The BBQ at Bates City is always perfect, their brisket is sliced thin, which I prefer. They have hot, very hot, and regular barbecue sauce. Previously I've had the turkey quite a few times, and my husband has enjoyed the ribs and the sausage. Counter service always fast and friendly, in the restaurant is very clean. The wood paneling has all kinds of old kitschy decorations and it's just an enjoyable place to eat. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Brisket sandwich with fries - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

These are the best ribs I've had in the greater Kansas City area, thus far. The dining room is an ode to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, which makes for a great dine-in experience. But, listen... it's the ribs. Order a rack and enjoy! read more

It's hard to stand out in a crowded KC BBQ market, but Bates City is an underrated destination. If it's not the hickory smoke or the portion sizes that grab you, then it could be the specials during the week that merit a visit. I judge BBQ by three things: brisket, beans, and sauce. Bates City's brisket is really good, and I recommend getting it earlier in the day for peak juiciness. Their beans are OK, not great, but their array of sauces, including the 'Fluckin' Hot', are really good and complement the hickory smoke exceptionally well. Portion sizes are more than ample, and if you're there for the slab special on Thursdays (and I think also on Sundays?), then you can't leave hungry. Plus, a rack of ribs on specials day for $16? Sorcery! It's a walk-up order spot, or you can order ahead on their web site via Toast or other services. Whether you get with beef, pork, or turkey, there is plenty to choose from and the sides marry up well. Handy knowledge: if you order ahead, then they'll drop your fries/onion rings much closer to your pick-up time so you don't get the 'gift' of soggy fries. Great offering! Lots of space inside with friendly service, plenty of parking, and it's easy to pick up your carryout order. A full-on lunch with a BBQ entree and a side, plus a drink, runs you about $15, and that value is much great than the price point. Bates City BBQ gives you that consistent freshly smoked range of offerings that not every BBQ can boast. read more

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I came here on a recommendation from two co workers. I came on a Thankful Thursday. They have a sale of ribs special for a great price of $16. They are locally owned and I love supporting local businesses. The restaurant is really nice inside. I placed my order online and it was ready when I arrived. I took the order to go. Lots of food. Also ordered the brisket sandwich and baked beans. It was good. read more

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Overall the food here is kind of average to below-average, with my main complaint being that the food is dry. The service by the staff was very helpful and friendly. I ordered a mixed plate (which comes with 3 pork ribs) with pulled pork and burnt ends, and ordered beans and fries as my sides, and then I added a half lb each of the following; sausage, beef brisket, sliced turkey, and sliced ham. In general, other than the brisket, the food had some decent smoke, including the baked beans, and I like more smoke than not: The brisket on the other hand, in addition to being dry, was rather bland, and I didn't detect really any smoke at all. It kind of tasted like Arby's sliced roast beef. The pork ribs, though dinosauric, were definitely overcooked. The pulled pork was dry to the point of almost being crispy, and tasted quite bland and unseasoned compared to the competition. The burnt ends were definitely more on the drier side, but had some good smoky flavor. I also want to note that the portions on the mixed plate other than the ribs were laughably small even at the $14.50 price, making the plate not really the bargain that it would appear to be. The sausage had a decent flavor and smoking, but not really anything to write home about. The sliced ham, even though it was smoky was still quite dry. The smoked sliced turkey was definitely the best thing that was served to me today, being smoky as well as tender and juicy. As noted before, I liked how even the baked beans had a nice smoky flavor, and was a decent side dish to me. The French fries were well seasoned, but were more soggy than crispy. As far as sauces go, I tried their house made ketchup, regular bbq sauce, as well as their hot bbq, and "clusterflucking hot" bbq. The ketchup tasted standard issue like Heinz to me, and the regular bbq sauce was kind of sweet and zesty to me, which I appreciated. I also thought their hot and "clusterflucking hot" bbq sauces definitely had some of the heat as advertised in comparison to their competition and they were quite tasty, although as a guy with a "heat tooth," I still would have liked even more heat. There are better BBQ places in the KC area, and Bates unfortunately is not really worth its own journey. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Mixed plate (ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends) with sausage, brisket, fries, and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

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Excellent KC bbq at its best. But, even better on a Thursday or Sunday as the full Rack of bbq baby back pork ribs are only $16. - see attached photo as I almost fainted from the portion size once served! Eventually, I boxed up some for lunch the next day. Only needed to added a quart of fine cole slaw to complement the sweet and tangy ribs/sauce. Was able to wash everything down perfectly with $2 (yes, $2 all day and everyday), 12oz Miller beers. My only regret is not being able to try the baked beans. However, this will be my goal when/if I ever return to Kansas City. The normal bbq counter service was friendly and quick while the decor is an historic sports themed. read more

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Bates was recommended to us by a local and it didn't disappoint. Walk in order of the board. They had a special going on Thursday night. Full slab for $16.00 what a deal. Ended up ordering Cole slaw as a side. The ribs were very tasty and fell off the bone. The sauce was sweet and tangy delicious. The slaw was very good more on the tangy side. I like it more creamy, but Cole Slaw is made so many ways. The staff were friendly and service was great. The atmosphere was great warm woods and sports decor everywhere. If you're looking for good bar-b-que this is your place. read more

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We haven't been to Bate's for awhile but we stopped in after a full day out to get some BBQ. We ordered a full slab of ribs, a side of slaw and a side of potato salad, pickles and one of their $2 long neck beers. The young lady that served us at the walk up and order counter was friendly and helpful when asking some questions about the potato salad and slaw. The ribs were mostly tender and fall of the bone (how I like my ribs) there were a few pieces that were dry though. The slaw and potato salad were good and the beer special (you can't leave the premises with the beer). It wasn't very busy and we easily found a table and it is a clean restaurant. They have a good amount of carry out orders though. read more

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Great, fun BBQ restaurant in Shawnee (KC metro)! These guys offer great ribs and BBQ with FLUCKIN (their word not mine) sense of humor. Highly recommend! read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Tommy Boy sandwich with side of fries - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

I miss the large bag of fries they use to give you back in the day !!!First I can't stand the sauce I'm a sweet sauce but can't give less stars ribs were fall off the bone , clean place , yummy fries good job great attitude employees happened on a Thursday rib special read more

What an awesome deal we had tonight at Bates City BBQ - $16 slab of ribs! We don't live in Shawnee, but when my husband did some Uber driving after being laid off during the pandemic he came across Bates City BBQ. He hadn't brought me here prior and thought tonight was a perfect time to go. He was right. We got a KC Bier Dunkel (a must with bBQ) with the slab special along with a side of beans. Surprisingly, we had leftovers to take home for another day. I missed getting pictures, but really loved the vibe of the place. The staff were happy & engaging & helpful. Love helping local businesses. read more

These BBQ ribs are truly incredible! The portions are generous, the service is outstanding, and the prices are very reasonable. Plus, the restaurant is spotless. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a tasty meal! read more

What meat we got didn't taste bad but you get very little. A burnt end sandwich was 8.50 plus 2.50 up charge so its actually 11.00, a mixed combo plate of 2 meats was 14.50 and since I got 3 slices of brisket it had a up charge of 1.25 so its actually 15.75. a soda is 3.40 so our total cost was 33.05. So if hungry your better going to a different place and make sure you bring plenty of cash cause they are high priced for what you get. And no do not recommend this establishment nor will return for a snack cause that's what they serve. I never saw the upcharges till I got home and looked it up on there web page and was never told anything about the charge. LIST THE ACTUAL COST OF THE SANDWICH ON THE MENU !! read more

Everyone had told me to come in and the food was so good. This was the worst BBQ I have had. The ribs were overcooked and the burnt ends were tough and chewy. Highly disappointed and expressed our concern and the kids working just said .... Oh . read more

This is our favorite BBQ place. I grew up Going to the OG Bates City BBQ and this is just what I would expect. They are always consistent. The ribs just fall off the bone and really can't be beat. The fresh fries and delicious and they don't skimp on servings. read more

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FPO and I met up with some friends on an early Saturday for lunch and just to hang out. We picked Bates City Bar-B-Que. It's a nice, family owned place with a friendly feel to it. There's a private lot with a lot of convenient parking Part of their decor is license plates from around the country and their collection is very impressive. And of course, no self-respecting bbq restaurant in KC would be complete without Chiefs memorabilia on the wall. They have self serve fountain Pepsi products and a small selection of bottled beers (behind the counter, of course, lol). While the others had a variety of Bud Light, Heineken, and Coors Lite, I went wild and had a Pepsi. I don't remember the last time I drank soda and it was fabulous. There's just something about fountain sodas that can't be beat. FPO and I split the Mixed Plate ($21.00). It has ribs, two choices of meat, two sides, fries, white bread, and a pickle. We picked the brisket and burnt ends. I liked the ribs the best. The brisket is thin sliced, which is not my favorite, and the burnt ends we got were a little dry. Friends told us that's not usually the case. It's a nice enough place that I would go back and give the burnt ends another try. I still don't eat a lot of beef or pork, so it'll probably be at least a few months until we try again. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - The Mixed Plate with a side of onion rings. - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

My kids favorite ribs in town, I like the burnt ends and brisket, great sides, sauces and service. Fun atmosphere and always fast. Underrated! Our fav BBQ spot. read more

I recently moved to KC and feel dumb that I didn't try this place sooner because of its relatively lower rating on Yelp. Not sure what that's about. Ribs were incredible and fell right off the bone. The sauce might be my favorite in KC. The main guy was helpful with questions and they let me take home three different sauces to try. All around great experience. read more

Kansas City has some of the best barbecue in the world, and lots of famous places to get it. One of the best has to be Bate's City BBQ! I rarely order anything but a slab of ribs and fries, but the sandwiches and other sides are equally delicious. You can taste the pride in every bite here. These guys love what they do and it shows. Great service and a cool, quirky setting in a strip mall off of Quivera. The walls are lined with KC sports memorabilia in one wall and license plates and funny signs in the others. Great place and affordable food makes it one of the best BBQ joints in KC! read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Ribs and fries!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

Classic looking BBQ shop. The menu is a bit hard to find when you walk up but they have a sign that points to it so doesn't take long. I went with the lunch special today which was a Rib meat sandwich in a Tommy Boy (big sized) and Onion rings. I was excited to see this since I don't see a lot of BBQ places that do rib meat sandwiches. The meat was juicy and had a good flavor. The three sauces all had good flavor. (Original, Hot and F'in Hot) Onion rights as a side was a large size and were nice and extra crispy. Staff was friendly and helpful. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Shredded Rib Meat Sandwich and Onion rings - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

My attempt at finding half way decent smoked meats and/or bbq in th Kansas City area continues. Being from Texas and also living in North Carolina, finding something comparable is a struggle. As I've been told by may LC BBQ is different. Not only is it different it is lacking. This week o tried this place. I asked a lit their brisket and advised I don't want dried out brisket, I wa sh formed they trim all fat off the brisket, that equates to dry, flavorless leather meat. I passed and asked how the chopped pork was, I was told it was good so I tried they. I guess I should have asked if they pull the fat and flavor off it also, as they do. As you can see in the pictures, it's dry. I guess people who like dry now leather meat, flavorless meat will enjoy the place. Couldn't even get the smoke taste out of it. I will give them create for the container potatoe salad, a little bit of salt and it was pretty decent. Also, look at my receipt, charged for a medium drink buttons they only have small cups. Of your really hurting so much to chest people out of a drink just shit the place down. Ffs. Just another lansas city area dry flavorless meat experience. read more

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The food here taste like good ole country cooking! You can taste that smoked meat and it taste like heaven! lol read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Short ribs and their famous fries! - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

Wonderful! Friendly greeting as I walked through the door. Gentlemen who took my order was courteous and helpful I with his recommendations. Service was fast. Ordered the slab special with fries and coleslaw. Spicy bbq sauce was a hit! Smokey and spicy, delicious. Will be back. read more

It is all fantastic! Best in town. We always go there. Great ribs, burnt ends etc.

Waiter was abusive and threatened to throw us out because we took a bottle of BBQ sauce to our table. He said to fill tiny cup and carry to our table. I said I'm handicapped only had use of one hand. They had a tray full of sauce bottles by drink machine so we took one to table to use. He jerked it off our table and said LEAVE. i asked for refund then and he said nope. read more

My first time here and it didn't disappoint. I had a 2 meat combo with ribs. Not a fan of slaws or beans so I got a mountain of fries. The kids'll be happy! Meat was tender and ribs fell apart with just a plastic fork. Sauce was not overpowering nor wangy. Service was fast and friendly but I was the only one in line with only one other patron in the restaurant. Music was mostly country but also Will Smith and loud enough to enjoy but not so loud that it was overpowering. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Fries and combo Mixed Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

Let me start by saying, I have never left a review on any site. I felt compelled enough to write one today. Stopped by Bates today in Shawnee and tried a slab of ribs. These were the one of the best slabs of ribs (if not the best) that I have had in KC. Just wanted to share my rare experience on ribs here in KC. Thank you Bates for the great ribs, I'll definitely be back. read more

My recommendation is don't order food here on a Sunday for lunch. We had family in town and we ordered the combo pack, plus some fries and beans. The combo came with a slab or ribs and we chose pork and burnt ends as the two other meats. And sauce on the side. It was ready on time and they made the fries once we got there so they'd be fresh, which was nice. And they threw in a loaf of bread. I was pumped. Unfortunately when we got home and opened the containers of meat it was...WAY overcooked and dry, dry, dry. The slab of ribs was basically a pile of grayish brown meat with bones sitting on top. Almost boiled looking. The burnt ends were sauced but also small hard, dry cubes and some were hard to eat. And the pork...I don't know what they did to that pork, but my worst backyard pork but never came out as dry and stringy as that. I can only imagine it was leftover meat reheated. I have to believe that if they intended to serve meat this subpar that they expect that saucing it all will help make it taste better, and I shouldn't have ordered sauce and the side, but come on! If I would have been behind the counter I would have been embarrassed to have watch me walk out with $90 of food of that quality. I certainly was embarrassed serving to our out of town guests looking forward to KC BBQ. I will say that the fries, beans, and sauce were good. Pickles, too. And the staff were friendly and the place had a nice BBQ joint vibe to it. I truly hope this was a day/time of the week issue, because I really don't know how this place could have the history and ratings it has otherwise. read more

I've eaten here a couple of times and it's not bad. I read a few articles and they all gushed over them. They're located in a strip mall area, parking is good. The place is clean and has old automobile license plates hanging everywhere along with some old signs; quaint and rugged. They're another counter service joint and have a pretty good menu selection. I've tried their ribs and brisket, fries and beans. I didn't care for the ribs that much, they were chewy. The brisket was good and had a nice smoky flavor. Their beans were okay but nothing special. I think they just opened up a can. Overall, I can't complain but I don't know what all the hype was about. read more

My 1st time here today! I got there right when they opened for lunch. The service was amazing! I got the special of a Full slab of ribs w/ 2 sides. I had them add the sauce to the ribs per their suggestion, got the beans & potato salad. The ribs were very tender and meat falling off the bone almost had to use a fork. Food was really & gave me plenty for leftovers. Next time I'll try the burnt ends. read more

First time visit from life long BBQ lovers. Had heard of Bates City but it never was on our radar when we were in that part of town. This time (5/2) it was on a line between destinations and lunch took priority. No regrets from start to finish except for wanting more fries! My wife had a brisket sandwich and I had the KC Man sandwich comprised of sliced sausage, Cole slaw & fries. Thumbs high on both as well as the side of beans my wife shared with me. Cozy, nostalgic, and comfortable atmosphere plus food and drink specials that increased the value of our meal. It won't be long before our 2nd visit! read more

This is a great family BBQ restaurant. You can never go wrong with the burnt ends and tons of fries. I eat here at least weekly and always so good. Staff is extremely friendly and makes you feel welcome. read more

Positives: A cool collection of license plates on every surface and fashioned into light shades. As a collector, I enjoyed the amount of time and money spent gathering these. A friendly and welcoming gent behind the counter that gave me a sample cup of coleslaw when I was vacillating between that and baked beans. Negatives: There wasn't really anything that was terrible or sub-standard. It was all just average and adequate. The 1/2 slab ribs and 1 side for $12 was fairly priced. Oddly I never had to pick up a single bone to eat. The meat was already separated from the bones and liberally slathered in sauce, It was like eating a pile of rib meat with the bones serving as foreign objects. Quantity - yes. Quality - OK; tender but a little fatty, too much sauce, not enough rub, glaze, or smokiness. The beans were fine also, the taste of green pepper dominates but nothing else does. The sample cup of slaw was fresh with a sweet vinegar coating. Bates City is another in a long line of second tier places in a city that demands your "A" game to reach the ranks of a destination worthy BBQ joint. If I lived in the neighborhood - sure. Drive across town - nah. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

Had the rib special along with their burnt ends and wasn't impressed by either of them. The ribs were overcooked and hard to enjoy. The burnt ends were cubed and dry. read more

Bates has the vibe of a backroad country BBQ joint, but they're located in a suburban strip center. From the wood piled out front to the license plates from every location in the known universe nailed to the wall, Bates is an escape from city life for the duration of your meal. Royals and Chiefs fans will want to wander the dining area to get a closer look at their impressive collection of sports memorabilia, as well as pictures and autographs of some famous celebrities. It really is a cute place with a fun and authentic BBQ atmosphere. As you scroll down this page you'll discover a wide variety of opinions about Bates. Lots of people love it, and others... not so much. My experience was somewhat of a mixed bag too. On the downside, they claim their sides are made in-house, but I thought the BBQ beans looked just like a can of Van Camp's pork and beans (but tasted slightly better), and their slaw was nothing special. Their burnt ends were cut smaller than most KC locations which resulted in a somewhat chewy texture to the meat. On the bright side, barely a tug was required to separate the delicious meat from the ribs. A great example of the "fall-off-the-bone" objective that most BBQ restaurants seek. I wouldn't say these were the best ribs in town, but they certainly hold their own against more well-known competition. In my mind, there is no question about Bate's featured attraction - the fries. Ooooh, the fries, they were plentiful and OUTSTANDING, some of the best I've ever had anywhere. Cut thin in-house and fried to a golden, firm, and almost crunchy exterior. I'm a fry eater from way back and I would be afraid to guess how many French Fries I've eaten in my life, and how many restaurants I've eaten them from, but it's a very, very large number. I don't say this lightly - these fries may be the best I've ever had. No kidding, they are FANTASTIC! And even better - one of their enormous servings is enough for 2 meals for any normal person, and probably three meals for a light eater. And the cost is probably less per fry than what you would pay at McDonalds. I took some leftover fries home after my meal and reheated them for 7 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees the next day - and they were still good. I may stop by Bates just to pick up an order of fries to-go in the future, they are very addictive. I think Bate's needs to consider offering some sort of fry sauce options such as chipotle mayo, spicy ketchup, creamy verde ranch, or "Freddy's fry sauce" type condiment, etc. to dip the fries and take advantage of this outstanding asset. They also offer a 10% Senior Citizen's discount for anyone over 55 years old. I exceed this number slightly, and I don't necessarily consider myself to be a Senior Citizen, but I'm not going to argue with a 10% discount. I've been waffling with my rating between 3 or 4 stars, but I can't get their French Fries out of my mind. It's like a football team when they are down in the 4th quarter and one great player picks the team up on his back and carries them to victory - that's exactly what Bate's fries are capable of. Score one for the fries - I'm giving them 4 stars. read more

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One must expand their BBQ adventure when you live in the best in BBQ city! The decor in the place is entertaining with all their sayings on posters and definitely casual. I love their homemade fries!! They have such a hardy potato flavor and just the right balance of salt. My Tommy Boy sandwich was comprised of sausage and pulled pork. The sausage has a great flavor with out any sauce. The pulled pork was a little on the tough side. My friend got the rib & meat combo with beans. The beans were very runny and had very little beans in it. The actually tasted more like the canned pork and beans :(. The rib was very tender and meaty. I will definitely order fries & sausage everytime, but will try another side item. read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

We had ribs slice brisket burnt ends. Overall one word "gross"! Brisket was not fresh! Rehydrated in water. Burnt ends shriveled dry chewy. Ribs were pretty good so was beans and Cole slaw. Come on! People are not fools, know the difference between fresh bbq and 3 day old bbq boiled in water. read more

Hadn't eaten Bates City BBQ since I had it in Bates City.... It did not disappoint. The meat was tender and flavorful, the fries were wonderful..and a very large helping for 1 side order, plenty for 2 of us. I usually order beans as a comparison for all my BBQ joints, and I would say that there were about average. Tasted very good, a little runny, but a different flavor. I would probably opt for trying a different side next time. Their sauce was very good and the ribs were very tender and meaty. I will definitely go back again! read more

Shawnee's Bates City BBQ - Combo Platter and the Tommy Boy sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Shawnee, Kansas

Good, simple, straight forward, BBQ. Nothing wrong with doing simple really well! Can't post this without more words, don't have much else to say. Service is quick, decor is quirky (hundreds of license plates.... cardboard cutouts of people.... sports stuff... Ribs fall off the bones, the BBQ bowl is great, and no one can ever, ever, finish their fries. read more

Two of us tried the Shawnee Southern sandwich and the two meat plate which included pulled pork, sliced brisket, and two ribs. We also got one side of the BBQ beans. The sandwich was the best item as it had pulled pork and a generous portion of cole slaw on a very large and soft bun. It was tasty with the exception that the pork was slightly dry. The ribs were mediocre and the temperature of the ribs was cool. It was as if they had either been refrigerated and not heated enough in the microwave or sitting at room temperature. They also had quite a bit of fat on them, but were tender. The brisket was sliced thin and it was very dry. The pulled pork tasted the best of the three meats but it was also dry. The beans were more brown than the dark reddish color most KC BBQ joints have and were okay. Not great, but not bad either. The plate came with a pickle spear and two slices of delicious and soft bread. We got two sodas and the cost was $38. The only thing I recommend is the sandwich and I would give it 4 stars. If the pulled pork had been moist, I would have given it a higher rating. read more