The Kansas City area has some great hiking and biking trails, like at Kill Creek Regional Park in Overland Park, which will be featured in our Kansas Trail Guide book, coming out early 2015. And while you’re in the Kansas City area, it would be a waste to miss out on authentic Kansas City barbecue. As a Kansan, I’d argue it’s some of the best barbecue in the world. And one of the best places to get the best barbecue is at Oklahoma Joe’s.

Oklahoma Joe’s. Photo by Marshall Astor

The birthplace of Kansas City was near 18th and Vine on the Missouri side of the state, but Kansas boasts some great barbecue options in the barbecue city. The original Oklahoma Joe’s is rather unexpectedly located in a gas station, but don’t be put off. It was opened by Jeff Stehney and his wife in 1996 after their barbecue competition team, Slaugherhouse Five, had won hundreds of awards, and it will have lines out the door for lunch.

But the line is worth it, and one of their most popular dishes, and one that’s won a lot of their awards, is their pulled pork. I’m partial to the brisket, but really, you can’t go wrong with just about anything on the menu. It’s quite literally finger-licking good, and if you spend some time on the nearby trails in Kansas City, you won’t have to feel guilty about digging into the overwhelmingly delicious (though not really all that healthy) lunch.

Visitor information:
3002 W 47th Ave (the original gas station location)
Kansas City, KS
913-722-3366

11950 S Strang Line Rd
Olathe, KS
913-782-6858

11723 Roe Avenue
Leawood, KS 66211
913-338-5151