Zarda’s new menu features loaded sandwiches, small-batch burnt ends

When he was 15, Terry Hyer got a job as a dishwasher at the original Zarda in Blue Springs. He loved working there so much that by 18, he had decided he’d build a career at the barbecue joint.

“I knew Zarda was going to be my future,” says Hyer, who remembers telling his mom, “I’m going to work at Zarda forever.”

Hyer’s mom wanted him to go to college — and so did Mike Zarda, who co-founded the family-owned company — so Zarda helped pay for his protégé’s tuition and books. Hyer eventually graduated with a business degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and worked his way up to partner and chief operations officer at Zarda, which celebrates 40 years in business next year.

Zarda, which is known for its lean, hickory-smoked ribs and Bar-B-Q Beans, recently introduced a new Limited Reserve menu that features dry-rubbed ribs and burnt ends smoked in small batches as well as several new sandwiches piled high with toppings such as onion rings, cole slaw and melted provolone cheese. The new menu is offered at the Zarda location in Blue Springs as well as the one at 11931 W. 87th St. Parkway in Lenexa.

“Barbecue is evolving,” Hyer says, “and we’re in a creative mode.”

Many of Zarda’s new offerings were inspired by off-menu creations that employees invented during breaks from work. Hyer, for example, has been known to build a towering sandwich he calls a “Scooby Snack.” He makes it by layering wheat bread with barbecue sauce, ham, turkey, more sauce, french fries, brisket, potato salad and beans.

That “snack” hasn’t made it onto Zarda’s Limited Reserve menu (yet). But customers can order a Hog Wild sandwich ($7.25) topped with pulled pork, sliced ham, crispy bacon slices and melted provolone cheese. When I ate lunch at the Lenexa location last week, I tried the pork-centric sandwich with a drizzle of Zarda’s new Apple Harvest barbecue sauce, which gets its sweet flavor from sugar and Washington apples. The popular sauce made its debut this fall and has already sold out once.

Hyer says the Hog Wild has also been a hit with customers and will likely stay on the menu indefinitely. Other Limited Reserve sandwiches include an Average Joe ($7.25) that tops brisket with smoked provolone and two onion rings, a Sweet Carolina ($7.25) that combines pulled pork with tangy cole slaw and mustard-based barbecue sauce, and a Turkey Crunch ($7.25) — turkey, provolone and bacon with chipotle mayo on a locally baked Roma bun.

Zarda still serves classic menu items such as beef sandwiches, chicken strips and its famous Bar-B-Q Beans, which get sweetness from brown sugar and smokiness from brisket.

I’m a fan of the Cornbread Bowl ($4.99), a warm crock filled with soft, sweet cornbread, saucy pulled pork and bubbly Cheddar cheese. I also like the Limited Edition ribs, which are slightly less smoky than Zarda’s traditional ribs. The tender ribs are perfectly seasoned and caramelized on the outside. Even without sauce, they’re loaded with flavor. They cost $19.99 per slab and are available only on Mondays.

If you’re at Zarda on a Saturday, try the Limited Reserve burnt ends ($15.50 per pound or $7.25 on a sandwich). Unlike Zarda’s traditional burnt ends, made by combining chunks of brisket with 10 to 15 percent ham, the Limited Reserve version is all beef cut from the point end of the brisket. The fork-tender hunks are nice and smoky, with a thick layer of black char (or “bark”) on one side.

Hyer wants to make the new burnt ends and ribs available every day, so he’s increasing capacity by adding another Southern Pride smoker at both Zarda locations. He also wants to convert the Lenexa Zarda’s private room into a “man cave,” complete with flatscreen TVs, garage door-style windows, a patio and full bar.

He says he has no plans to change the Lenexa Zarda’s decor, which hasn’t changed much since the restaurant opened in 1979.

The brick building, which was formerly a Payless ShoeSource store, is outfitted with rustic wood paneling, plaid carpet, wagon wheel chandeliers and green vinyl booths. Open the front door and you’re hit with the scent of hickory smoke.

“This is the Audrey Hepburn of barbecue joints — it’s never going to go out of style,” says Hyer, who still loves Zarda’s food as much as he did when he started working there more than 35 years ago.

“It’s not Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” he says, “but it’s lunch at Zarda.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Zarda’s new menu features loaded sandwiches, small-batch burnt ends."