Fantastic!! Stopped through while traveling across town. Had never pulled off here before, but it was worth it. I had the burnt end sandwich and fries to-go. The beans looked good, but not easy to eat and travel. The burnt ends came on slices of white bread. I had to apply sauce at a table before leaving as I couldn't find and sauce cups. And a little extra on the paper plate for fries. It ended up being a little messy to eat and drive to I sat in the parking lot and ate. The fries seemed hand cut and were very good. I would come back for more. read more

Discovered this little gem while making our way across Missouri on I-70. It was definitely worth the stop. Stopped in during lunch hour; the place was busy. Folks behind the grill and the cash register were very friendly. It's more of a cafeteria style place, which I liked. Grab a tray, tell the folks behind the grill what you want, get some sides, and pay at the end of the line. Great BBQ selection. The pulled pork was excellent. A little brisket on the side was excellent as well. If you're looking for a fancy dining experience, you're not going to find it here. You'll find something better: great food, friendly folks, and a very good vibe. Buy a t-shirt to remember the experience. read more

The bomb for really tasty Midwest bbq. Order from the pit and it's served up promptly. Both long and short ribs are great but strongly recommend the burnt end sandwiches, lots of quality and quantity there. Don't forget the handcut fries--very generous serving but they are crispy, just about perfect. Plenty of seating or take it on the road. Laid-back small town hospitality at its best. Wonderful family run place. Love it! read more

Bates City BBQ - Burnt end sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

See all

Good bbq cheap food counter service. Inside is nothing to write home about but you can't beat the price. Bbq was good, had the three meat plate and ribs were a nice surprise, would pay three times as much at home for the ribs they served. read more

So far in our multi day tour of Missouri barbecue we have found something close to real bbq. Not corporate bbq. In a town that boasts a population of less than 300 people comes are best burnt ends so far. The place is about as unassuming as you can get. Wood paneling, cafeteria type tables and chairs. So far these burnt ends were the most flavorful with one of the better sauces. Disclosures. They were warmed using a microwave. The fries. By far the best of any. Fresh cut double fried real potatoes. The only way they would have been better if they salted them just out of the fryer. The service is fine and fast. Come up to the counter, order on one end and pay on the other. Get your drinks from the drink area. If you're in the neighborhood or even 18 miles away like we were give it a try. read more

See all

The service was quick and everything came out as ordered. The brisket was done to perfection and the pulled pork was pulled apart tender and so juicy. Fun place to stop while in the road. read more

Bates City BBQ - Rib and brisket sandwich with baked beans and potatoe salad sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

I ordered a pound of burnt ends and a combination plate. I got it to go and it was the worst bbq I ever had. The meat was so dry I could not chew it and ribs were nothing but fat. I live 40 miles away or would have taken it back for a refund. What a waste of $40. Pass this place up. read more

The food is good, the service has always been really good for me, and it is hard to beat the price for what you get.

Great food and service. I ordered ahead of time, which helped speed up my experience. I highly recommend this restaurant.

This is been a long time staple for our community and the food is usually good. Today was not one. I ordered the burnt ends plate and it was very dry. I ordered the french fries with it and they actually were pretty good. I had to coat the meat with barbecue sauce, and they only have one kind. Nothing with a little kick. I was just kind of disappointed since I haven't eaten there for a while. read more

So yesterday, against my better judgment, decided to give Bates City BBQ another go. I simplified my order as I thought I've learned what not to order. So here goes. 1 slab of ribs. 3 lbs of brisket. 1 pint of potato salad. Pickles. Grand total....$93.00.:ok. I know BBQ can be pricey but I wasn't expecting that. Now for the food. The brisket resembled sawdust. Not sure how that is even possible but there it was. Worse...as soon as she weighed out the brisket, she put it in a microwave!!! In a minute, you'll see why. Next came the ribs. I've ordered slabs from many different places (including Bates City BBQ). EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GET A SLAB OF RIBS. Not yesterday. Yesterday I received two paper plates with "about a slabs worth of ribs" wrapped in Saran Wrap. And....yep.....into the microwave. OMG! Guys, have some pride in your product. I got it home and it was obvious this meat wasn't fresh. Not sure when it was cooked but it was clearly more than a few days old. After getting nuked it was inedible. Seriously. It was awful. The best thing in the order was the potato salad. And they don't even make that. It's bought in bulk and served out of a carton. Embarrassing.....and at that price...not worth giving another shot. Whoever owns this place needs to sell it.....fast. read more

This review is for my experience on December 17th of 2022. My grandfather has been going all the way to Bate's City for their BBQ for over 15 years, so I've had their wonderful food multiple times throughout my life during visits with him. ^_^ It's spectacular quality and worth the drive according to him and other locals I know! Thankfully I live closer to Bate's City now, so it's not that out-of-the-way for me when I need another BBQ fix! hehe Their cute, little restaurant doesn't look very big from the outside, but its inside seating capacity is quite impressive! The way we've always done it was ordering over the phone, then simply collected it to enjoy at home. But based from what I've heard about eating there in person, it sounds like a pretty comfy experience. One day, I'll go to eat there, and hopefully bring myself to order something I haven't tried yet lol.. Like their smoked turkey! Something I Also enjoy a lot! 0__0 All of my experiences there only involved their ham sandwiches and classic smoked ribs. So next time, I'm gonna try their turkey! read more

See all

Not good. I had a Brisket Sandwich and a Brunt Ends PLate. The brisket was dry and overcooked. The sandwich was eatable only with a lot of BBQ sauce, but I'd never order it again. The Brunt Ends ... I'm not sure where to even start. The guy behind the counter took a scoop of meat, plopped it on a plate, hit it with BBQ sauce, and then put it in the microwave. He pulled the plate from the microwave and handed it to me. I think they are using Chuck Roast for the Brunt Ends. It was dry and hard-core overcooked; that delectable juicy rendered fat you expect from Brunt Ends was non-existent. It was very stringy, leathery, and hard-to-chew meat. I left most of it on the table. I liked the fries; they were the old-school style, fresh-cut, and very crispy. The coleslaw was good, too. The staff was nice, and the place seemed clean. I wonder how this place has a 4.2 rating? read more

Bates City BBQ is such a historic KC BBQ joint and a reason to pay a visit to this small little suburb. They do serve their food in the classic Kansas City style which means sauced and long-smoked meats. The ribs are solid and in the classic style complete with rib tips. The pulled pork and Turkey have great flavor and texture. This is not a place for beef! Stay away from the brisket and burnt ends. The fries are so special. Hand-cut and shoestring style, these fries are always perfection. They strike the right balance of crispy and fluffy with the ideal saltiness. The beans have great flavor, chock full of onion and bell pepper crystals that explode in your mouth. To me, Turkey/pork combo with a big basket of fries is the play here. Whatever you get, it's old school KC BBQ at an unbelievably low price. read more

See all

Not many options in this town but if you find yourself here I highly recommend this place. The burnt ends are fantastic, as is the homemade coleslaw, and the the handmade french fries m read more

I was in KC for just a day an as I was OMW bk to the airport I thought, "Wait, I CANNOT leave here without BBQ!" I quickly looked up the nearest BBQ place to me and Bates popped up. Parking was easy an as I walked in I saw (an smelt) the smoke. It wasn't too crowded an ordering was easy. I got a pound of ribs (which was about 4) to go. It totaled $9.70 which wasn't too bad at all. I waited a few minutes and they were ready. I tried one as soon as I got to the airport an I was impressed. They are saucy (which I don't care too much for). I thought later I would remove some of the sauce but I ended up eating all of them as is. They were very tender an I would recommend! read more

Bates City BBQ - $9.70 rib plate to go - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Small town bbq that's one of a kind ! It's one of a kind bbq it's all really good and you have to order the fries!

I love this place! It is a small FAMILY run business. The food is wonderful. You do NOT have to spend $100 to get barbecue for 2. You can get it for less than $30. They don't have the ambiance of the pricy places because they don't need it. It is my go to for barbecue. read more

Small mom and pop place, but oh so busy. Got food super fast and very delicious. Will recommend it. read more

Bates City BBQ - Unique soap bottle - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Best bbq ever. The staff goes the extra mile to get to know you and get best value. The fries are yummy and the ribs are so good

Good small hometown feel. The french fries are awesome. pulled pork was good and brisket. The burn fell a little short for me, but still good. read more

Bates City BBQ - Brisket, burnt ends and pulled pork. Also as side of their famous hand cut french fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Out for the day just stopped for lunch. I got the burnt end plate with fries. Yummy good. Highly recommend the doubled fried fries So crispy. Husband had the brisket sandwich and fries also good. Liked their bbq sauce. Was a nice blend. Didn't like their ketchup at all. Use the bbq sauce instead. Good spot. read more

Very good local no frills bbq. Well worth the slight detour off the highway. We had the pulled pork and the rib sandwiches. Both were good. We also had the baked beans and the fries. Highly recommend this down home cooking. read more

My friend had it catered for an event. The food was really good. Will definitely go back for more

First time here. Had brisket sandwiches. Dry and overcooked. Some pieces so hard we could not chew them. The cole slaw was good but forget potato salad. Beans out of a can and doctored up. They were not horrible. Staff was very friendly but we will not be back. read more

Fantastic BBQ pulled pork the coke slaw was just as good Nice atmosphere and friendly staff I'll definitely be back !!! Plenty of room to park a semi truck read more

Bates City BBQ - Bates City BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Solid bbq place; we stopped by as we were driving through and enjoyed our dinner. Combo plates, pulled pork sandwiches, and fries were enjoyed by all. Only thing to avoid would be the coleslaw; seemed like it had been sitting in the fridge for a bit too long. Otherwise, a good place to stop! read more

Bates City BBQ - Rib sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

See all

Awesome plate because he'll miss the place it's a half mile and great food great barbecue sauce great deals nice little mom and pop shop really really good barbecue I've been all over United States eat barbecue some of the best I've ever had the ribs fall off the bone the beans are delicious spicy ham was even amazing and the pulled pork read more

See all

We were in Bates City and I wanted to try Bates City Bar-b-q.. I found it clean, sparse and bar-b-q delicious. They have the general bar-b-q restaurant menu, and I ordered the burnt ends plate, fries and baked beans. We were quickly served. The burnt ends were delicious, the best I've had since I ate at Jack Stacks. The BBQ sauce was not too tart or sweet or spicy. It had the right balance to almost be perfect. Burnt ends: There were so many, I ate half and took the rest home. The baked beans were really good and stayed hot for a very long time. Not spicy or too sweet, again, a perfect balance. The fries, there were alot of them, were crunchy and tasty. I like these kind of fries, not too seasoned, not salty or greasy. All the food had this perfect balance of flavor, smoked but not spicy. I really liked it. I'll be stopping at Bates City Bar-b-q when I'm in the area. No complaints, good food, clean. They serve you at the counter. I think it's about all there is in Bates City and it's delicious. read more

Bates City BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

See all

Arthur who? While the setting is simple and easy, the food is Michelin quality! Get the burnt ends...and, the fries...and, the baked beans. Hell - just get it ALL. This is one of the better BBQ places that I have been to over the past 50 years. Make Bates City a stop on your next trip to Kansas City. read more

Bates City BBQ - a sign for bates city bbq - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Stopped in route to the Chiefs game as not too far away. Appears to be locally owned and you can tell by the food quality and quantity. We had brisket sandwiches with a side each including Cole slaw and beans. All were homemade unique and delicious. It is self serve which helps with the cost. The decor is ok as appears clean but an outdoor seating area would be great if the weather cooperated. read more

Bates City Bbq is just off of I-70, east of Oak Grove. They've been open 40+ years! The bbq was very good, but not great compared to some of KC's Best. And the fries might actually be the BEST any of us ever had anywhere!!! The overall prices were super cheap imho! Most sandwiches are $5! Their Combo Tray plus a side of fries fed 4 adults to the brim for about $30 not including drinks! Guess we should have brought a 5th and we wouldn't be wobbling out the door , lol! ( Combo plate plus fries - Pork spareribs, brisket, ham, bread & pickles) The ribs were melt in your mouth, fall off the bone tender! And I couldn't stop eating the ham! The brisket was solid too. I wish it all had just a touch more smoke flavor. But for my parents who hate tasting bbq hours after they've eaten it, this bbq was perfect! The sauce was mild and sweet the way kc sauce should be. No spicy option though which was a let down. We will definitely go back! I need more of those fries and ribs in my life! Gotta try the burnt ends next time too! read more

Bates City BBQ - Combo Tray with pork spareribs, sliced brisket & ham, bread, pickles plus an extra side of crunchy, delicious fries! - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

The burnt ends were microwaved in front of me until they were hard and chewy. Worst burnt ends ever. read more

Good food good people. Still has the old country vibe. Probably needs updated. But bbq is phenomenal and the fries oh the fries covered in sauce. Yummy. read more

This is not right off the Highway but it is easy to get to. Seems to be popular with the local folks. Excellent food and very friendly staff. I would highly recommend !!! It is like stepping back in time to a great Mom and Pop establishment. read more

So our favorite BBQ in Kansas City (Shawnee), so when we saw the original on a road trip we had to stop -it did not disappoint- the ribs were perfect! Fries and beans were wonderful as well- clearly a local favorite- friendly discussions throughout read more

We have lived in Bates City for years and always gone here for bbq to support local business but the food has definitely gone downhill from the way it used to be. When I got home with my food, the plates were served without any sauce at all (I had asked for an additional ham sandwich without sauce) and when I drove back to complain, i was given 2 sides of sauce. By the time I got back home, the fries were cold and hard. The beef plate that is supposedly "brisket" is more like bottom of the pan burnt leftovers that you couldn't even put on bread because it just falls apart when you try to eat it if you are lucky to even make a sandwich with it. Staff was nice but i think i will drive the extra distance next time and get fast food. This was not worth the money I spent read more

Bates City BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

Good food; the right size portions; good prices; friendly inviting sit down place; and good staff. They will even add a little more pickles to your meal if you ask. Coleslaw in original vinegar style the way it's supposed to be. Eaten here before with friends and a few relatives. Will always go back when in the area. Never had a disappointing meal there. read more

The pulled pork sandwich was delicious. The price is decent. I'm glad I stopped by this hole-in-the-wall place. read more

Bates City BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich with potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Bates City, Missouri

A welcome memory brought back to life. I used to live in this area and visited Bates City BBQ on a regular basis. I remembered with fondness the sliced beef sandwiches and french fries. Happened to be back in the area and made it a point to revisit. I was delighted to see the same owner and even more delighted to taste the same delicious food. Their french fries are truly my favorite in the world! This unpretentious, little spot that has been around for 40 years. The prices are extremely reasonable and the food is fantastic. My boyfriend had an order of long of ribs and beans. I pigged out with a beef sandwich, fries, and beans. We did not order drinks. Our total bill was $23. Even with the Chiefs game, the place was packed right at kick off time on a Sunday. It appears they have held onto their large local loyal following of customers. So glad I got to come back and will make it a point to come back more frequently. Love this little barbecue place! read more