Q39

The newest Q joint in town doesn't want to be called a joint. Here's how they present themselves:

Q39 is a hybrid of two Kansas City favorites and new concept in barbeque and wood-fire grilling, led by national barbeque champion Rob Magee. Q39 features the area’s first open barbeque scratch kitchen. Stylishly designed with an urban, rustic flare, Q39 has a large dining room, expansive bar and private dining with a dedicated Q2Go entrance, all in Kansas City, Mo.’s eclectic West 39th Street neighborhood surrounded by dedicated parking. Q39 is home to a full-service bar serving original cocktails and hand-selected local beers and wines.

Hybrid, New Concept, Stylish, First, Urban, Rustic, Flare, Eclectic, Hand-Selected… Yada Yada Yada

These are not the words that are going to draw me into a barbeque joint. (And by the way, "urban" 

and "rustic" are words in direct opposition to one another.) What did draw me was a super-secret invite to "influencers" and media types who could vet this joint, er uh, I mean this rustic urban hybrid for the rest of you. I got the VIP tasting tour a couple days before the public opening.

Here's the skinny, the barbeque is good. The brisket was among the best I've ever had. The burnt ends were sorely lacking the extra rub and smoke that actually qualifies them as burnt ends. They were actually just brisket cut in chunks, not sliced. The smoked chicken wings were sensationally tasty – well smoked and sauced – but they were tough… I don't even know how you get tough wings.

Q39 also touts their wood-fired grill. No doubt, a steak seared over oak is some dandy fare, albeit it rare. They also serve grilled salmon and burgers and such. I maintain my reservations about joints, er uh, I mean stylish open kitchens that serve entrées other than smoked fare. The Good Book says "a man cannot serve two masters". It's good advice even for bbq joints, er uh… running out of synonyms here.

Q39's secret desire is to become a "destination restaurant" that shores up the further development of KC's West 39^th Street. Ok, go do that and good for you.

In my humble opinion, Q39 is a very, very good bar&grill which also serves very good Q. It seems to have chosen West 39th because it is as chic and trendy as the proprietors view themselves (and the Plaza is too expensive). If you want to rub elbows with hipsters on a Friday night, drink appletinis, and get some smoke on your palate… go there.

I'm not hip. I'm not urban. I'm not chic. I'm not hybrid. I'm not stylish. I'm both rusted and rustic and I'm only interested in how good the Q is. In short, I want to go to a place that lives up to the word "joint". For my money, the best Q in KC is in a couple strip malls in JoCo (1,2) and a couple easy-to-drive-past joints on Kaw Drive (1,2). I think Q39 will do very well, and I do wish them tons of success. They will never ascend to the heights of great barbeque joints in KC… and that is really what I'm looking for.

site: http://www.q39kc.com/