Off The Hook BBQ

A Northland dream realized

Off The Hook BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

Off The Hook is the Gladstone storefront Wardell Hooks Jr. opened in 2025 after years of building the brand from the ground up—a passion project finally given a permanent address. It arrives with Southern touches that set it apart from the metro's burnt-ends arms race, trading trophies for hospitality and scratch cooking.

The pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches are the anchors, tender and Southern-leaning, backed by pork ribs and from-scratch biscuits that nod to an early-morning, breakfast-minded approach few pits attempt. The smoked meats finish under a sweet, tomato-based Kansas City sauce rather than a heavy bark, aimed at comfort over competition swagger. It's a personal, owner-run pit trading on warmth and Southern comfort instead of contest hardware. Come for the sandwiches, and take a bag of the biscuits home for the next morning while you're at it.

• Style: Kansas City Style
• Price: $$
• Neighborhood: Gladstone
• Serving since 2025

What to order

• Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Pulled Chicken Sandwich
• Pork Ribs
• Biscuits

How it scores — 7.9/10 overall

• Smoke: 8.0/10
• Bark: 7.8/10
• Tenderness: 7.9/10
• Consistency: 7.8/10
• Value: 8.2/10
• Atmosphere: 7.8/10

Visiting

• Address: 7506 N Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO 64118
• Phone: (816) 503-6995
• Website: https://offthehookbbqllc.com/

Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–8pm, Sat 11am–8pm, Sun 11am–4pm

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