Smokestack BBQ

Martin City's old-school pit since 1957

Smokestack BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

Smokestack has smoked in Martin City since 1957, quietly turning out some of the most consistent barbecue in the south Kansas City corridor for decades. It never chased a trend or a rebrand—the room hasn't felt the need to change, and neither has the menu it has run for generations of the same families.

The plates are hickory-fired classics across the full KC spread: pork ribs, burnt ends, sliced brisket, and a pulled pork sandwich, all executed with the steadiness that only long practice buys. The sauce leans sweet and tomato-based, the smoke stays even, and nothing about the tray reaches for attention. This is the kind of old-school pit that guidebook writers learned to respect—unshowy, dependable, and older than most of its flashier neighbors by a full generation or more. Come for the ribs; stay for the sense of a place that got it right early.

• Style: Kansas City Style
• Price: $$
• Neighborhood: Martin City
• Serving since 1957

What to order

• Pork Ribs
• Burnt Ends
• Sliced Brisket
• Pulled Pork Sandwich

How it scores — 8.3/10 overall

• Smoke: 8.5/10
• Bark: 8.2/10
• Tenderness: 8.8/10
• Consistency: 8.3/10
• Value: 9.0/10
• Atmosphere: 7.5/10

Visiting

• Address: 13441 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64145
• Phone: (816) 942-9141

Hours: Tue–Sun 11am–9pm

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