron,

The picture with Pinon wood for sale caught my eye. Is Wood Yard selling the Pinon wood as firewood or for smoking meats. Pinon is a pine and pine is not recommended as a smoking wood due to the high resin content.

I'm hoping Bill in Santa Fe will comment as Pinon trees, the state tree of New Mexico, are plentiful and Bill is a BBQ man of some note.

Terrific pictures, very BBQ joint evocative.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Aaron,

The picture with Pinon wood for sale caught my eye. Is Wood Yard selling the Pinon wood as firewood or for smoking meats. Pinon is a pine and pine is not recommended as a smoking wood due to the high resin content.

I'm hoping Bill in Santa Fe will comment as Pinon trees, the state tree of New Mexico, are plentiful and Bill is a BBQ man of some note.

Terrific pictures, very BBQ joint evocative.

Enjoy,
Gary

Piñon isn't as strong as some conifers, but is still not recommended for cooking, IMO. Somehow, a piñon log got mixed into my hardwood pile and got into my smoker while I was cooking some salmon. Didn't exactly ruin it, but there was an astringent note that was not desirable.

Nothing beats the smell of piñon burning in the fireplace.

Bill/SFNM

G Wiv wrote:Is Wood Yard selling the Pinon wood as firewood or for smoking meats.

I wondered the same, and I should have asked. I assumed it was as firewood, for the reasons you mentioned, and also because it was cut in logs rather than chunks, like the rest of their smoking wood.

It certainly didn't seem to have been used for the meal I ate.

Lunch was good again. I'm not sure this is best in class BBQ, but man, it's just a great all-around place. I wish I'd had the camera today, because in contrast to my winter visit, the place was bustling.

It's a beautiful spring day, Tami's flower shop was open right next door with lots of flowers, tomato plants, peppers, etc.

The smoker was manned full time by the pitmaster, and loaded up with goodies. There are two outdoor eating areas, a brick-floored courtyard with a wooden fence (full today). Adjoining the "next door" Tami's is a nice covered patio with lots of ceiling fans (empty). Just charming as all get out.

We got three sandwiches, brisket, pulled pork, and Friday special pork loin.

Brisket and pulled pork were good, though I probably would pass on the pork loin again as it was a little dry. Kate commented that she prefers a pork sandwich Carolina-style with a vinegar-based sauce and slaw, which I agree with, but more an issue of style.

Also, the pork seemed a little "soft", without discernible bits of crispy outer shoulder, but I think that's luck of the draw. Really, the pork was quite good, and better than the brisket I thought.

I noticed they had printouts from other food boards, namely, Scott--DFW from Dallasfood.org and a Roadfood review I can't seem to find (though there are a number of Woodyard references on Roadfood.)

As a past visitor to the Woodyard (and a frequent KC BBQ visitor), I and some friends would have to recommend you try the sausage there. In several of our opinions, it is the best meat they do there (and they do a pretty solid job on most everything).

As to not being able to classify the place, I'm not surprised. I don't a place with such an atmosphere fits any category (where else can you go to a converted house, with the yard removed to set up piles of wood for sale, order inside the house, and sit on a deck to eat right next to the smoker?). It is sort of unique (at least by KC metro area standards.

Later,
Sam S.