A Little BBQ Joint

This place was great !!! We went here on a Sat night, the parking lot was packed and the place was full. Even so we were seated with in about 5 mins. I ordered the brisket sandwich with spicy slaw and hot potato salad. My boyfriend ordered the ½ lb of burnt ends meal with cheesy corn and baked beans. My roommate ordered the pulled pork with cheesy corn and baked beans too. Seriously our order was at our table 5 mins later, it was extremely quick. My brisket sandwich was delicious, the slaw was good not too spicy and the hot potato salad was really good. My boyfriend liked his burnt ends but was definitely dissatisfied with the portion size… it looked a little skimpy. The cheesy corn was everyone’s favorite thing though… it was awesome.

My God!!! Just go here!!! I’ve had BBQ from all over and this is some of the best!!! Friendly staff and great food, not one negative thing

The most delicious mouth melting burnt ends you will ever have. Seriously. Those things were cooked like I have never had before. My husband is from Independence and knows real bbq so when I mentioned yesterday a new bbq place to try while we were back in his home town, he was excited. We have had gates (his favorite) and basically any other bbq in KC worth mentioning and this was hands down the best burnt ends. Their sides were good and our waitress Sharon was super nice. We will definitely come back when we are in KC again! Next time we are going to try the ribs.

Definite a local hang out and busy. Service very friendly and outgoing.
Dry rub BBQ with Pepsi products. Vinegar based Cole slaw. Sadly it just was not my taste. I had the popular Burt Ends and found them to be tough and a bit over cooked. They looked nice on the plate and saw a couple plates of ribs which looked good but again I did not enjoy their BBQ.

It is really hard to not be impressed with the setting, service, and quality of the première Kansas City BBQ places like Q-​39, Char Bar, and the original Gates & Sons. They are the hands down favorites in the area. But sometimes all I want is an unpretentious slab of ribs or really special burnt ends. And to round out the «back to basics» BBQ experience the sides all have to be special in their own right. It is times like that when «A Little BBQ Joint» fits my desires to a T.
Located on 24 Highway in Independence, it fits right in with the Dollar General across the street and Mom & Pop businesses along the avenue. Do not blink, you might miss it — and that would be your loss. Parking is in a private lot and along the side street that borders it — safe enough for me. Most nights they do take reservations.
Once you walk in you know that it is a «for real» place. All the tables are mismatched, the walls are covered with racing stuff, and it is evident that everybody else there came for the BBQ rather than to «style» at the hight of fashion. Feeding your ego — go to Char Bar, feed your stomach — A Little BBQ Joint is the place. They do not have free WiFi, go there to eat BBQ and stay home to post on Facebook!
There is also no multi-​page menu, but the menu is filled with the stuff of BBQ dreams: Chicken, pork, brisket, ribs, and all the sides that compliment your choices. Now there are some choices that push the envelope like Bacon Chips (home made chips made from bacon rather than potatoes), but you do get the feeling that they are there because you always wanted them and just did not know it! Drinks are the expected soft Pepsi drinks, beer, and sprits that fit in. The lunch menu looks like a winner, and one day I will take advantage of it.
As others have hinted at, should you want super fast service then you should have stopped at McDonalds. If you want friendly and helpful service, then you are again in the right place. Plan a bit of time to relax and enjoy the real world — it will aid your digestion.
I have tried the ribs and the burnt ends (the true tests of Kansas City BBQ) and found them both to be smoked perfection. In my mind, ribs should not be fall off the bone, but easily bitten off the bone — biting off the bone is my preference to eating ribs with a spoon. Burnt end were tender and full of flavor. There, the toughest test passed with ease. I am not sure which of the sides are my favorite; slaw, beans, corn, or fries. Each would be worthy of being served at any of Kansas City’s big three! They do have three original sauces: sweet (Sweet Sister), sweet & spicy (Mad Housewife), and spicy (Mean Mother-​In-​Law). My taste had me mix the sweet and sweet and the spicy — job done!
The prices are not bargain basement, they are get what you pay for and well worth it.
If you have not all ready figured out, A Little BBQ Joint is now on my «go to» list. As Linus of Peanuts fame would surely say, «A Little BBQ Joint is a sincere BBQ joint!»

Had the chicken and rib platter with an extra «hot sausage «. The platter was great and the hot (spicy) bbq sauce was fantastic. It can be put on almost any type of food.
The negative was the the not so hot sausage. When advertising a hot sausage I expected it to be spicy hot, not just cooked
New breakfast menu looks like I need to get up early..

Ordered carry out, the Saturday special, bbq chicken with fries and coleslaw for about $ 8. For starters chicken was cold and under sauced. Fries and coleslaw were so so, nothing special and chicken was flavorless. My own bbq chicken prepared in the oven is much better. No napkins, utensils, extra sauce, nothing. Maybe it’s different if you eat there but if you offer carry out then you need to make sure it’s the same food served to an inside diner.

Excellent BBQ. I came by while passing through to the Midwest. Enjoyed it thoroughly. You get large portions. I wasn’t a huge fan of the crinkle-​cut fries, but the bbq and sauce’s quality overrode that. I got the brisket and added on three ribs, which were huge. They were sure to ask what sauce I wanted and then gave me both before I left with my takeout.

What a great bbq place! The place is pretty cool inside and the food is great to. Burnt ends are amazing beans not bad I would order them again.

Found this little gem on our way through Missouri and it was a treat. I had the burnt ends and they were really good. My wife had the Fleetwood and I was able to sample some and boy was it tender. The service was exceptional and the atmosphere was very nostalgic and patriotic which enhanced our dining experience. The BBQ sauce was a good addition, especially the Mother in Law BBQ sauce. Stop by and give it a try when you are in the area.

Love this place! The food is always great but especially like the smoked chicken. Always cooked to perfection. Great patio for the summer months and have enjoyed listening to music there during the summer. Love the décor

Wow! Great BBQ, great setting, an all around winner. On the basis of other reviews I went with the burnt ends and was not at all disappointed. Sports bar feel to the place that makes it a particularly inviting place for a Sat or Sun afternoon during football season. Next time around I’ll be getting after those bacon chips that everyone is raving about.

Best ribs ever! The service is fast and friendly the brisket was a bit dry but the flavor was great

This place is AMAZING. Kansas City Bbq joints each have their specialties but this place hands down has a few of the best dishes!
Coleslaw
BACON CHIPS
BURNT ENDS
Brisket
They accommodated 36 friends and did a great job.
The ambiance is amazing. Country music. Americana paraphernalia. Huge bar.

The best Kansas City BBQ isn’t in KC! Get to Independence and try this place out.
Great atmosphere, service and grub.
The bacon chips are a must app. We tried a mix of burnt ends, chili, cheese fries and slaw. All 5 star quality.
Very happy we found this spot. Any rating below 4 stars is a competitive restaurant trolling.

Did we come on an off night? Are we too picky? I try to not think the latter, and hope for the former… but man, it was not good.
The place itself is kinda neat — lots of cool car stuff, and a relaxed feel, albeit right along side a busy road, so be aware of that should you decide it’s a nice day and you want to sit outside.
Our service was fine, no complaints there.
The food, however, was very disappointing. I had the burnt ends, which were not burnt, and tasted of rather poor quality. Not a lot of flavor. I had sides of spicy slaw (made of red cabbage, a neat change, but rather bland and zero spice) and fries, which reminded me of those I got at my high school cafeteria… not good. My wife had the brisket sandwich which was definitely better, but still not great. She also got fries and was disappointed. We felt the price was definitely high for what we got. Also, neither of us liked the sauce — the regular sauce was too sweet for our likings, and the other sauces were all spicier, which neither of us like (love spicy food, but don’t like spicy BBQ… don’t know why, just never have). That being said, sauce seems to be the most personal decision in all of BBQ, so I understand if others love the sauce.
Again, did we come on an off night? My wife’s family loves the place, and it seems so does Unilocal.I hope we came on an off night… but I’m definitely hesitant to go back and find out.

I can’t say enough good things about this BBQ. It’s soooo good. Loved the chicken, loved the pulled pork and LOVED the burnt ends. I ate so much I waddled to my car after stuffing myself and I still had leftovers. So I put the leftovers in my mini fridge at the hotel and as soon as I woke up I remembered they were there and I made a bee line for them. I tripped and almost hurt myself I was in such a hurry to devour every last bite of those leftovers.
I should also say, the service is friendly and lightening fast to keep your beer full. The owner really does stop by your table to say hello and to check on how you are liking your meal. Go… Order everything (so you can have leftovers)… You won’t be disappointed.

Service review: I live 1000 miles from home (Independence) and I wanna wish my brother happy birthday. Slab of ribs sounds perfect. I called a few of the more notorious places around and delivery was just too much for them to deal with. I gave up on the idea until I saw some reviews on Unilocal for Little BBQ. I called the night of his birthday. They were having a rush but still MADE it happen. Super gracious on the phone. He had a slab of ribs and a platter on his doorstep within the hour. And he loved it. In his words «this BBQ is the bomb.» The experience made his birthday unforgettable. I can’t wait to try it for myself.

Being a KC native, I have a somewhat different take on BBQ than your typical out of town visitor to the area. For example, I have been going to the American Royale since I was little, Arthur Bryant’s was the pinnacle for me growing up, and what the Southern folks from places like Georgia and the Carolinas consider BBQ does not resonate with my taste buds.
BBQ was pretty much the first thing on my mind when stepping off the plane back into my old stomping ground. While the Chicago metro that I currently hail from is a delight for great restaurants, the brisket they serve at the vast majority of places is unfit to feed to even my dog. Smoking great brisket is not exactly quantum physics, but it does take patience and lots of trial an error to get it right. For whatever reason, the Chicago folks epic fail at it in the vast majority of instances. It might work for Illinois locals who do not know any better, but it’s garbage to people who are local to the KC metro. I am really glad I decided to try out «a little BBQ Joint», as it was a great experience.
The interior of the place could be described as divey, but that should not come as much of a surprise for a BBQ place in Independence, or even a BBQ place in general. The nature of the art is folk/​blue collar in origin after all. If I saw a BBQ place with exquisite China and white linens I would likely walk out the door right then and there. Fine dining and BBQ do not mix. What you will see sitting on your table are salt, pepper, 3 different kinds of house made sauce, basic flatware and a roll of paper towels. This represents everything a person could need for food like this, though a bib is not even a bad idea with certain dishes.
I was starving when we arrived so I ordered the bacon chips as an appetizer. These are exactly what they sound like; large chucks of fried crispy bacon coated in a tangy BBQ sauce in a similar way that hot wings would be and served with Ranch. These were quite good, and served with toothpicks to keep your hands clean. Nearly anything involving bacon is a win for me, and this app was no exception.
The menu is typical for BBQ places. Brisket, pork, ham, turkey and ribs being the staple items, with the accompaniments and additional ingredients being the only variation. I went with the burnt ends as as entrée, which are considered a delicacy to KC BBQ. To make a long story short, burnt ends come from the part of the brisket that is divided by the fattiest parts of the meat down the center. It develops a «bark» like outer texture during the smoking process. Because of the excess fat that is cooked off (similar to «marbling» on steaks), burnt ends can be incrediblly flavorful and succulent if done right, and this place hits it out of the park in that regard. The burnt end chunks were melt in your mouth succulent. The potato salad here, which is served hot, was a sensational flavor contrast to the meat.
There are three different sauces to choose from here and they are similar to Arthur Bryant’s as far as thickness but they have a far more sophisticated flavor profile. 2 of the 3 are of the spicy variety and they accentuate the meat nicely. Far too many BBQ places overdo it with their sauce concoctions. They are intended to compliment the meat, not take center stage, so it was nice to see a place with an appreciation of this concept.
Service here was prompt and knowledgeable and they also have a large outdoor seating area on a patio if the weather is nice during your visit. I also noticed several flyers around apparently advertising bands that play at the restaurant. There is a raised stage out on the patio which I assume is used for this purpose.
The owner of the place came around to each table in the dining room and personally thanked everyone for their business and asked for suggestions on how things could be even better. This was a nice touch that was much appreciated, and a gesture that is rarely seen these days.
Really my only gripe is that I find this place to be a bit overpriced compared to other BBQ places in the KC metro for what you get. Granted that the BBQ is quite good here but I am not sure it is good to the point of justifying a 20−25% price hike over their competitors.

I’m very picky on BBQ and this place has impressed me. We’ve ate there once a week for several months, I have never had bad food or poor service. We’ve tried almost everything on the menu and it is exceptional. Yesterday was our 19 th wedding anniversary and I was given the choice of anywhere I wanted to go for lunch, we spent it here. Don and Bonnie (owners) and Margo our waitress, made our day very special. Anytime we eat there is a wonderful experience.
Yesterday I tried the smoked chicken, so tasty and moist! I finished the meal off (although already contently full with left overs for the next day) with BACON CHIPS. They are an appetizer on the menu, but believe me these babies are a desert. Thick, thick cut bacon, smoked till edges are crispy chopped up in bite size squares then drizzled with they’re sweeter sauce and maple syrup.