DeAndre Hopkins loved one KC barbecue dish so much he’s having it sold in his home state
One unexpected result of the Chiefs’ trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins: It helped introduce people in one South Carolina city to a Kansas City barbecue delicacy.
Burnt ends.
A not-so-infrequent question for Chiefs players ahead of Super Bowl LIX was about their go-to place for barbecue in Kansas City. That should be expected because the best barbecue in the world is found in KC.
Hopkins learned that when he shared a video of him trying Kansas City barbecue for the first time. A stop to Gates Bar-B-Q proved to be a seminal culinary moment for Hopkins.
When asked about his favorite barbecue in New Orleans, Hopkins talked about how he enjoyed burnt ends from Gates. In fact, he had the dish put on the menu at Smitty’s Smokin’ Soul Food in Easley, South Carolina
See? That’s a win for the good folks in the Palmetto State.
“Favorite Kansas City barbecue spot? I gotta go with Gates,” Hopkins said. “You know, I say that because I’ve only eaten at two spots, Q39 and Gates. And I like the chopped burnt ends, which I think kind of set Gates apart. I have a barbecue restaurant in South Carolina called Smitty’s, and we just added the chopped burnt ends on our menu because of Gates. So shoutout to Gates.”
The burnt ends are available each Friday at Smitty’s, and that wouldn’t have happened if the Chiefs didn’t acquire Hopkins in a trade with the Titans in October.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 9:04 AM.
