Forget the competing regional styles of barbecue. A few local pitmasters and chefs are looking to their roots to influence their smoked meats. Others are just getting creative. Either way, these joints are straying from KC-style ’cue and making something uniquely delicious.
One of the most interesting trends in Kansas City barbecue in recent years has been the growth of outlets that blend traditional slow-smoked meats with an array of cultural influences, including Mexican, Thai and Cajun/Creole. You could call the trend “cross-cultural” or “blended” or even a “mashup,” if that lights your coals. Just don’t call it “fusion.” Practitioners firmly reject that label.
“I try to avoid that word,” says Roman Raya, chef and co-owner of Barbacoa (5500 Troost Ave., KCMO). “It comes with a certain connotation of restaurants not really honoring the cultures they are drawing from.”
Barbacoa’s cuisine combines traditional Texas barbecue with Mexican culinary traditions in an upscale setting. Ted Liberda, chef-pitmaster of Thai barbecue restaurant Buck Tui BBQ (6737 W. 75th St., Overland Park), expressed similar feelings in a 2023 interview. Liberda prefers the term “crossover.”
“I hate the word ‘fusion,’” Liberda said. “It indicates that it’s not authentic.” He described his food as “the evolution of barbecue for the modern day.” Diners at Buck Tui can choose from among a variety of classic Kansas City barbecue platters or unique crossover treats, such as smoked beef brisket rangoons, pulled pork egg rolls, brisket pad thai and the X Man sandwich, which combines beef brisket and Thai sausage with pickle, papaya slaw and creamy, fiery tiger cry sauce.
Jazzy B’s BBQ (320 S.W. Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit) offers a menu that’s a balance between Louisiana and Kansas City. Chef-owner Brandon Simpson smokes traditional brisket, pulled pork and baby-back ribs along with Andouille sausage that’s smoked, sliced, then crisped on the griddle. Other options include crab cakes, drunken shrimp po’ boy sandwiches and deep-fried crab balls with a real Cajun flair. Jazzy B’s even offers tacos and quesadillas filled with barbecued meat.
GG’s Barbacoa Café (1032 Minnesota Ave., KCK) combines a classic KCK Taco Trail joint setting with a wide-ranging menu that includes smoked brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, smoked chicken, and classic Mexican dishes such as quesadillas, pozole soup, enchiladas and tortas.Crispy birria beef barbacoa fried tacos, a menu favorite, are served with onions, cilantro and a smoky full-flavored consommé. Breakfast options range from chilaquiles to waffles.
Barbacoa, run by Raya and business partner Madeline Buechter, differs dramatically from GG’s disposable plates and workingman’s eatery vibe, with not just its upscale-casual setting and craft cocktails but also its deliberately concentrated menu.
“We have four entrees and six smaller plates,” Raya says. “We want to make sure we can focus on very specific foods. Turning that into something upscale takes a lot of effort. Keeping the menu very specific and focusing on what we do best is very important to us.“
Pollo Asado ($30) is marinated overnight in house-made adobo, then smoked to a gorgeous bronze color and served with an Alabama-style white barbecue sauce. Smoked carnitas ($25) come with tortillas, pico de gallo and garlic crema. Birria de res ($26) is beef chuck in a rich consommé with tortillas and garnishes; the subtle smoke flavor is derived from searing the meat in smoked beef tallow, then simmering in a broth with smoked chilies. Barbacoa also offers a pan-seared barramundi entrée ($24).
Raya grew up in the Mexican neighborhood on Kansas City’s west side, where his father frequently smoked briskets on Sundays and menudo was a staple. As an adult, he competed on the barbecue contest circuit for a while, then launched a food cart “to gain experience and capital” while working toward the concept that opened as Barbacoa in 2023.
“I really wanted to blend those two together and offer something uniquely me.”
