Best Competition BBQ: Slap’s BBQ
The Pearce brothers didn’t set out to open a restaurant.
“Competition barbecue started as a way for Mike and I to get together and just cook barbecue,” Joe Pearce says. But when their team, Squeal Like a Pig, started winning, including a runner-up finish on Destination America’s show BBQ Pitmasters in 2013, they began to think bigger.
“We thought: ‘We’re pretty good at this. Maybe we should open a restaurant,’” Joe says.
Like their team, Slap’s BBQ saw immediate success and sold out every day for the first three and a half to four years. That popularity persists, with daily lines out the door during lunch. Slap’s may soon expand their dinner hours due to demand, but we highly recommend enduring the long lines early in the day when the meats are fresh off the smoker and at their best. The quality and availability of their midday offerings makes it worth the wait. Dinner is good. Lunch is unparalleled.
Slap’s differentiates itself from many of its peers by continuing to compete. While competition requires a few polished bites, the restaurant prepares 250 slabs of ribs, 100 briskets and 30 pork butts daily. Additionally, their fan-favorite baked potato casserole can move over 100 gallons on a busy Saturday. Joe utilizes a mild mix of hickory and oak for a balanced flavor.
“I want the meat to speak for itself,” he says.
On the circuit, it’s pecan for a bolder bite. Although Slap’s is best known for their spare ribs, burnt ends and jalapeño-cheddar sausage, it’s the chicken that wins most, picking up world championships in 2022 and 2023.
Whether the Pearce brothers are working the smoker for their restaurant or a competition, the need for consistency remains principal.
“Hopefully, you can cook the same quality of food week in and week out and get people to agree it’s pretty solid,” Joe says.
Slap’s has grown into a Kansas City staple, often mentioned alongside local icons like Joe’s, Jack Stack and Arthur Bryant’s. “It’s humbling,” Joe says. “We grew up eating at these places. It’s been a wild ride.”
More than a restaurant, Slap’s BBQ is a competition stalwart that consistently sets the standard for what Kansas City barbecue can be.
Runners-Up
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
joeskc.com, various locations
Joe’s blazed the trail from the competition circuit to KC’s restaurant scene. The long list of championships won and accolades earned is rivaled only by the daily lines of customers. Joe’s famous fries, slabs of ribs and Z-Man sandwich have become the stuff of local legend.
Q39
q39kc.com, various locations
At Q39’s midtown and Overland Park locations, competition ’cue gets the white glove treatment. The burnt ends, pulled pork and award-winning brisket are always great picks, but the spiced onion straws and apple slaw are a must.
Meat Mitch
Known for their sauces, Meat Mitch earned hardware nationwide before bringing it all home to Leawood. Their All-Star Platters and specialty sandwiches are all certified winners, accompanied by blue ribbon hospitality.
Scott’s Kitchen and Catering at Hangar 29
11920 N. Ambassador Drive, KCMO
A Northland favorite, Scott’s Kitchen serves standout St. Louis ribs, ghost pepper jack sausage and jumbo smoked wings with homestyle sides to match. As a bonus, it’s one of the few spots in town offering a daily barbecue breakfast.
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