Kansas City barbecue restaurant opening new spot to ‘show off our creativity’
A new Kansas City barbecue restaurant with a massive outdoor smokehouse will soon open in the Northland.
Chef J BBQ is planning a restaurant at 1900 Clay St. in North Kansas City, by Chicken N Pickle and in the former Calibration Brewery spot.
The business has been operating in the West Bottoms for the past six years but will expand to its much bigger space this summer.
The new spot will feature a custom outdoor smokehouse with five, 1,000-gallon pits. There, meat will be cooked low and slow for 18 hours and offered as cut-to-order pieces.
“It’s gonna allow us to do a lot of really awesome stuff,” said owner Justin “Chef J” Easterwood.
A large patio will seat 150 guests, and another 128 people will fit inside.
The upcoming spot will offer a variety of new menu items, including an in-house bread and pastry program, desserts and local beers on tap.
“I’m kind of excited to be able to show off our creativity,” Easterwood said.
Chef J BBQ opened at 1401 W. 13th St. in 2020, taking over the former concession stand space for The Beast haunted house. But it’s never had a full kitchen to prepare dishes besides barbecue — all its food has come from the smokers.
You can also find Chef J’s loaded tater tots, pulled pork and brisket sandwiches inside Arrowhead Stadium on Chiefs game days.
Easterwood and co-owner Terra Whipple are looking forward to moving into the larger space and what it could mean for the future of Chef J BBQ.
“We just have always wanted to get into an actual kitchen space and be considered right along with the big guys,” Easterwood said.
The new restaurant will be open seven days a week, offering lunch and dinner.
Don’t worry, Chef J fans: It’ll still serve the same burnt ends, pulled pork sandwiches and brisket platters folks are used to.
Popular menu items include the Boss, a chopped brisket sandwich with jalapeño sauce, jalapeños and red onions on a potato bun.
“We’re going at this the same way we always have been,” Easterwood said. “We’re Kansas City barbecue.”