We, in this case, was me and my college friend Cindy, who was in town for the day and agreed to join me on some of the eating expeditions.
This is a new location for Danny Edwards, whose father, Jake, was a barbecue legend in his own day. Danny (a.k.a. Lil Jake) moved out of an 18-seat shop in downtown a couple of years ago to this exposed-beam spot where "Gary B!" and "Mike W!" ring out as heaping plates of ribs and sandwiches come pouring out.
A bite of the burnt ends explained why Gary B and Mike W and, on this day, Cindy M and I were crowding the place: They were crispy-chewy with just the right amount of sauce. I think I am in love. Again.
Brobecks Barbeque
Please, purists, don't hurt me. I tried Brobecks in Johnson County, which opened in November 2007, and I liked it. A lot. The problem: Brobecks is not, strictly speaking, Kansas City barbecue. Instead, it relies on rubs and not sauces (although it has sauces too).
So I strayed off the farm and tried this Tennessee barbecue. I had the Tennessee Porker -- pulled pork -- and it was worth every guilty mouthful. But I also did the burnt end dinner (served dry, without sauce) and found it delicious.
We also loved the steak fries and, most of all, the homemade potato chips, and Cindy noted that Brobecks gets extra credit because it offers dessert. We had to skip it because we were headed to our next stop.
Hayward's Pit Bar-B-Que
Minutes before the clock struck 9 p.m., we walked into Hayward's, also in south Johnson County. I'm sure the folks would rather have stuck shards of glass in their eyes than serve one more customer, but they were gracious and we were on a mission.
I've been a big Hayward's fan almost since it opened in 1972 about two miles north of where it is now. I've never had a bad bit of barbecue there, but that night wasn't the best I've ever had (though we did love the sweet potato fries). The 220-seat restaurant is a place you could take the in-laws and have them feel comfortable -- not too jointy, not too snooty. Just right.
We were near Gates (the Leawood location). I wanted to try it again. Or we could have swung over to Oklahoma Joe's in KCK. Maybe we could make it to 85th Street and B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ in KCMO, where the smoking pit is more than a half-century old. But I just couldn't. One more mouthful and I was sure I was going to drop dead.
At least I would have died happy.
catharine.hamm@latimes.com
