New Olathe barbecue restaurant pitches competitive-level quality

Customers walking in the door of a restaurant called Crazy Good Eats can’t be blamed for their high expectations.

But the family behind the new Olathe barbecue believes their menu will back up the name.

Bruce Lemay and his son-in-law Dan Isbell had competed under Steer Crazy BBQ with the help of their wives.

Now Bruce’s wife, Maggie Lemay, has teamed with Dan in the new restaurant, which opened in May in Heritage Square, 16695A W. 151st St., at the southeast corner of 151st Street and Mur-Len Road.

The family said they are serving the same competition-level barbecue at the restaurant that Bruce and Dan served on the circuit, but their customers are now the judges.

Menu items include appetizers like Mad Meatballs (bacon-wrapped meatball seasoned with their competition rub and glazed with their competition sauce); barbecue sandwiches (pulled pork, brisket, burnt ends, smoked turkey, smoked ham and sliced sausage); and Pit Master Dan’s specialty sandwiches such as the Carolina Splendor (hickory smoked pulled pork topped with coleslaw and fried pickles).

There are also entree salads, and sides like cheesy corn, loaded potato casserole and mac and cheese.

Crazy Good Eats also has signature plates including its “Championship Plate” with two ribs, brisket, dark chicken, pulled pork, one side and cornbread.

Bruce Lemay, who is the general manager, said the family tested the market before opening their restaurant, first doing a couple of rib cooks in the Olathe center in 2014 and selling 140 racks of baby back ribs in just eight hours. Then they set up tents every Saturday from December through April.

“And 20 minutes before we opened we had a line,” he said. “That told us the community was really excited about having barbecue here.”

L.L. Bean for Leawood

Outdoor gear and apparel retailer L.L. Bean wants to open a store at 119th Street and Roe Avenue in Leawood.

The company is going through planning for a 10,650-square-foot store in Town Center Crossing. It has a tentative address of 4127 W. 119th St., but retail sources said there may be some tenant shuffling in the center with L.L. Bean taking a current tenant’s space and that tenant relocating.

Officials with Town Center Crossing declined to comment.

Mac McKeever, spokesman for L.L. Bean, said: “I will release information on any and all new L.L. Bean store locations as I am able.”

L.L. Bean Inc. was founded in 1912 and now has annual sales of $1.61 billion. It is based in Freeport, Maine, down the road from its original store.

Restaurant updates

▪ Slim Chickens plans an Aug. 3 opening for its restaurant at 9001 W. 135th St., Overland Park. It also wants to put up a restaurant with drive-thru at 7930 State Line Road, Prairie Village.

▪ Three years after opening in Kansas City, Kan., Logan's Roadhouse shut down its restaurant at 10780 Parallel Parkway, near the Kansas Speedway, in May.

In a prepared statement, the company said: “We closed the Logan’s Roadhouse restaurant. Closing any restaurant only occurs after the analysis of a number of factors driving to a final decision including the well-being of the people affected — our employees, our guests and the community that has supported our business over the years. We are encouraging employees to apply at other Logan's locations in addition to other employee support programs.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 3:38 PM with the headline "New Olathe barbecue restaurant pitches competitive-level quality."