Gates Bar-B-Q

I have never been impressed by Gates over the years and rarely come by but today I was at CostCo and craving barbecue so I took the path of least resistance and stopped by. I have always found the ordering process to be stressful and today was no exception despite the fact that I came well after the main lunch rush. The staff were nice enough — I just feel confused and rushed!
I didn’t really have a strong preference about the kind of meat so I went with a burnt ends sandwich and fries. I love fries as much as anyone but I could have done with about a quarter of the giant pile they gave me! Add a soda to that and total comes to $ 15 — a bit high but barbecue isn’t the cheapest thing either.
Now for the reason why I can’t leave them more than 2 stars… the burnt ends sandwich was gross. I’ve never been a fan of the way they chop them into tiny little pieces (and very greasy ones at that) but to add insult to injury the darn thing was loaded with huge chunks of pure fat… yuck! I picked through the sandwich to salvage what I could and a few minutes later tossed the rest away, no longer hunger but far from satisfied.
There are a lot of good barbecue joints in town but Gates has never impressed me. High prices for sub par barbecue. Just saying!

Hands-​Down Delicious BBQ. I sampled the short-​end ribs and the pulled pork sandwich. Their sauce recipe is wonderful.
Their service needs to change. I don’t need someone yelling at me, ‘May I help you?’ when I’m clearly staring at the menu.
They also need to give more attention to their condiment area. I couldn’t sample the ‘extra hot’ sauce because their dispenser was broken.
We also asked for to-​go cups for our drinks which were never brought to us.
Aside from these minor issues, I enjoyed my lunch at Gates and would certainly go back again when in KC. The BBQ is just too delicious to pass up.

I came here on a recommendation after seeing that Jack Stack was closed for the day. I thought this place was okay. I got the turkey on a bun, which was okay. It seemed more like deli meat than smoked turkey, which was disappointing as I came for barbecue. I would not order it again. The sauces were pretty good, and I will say the fries were very good. The inside is clean and well kept, which I appreciated, and he price is very inexpensive as well.

From what I hear Gates BBQ is considered by many to be the «McDonald’s» of BBQ in Kansas City. That’s not to say the BBQ wasn’t delicious, but it definitely has a bit more informal fast food feel, and is probably the cheapest. Once you enter, you’ll hear the cashiers yelling «May I help you?» to the customers as they stand in line. It’s kind of hectic, and you might feel pressured to decide quickly, but it’s fine to ask them for some time to decide. If you’re planning to dine in you should grab a tray. Once you’ve figured out what you want, just get their attention and yell your order to them. After that you awkwardly wait in line until your order comes out then you pay for it and go to the sauce stations where you get yourself BBQ sauce and napkins. Then finally find a table, sit down, and enjoy the delicious food.
GREAT
* Burnt Ends Sandwich — Never heard of burnt ends before KC, but apparently they are the fatty burnt ends of beef brisket. Gates burnt ends are a little unusual compared to other places, because their burnt ends are served in a sandwich and are pulled apart (like pulled pork). Of the various burnt ends I’ve tried, they tasted the most fatty, moist, and succulent. The sandwich made a huge mess, but was delicious.

If you’re visiting Kansas City, you can’t NOT go here. This is some of the best BBQ in Kansas City. The Independence location burned down, and recently, I had a craving for barbecue and drove 25 miles out of my way to go get some Gates, true story (and it was beyond worth it!). It’s a big restaurant, but it’s separated by multiple rooms so it feels very small and cozy. I went late at night, around 10pm and there were a good amount of people in there. I got a sandwich with two kinds of meat, fries and a drink. Total was around $ 12.
You basically grab a tray, and they take your order. It’s not a typical restaurant, but it does have a lot of charm and that’s what I liked about it. My food came out within about 3 – 4 minutes, but again, I was there late at night. It’s probably different during busier times.
They have a self-​serve barbecue sauce bar. Anything you want from sweet to spicy. The location is very convenient, on Main St, close to Westport, but they do have locations all over Kansas City. The meat on my sandwich was perfectly cooked & tender, and on a perfectly toasted bun. The fries were also amazing, but the barbecue sauce is really what pulled the whole meal together. Definitely a intimate atmosphere, and they had TVs in some rooms, but not in others. Booth and table seating. I definitely will be back, multiple times.

I was expecting a restaurant like inside but its grab a tray in line pick which side to order on, order your food, stand there and wait until the food is done, to then pay for it. You then take it with you through a hallway where you help yourself to sauce, napkins, water etc. Then keep walking into the seating area which looks ok I guess.
I got the burnt ends sandwich. First it was chopped so fine it should no longer hold the name burnt ends. This was pulled chopped meat (don’t know if it was pork or beef). The bun was too big for me and didn’t add any flavor to it, as I started picking the meat out of it to eat alone. The sauce they offer are common nothing special. Wait they have this sweet spicy tangy flavor, forget the proper name, that is horrible! So no sauce at all for me at all.
The wait for the food wasn’t too bad but just sitting there in the cashier face was weird to me. We ended up making small talk with them and one even offered to sell a slice of pie that didn’t belong to the place due to being out of stock with sweet potato pie. Bummer. Staff is very polite I can say and I hear they are even better at other locations.
Overall this is not my type of place as I didn’t like standing and waiting reminding me of my school years in the lunch room. The burnt ends being chopped into nonexistence and the sauce being common tasting or just plain nasty. I gave it a try and I will not being coming back although the smoke coming from this place smells good.

For years, I have been avoiding this place because I thought they yelled at you if you didn’t order correctly. I was finally brave and took a step inside. What do ya know… they were sweet at sweet potato pie!!!
PROs
— sweet, nice, polite service :)
— the «sweet and spicy» sauce is definitely my favorite
— the food was tasty (but I prefer other BBQ in town; yes, everyone has their preference)
— seemed clean as folks were wearing gloves, clean counters, clean kitchen (from what I could see)
CONs
— the wait time was crazy and I was only a few people back. True, there was a large order in front of me but they seems a little off their game.
— for me, the portion size is out of control. I could eat for a week off their single meal of anything ordered. (I know, most people enjoy this fact but it’s a «con» for me)
— it wasn’t dirty but worn down; the ambiance was a little too «retro» and lighting was so dim it seemed a little «dark corner»

Gates is a big stable in KC. It would be too harsh not to say you shouldn’t at least try this place.
The staff Is very friendly and you can see the owner mingling with customers.
The food is very good but very overpriced for a cafeteria style dinning experience.
Expect to pay close to $ 15-​$ 20 a person. I would rather go to Jack Stacks. It’s slightly more expensive with much more variety and offers a traditional sit down service model and full bar.
My recommendation is to try this place for the experience but be open minded and be prepared to spend some money.

Saturday afternoon just before 5, just before the line started, interesting to order and watch your cashier yell at the pit master your order. Old school KC style. We ordered the meat plate ($ 21.95) and the rib tips on a bun ($ 8.99 or so)
We demolished it all. Our favorites were the rib tips best, I have had, the ham and brisket. I wasn’t completely blown away by the ribs so I would give them a solid B grade. The fries were nothing to speak of, but not the purpose of the visit.
Our favorite sauce was the sweet and mild.
The hostesses in the dining were so very friendly and helpful, they gave us some history as it was obvious we were first timers.
Its a must for us.

I had lunch here with some friends last week. It’s an okay location and the service and food quality are consistent. I have no complaints and I also do not find anything special about this particular location. The burnt ends are the best!

Amazing place to not only eat at but to experience!
The staff there is something else. Never before have I seen such controlled chaos. They yell out the orders without writing anything down and they get everything correct. I’m not sure how they do it but it’s really something to see.
The owner and managers should be proud that they have such a welcoming, friendly, and efficient staff!
I had the burnt ends sandwich and it was great, I would recommend having it chunky and without sauce. Sauce it yourself

I’m starting my journey of KC BBQ joints. It started with Gates.
I was disappointed, maybe the hype got my expectations to high. It’s good, I actually love the sauce, and you either love it or hate it, but I loved it.
Location was meh. It’s dated, but has plenty of room. Service there is horrible. Do your research before you go, it’s not newbie friendly.
We ordered the beef sandwich and fries, center cut ribs and the burn end sandwich, had an order of slaw and cucumber salad.
Ribs were tough, flavor was ok, not killer, but seasoned. I would say 3 out of 5. Just average. But good enough that I would go back for quick ribs, not good enough if all I wanted was ribs.
The Burnt End sandwich was the best of all three. Probably 4 out of 5. Flavor was there, meat is chopped and not cut, over all the reason I would return.
The beef sandwich is a thin cut brisket with no ribbon. 2.5 out of 5. Slightly disappointed, but the crispy fries were spot on. I could make a meal out of the fries and the burnt end. The cucumber salad was amazing.
It was good, but not excellent. Nothing really had me hooked to come back. Fun as it’s an older KC establishment, but no real hook to get me to return.

At first, I got a little scared because they yell at you from the counter, they seem mad but they are fun and effective. Your order gets taken within seconds and then you’re waiting for a fantastic meal ahead of you.
Please do yourself a favor and get the burnt ends and get their BBQ sauce! Make a meal out of that! Also, get a beer!

A full slab of Gates ribs with an order of extra crispy fries might just be my favorite meal in all of Kansas City.
These are the real deal, coming out of this old gigantic meat filled smoker in the back. They’re charred but not overly so, and each rib is loaded with quality meat and some of the best KC BBQ flavor you can find.
I also happen to love their original sauce, with it’s slightly spicy, slightly running and fall-​like flavor. The tops of the ribs are dressed with a touch of this, but the underside is all meat. It’s a great compromise for the Texas BBQ fans and the KC BBQ fans.
With so many ribs these days, you take one bit and the meat comes falling off the bone. While I’m not totally down on ribs like this, it generally means they are overcooked. The ones here are always on point — they’re easy to eat, but also come with the slight resistance you’d expect from perfectly smoked ribs.
A lot of people are down on Gates, and so they might be surprised to see me put this as a top BBQ meal in KC. I can see where they’re coming from — some of the sandwiches can be wildly inconsistent. I’ve had a «burnt end» sandwich that will infamously be dubbed the «fat sandwich.» They can be sloppy and good but not great. But I’m talking ribs here people! That’s where Gates shines.
The combo of extra crispy fries dipped in original sauce is phenomenal. The staff always takes the time to let those babies fry (that is, if you order them extra crispy), and the thick cut fries taste worlds better with a little extra crispiness to them.
Another plus? A huge slab of ribs and giant side of fries (for 2, maybe 3 people) runs around $ 30. While I’m definitely not down on the higher end BBQ spots in town, the price for amazing food is hard to beat.

I recently visited Kansas City for a conference, and was told it wouldn’t be a complete visit without checking out the local BBQ scene. I called around to a few places on a Friday night-​Jack Stack’s, Joe’s, etc.-and Gates, having the lowest wait time, won out. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard the other places can take upwards of 1−2hrs. during the dinner rush; the line at Gates, even when out the door, took about ~20min.
This place feels like it’s straight out of the 60s, and it’s not at all «fancy,» so adjust expectations from the start. That being said, it’s kept clean and comfortable, which should be more than good enough if you’re there mainly for the food.
Quite a few reviews here mention that the staff behind the counter yell. While that’s true, in my experience, it’s more a reflection of their high customer volume and impressive efficiency. Initially, it can be a little jarring to have someone demand your order and yell it back to you for confirmation. Still, when we asked the employee taking orders what she recommended, she was happy to pause and help us out in a pleasant way. Likewise, the manager came by our table several times to ask what we thought of the food, which left me particularly impressed. In fact, I don’t think I’ve experienced a more cordial, family-​style customer service anywhere else in recent memory.
As for the food, Gates is decidedly a cut below the best BBQ I’ve ever had. That being said (and admitting that I can’t compare it to other places in KC), it was delicious and I was pleased enough with it to recommend a visit. I especially liked the extra-​spicy barbecue sauce-​on my beef sandwich, it tasted fantastic. The fries were average. but you’re there for the meat, anyway, which definitely satisfies.
If you have the time, maybe check out a more well-​known and better-​regarded KC BBQ restaurant, like Jack Stack. If you’re on a tighter schedule and looking for a place that will do due justice to Kansas City barbecue culture with warm customer service and an authentic vibe, then Gates is a fine choice.

The burnt ends. That is all.
Actually, that’s not all. They enjoy yelling «HI MAY I HELP YOU!?» when you walk in. I personally find it rude and not a very warm way to greet guests, but I don’t think that’s going to change. I wonder who’s idea that was, anyway. It sucks.
Also, the ordering style is really confusing. They ask you what you want as soon as you walk in, before you’ve even had a chance to look at the menu, all while a guest is right in front of them trying to order. You end up ordering at the same time as 4 other people, but then they forget your order and ask you again once you’re closer to the front. It’s weird. Why not just follow the regular ordering process of every other restaurant in the world? I know the owner and I’m going to ask her next time I see her. There has to be a reason for this madness.
Any who, the BBQ is great and the best I’ve had in KC.

I was not impressed with this place at all!!! As we walked in a group was ordering but the cashier kept yelling «Can I help you?» I thought she was talking to them when in fact she was yelling at me. So that was different but I guess that’s what they do there.
I ordered burnt ends with coleslaw. It’s was terrible. The meat wasn’t seasoned to me at all! I drowned it in BBQ sauce. Still disappointed. The coleslaw taste like mayo with a tiny bit of cabbage. My coworker got the chicken with beans. She said the chicken was good. I tried the beans and it taste like the opened a can of beans then poured molasses on top then served them. Yuck!!!
I heard many good things about this place. I am so disappointed and I’ll never be back!

An absolutely perfect place for an occasion, especially to celebrate Father’s Day with my beautiful wife and two darling daughters (and I can’t forget bun in over Addison Ivy). I always love coming to Gates when they shout, «Hi, how may I help you.» You know you are about to down on some awesome BBQ.
This was our Day 4 choice on our 14 day BBQ challenge. And we choose wisely of course.
My wife had the beef on bun with fries, and my oldest girl shared a beautiful slab of ribs with me while chomping done on some of their delicious beans.
The restaurant was very clean and the hostess was doing a terrific job. Everyone was very friendly. Can’t wait to see what Day 5 of the challenge will bring.

Gates has a recognizable name in BBQ for KC, but that’s where my praise ends. As soon as you enter the door, you are bombarded with a screeching «Hi, may I help you!!!», which is fine. But today I gave my order 5 times to the same lady, 15 minutes later, I’m at the cash register, no food yet, and the lady asks me for the 6^th time, what I’m having. OMG, who can’t remember a turkey sandwich and a slab of ribs???
We head to the dining area, wow, of the 20+ tables, only 4 are clean, plates are piled everywhere, and none can accommodate 5 people, we jam ourselves into a table for 4.
My kids we excited to spilt a slab of ribs, 3 ribs in, they tell me, «these are gross», granted, they are used to baby backs, but the amount of fat and gristle, they had a tough time pulling the meat off. They were more excited about the fries. My turkey on bun was fine, as was my mother’s. My niece had the chicken special, but only picked at it, she didn’t like the flavor.
I haven’t been to Gates for several years, and now I remember why, the place is dingy, service is slow, and the food is marginal at best. I know BBQ is is all personal preference, so I’ll stick with my favorite on swift in north town, I think my days with Gates are over.

50 – 100 years from now some ambitious food journalist will attempt to document the period BBQ came out of the poor areas of this town and was brought to the masses, a turning point a generation now calls Kansas City’s BBQ culture. A central figure in that story will be Gates, their original location on lowly Brooklyn Street, just up the hill from Arthur Bryant’s. In all its 70s black and red design, black pride and old school restaurant vibe, you can still walk in the door and have the staff yelling at the top of their lungs, «HI, MAY I HEPP YOU?» You know, it’s part of this town and you can’t take it away, ever, and I love it.
Sure, Gates has fallen out of favor replaced by other darlings of KC BBQ. You know who those others are, and even I have a favorite or two I’d just as soon visit at times. But when people come to town and want to visit the roots of Kansas City BBQ, Gates is one of 2 – 3 places that never fails. And make no mistake, they led while others followed. Come to this location any day of the week and like their other venues, there’s a crowd, and for good reason.
My most recent visit your every BBQ joint’s beef sandwich and beans were… sublime. Perfect. Just right. What I wanted, and not more. I can honestly say at this Gates and any other one location dating back to my first visit in 1978 I’ve never had a bad meal here. Always solid, good, sometimes mind blowing, never bad, always consistent.
A breakdown of my last visit:
Volume of girl yelling «HI, MAY I HEP YOU?»: 5 stars
Number of napkins necessary to complete meal: 4 stars
Availability of plastic water glasses: 4 stars
Number of times you must lick your fingers: 4 stars
Beef san with beans: 5 stars
Sauce: love Gates but why the tiny serving containers? 2 stars
II’ll be back, yea, I’ll be back. Until I die.