If a person says Kansas City, one of the first things I think of is barbecue. Kansas City is known for its smoked meat with a tomato based sauce sweetened with molasses, and the city has numerous barbecue restaurants that each have their own specialty meats and variety of sauces.

Smoketown BBQ is a new Kansas City barbecue restaurant that opened in early September. Located at 7702 Shawnee Mission Parkway, just west of Metcalf, it is a small family-owned restaurant.

As I walked into Smoketown BBQ, I felt a rustic atmosphere. There is wood paneling along the walls and wood stools that are tucked under high-top tables. Customers sit at a table of their choice if they are dining in or order at the counter if they are wanting the food to go. Each time I went, I ordered at the counter to take the food to go.

While I was at Smoketown BBQ, my family and I ordered the Sampler Plate to share for our dinner. The Sampler Plate priced at $20.99 includes beef brisket, ham, pulled pork, turkey, sausage, beef burnt ends with a side of french fries, bread and pickles. I really enjoyed the Sampler Plate because it allowed me to try a little of everything. Of the meats, my favorites were the beef burnt ends and sausage. The beef burnt ends were bite-size pieces of meat that were very juicy and tender on the inside with a crispy outer edge. The sausage was smoked and sliced into chunks.

My family also tried some of the restaurant’s side dishes of BBQ beans, cheesy corn, mac and cheese and mushrooms. The favorite side dish that my family ordered were the mushrooms. The mushrooms are breaded and fried served with ranch. As I took a bite into the mushrooms, there was a perfect combination of a hot and crispy texture on the outside and juiciness on the inside.

Overall, I would highly recommend Smoketown BBQ to family and friends. The food is high quality and reasonably priced. The restaurant has a clean, rustic, family-owned atmosphere. Most importantly, the barbecue is delicious.