Andrew and Dad's Bar-b-que Weekend, Year 4, Part 2

 BB’s Lawnside BBQ

“Turn Right on 85^th and go South about 60 Years.” This is the motto that B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ has adopted, and the restaurant’s tone and atmosphere certainly reflect that. B.B.’s puts a lot of emphasis on the dining experience; that is to say that food and live music go together like the holy trinity of onions, carrots, and celery in Cajun dishes, of which there are plenty at BB’s.

Nestled in the semi-underdeveloped south KC MO Legacy East neighborhood, this is another Kansas City institution that could slide under the radar due to location, but doesn’t because local great secrets don’t stay local for long when it comes to Kansas City bar-b-que.  BB’s is part bar on one end, part live-music stage on the other end, and part communal picnic table-style BBQ restaurant in the middle. It doesn’t have the dive feel of a Big T’s or LC’s. More spacious and clean, the character jumps out of the walls; every square inch of wall space, including the restrooms, has posters, fliers, stickers and memorabilia that revolve around blues music and BBQ, a working dichotomy that challenges the status quo.

It’s a very welcoming place too, not pretentious-serious, or blue-collar-serious, which seem to be the two opposing styles of the modern-day KC BBQ scene: new versus old, battling it out for the heart and soul of the city. Now, I can appreciate the tone set by a serious restaurant or dive as part of its culture, or ambiance, or even its charm, but my base standard always remains functional service. BB’s is better than that because it goes beyond functional, even welcoming. From the greeting to the check, the wait staff made me feel like I was a part of their family and they truly wanted me to be happy with my experience. When you go to BB’s you go there to have fun. Going “South about 60 Years” doesn’t just mean the music.

The meat is middling. Both Andrew and I agreed on this point. After one setting, I can’t say that the smoke is what will bring me back, because it was very light on the smoke, the exact opposite of LC’s. Now, granted my palate is not what it used to be, but the burnt end sandwich tasted like a sandwich made from pot roast that had come from a crock pot. For comparisons-sake, the reasons that Arthur Bryants’ burnt ends are so good is that they have just enough bark, they keep enough of their fat content, and their sauce is lovely. At BB’s, the burn ends have little bark, and though they have retained their moisture, there wasn’t the flavor that comes from the bark and fat that makes a burnt end…well…a burnt end. Without bar-b-que sauce, they were doomed to mediocrity. It took copious amounts of sauce and a little imagination to bring out any flavor. The ribs fared no better than the burnt ends, but for a different reason. They were smoked too long and lost all of their tenderness, once again relying on the sauce to compensate. This was the only disappointing part of the evening for Andrew and me.

But BB’s sauce is different. The sauce one of the edible areas in which they shine. They sport three sauces, the original, the hot, and the habanero peach. My helpful server suggested the habanero peach, and I was hesitant, bringing  to mind pain and sweat and a little more pain. No, this sauce was different. It was super sweet, balanced with just enough heat to cause a little bite afterwards. If Georgia and Texas were to hook up one night, this sauce would be the result. I am not a fan of hot bar-b-que sauce, but I was a fan of BB’s.

And so it seems “sweet” is what BB’s does best, which brings me to the highlight of the night. Known for their bread pudding, it came hot and plentiful. Again, not something I would normally eat, it was the star of the meal. Moist with sparse raisons, and drenched in their famous sweet bourbon glace, the bread pudding was tantamount to the best iced cinnamon roll we have ever eaten. Our only regret was that one of us didn’t order the fried version.

I made it a point to ask the waitress her suggestion for sides, and when she offered the skillet fries, a house favorite that takes on the diner’s conception of what breakfast diced potatoes are, I scoffed and ordered the battered fries. This was a rookie mistake on my part. Always go with the wait staff’s suggestion. The battered fries were 4 huge potato wedges that were so lightly battered it was as if I were eating a baked potato without the aid of butter or sour cream. Next time I will do better.

To fully experience BB’s Lawnside BBQ, go on a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00, or 6:00 and later (the latter with a $5 cover) so that you can appreciate the live music. Order the bread pudding. Scratch that. Order two orders of the bread pudding, and whatever meat you choose, don’t forget the sauce. It’s great, and free, as it should be in any respectable bar-b-que restaurant. Go with the family, occupy a picnic table, and soak in the atmosphere of a bygone era still holding onto its roots.