Ronnie Oswald’s brisket obesssion has gained him national recognition

The first time that Kansas City native Ronnie Oswald got a taste of Texas barbecue, it felt like a redefinition.

The brisket from the Rollin’ Smoke BBQ truck in Austin didn’t arrive in thin, deli-sliced ribbons, stuffed in a bun. It came in tender, “pencil thick” slices that demanded a fork, and nothing else.

“It was like nothing I’ve ever had,” says Oswald, owner of Kansas City Smoked. “I knew that’s how I wanted my brisket.” 

The experience didn’t replace his love of Kansas City barbecue; it reframed what he thought it could be. At that point, Oswald was still a hobbyist, running Sky’s Limit Fitness in Waldo, while tinkering in his spare time. For years, he experimented with electric and pellet smokers. A pellet smoker catching fire on an overnight cook pushed him towards offset smoking.

By 2021, Oswald felt confident on the offset smoker, and in his brisket. “I started selling brisket by the pound. I would post on my neighborhood page,” Oswald says. “I just wanted to see if people would like it and I could sell it.” 

He started cooking for neighborhood events and holiday celebrations. In 2023, he held his first pop-up at Broken Hatchet Brewing during Belton’s homecoming weekend; and sold out quickly. That’s when Oswald left the fitness industry, went all in on barbecue, and Kansas City Smoked was born. 

“My friends told me that, ‘you went from making us skinny to helping us put on weight,” he says.

Kansas City Smoked’s lineup is anchored by the Texas-style brisket that first captured Oswald’s imagination. Melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, snappy sausages, and succulent pork spare ribs are menu mainstays, supported by Kansas City-inspired sides with flair.  Oswald’s signature jalapeño cheddar grits are buttery with a bite.  

The real treat, when available, is the beef rib. A Central Texas delicacy, the mammoth cut is rich and tender with a robust rub. Rare in KC barbecue, and priced at less than $30 with a side, it’s as notable for its value as its uniqueness.

Oswald’s influences extend beyond Texas and Kansas City. Brisket birria ramen, St. Louis-style pork steaks, and a beef shank take on ossobuco have all appeared on the menu. The only constant is experimentation.

As Kansas City Smoked emerged, his approach already had a name: craft barbecue. For Oswald, the label is complex and all-encompassing. It transcends influence or technique. 

“I think you should be making your whole menu from scratch,” Oswald says. “Sauces, sides and sausages.” 

For Kansas City Smoked, the commitment to being fully craft is ongoing. The sausage program, Oswald admits, is still a work in progress. 

The house-made mindset extends beyond food. In 2020, Oswald began learning how to weld. “I became good enough that I could build a smoker.”

His first was a 90-gallon offset. Then came a 288-gallon build, and he recently graduated to a 500-gallon smoker. Each time Kansas City Smoked upgrades, the previous smoker finds a new home. “It’s like a game of musical smokers,” Oswald says.

He’s built smokers for others as well, including WellseasonedBBQ (Norborne, MO), Gant’s BBQ (Denver, CO), and fellow Kansas City craft pop-up Point & Flat BBQ.  

During Kansas City Smoked’s appearance on ESPN’s Last Train to North America last month, it was actually the smoker Oswald built for Point & Flat that he used. “My smoker was on skids so I had to call in a favor,” he says.

Since that exposure, Kansas City Smoked is much more visible. The attention has increased, but the approach hasn’t changed. Popping up across the metro, Oswald continues to experiment, blending Kansas City tradition with outside influence.

“Once you think you know everything about barbecue,” Oswald says you soon realize that “you definitely don’t.” To find out more about Kansas City Smoked, visit kansascitysmoked.wordpress.com.

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