Bates City BBQ

If you're not pulling off the highway like a Nascar driver on a meat mission, then friend you’re doing life wrong. Bates City BBQ isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a smoke filled temple where ham is the sermon, ribs are the hymn, and the sauce is sweet, smoky scripture.  The food? Oh sweet baby back Moses, the food is excellent. The brisket falls apart like a reality show contestant under pressure. The ribs? Smoked to perfection like they were slow danced over a hickory log by angels with calloused hands. And the beans? Let's just say they’ve been through something. You taste 'em and go, "Im not worthy and thank you.”  The staff is as nice as Southern grandmas handing out peach cobbler and unsolicited wisdom. One smile from the gal at the counter and suddenly you're reconsidering your life choices and wondering if you should buy smoker, adopt a stray dog, and run for mayor.  Listen don’t overthink this. Make the drive. Eat the food. It’s simple. It’s delicious. It’s the kind of BBQ that makes you want to hug a stranger and buy stock in wet wipes.  Bates City BBQ, It’s not just a meal. It’s a slow cooked emotional breakthrough. Get in your car, point it toward heaven and let the sauce do the healing.

The simplicity of just great BBQ at an incredible price makes this the best BBQ in the Kansas City area. No frills just amazing bark on burnt ends to meaty ribs seasoned just right

Both brisket and pulled pork were cooked perfectly. The fries were amazing, crispy and perfectly salted. The BBQ sauce was a sweeter sauce and was pretty tasty. Lots of fries, and a not bad amount of meat on the sandwich. Very good prices for a BBQ place.

Bates City BBQ is hands down my favorite place to stop when traveling from Omaha to LOTO!!! The food is amazing, the rustic and small town charm is fantastic, and the Staff are just great people. This round I tried the Ham and Beef Sandwich with Slaw. The Brisket was smoked perfectly as always and the Ham was delightful. The Slaw was crisp and had just a little bite to it. My wife got her favorite, Pulled Pork, and it never disappoints. The pork is moist, has great flavor, and just the right amount of smoke. Their fries are also the best around. Homemade,l and fried to perfection. Not too soft, not too crispy, but just right. Highly recommended making the stop and supporting this small business. These are great people, cooking up some amazing food!!

Been eating here for over 30 years! Love the combo sandwich, fries & beans!!

I never have been let down when I come here. I have been coming here since the 90's and the food is always amazing, and it has always been at a great price, especially for the excellent quality and the amount of food you get. The service is always wonderful as well, and they are very friendly. If you are looking for one of those fancy BBQ joints, this is not your place. If you are looking for excellent BBQ, at a excellent price, this is your place. I have been in some of those fancy joints, and paid a lot more for the food, and the food was not anywhere close to as good as Bates City BBQ. This place has been here for a very long time, and they have a very good name for thier selves. Thank you Bates City BBQ, I hope you are around for a very long time.

Great food. Fantastic fries! Unfortunately it seemed like my sandwich was microwaved on a paper plate.

Bout the most authentic BBQ joint you can find. Food is above average in taste, superior in texture. Sides were outstanding. If you're hungry and driving down I-70, stop on in.

The food is good, the service has always been really good for me, and it is hard to beat the price for what you get.

The bomb for really tasty Midwest bbq. Order from the pit and it's served up promptly. Both long and short ribs are great but strongly recommend the burnt end sandwiches, lots of quality and quantity there. Don't forget the handcut fries--very generous serving but they are crispy, just about perfect. Plenty of seating or take it on the road. Laid-back small town hospitality at its best. Wonderful family run place. Love it!

Great food and service. I ordered ahead of time, which helped speed up my experience. I highly recommend this restaurant.

So far in our multi day tour of Missouri barbecue we have found something close to real bbq. Not corporate bbq. In a town that boasts a population of less than 300 people comes are best burnt ends so far. The place is about as unassuming as you can get. Wood paneling, cafeteria type tables and chairs. So far these burnt ends were the most flavorful with one of the better sauces. Disclosures. They were warmed using a microwave. The fries. By far the best of any. Fresh cut double fried real potatoes. The only way they would have been better if they salted them just out of the fryer. The service is fine and fast. Come up to the counter, order on one end and pay on the other. Get your drinks from the drink area. If you're in the neighborhood or even 18 miles away like we were give it a try.

The service was quick and everything came out as ordered. The brisket was done to perfection and the pulled pork was pulled apart tender and so juicy. Fun place to stop while in the road.

This is been a long time staple for our community and the food is usually good. Today was not one. I ordered the burnt ends plate and it was very dry. I ordered the french fries with it and they actually were pretty good. I had to coat the meat with barbecue sauce, and they only have one kind. Nothing with a little kick. I was just kind of disappointed since I haven't eaten there for a while.

So yesterday, against my better judgment, decided to give Bates City BBQ another go. I simplified my order as I thought I've learned what not to order. So here goes. 1 slab of ribs. 3 lbs of brisket. 1 pint of potato salad. Pickles. Grand total....$93.00.:ok. I know BBQ can be pricey but I wasn't expecting that. Now for the food. The brisket resembled sawdust. Not sure how that is even possible but there it was. Worse...as soon as she weighed out the brisket, she put it in a microwave!!! In a minute, you'll see why. Next came the ribs. I've ordered slabs from many different places (including Bates City BBQ). EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GET A SLAB OF RIBS. Not yesterday. Yesterday I received two paper plates with "about a slabs worth of ribs" wrapped in Saran Wrap. And....yep.....into the microwave. OMG! Guys, have some pride in your product. I got it home and it was obvious this meat wasn't fresh. Not sure when it was cooked but it was clearly more than a few days old. After getting nuked it was inedible. Seriously. It was awful. The best thing in the order was the potato salad. And they don't even make that. It's bought in bulk and served out of a carton. Embarrassing.....and at that price...not worth giving another shot. Whoever owns this place needs to sell it.....fast.

Not many options in this town but if you find yourself here I highly recommend this place. The burnt ends are fantastic, as is the homemade coleslaw, and the the handmade french fries m

Small town bbq that's one of a kind ! It's one of a kind bbq it's all really good and you have to order the fries!

Small mom and pop place, but oh so busy. Got food super fast and very delicious. Will recommend it.

Not good. I had a Brisket Sandwich and a Brunt Ends PLate. The brisket was dry and overcooked. The sandwich was eatable only with a lot of BBQ sauce, but I'd never order it again. The Brunt Ends ... I'm not sure where to even start. The guy behind the counter took a scoop of meat, plopped it on a plate, hit it with BBQ sauce, and then put it in the microwave. He pulled the plate from the microwave and handed it to me. I think they are using Chuck Roast for the Brunt Ends. It was dry and hard-core overcooked; that delectable juicy rendered fat you expect from Brunt Ends was non-existent. It was very stringy, leathery, and hard-to-chew meat. I left most of it on the table. I liked the fries; they were the old-school style, fresh-cut, and very crispy. The coleslaw was good, too. The staff was nice, and the place seemed clean. I wonder how this place has a 4.2 rating?

I love this place! It is a small FAMILY run business. The food is wonderful. You do NOT have to spend $100 to get barbecue for 2. You can get it for less than $30. They don't have the ambiance of the pricy places because they don't need it. It is my go to for barbecue.

This review is for my experience on December 17th of 2022. My grandfather has been going all the way to Bate's City for their BBQ for over 15 years, so I've had their wonderful food multiple times throughout my life during visits with him. ^_^ It's spectacular quality and worth the drive according to him and other locals I know! Thankfully I live closer to Bate's City now, so it's not that out-of-the-way for me when I need another BBQ fix! hehe Their cute, little restaurant doesn't look very big from the outside, but its inside seating capacity is quite impressive! The way we've always done it was ordering over the phone, then simply collected it to enjoy at home. But based from what I've heard about eating there in person, it sounds like a pretty comfy experience. One day, I'll go to eat there, and hopefully bring myself to order something I haven't tried yet lol.. Like their smoked turkey! Something I Also enjoy a lot! 0__0 All of my experiences there only involved their ham sandwiches and classic smoked ribs. So next time, I'm gonna try their turkey!

Bates City BBQ is such a historic KC BBQ joint and a reason to pay a visit to this small little suburb. They do serve their food in the classic Kansas City style which means sauced and long-smoked meats. The ribs are solid and in the classic style complete with rib tips. The pulled pork and Turkey have great flavor and texture. This is not a place for beef! Stay away from the brisket and burnt ends. The fries are so special. Hand-cut and shoestring style, these fries are always perfection. They strike the right balance of crispy and fluffy with the ideal saltiness. The beans have great flavor, chock full of onion and bell pepper crystals that explode in your mouth. To me, Turkey/pork combo with a big basket of fries is the play here. Whatever you get, it's old school KC BBQ at an unbelievably low price.

Good small hometown feel. The french fries are awesome. pulled pork was good and brisket. The burn fell a little short for me, but still good.

I was in KC for just a day an as I was OMW bk to the airport I thought, "Wait, I CANNOT leave here without BBQ!" I quickly looked up the nearest BBQ place to me and Bates popped up. Parking was easy an as I walked in I saw (an smelt) the smoke. It wasn't too crowded an ordering was easy. I got a pound of ribs (which was about 4) to go. It totaled $9.70 which wasn't too bad at all. I waited a few minutes and they were ready. I tried one as soon as I got to the airport an I was impressed. They are saucy (which I don't care too much for). I thought later I would remove some of the sauce but I ended up eating all of them as is. They were very tender an I would recommend!

Best bbq ever. The staff goes the extra mile to get to know you and get best value. The fries are yummy and the ribs are so good

My friend had it catered for an event. The food was really good. Will definitely go back for more

Out for the day just stopped for lunch. I got the burnt end plate with fries. Yummy good. Highly recommend the doubled fried fries So crispy. Husband had the brisket sandwich and fries also good. Liked their bbq sauce. Was a nice blend. Didn't like their ketchup at all. Use the bbq sauce instead. Good spot.

Very good local no frills bbq. Well worth the slight detour off the highway. We had the pulled pork and the rib sandwiches. Both were good. We also had the baked beans and the fries. Highly recommend this down home cooking.

First time here. Had brisket sandwiches. Dry and overcooked. Some pieces so hard we could not chew them. The cole slaw was good but forget potato salad. Beans out of a can and doctored up. They were not horrible. Staff was very friendly but we will not be back.

Fantastic BBQ pulled pork the coke slaw was just as good Nice atmosphere and friendly staff I'll definitely be back !!! Plenty of room to park a semi truck

Solid bbq place; we stopped by as we were driving through and enjoyed our dinner. Combo plates, pulled pork sandwiches, and fries were enjoyed by all. Only thing to avoid would be the coleslaw; seemed like it had been sitting in the fridge for a bit too long. Otherwise, a good place to stop!

Stopped in route to the Chiefs game as not too far away. Appears to be locally owned and you can tell by the food quality and quantity. We had brisket sandwiches with a side each including Cole slaw and beans. All were homemade unique and delicious. It is self serve which helps with the cost. The decor is ok as appears clean but an outdoor seating area would be great if the weather cooperated.

Awesome plate because he'll miss the place it's a half mile and great food great barbecue sauce great deals nice little mom and pop shop really really good barbecue I've been all over United States eat barbecue some of the best I've ever had the ribs fall off the bone the beans are delicious spicy ham was even amazing and the pulled pork

We were in Bates City and I wanted to try Bates City Bar-b-q.. I found it clean, sparse and bar-b-q delicious. They have the general bar-b-q restaurant menu, and I ordered the burnt ends plate, fries and baked beans. We were quickly served. The burnt ends were delicious, the best I've had since I ate at Jack Stacks. The BBQ sauce was not too tart or sweet or spicy. It had the right balance to almost be perfect. Burnt ends: There were so many, I ate half and took the rest home. The baked beans were really good and stayed hot for a very long time. Not spicy or too sweet, again, a perfect balance. The fries, there were alot of them, were crunchy and tasty. I like these kind of fries, not too seasoned, not salty or greasy. All the food had this perfect balance of flavor, smoked but not spicy. I really liked it. I'll be stopping at Bates City Bar-b-q when I'm in the area. No complaints, good food, clean. They serve you at the counter. I think it's about all there is in Bates City and it's delicious.

Arthur who? While the setting is simple and easy, the food is Michelin quality! Get the burnt ends...and, the fries...and, the baked beans. Hell - just get it ALL. This is one of the better BBQ places that I have been to over the past 50 years. Make Bates City a stop on your next trip to Kansas City.

The burnt ends were microwaved in front of me until they were hard and chewy. Worst burnt ends ever.

Good food good people. Still has the old country vibe. Probably needs updated. But bbq is phenomenal and the fries oh the fries covered in sauce. Yummy.

This is not right off the Highway but it is easy to get to. Seems to be popular with the local folks. Excellent food and very friendly staff. I would highly recommend !!! It is like stepping back in time to a great Mom and Pop establishment.

Bates City Bbq is just off of I-70, east of Oak Grove. They've been open 40+ years! The bbq was very good, but not great compared to some of KC's Best. And the fries might actually be the BEST any of us ever had anywhere!!! The overall prices were super cheap imho! Most sandwiches are $5! Their Combo Tray plus a side of fries fed 4 adults to the brim for about $30 not including drinks! Guess we should have brought a 5th and we wouldn't be wobbling out the door , lol! ( Combo plate plus fries - Pork spareribs, brisket, ham, bread & pickles) The ribs were melt in your mouth, fall off the bone tender! And I couldn't stop eating the ham! The brisket was solid too. I wish it all had just a touch more smoke flavor. But for my parents who hate tasting bbq hours after they've eaten it, this bbq was perfect! The sauce was mild and sweet the way kc sauce should be. No spicy option though which was a let down. We will definitely go back! I need more of those fries and ribs in my life! Gotta try the burnt ends next time too!

So our favorite BBQ in Kansas City (Shawnee), so when we saw the original on a road trip we had to stop -it did not disappoint- the ribs were perfect! Fries and beans were wonderful as well- clearly a local favorite- friendly discussions throughout

We have lived in Bates City for years and always gone here for bbq to support local business but the food has definitely gone downhill from the way it used to be. When I got home with my food, the plates were served without any sauce at all (I had asked for an additional ham sandwich without sauce) and when I drove back to complain, i was given 2 sides of sauce. By the time I got back home, the fries were cold and hard. The beef plate that is supposedly "brisket" is more like bottom of the pan burnt leftovers that you couldn't even put on bread because it just falls apart when you try to eat it if you are lucky to even make a sandwich with it. Staff was nice but i think i will drive the extra distance next time and get fast food. This was not worth the money I spent

Good food; the right size portions; good prices; friendly inviting sit down place; and good staff. They will even add a little more pickles to your meal if you ask. Coleslaw in original vinegar style the way it's supposed to be. Eaten here before with friends and a few relatives. Will always go back when in the area. Never had a disappointing meal there.

The pulled pork sandwich was delicious. The price is decent. I'm glad I stopped by this hole-in-the-wall place.

Pulled pork is good, brisket is alright, a little dry. Burnt ends were not good at all!! It's like they don't know what burnt ends really are.... I think they just actually burn some lean brisket, and make it super dry AND charred.. and call that "burnt ends". Some research goes a long way. Very nice people though!

Good food, good price, friendly and hometown feel. The burnt ends platter with baked beans did not disappoint. Tender and full of flavor.

A welcome memory brought back to life. I used to live in this area and visited Bates City BBQ on a regular basis. I remembered with fondness the sliced beef sandwiches and french fries. Happened to be back in the area and made it a point to revisit. I was delighted to see the same owner and even more delighted to taste the same delicious food. Their french fries are truly my favorite in the world! This unpretentious, little spot that has been around for 40 years. The prices are extremely reasonable and the food is fantastic. My boyfriend had an order of long of ribs and beans. I pigged out with a beef sandwich, fries, and beans. We did not order drinks. Our total bill was $23. Even with the Chiefs game, the place was packed right at kick off time on a Sunday. It appears they have held onto their large local loyal following of customers. So glad I got to come back and will make it a point to come back more frequently. Love this little barbecue place!

Good KC style BBQ not far off the interstate. It's no frills, but we had good pulled pork, brisket, baked beans and cole slaw.

Close to me...been there many times.. .great folks, lady taking orders has a big old smile....the sauce and Q is so delucious. .an abundance of fresh fries ...the meat is delicious. All for an affordable price. Go and enjoy!!!!

Bates BBQ ribs are delicious. I got the long pork ribs with beans and slaw plate. The meat was tender and lean with a nice thick smoked layer. Was served with dill Pickles and 2 slices of white bread. Yum yum. Had leftovers, the serving were generous.

Finally got out to try this place after hearing about it 3 years ago from a co-worker. My family of 4 tried the $26.99 meat combo plate, Coleslaw, fries, & beans. Everything was really great! And I'm picky when it comes to coleslaw. Very good flavor and wasn't gooey like a lot of other coleslaw can be, this was like home made but better. The beans were also good flavor not too spicy. The French fries had to be the favorite among the 4 of us, nice 'n' crispy and just enough salt. The 3 meats we tried were all very well cooked although I'm partial to the brisket. The staff were friendly and helpful and service was nice and fast. My husband told them the soda fountain was out of root beer and a staff member promptly came out and replenished it. Hard to beat getting a good meal for 4 people at $48 and some change (total with drinks). Gate's used to be my favorite until now.....

One of our favorite BBQ places! Prices are great and everyone is friendly. We love the burnt ends and fries!

A 20 drive east of the stadiums, and my vote for best BBQ pre Dollar spent. This small joint is in my top 5 for BBQ in the entire USA! My tip for here is to skip the ribs and get the good stuff, beef, pork, ham, and Turkey too! There sauce is also spot on perfect but you may not need it with their meets. We can eat here twice for what other places charge! Save your $ and eat in Bates City

I am bias as I have been going here since I was a kid, but this is my favorite BBQ place east of Kansas City. I enjoy the ham as it is smoked to the right point, you can taste the smokiness and the meat as well. The ribs are excellent a well and my mom swears by the "combination" sandwich of beef and ham. I am less a fan of the beef but to each their own. The sauce is great and if you prefer, you can get it on the side. I also recommend getting the pickles and peppers on the side as otherwise they tend to overpower a sandwich if you are getting your food to go. Their biggest claim to fame is their fries. Just make sure they are well cooks (on occasion you may get an order that is a bit "raw") and they are worthy of their reputation. The seasoning, it seems like it is a combination of salt and a little sugar. I cannot describe it, but the fries are king. My last stop in was just after New Years and it seems the prices have gone up again. $8.17 for a ham sandwich and fries is getting a little rich for my blood. Sadly, this will lessen my visits. Super nice people too.

Excellent sized servings. Everything is a la carte but the portions are huge and can be shared. We both had the pulled pork and thought it was fantastic. We were driving through on I-70 and we'll definitely return on our next trip through this area.

Food is good and for barbecue the price isn't bad. I got the burnt ends, which was very good. I would give it more stars, but it's not wheelchair accessible, which is a big negative for me. There is no ramp entry and the bathroom is too small for a wheelchair. We did not know this till we got there. I was able to my mom, the one in the wheelchair, up the small step at the door, but she wasn't able to use the restroom. The staff seems very friendly and the fries are really good. Get the place fixed so everyone can feel welcome, meaning wheelchair accessible bathrooms and doors. We liked the food, but may not come back due to inaccessible bathroom for wheelchairs

I would give 5 stars, but being from Los Angeles I don't feel like I'm well-versed enough in midwest BBQ to make such claims. My boyfriend and I stopped in during our cross country roadtrip. Very easy access off the freeway and not in the busy city. We LOVED everything we had. I ordered the plate with three kinds of meats, and since they were out of ham, I ended up with burnt ends beef (which I had never heard of, ha). Definitely recommend! It was our favorite of all we tried. Also, I couldn't get enough of the sauce they had in their bottles! The staff was very friendly and the venue was clean.

We all got something different and we all really liked it. Perfect size servings. Great fast service and fair prices. We will be back.