Napa Valley, recognized as one of America’s most elite dining regions, was missing something, according to Kansas City native and chef Darryl Bell.
In August 2024, Bell opened Stateline Road Smokehouse with co-owner Jeremy Threat in Napa, the valley’s first true Kansas City-style barbecue restaurant that offers a taste of Fountain City-flavor and style with Michelin-level thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
Bell, who grew up in Independence and Cameron, Missouri, read the room right with his assumption, and just six months after opening, he was nominated for the James Beard Foundation 2025 Best Chef California.
“When I arrived in Napa, I realized the barbecue I’m used to isn’t out here,” Bell says. “People just didn’t know. They never had barbecue like it, and the response has been great.”
Bell’s prestigious career was hatched through a lifetime passion for barbecue, developed from attending family picnics and church functions in Kansas City as a child.
Foregoing opportunities to attend destination culinary schools, he opted to stay local and pursue his education at the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy through Johnson County Community College. The school’s nation-leading culinary competition team and apprenticeship program opened up the world of fine dining to him, providing access to the world’s top chefs.
During college, he apprenticed at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, which led to a post-graduation opportunity to work in France.
“I learned it’s not where you go to school but what you do with your education,” he says. “Wylie gave me real-world exposure I couldn’t have gained anywhere else.”
Determined to find success among America’s culinary elite, he relocated from France to Napa Valley 16 years ago. Through tenacity, he landed a job at Bouchon Bistro, a Michelin-starred restaurant owned by Thomas Keller, a James Beard Foundation Best Chef in America winner.
Bell spent seven years honing his skills at Bouchon, earning his way to the executive sous chef position, where he flourished in the fast-paced, perfectionist environment. After Bouchon, he served as chef de cuisine at Press, originally a steak house in St. Helena, California, which turned into one of Bell’s most rewarding career accomplishments. Fellow Napa chef Philip Tessier and Bell were brought in to elevate the food and restaurant, which they transformed within three years into a Michelin-starred establishment.
While at the top of the fine dining world, Bell never forgot his roots and his passion for barbecue. In 2022, he debuted his barbecue skills at the Napa Farmers Market, where he introduced the region to his Kansas City burnt ends and sold 816 BBQ Sauce, a brand he created that supports the Rafiki Foundation and No Kid Hungry organizations.
Construction on a brick-and-mortar location ensued at a converted auto body shop in Napa’s Rail Arts District. Last August, Bell and Threat opened the doors to Stateline Road Smokehouse, giving Napa Valley its first taste of true Kansas City barbecue and a dining experience unfamiliar to the area.
The exterior of the building features murals of his icons—chef Patrick Clark and Cassius Clay—and the restaurant’s entrance is dotted with visual references to KC landmarks, such as 18th and Vine, the Western Auto sign, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Union Station.
Although the taste and style of the restaurant is true to Kansas City and designed to be comfortable and inviting for all—a departure from the elite establishments in the region—Bell describes the smokehouse as a hybrid experience. It has the vibe of a local barbecue joint but the intense, Michelin-level attention to detail in every facet of the operation.
“I worked in fine dining for 15 years,” Bell says. “Once you’re in that intense of an environment for that long, it never leaves you. I wanted to create something that represents my barbecue roots—a real smokehouse that is inviting, casual and reasonably priced but didn’t neglect the hyper attention to details.”
Daily, Bell’s team lights up two custom 1,000-gallon Moberg smokers and serves “Kansas City-Invented Burnt Ends,” baby back ribs, brisket, chicken, and sides and salads that are as interesting and flavorful as the entrees. The cherry wood-smoked maitake salad and the mac and cheese made with aged mornay, crispy parsnip and kale crumble are a couple of customer favorites.
“Our slogan is ‘Chef-created, Napa-crafted, Kansas City true,’” Bell says. “Napa is an international food and wine destination, so we are fortunate to be able to introduce Kansas City-style barbecue to the world.”
