Devan’s Dozen: Sauce Edition
Sauce & Spice KC by Wanda Vehlewald is a Parade of Hearts installation that pays homage to the World Capital of BBQ by highlighting two equally important aspects of the city’s culinary calling card - dry rubs / spices and assorted types of sauce. This artwork is a testament to this city’s love affair with the art of “low and slow”.
The Blissfully Sweet, Boldly Spicy, and Brilliantly Savory Barbeque Sauces of the World Capital of Q.
Published May 6, 2022
Kansas City barbeque is all about the sauce!
Or, at least, that’s what outsiders like to tell us.
In the age of gastro-tourism, the stylistic contributions of each barbeque Mecca to the craft have been thrust into the limelight. In a time, where anyone can conduct a web search and feel like an expert, there seems to be this incessant need to oversimplify and define people and places by a solitary factor. As a result, Kansas City barbeque gets unfairly characterized as “just sauce”.
Even more egregious, is that there are a number of so-called purists (or more accurately, hipsters and Texas blowhards) out there who thumb their noses at the notion of barbeque sauce. They would tell you that, “it’s all about the dry rub” or that “real barbeque doesn’t require sauce”. The prevalent belief among these “purists” is that if the meat is cooked well, then it should not need sauce. Many go to the extremist point of view that makes the very presence of sauce, sacrilege. It is not enough for the barbeque hipster to eat a plate of unsauced meat and award themselves the highest badge of barbeque honor. They will then point out how they never once reached for the sauce or how they don’t believe in sauce, and they will do it more times than that guy in the cubicle next to you has told you about his crossfit gym.
And to a degree, I agree with the base sentiment of this dietary dogma. If a piece of meat is perfectly smoked, and it’s already been well-seasoned, it does not need sauce. However, the same can be said for any food item. “If <INSERT FOOD ITEM> is well-made, does it really need <INSERT TOPPING/CONDIMENT>?”
The truth is that sauce IS a tricky thing.
It does have its share of problems. Even today, there are a number of old-school barbeque joints who drown their platters and sandwiches in ladles of sauce. When they do that, it sends a very clear message to the customer before they have even taken a bite. It’s the restaurant screaming, “we do not have confidence in the quality of our meat!” Otherwise, why would they hide it behind all that sauce? As much as I love sauce, when I see a drenched platter, I have rendered judgment before I even take a bite. A good plate should strike balance and barbeque soup is never the answer. I prefer my sauce to be on the side, glazed, brushed, or drizzled; never drowned. Luckily, barbeque joints that submerge their plates in sauce become more of an outlier in KC every single day.
“At the pinnacle of Kansas City barbeque is the quality of the meat and the wood used to smoke it. Never let anyone tell you anything different!”
There is also the issue that sauce sometimes becomes the qualifier for barbeque among the uninformed. There is a drastic difference between barbeque-flavored food and actual barbeque. For the uninitiated, they employ this false equivalency that states brushing or topping an item with BBQ sauce makes it barbeque. This would be as moronic as dumping melted butter on any food item and declaring it to be popcorn. Barbeque can exist independent of sauce. But at the same time, why should it?
Sauce is not without its problems but the strengths far outweigh them. I have often pointed out that while a number of barbeque destinations have their own meat specialties, what sets Kansas City apart is that we do everything that everyone else does at the highest level, and then for good measure we perfected a few cuts and meat-types specific to us. However, the idea that “we do it all, and we do it well” not only applies to the meat, it applies to the sauce as well.
North Carolina has their vinegar-based sauce. Although, the western part of the state is not afraid to use a tomato or ketchup base. Carolina’s southern twin, as well as parts of Georgia, go for that mustard-based sauce. In Memphis, you will find a mix of tomato-based sauces and those that use molasses, but they definitely preach their dry rub. Similarly, Texas will extol the Gospel of St. Dry Rub but is not above using their signature “mop sauce” which is a glaze that typically has a base of vinegar or stock. In Alabama, they march to the beat of a different drum. Their white sauce, which has a mayonnaise or aioli base, is all the rage.
Here in Kansas City, we are primarily known for being on the confectionary side of things. We like to keep things sweet. Our sauces tend to heavily utilize a mixture of tomatoes, molasses, and brown sugar. Since this style is what most grocery-store goers think of as barbeque sauce, it makes sense that Kansas City does have the reputation that we do. However, we do not limit ourselves to that one style. In fact, every regional style of barbeque sauce, as well as a few you have never heard of, can be found at barbeque joints throughout the Metro.
Barbeque sauce possesses a versatility and range that no other condiment does. It can be smoky. It can be peppery. It can be spicy. It can be savory. It can be vinegary. It can be sweet. It can even be salty or sour. Sauce can be all of these things, or none of them at all. No two sauces are alike. With such ample variety, Kansas City is a place where you can taste the rainbow.
Make no mistake, Kansas City barbeque is all about the meat, first and foremost. Kansas City became the World Capital of Barbeque in large part because we’re not only Cowtown, but we’re pigtown and poultrytown too! Being in the Heartland, we have access to a wide variety of prime cuts of meat. Similarly, our region is naturally home to a number of hardwoods and fruitwoods that are ideal for smoking and bringing out the flavor of these meats.
The barbeque sauce aisle (Yes, that’s a thing!) in any Kansas City grocery store can be quite difficult to navigate with dozens and dozens of options.
At the pinnacle of Kansas City barbeque is the quality of the meat and the wood used to smoke it. Never let anyone tell you anything different! While we do love our sauce, it’s the cherry atop the sundae. Why skip out on it? I mean, we all know that Ricky Bobby can exist without Cal Naughton, Jr. but wasn’t life best when “Shake and Bake” were together?
If there is anything that people should understand about sauce in Kansas City, it’s that we love it because it amplifies the flavor of our favorite dishes. When a restauranteur chooses to glaze a slab of ribs or drizzle a few slices of beef brisket with their signature sauce, the chef is giving you that dish the way they envisioned it. While I don’t want a platter that is swimming in ketchup and molasses, I love it when a platter has a specific sauce with each meat because the chef has thoughtfully crafted each sauce to highlight the complexities of each meat. Even the sauces that a chef chooses to use as a base for sides like beans or chili are telling. The sauce gives us an insight to a pitmaster’s vision. When we take a moment to trust that expertise, sauce has a way of transporting us. It reveals to us a flavor profile that we would have never known.
I have eaten pulled pork hundreds of times in my life from a hundred different pits, and yet I still remember the first time that I ate at Harp Barbecue. That vinegary sauce that they douse their pork with allowed me to experience this very common dish in a whole new way. The meat was superb but the sauce highlighted the intricacies of the pork shoulder, and brought its own flair, that made this unlike any pulled pork I have ever had. That’s what sauce can and does do.
While the best meats should require little to no sauce, it is a key part of our barbeque tradition and only helps make our world class meats better. And our sides too! I love dipping my fries, onion rings, and even my bread in our amazing sauces!
So today, and for this entire month, I celebrate sauce by ranking my Top 12 Kansas City Barbeque Sauce Line-ups. After all, May is National BBQ Month AND National Burger Month. There can be no better time to do this! Barbeque is the great unifier between both of these Cowtown celebrations.
12. Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ
13441 Holmes Road, Martin City, Missouri
Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ has long held the distinction of being a restaurant that offers a large selection of smoked meats and side dishes that all rank among the city’s best. While the sauce selection is a little more limited, it still ranks among the city’s best. Their Original is everything you want a smokehouse-style barbeque sauce to be and pairs wonderfully with their beef and mutton dishes. The Spicy kicks things up a notch but is not too overwhelming but works with all their dishes. However, the real star, is their “secret menu item” so to speak, the mustard-based sauce. In the best traditions of a South Carolina style sauce, this Jack Stack sauce is the perfect blend of savory, sweet, and smoky. Typically, this sauce only comes with the best sandwich on the menu, the Big Pig, but is available by request. Any time that I order a pork or poultry dish at Jack Stack, or even just an order of fries or onion rings, I am certain to request a side of the mustard sauce.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
11. Smokin’ Guns BBQ
1218 Swift Street, North Kansas City, Missouri
When it comes to barbeque, there are few things more standard than seeing an Original and Spicy sauce on the table. However, there is nothing generic about Smokin’ Guns BBQ’s take on this lineup beyond the simplistic names. The Original sauce is robust and savory with a small hint of spice on the back end. The Spicy, it is equal part fiery and flavorful. The Spicy is my go-to for their pork and poultry dishes. While the city’s best beef burnt ends don’t need sauce, the Original is a nice complement. Lastly, while it is not a barbeque sauce, I would be remiss if while mentioning the condiments at Smokin’ Guns, I did not bring up the best condiment they make - their house-made ranch dressing. It is absolutely flawless and an amazing dipping sauce choice for their fried green beans or any other fried side.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Online
Blind Box BBQ offers a variety of sauces. Their most recent release, the Sucker Punch, is a sweet and sour type sauce. PHOTO COURTESY OF - Blind Box BBQ
10. Blind Box BBQ
13214 W. 62nd Terrace, Shawnee, Kansas
When it comes to sauce, Blind Box BBQ in Shawnee has their own Fantastic Four. Their flagship sauce is the Bare Knuckle which is slightly sweet, has some slight heat, but is a perfectly well-rounded Kansas City sauce. Notably, Blind Box has a sauce warmer at their restaurants for their signature sauce which allows you to enjoy it at a perfect warmth. The Southpaw has a honey-mustard base that makes it a phenomenal complement for pulled pork or their scrumptious smoked chicken. The TKO sauce is aptly named because this blazing BBQ sauce packs a punch and can knock you out. The fire contained within the TKO is not for the faint of heart. And they round out the crew with the Sucker Punch, which is a little tart and has a tinge of sweetness. The subtle smoke and fruity notes of Blind Box’s most mild sauce is a lovely contrast to the bold flavors of the previous three. It’s a perfect dip for Blind Box’s sweet potato waffle fries.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
9. Jones Bar-B-Q
6706 Kaw Drive, Kansas City, Kansas
Jones Bar-B-Q rose to prominence among locals and national viewers alike when the Jones sisters, Deborah and Mary, were featured in an episode of Netflix’s Queer Eye. However, the Jones family has been a part of the local barbeque scene since “1970 … something”. What first put the small little shack ran by two female pitmasters on food expert Antoni Porowski’s radar was the “mysterious, mystical sauce” created by their father and handed down to them. And for good reason! The Jones Bar-B-Q sauce is one of the best and iconic sauces in the city. I know I wrote earlier that Kansas City barbeque is so much more than sauce but at Jones, everything revolves around this delightful elixir. It carries the entire menu! The sauce is thick, hearty, and sweet, but there is an undeniable vinegary, almost pickle-like element, that gives it the signature twang that makes it special. That hint of sourness is everything. They may not have the line-up that other joints have but their signature sauce is more than enough to merit inclusion on this list. Thanks to the Fab Five, the secret is not only out there, but the sisters’ sauce can also be purchased online or in grocery stores. As someone who considers Jones’ signature sauce to be the penultimate condiment for burgers, I am thankful that I can pick it up at most local grocers!
Within the past year, the Jones sisters have also released a Coconut Pineapple Sauce but I have been unable to track down a bottle of my own, but I plan to try it! The fact that Jones cracks this list with only the one sauce that I have tried should tell you everything you need to know.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
Within weeks of the Jones Bar-B-Q episode of Queer Eye being released in 2019, the Jones sisters’ signature sauce was impossible to find in stores or online. PHOTO COURTESY OF - Jones Bar-B-Q
8. Brobecks Barbeque
4615 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas
Brobecks Barbeque takes a lot of pride in their dry rubs and signature seasoning blends. So much in fact, that they serve all their meats dry believing that they are good enough to eat without sauce. While they are correct, to not treat yourself to the delightful duo of sauces Brobeck’s has to offer would be a travesty. There is a bluntness and no-frills approach to Brobeck’s that regulars love. That straight-forwardness extends to their sauces which are appropriately named “Barbeque Sauce” and “Mustard Sauce”. The Barbeque Sauce is robust and smoky with a hint of sweetness and a strong peppery finish. The Mustard Sauce, as the name suggests, is a mustard-based sauce. While there are not a ton of mustard-based sauces in KC, they are becoming a little more common. Brobeck’s absolutely nails the concept. Not only is it one of the city’s original mustard sauces, but it is the one most representative of the South Carolina style. It is one of the sauces that I always keep in my fridge because when it comes to this particular style, nobody in Kansas City does it better. And if you mix that Carolina-inspired mustard with the Barbeque Sauce, you have one amazing French fry dip!
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
7. Hawg Jaw Que & Brew
900 Swift Street, North Kansas City, Missouri
Whoever coined the term, “three’s a crowd” never visited Hawg Jaw Que & Brew in North Kansas City. Hawg Jaw’s signature sauces - the Kansolina, Mammaw’s Spicy, and The Boss Man - are a ménage trois of savory, spice, and sweetly nice. All three of the sauces are of the sweet variety but have their own unique attributes. The Kansolina is the house sauce, smoky, seasoned, runny, but as mentioned, still sweet. Mammaw’s Spicy is a bit thicker in consistency and brings the heat but there is a defined sweetness, almost like allspice, that pulls the rug out from under the spice and quickly dulls the flames. The Boss Man is a bit more robust than the Kansolina but while still sweet, there is a very slight, note of sour that curtails the flavor and brings it altogether. Much like D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, there is a fourth entrant that, while not part of the BBQ sauce trio, still bears mentioning, and that’s the smoked ketchup. Considering that the majority of Kansas City sauces utilize a tomato or ketchup base, it is actually shocking that more BBQ joints don’t make their own ketchup, or at least they don’t place it on the tables. Hawg Jaw offers a number of deep—fried side items and the smoky ketchup is the perfect dip. In fact, it may just be my favorite ketchup in the city. I would anticipate that this delightful dip is the base for their three amazing sauces which means the foundation for each is strong indeed.
Availability? In-Restaurant
In addition to an excellent trio of signature sauces, Hawg Jaw Que & Brew offers a house-made smoked ketchup that is one of the best ketchups you will find. PHOTO CREDIT - Bill Robbins
6. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque
1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
“You know, [Arthur Bryant’s] is some of the best barbeque sauce in Kansas City which makes it some of the best barbeque sauce in the world!”
Arthur Bryant’s was largely responsible for putting Kansas City barbeque on the map and a lot of it had to do with the sauce. When Arthur Bryant took over the restaurant once owned by Henry Perry, the father of Kansas City BBQ, he added molasses to Perry’s sauce which he described as “too peppery”. In doing so, he brought a confectionary element to Kansas City ‘que that has likely given us our reputation for sweet barbeque sauces. The trio that helped establish our city as the World Capital of BBQ are called “The President’s Choice” for good reason. The Original is everything a smokehouse style sauce should be - a perfect balance of sweet, umami, peppery, and smoky flavors. The Rich & Spicy has a hickory profile to it. Thick and sweet but with a pepperiness on the back end that is not dulled to the degree of the original. And then there’s my personal favorite, the Sweet Heat. As the name implies, it marries sweet and spicy notes in harmony to create a sauce that is not overwhelming to either sense. For a pulled pork or turkey sandwich, there is no better topper.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
5. Zarda Bar-B-Q
214 NW Highway 7, Blue Springs, Missouri
While Zarda Bar-B-Q is not necessarily a part of the old guard of Kansas City BBQ, they definitely are a well-established and iconic brand who has been a part of our city for nearly half a century. While a number of factors have allowed this family-owned restaurant to stand the test of time, there are many in this city, myself included, that would point to their amazing beans. Zarda’s beans are some of the best in the city. They are so popular, in fact, that you can purchase them from most Kansas City grocers. Unlike smoked meats, when it comes to BBQ beans, it really is all about the sauce! I cannot think of another BBQ joint that has the overwhelming variety of sauces that Zarda has. While there is definitely strength in numbers, nearly all of them are winners. Their KC Classic balances savory, sweet, and notes of heat to give us a sauce fitting of that name. It encapsulates the finest traditions of what a Kansas City sauce should be. They have a line-up of three or four different spicy type sauces that span the Scoville spectrum. But for me, the one Zarda sauce that I have to keep in my fridge is the Apple Harvest. It has the best notes of sweet molasses, sour apple, and a subtle kick that makes it one of the best sauces in the city to top off pulled pork.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
Zarda is known, perhaps, more than anything for the wide variety of sauces they have covering nearly every style and flavor profile that exists for BBQ sauce. PHOTO COURTESY OF - Zarda Bar-B-Q
4. Gates Bar-B-Q
1325 Emaneul Cleaver II Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri
It’s not surprising to see another member of the old guard, Gates Bar-B-Q, make this list. After all, Gates, like Arthur Bryant’s, has a direct lineage to the Barbeque King. Places like Gates have the benefit of generations of family know-how to make the perfect sauce. As an old-school joint, Gates keeps it pretty simple with the names. Each one tells you exactly what to expect. The Mild, Sweet & Mild, and Extra Hot are all exactly as advertised. The Original Classic is just that, a classic. As far as what I call the “smokehouse style” sauces go, there’s none quite as good as Gates. Robust in flavor, well-rounded, but smoky to the last drop. Part of the charm of the Gates’ sauces is the signature reddish hue and that almost-grainy texture that no other sauce has. There is a good reason that Gates’s sauces have been flying off store shelves for decades and will continue to do so for decades more - it’s some of the best there is!
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
3. Chop’s BBQ & Catering
109 E. Main Street, Smithville, Missouri
For some, Chop’s BBQ & Catering in Smithville may seem a bit off the beaten path. Located on the main square, they offer an excellent assortment of smoked meats and sides. In my opinion, sandwiches are the play at this barbeque joint and their trinity of sauces is the perfect topper. They keep it pretty simple with their “Bold”, “Sweet”, and “Hot” but in that simplicity, there is divinity. The texture and thickness are impeccable. The taste profiles are exactly what you would expect given the names. The Bold is rugged and hearty and is a nice choice for the pulled pork or brisket. The Sweet has an exquisite and idyllic molasses profile with what I suspect is a hefty pinch of brown sugar. It is so wonderful with the pit ham. The “Hot” has a nice heat, full of flavor, and not too overwhelming that makes it my go-to with their smoked turkey. Chop’s holy trio is as good of a sauce line-up as you can hope to find in KC.
Availability? In-Restaurant
The names may be simple but Chop’s trio of sauces is anything but.
2. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
3002 West 47th Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
Years ago, I lived on the east coast before I was fortunate enough to move home to Kansas City. Unable to find anything that even resembled barbeque, I often had friends and family members send me bottles of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que sauce through the mail so I could have a taste of home. To me, Joe’s Original is the single-best barbeque sauce that I have ever had. The patented combination of sweet, peppery, tangy, and bold with that signature zip on the back end is everything one could want in a sauce. It strikes an undeniable balance to which no other sauce can compare. Were I to be captured by the White Witch and offered any treat my heart desired, I would only request a bottle of Joe’s Original sauce. If there’s one flavor profile the sauce doesn’t hit on, it’s heat but luckily its compatriot has that in spades. The Night of the Living Dead is hellfire in a bottle and packs a scorching punch. Yet, once again, the sauce is so flavorful beneath the blistering heat, that you will wipe away your tears long enough to give thanks to the blaze that is slowly turning your tongue to ash. If you want a dipping sauce for Joe’s Famous Fries that activates every taste bud at once, consider mixing a 2:1 ratio of Joe’s Original to the Living Dead. As you munch on those fries, you will experience the nirvana of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory in perfect harmony.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
1. Plowboys Barbeque
3111 South MO-7, Blue Springs, Missouri
Not since the 1942 Monarchs has Kansas City fielded a line-up as strong as the sauces at Plowboys Barbeque. Leading things off, you have the Tarheel Tang, a sauce with an apple cider vinegar base that balances the tang of a Carolina vinegar sauce with a kiss of sweet heat on the back end that makes it an ideal compatriot with some of the city’s best pulled pork. That is followed by the Sweet 180 which as the name suggests is a mild, more traditional sweet-style sauce. Batting third, comes En Fuego! Plowboys self-describes this as a cousin to the Sweet 180. It is clear when you taste the two side-by-side that it is in fact a doctored up version of the 180. All the sweetness and complexities but then a fiery outburst of chipotle that really drives the flavor home. En Fuego! is an ideal turkey topper. The obvious clean-up hitter is the cornerstone of this lineup, the KC Crossroads. The KC Crossroads strikes a balance that makes it exactly what a Kansas City-style sauce should be. It is sweet, smoky, sweet, and well-seasoned. It carries the best flavor profiles of Kansas City barbeque and works on everything on the menu. And then at the caboose, comes the Hot Head. Sometimes, you need something a little crazy in your lineup and is the name suggests, this habanero-infused sauce is definitely that. The Hot Head has a tinge of sweetness that will deceive you before unleashing an onslaught of inferno into your mouth. Whether you are looking for robust, sweet, heat, or even a kick of vinegar, Plowboys has it all.
Availability? In-Restaurant, Grocery Stores / Local Retailers, Online
Plowboys boasts the best line-up of sauces in Kansas City. And as an added bonus, they also sell a number of champion-level dry rubs that are perfect for at-home smokers. PHOTO COURTESY OF - Plowboys Barbeque
There is so much more to Kansas City barbeque than the sauce but, in this writer’s humble opinion, there is no better condiment to encapsulate the celebration of National BBQ Month and National Burger Month. It is the condiment of choice for both of these Cowtown favorites!
There are those who want to mischaracterise the World Capital of Q as “only sauce”. There are those who turn their noses down at these smoky marmalades and declare them “unfit” for “real barbeque”. Last month, a Texan writer foolishly rambled about a supposed renaissance that this city needs. The Kansas City Chiefs are not looking to the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, or Carolina Panthers for advice on how to win championships. Lions do not lose sleep over the opinions of sheep. And similarly, Kansas Citians should not concern themselves with the squabbling of lesser BBQ regions. While great smoked meats do not need sauce, it makes everything better. And in this city, sauce has such a rich history that it would be a crime to ignore it.
While I previously mentioned the access to quality meats and ideal hardwoods and fruitwoods for smoking, a third factor that played into our status as a barbeque mecca, I would be remiss if I failed to imagine a third major factor - the contributions of the vibrant black community that brought the artform to this city!
“The Kansas City Chiefs are not looking to the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, or Carolina Panthers for advice on how to win championships. And similarly, Kansas Citians should not concern themselves with the squabbling of lesser BBQ regions.”
While there are a number of beliefs regarding the etymology of barbeque sauce, it is widely agreed that the sauce has origins in the same part of the world where the art of “low and slow” was born - Africa. When impoverished black people and slaves were given tough cuts of the meat that were affordable and considered to be inedible (such as ribs and brisket), these traditions were continued in the Caribbean and in the American South because cooking these meats for long times at low heats was a way to make these cheap meats tender. The tradition of concept of sauce followed and was a part of the barbeque tradtions in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Memphis. So when Henry Perry brought barbeque to Kansas City, and his successors of Charlie Bryant, Arthur Bryant, Arthur Pinkard, and George Gates continued that tradition, he brought the concept of sauce. Both Bryant and Gates made their own changes that established the Kansas City style of sauce which is what most people think of when it comes to sauce. To discount sauce altogether is to discount Kansas City’s contributions and to devalue the traditions of the black community from whence barbeque came.
Properly smoked meats don’t need sauce. But ice cream doesn’t NEED hot fudge, scrambled eggs don’t NEED cheese, peanut butter doesn’t NEED jelly, and nobody ever NEEDS another beer, but what is life without a little spice? If you can block out the hipsters and Texas fun police, and you are looking for that perfect sauce, these 12 lineups are sure to satisfy.
What’s your favorite Kansas City barbeque sauce? Did it make the list? Who did I miss? Let me hear it in the comments!
