Q39 is my favorite BBQ in Kansas City. Most people argue the old favorites are much better, simply because they’ve been around longer, but trust me–this one’s the best. But, there’s a catch here. Q39 opened last year. It’s the new guy on the scene and is still gaining traction and yet … it blows the other BBQ joints out of the water. Curious why you should go out and try Q39 right now?
I know you want a plate of those onion straws. I can taste them right now. The spices, the crunch, the BBQ aioli sauce on the side … they are pretty magical. And you get enough to give you a heart attack. These are one of Q39’s more popular appetizers and boy are they worth it. I usually try and eat decently healthy, but when we are going to Q39, I just throw that goal out the window for these onions. We like the BBQ aioli, but we LOVE them with ranch!
I know what you are thinking. RIGHT?! It’s amazing. This, my friends, is the Certified Black Angus Beef Brisket plate, complete with sliced smoked brisket and burnt ends. Now, burnt ends are kind of a Kansas City thing, so here’s why you have to try them. Burnt ends are from the point end of a brisket, and they are usually extremely tender due to the higher fat content. But, they run out fast in any Kansas City BBQ joint, so usually you have to get there before noon to get your hands on some. With Q39, they save some for their dinner service, so we got to try them. Oh my gosh. It’s honestly the best piece of meat you’ll ever try. Like cutting into butter with the flavor of some of the best BBQ sauce KC has to offer.
There’s never a lot of these burnt ends to go around, so make sure to get them quickly.
Next, the brisket. Smoked and drizzled in their classic barbeque sauce, it not only looks nice, but tastes even better. After polishing off the perfect succulent meat, the sides of coleslaw and steamed veggies were a nice finish to the plate. A lot of barbeque joints go with the traditional mayo-based coleslaw, but Q39 ups the ante with a vinegar-based apple coleslaw that leaves a bite. It’s a crisp and tasty complement to the sweet and complex meat.
One of the best things about Q39 is that it offers a few different types of barbeque sauces. They offer a little plate with all of the types so you can try them, so be sure to ask for that with your ranch! The first type is the classic BBQ sauce which is absolutely delicious. The next is a vinegar based sauce, which is also really good, but our favorite was the zesty BBQ sauce which is made with cilantro! It’s a really great BBQ sauce with really complex flavors to add to the sweetness of the meat.
Lastly, you’ll want to visit Q39 for this beauty: their award winning cheesecake. Now, you wouldn’t think to get dessert at a BBQ joint, especially because most of them won’t have dessert. But this was a favorite we found on our first trip to Q39 (and we won’t admit what run this was!) and is very much worth saving room for. It’s a really classic cheesecake, covered with a thick layer of hardened chocolate, chocolate ganache and dulce de leche, and then topped with yummy pecans. But, the flavor profile of the cheesecake is magnificent and the texture is out of this world. So creamy, thick and tempting, we couldn’t resist when it came time for choosing dessert. And, as you can see below, we just about licked the plate clean we loved it so much.
If you decide to go visit Q39, beware: it’s EXTREMELY busy. We got there at around 5:15 and only had to wait a few minutes before being seated. But, if you get there any later than 6:30 or 7, you’ll be lucky if you only have to wait an hour. A couple of times (still not telling how many times we’ve gone), we decided to just eat at the bar because we didn’t want to wait any longer. But, in the end, it’s very worth it. Go try the newest barbeque in Kansas City and let us know what you think!
Q 39: BBQ & Woodfired Grill (1000 West, 39th Street, Kansas City, MO // 816.255.3753)