Big T's Bar-B-Q

February is the time of year I find most difficult. So close to the warming days of March but yet still locked in winter's death grip. On these gray, cold days, I look for any kind of respite or release from nature's injustice.

My release today was venturing over to Big T's Bar-B-Q on Blue Parkway to meet my buddy Larry for lunch. To be honest, I had not heard of Big T's until about a month ago. We have a gluttony of riches when it comes to barbecue restaurants here in Kansas City and I am guilty for overlooking many of these places. Today, I wanted to extend my barbecue dining experience yet again.

We met at 1pm to avoid the lunch rush. Parking was not an issue and service was friendly and quick. The place itself was clean and appealing. I would describe Big T's as a "BBQ Joint." When you walk in you are immediately hit with the familiar smell of french fries cooking inter-mingled with the aroma of meat smoking. A nice jolt to the senses on such a blah day. The walls were ordained with pictures of past Kansas City sports teams. Black and white pictures of the NBA's long gone Kansas City Kings, a picture of the 1946 Negro Leagues All-Star Game, and a 1998 team picture of the Kansas City Chiefs to name a few. A napkin dispenser, bottle of Heinz ketchup and salt and pepper shakers adorned the tables. Extra barbecue sauce was available if you asked for it at the service counter.

The order process here is quite familiar. Place your order at the counter and they call your number when it's ready. I ordered the brisket on a bun , fries and a small ice tea. The total was $7.81. The brisket was thinly sliced and served with sauce on it (I need to start asking for sauce on the side). The meat itself had a slight hickory smoked flavor while the sauce was sweet and thin. I felt the sauce detracted from some of the flavor of the meat. Also I prefer my brisket to be sliced a little thicker than what I received today. The fries were greasy and were your average fare. Larry ordered the burnt end plate and said that the ends were tender and had a good smokey flavor.

I guess a good sign if you don't like something is to leave it on your plate. Both of our plates were empty so we must have liked it. Is Big T's my favorite barbecue place? No, but I would visit again to try out more of their menu.