Q39 South

We made a reservation, which was a good idea. This is a very busy restaurant and all the staff were engaged. Food was hopping coming out of the kitchen. The onion straws were great for an appetizer. The brisket and ribs were very tasty and filling - no room for dessert! Glad we tried this restaurant and would probably go here again the next time we are passing through.

We were on a mission to determine who had the best overall barbecue in Kansas City and Q39 won by a small margin because each of the restaurant we tried had something we liked best. The restaurant had a limited parking lot so either get there early or late or you will need to park across a busy roadway. We went for a late lunch so we managed to capture a space when someone was pulling away. The 4 of us shared orders of sausages, combo, brisket, fries, chopped salad, and Mac and cheese. The chicken was unanimously chosen as the best of the 3 we sampled. The meat was moist, cooked perfectly and there was a sweetness in their secret sauce.

The food is excellent. Love the brisket tender full of flavor. Clean friendly staff. I'm picky about potato salad this was so great. I don't like sweet pickle potato salad and they actually a dill version. It was amazing I could eat that all by itself and be completely satisfied. Love the pulled pork too. Yum

My second time eating at Q39 was Saturday 1/25/2020. I had the brisket plate (with burnt ends). The meat was delicious, tender, and perfectly cooked. My sides were good, but not superior. The buffalo cauliflower appetizer was new to me, and also good.

Service was fast and attentive. Strangely our appetizer came out after our entrees. I wouldn't want my entree to get cold just so the appetizer could beat it, but it seemed like the timing was a little off in the kitchen.

Among the really good local BBQ places, Q39 is pretty pricey. In my judgment about 25% of that is quality of food (to be fair it really is a bit better) and the other 75% is service and venue related. The decor is more upscale, you order at your table and they bring the food to you (vs. ordering, paying, and picking up at a counter), nicer seats, cloth napkins (no paper towels here), indoor fireplace, etc. For a nice date with my wife I'll pay the extra. But if I'm taking the whole family out, it's probably going to be somewhere much less expensive with food that's almost as good.