Gates is one of my favorite places to eat. (Why i gave two stars) However this specific location is terrible. They are really slow even when there is NO line and they always seem to get something wrong. I've been to this location twice in a week because I work down the street. Both times I ordered a beef on bun. Sandwich comes with sauce on it, however BOTH times they failed to give me sauce on my sandwich. This time I even asked for HEAVY sauce and still got nothing. Also they gave me my sandwich on bread which I didn't ask for and didn't realize until I got to work because I didn't see them wrap it. The food is also barely warm when you get it so it's cold by the time you eat. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - No sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

So glad they rebuilt this location... the new step up is efficient and quick.. the ambiance is not the normal "dark wood" as the other locations, it bright and upbeat... looks more like a 50's burger joint the black and white parquet floors and lots of chrome.. But the food hasn't changed... still awesome!! read more

30 minute wait just to order while standing in line. The meat wAs dry and they smear hot bbq sauce on everything. The beer was the best thing I had. I won't go back. read more

I'm from Texas so eating barbecue is about a daily occurrence and there are plenty of barbecue places to judge. Coming from Texas I was not impressed with the paper thin cuts of meat and the flavor of the meat. However I thought the sauce was good but with meat so average you need it. Great building too much yelling from the staff and you have to eat inside with plastic silverware. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Nice signage. - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

The 1st meal on our roadtrip from Stl to Aspen, due to their 75 year history was Gates in Independence, which was a disappointment on many levels. On the positive, short wait to order, clean tables and restrooms. Underwhelming was the staff - though certainly knowledgeable of their offerings, completely unwelcoming to 1st time customers not familiar with their menu and more attitude than answers to our questions; also below expectations was the food, which was absolutely plentiful, though was lathered in sauce, and paper thin meat slices were bland, not tasty; the french fries were the best part of the platter, which is a sad testament for a 'famous' BBQ joint. The highlight of our visit, which totalled $100 for 3 platters with drinks, was Sally who helped seated customers with any needs. She was a delight, genuine, and truly loved both her job and all customers. read more

I enjoy dining in at this location vs. taking it to go. Unfortunately, the wait times for carry out seem to long compared to others. I enjoy eating on their patio. It has a screen and TV's. Top 3 favs: Ribs Turkey Sausage read more

Excellent bbq! Walk up and order restaurant. Food came out quickly and the portions are large. Massive amount of French fries. The baked beans are also very good. One quirky thing is that they don't have any black pepper on the tables. Just a note, you may want your meat served without any sauce added. The standard sauce is pretty spicy. They do offer three types of bbq sauce, regular, spicy and sweet. Staff was very friendly and the restaurant was very clean. Numerous TV's to watch sports in each room. I had the shaved pork and a couple of ribs. Both were very good. I was there after dark and not real certain about the area. Very near to the Royals and Chiefs stadiums. The reason I mention this is that there was a security guard at the front door when we left. It just made me wonder. read more

Love this place!!! Been eating Gates bbq since I was a kid!!! They are always consistent with quality of food and portions

I'm not sure how many weeks Gate's Bar-B-Q on 40 Highway in Independence has been open, but, if our experience this afternoon is indicative of the normal counter service, they have still got some kinks to work out. I'm aware that they are known for the kinetic level of their 'signature service' from their "Hi, May I Help You" that is shouted in a customer's direction the minute one comes in the front door until the food is on your tray and you go off to find a booth. But then it just got a little too chaotic from there. Hubby & I were treating Dear Daughter #1 to a birthday lunch at one of her favorite places which has been closed for several years following a devastating fire. It was terrific to hear that they were finally open again and we made haste to get in line to be 'yelled at'. The birthday girl ordered her 'usual' favorite of Ham on a bun with a side of fries. She said it was all good, but did say that the fries were already too cool before we could even get seated. Hubby ordered a burnt ends dinner but after she turned in the order, the server/cashier came back to break the bad news that they were out of burnt ends. So he ordered a beef sandwich with a side of onion rings. I ordered a two meat sandwich with beef and pork. Sandwiches at Gate's are "stacked high" and each sandwich uses three pieces of white bread and gets a diagonal cut before being placed on the plate. The quantity and quality of the meats was just fine but even though we had to wait a couple of minutes for Hubby's beef sandwich, none of the meat on any of the sandwiches was really hot, not even the last one delivered to our tray. I had a few of the onion rings and they are a nice crispy, crunchy version. Hubby loved them. It was a 'late lunch' so everyone was hungry and we didn't need any to-go boxes, but half way through our meal a nice woman came around to ask if everything was okay and did we need anything else. Overall, it was a pretty good experience and it has been a while since we were at a Gates location, so I may be mis-remembering, but that whole standing around with a tray until your order is ready just seemed really awkward today. But I really enjoyed my sandwich. The new building is clean, bright and spacious and customers were lined up to the door when we left, so it looks like the locals have heard the good news that "Gate's Is Back!" out in Independence. read more

We had the mixed plate w brisket, ribs and turkey. Extra order of fries double cooked. It was fantastic. My son had brisket sandwich very good. read more

Absolutely TF not. Wrecked my stomach for a whole day. So many other options for bbq. The meat was flavorless and had to be reheated. The bbq sauce was terrible and they slop it all over the plate. read more

The food did not have enough seasoning to it at all. The bbq sauce was not good. The only one I liked was the Spicy bbq the sweet bbq was not sweet. And the potatoe salad was way to sour had to much mustard in it. And you can't get refills. I was not a fan of this place. The coustomer services wasn't all that good either read more

Long drive on our cross country drive from California and now down from Iowa ... never had been to KC and I heard the BBQ was great ... almost stopped prematurely above KC but the secession to wait even though f it was getting late was well worth it. Gates was the closest place to the hotel so I ventured over with my son and we were greeted with a holler. Got the small party tray ... one rack + double order of brisket ... sliced right in front of us. Along with the meat tray we also got a side of beans and a loaf of wonder beard. We got back to the room and of course we were starving ... but the 4 of us made up our plates ... the ribs were delicious and the brisket on wonder bread melted in my mouth ... And for dessert the beans ... not really a dessert but they were that good that it was topping off an awesome meal ... Until I had seconds read more

Being from Kansas city no one does BBQ like Gates, no one does BBQ sauce like Gates, no one seasons there meat like Gates. I will be a beef on bun no pickles extra lean extra sauce girl for life and this new beauiful Gates is what 40 hyw needed! read more

Always great food. Tonight I took my special needs uncle Bob and Sally the hostess for Gates say him and came up to him and asked how he was doing? Then she took him and sat with him in the dinning room until I could get our food. Very special touch and very special lady. Thank you for recognizing us and taking special care of us. read more

HI MAY I HELP YOU!!!??? Hearing that the whole time waiting in line then sitting at the table...VERY ANNOYING!! I'll stay with Bryant's thank you read more

Check out my full review, but this place was recently updated as of January 25, 2017. Its an entirely new facility and its very nice. Tradition of getting in line, ordering and getting your food are the same, its just not so divey/roadside hint anymore. Clean well run and excellent food, just know what you want before stepping up to order. I can say all the sides are exceptional and the onion rings are some of the best. Don't miss the baked beans! I very much liked the new patio, although I think they could do without the TV's. read more

The food was great, I have never had ribs that good before in my life. The onion rings were superb as well as the Cole slaw. With all that said the thing that impressed me the most was the service. Everyone was extremely kind, considerate, and helpful. This was a great place to eat with the family and the also have a takeout section, so if I was in a rush I could grab some food and go. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. read more

Simply Devine! The best bbq hands down!!!!!! If you don't like gates, CANT value your taste in food!! Extra spicy! And burnt ends are absolute must! read more

If you ever wondered how it feels to go through a cattle chute, come eat here. I was hoping the cramped, maze-like entryway didn't indicate that we'd become Soyleant Green BBQ. Ordering is not for the faint-of-heart, nor the sensitive-of-hearing--well before you reach the counter, you'll be accosted by loud, shrill yells of "Can I help you? Can I take your order?" The tone, however, suggests that you're a huge bottleneck if you don't instantly know what you want. (In fairness, the entry chute is so narrow that you ARE a bottleneck; too bad there isn't a menu posted outside.) Step carefully with your food tray; the floors were greasy enough for skating. Once seated, we could finally assess the food, though talking over the din was tough. We had the combo platter (long ribs, ham, brisket, and fries), an order of long ribs, and a small coleslaw; that amount proved perfect for 3 of us. Other reviewers are right that the ribs far surpass the other meat, although unless you KNOW that you love their Classic sauce, order your food dry or the sauce is all you'll taste. Large pots of all 3 varieties of sauce are free on the condiment bar, so you can get whatever, and however much, you want. The rib meat was good, the slaw was fine, but the fries were unsalted and bland. Oh, and when your directions say to go south onto Hwy 40 to get there, you should do so and keep going, ignoring the fact that the restaurant is actually on the NORTH side of I-70. read more

Having been to both Oklahoma Joe's and Arthur Bryant's barbecue joints on the day, it was time for me to put the last contestant to the test in Gates. Going straight after a Royals game, I imagined a place as close as Gates would be a place where Royals fans would convene after a game, but upon arriving, it was pretty deserted. As was the case as my entire day in KC, there were more visiting Minnesota Twins fans all over the city, Gates being no exception. As documented by many, I was immediately greeted by a questionable sincerity, that couldn't help but make a guy like me snicker. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich, and onion rings, and sat down at my rickety cafeteria-style booth. The prices weren't bad, for the quantity of food in which I was served. The brisket on its own was super-tender, and easy to chew, with no threat of any gristle or fat pieces that snag the teeth. It had a good flavor on its own, but all made better with their variety of sauces. Both their hot and regular sauces were good, with the hot having a good kick, while not just being one of those blatant "just add tobasco" types. The onion rings were fried very well; deliciously crispy, and the onion cooked enough to where one bite didn't pull the entire onion out from the fried casing. My only gripe with the place is the lack of free refills. C'mon, it was a blazing hot day, and I had spent the last four hours at Kauffman watching the Royals get pummeled. Is it really too much to ask for a refill on some iced tea while enjoying some good barbecue? Regardless of such a trite nuisance, out of the three barbecue joints I tried on the day, I have to give my favor to Gates first, with Arthur Bryant's and OK Joe's second and third, respectively. I guess the place with the least hype, was most easily capable of slipping in and being the best. read more

I've lived in Kansas City for a decade now, so although not a native, I have a fair idea of what most of the major and some of the minor BBQ joints have to offer. Of the big players (Gates, A. Bryants, Jack Stack, etc), this is my least favorite. The meat seems fatty to me. The sauce, however, is good. The bread dried out somewhat on occasion. There are too many other good BBQ options in the KC area to give Gates more than a "meh" rating. If you want local chain BBQ, you'd be better served quite honestly hitting up somewhere else. Go a little out of your way and hit up Oklahoma Joe's for much better food, albeit probably a longer wait. It's worth it. The gristly, fatty meat I've had here on one too many occasions is the nail in the coffin. read more

This is a late review, therefore I don't remember the physical address. I do remember that it was close to 39th street and there's a beauty supply store across the street. Okay, here's the review. Upon arrival into the front door, we were greeted by the hostess in the warmest, loving manner. She made us feel welcomed and was genuinely happy to have us as guests. There was also a gentleman in the foyer that shines shoes that also had great customer service. We got in line, preceded to read the menu board. It was our first time there. Everyone in line before us ordered the burnt ends sandwich, so we assumed it was a no brainer. There were 4 adults total in our party. We all purchased the burnt ends sandwich, every last sandwich was cold. How could we be served a cold sandwich when there was a line waiting. My mom sent her sandwich back and they also sent out another cold sandwich. I've heard great things for years about Gates Barbecue, but my experience was very disappointing. read more

The ONLY place in or near Kansas City for BBQ! Lived in K.C. since moving from Los Angeles in 1990. I've tried em all. If you're a touring musician or just passing through, you MUST stop at one of their locations and have the "Burnt Ends"! You'll be ordering their sauce online when you get home. Don't be freaked out whem they yell "May I Help You"! That's how they're TRAINED to do it. read more

This is an intimidating cafeteria style restaurant for anyone who has never been there before. Customers are shouted at as soon as they enter. Since we were Gates newbies, we didn't know what to order. We had to struggle through the customer chute in order to see the menu posted behind the cashiers. As we pondered the menu, we were asked several more times if we could be helped. Not knowing what to order we ended up getting a pork sandwich and two mystery mixed plates (the menu doesn't specify what comes in a mixed plate). We waited around for a while by the register while my 50+ year old dad got carded by an angry looking woman. We eventually got our food and drinks and squeezed past all the other customers standing around the counter and found some seats. The mixed plate came with some ribs, thin sliced beef, fries and for some reason, ham. Now I'm not an expert, but I don't think ham doused with sauce qualifies as barbeque. The rest of the food was OK. There isn't really a waitstaff, but as we were finishing up, the same angry looking lady stopped by and was very pleasant. She wrapped up our leftovers and even poured unfinished soda into a to-go cup. read more

Today my daughter and I tried the gates BBQ and we were a bit disappointed. We had read about how good they were, but I didn't think it was anything special! First my daughter tried to order a pulled pork sandwich but we were told they were out of pork! This was at 2pm. What kind of BBQ restaurant runs out of pork? The dining room area looked very outdated and looked liked it could use a good cleaning. Before leaving, I used the bathroom which was very dirty. Looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a week! Considering the internet told us this was a highly ranked BBQ restaurant chain, I assumed they'd also have a larger menu selection. In MN not only does my local Famous Dave's have BBQ (ribs, chicken, ham, brisket, etc.), but they also have steaks, burgers, and catfish! We were in town attending a Twins/royals game, and now wishing we had tried Arthur Bryant's! read more

BBQ in general is way off my healthy eating promise to myself. But, every once in a while I just have to feed my inner carnivore. I stopped tonight, and once I got past being screamed at as soon as I walked in the door,(if you,ve been there you know what I'm talking about) "Hi ! May we help you ?!!" Kinda like the "Soup Nazi" only they're nice about it. The food is fabulous, especially the ribs. The beans were the best I've had in a while. A little pricey (all bbq is), but huge portions and really good smokey, tangy, sweet,spicy sauce, you can't go wrong. read more

I enjoy me some Gates. I love that Gates is different from the other KC BBQ joints. The barbecue sauce at Gates is totally unique and not really worth comparing to other KC BBQ sauces. It's a different animal altogether and I love it. I love more classical KC BBQ sauces too, but I like that Gates' is something different. When you go to Gates, you generally get some meat on bun (not on A bun, just on bun). I've been to Gates a number of times and all I ever get is Burnt End on Bun. I know I should try other things but I love the Burnt Ends so much! It's so delicious! The fries are big and chunky and quite good. So bonus for that. The other thing to love about Gates are the people working there. They are inviting, sassy, attentive and always super friendly. I love barbecue food. I really love Kansas City barbecue. And when asked my favorite places, for me, it comes down to Oklahoma Joe's and Gates. I think I'm allowed to love them both equally and never have to choose one over the other because they are each their own thing. I love them both and so should you. read more

Out of town on business and traveling with kids for the week. This place is a known local BBQ place, so we decided to try it last night. Ordered a slab of ribs, and chicken (no sauce) platter with 2 sides and drinks. It looked good when it was plated. But, as we sat down All of the food was cold and the ribs were so tough.. The 3 piece chicken was the only thing edible but still, cold. I could have made a fuss but it really wasn't worth it. Asked for boxes and we ended up grabbing fast food on our way back to the hotel! Overall, no matter the price is was not good. 45+ dollars, I expect the food to be hot, fresh and taste good. Could be this location but, at that price I won't risk trying it again! Giving an added star simply because the staff seemed friendly. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Went out to KC for a mountain bike ride ( see Landahl Review) and seeing as I've tried almost every other BBQ joint in the KC area I might as well give Gates a try. I will also add that I am a KCBS certified judge but that doesn't mean squat as I know a lot of KCBS judges that wouldn't know good BBQ if it smacked them in the face... back to my review. I ordered a combo plate with Ribs, Brisket, and Ham. The ribs were decent good but could have used another half hour or so in the smoker and the brisket was really good, but the ham, it was awesome! Believe it or not I had never had BBQ ham before and I am now sold on it. The sauces we really good , they are the savory and spicy style, not they cloyingly sweet type and the lady working the counter was a real doll. I also kinda liked the dark smoky (wood not cigarette) ambiance of the place. It had that bbq smoke shack joint vibe to it. In a nutshell, Are there better BBQ joints in KC? Yes, but Gates is a solid choice read more

This place was not too much goodness. This review I never finished from our vacation last year through Kansas City! Expected a lot more based on reviews! Service is pretty bad at the counter. They keep asking "May I help you" to everyone walking in while not helping the people standing in front of them. One person in front of us and it took 15 minutes to get our order after having to repeat it 3 times. We bought tons of food to sample and none stood out!! read more

Terrible service. Was served cold food and when I asked to have it warmers up they asked me if I knew it was lunch time... would give 0 stars if I could. Absolutely no redeeming quality. read more

Can I give zero stars? 'sliced pork' is a lump Fatty gross gristle!!!! BBQ sauce totally lame or spicy that was like ketchup w tobasco sauce. Eeww! Will never return! read more

It was overpriced priced and not worth the money! The two fing baked beans were the same price as a the sandwich and fries! 40 bucks down the drain! The sauce was so much for me! If I could have asked for milk I would have but I probably would have been yelled at for screwing up the not so proficient ordering system! What an fing joke! To damn pricy for food that came up when I got home because the sauce was to damn spicy! read more

I've been going to Gates for over 30 years and they've always had the best ribs in town, bar none. After a seven year absence, I came back into KC and headed straight for Gates. What a disappointment. Their ribs used to have absolutely no fat, just tender piggy on the bone. Not any more. They must have had the same pork vendor for a very long time but no longer. The ribs were fatty and tough, pretty much inedible. The sauce is still good and I use it when I BBQ at home. But Gates as a place to eat is now off of the list. So sad. read more

Gates was one of first BBQ places I visited after moving here, and I came away unimpressed. Flash-forward 5 years, and I decide to give it another shot. Still not that impressed. Don't get me wrong, I ate every bit of my food, and I never once felt that any of the food was bad - it's just in a BBQ crazy town, Gates can't compete with a dozen other great places. We stopped in for dinner on a Saturday evening - I ordered the beef double-decker sandwich and shared a side of fries. Positives: -Nice-sized portions. The double-decker sandwich and fries definitely filled me up. -Prices were reasonable. 2 sandwiches, a side of fries and a drink was $20. -The beans were pretty solid. I just tried a friend's, but wished I'd ordered my own. -Line moves fast and we got our food promptly. Negatives: -Horrible design to shuttle people in and order food. Newbies are confused to the setup and order procedure. It also makes it very awkward to get the bathrooms, unless you go out of the restaurant and back in. -Just nothing special about the BBQ here. I've been here twice and never had a thing that would make me really want to go back. In a city full of BBQ, you can do so much better. read more

The two stars are just for the food because it never disappoints. But every time we go into the location off of 40 hwy it's the must unpleasant experience. read more

Excellent bbq and great atmosphere. I suggest the Burnt ends on hoagie. The mini pies are also tasty. I would warn be ready to order because they literally shout at you and ask what you want. It's all in good fun and made it unique. read more

See all

I always love coming here. I'm going to start reviewing so I'm going to review all the places I like. The cooks are very friendly, the clerks equally so and the lines even though always long (who can blame us for wanting to eat at gates) go by quickly. I haven't even tried the whole menu, but I know there's something for everyone. I can always eat some Gates any day. read more

This was my go-to BBQ growing up! I lived near the Independence location. It was always a treat going here. Their BBQ sauce is so distinct from other BBQ places. Beef on bun with fries on the side is my favorite. It's honestly nostalgic eating here. I don't live in KC anymore, but when I come to town, it's a must. Every time I would fly back to college, I would see they would sell the sauce at the KCI airport. I'd buy two bottles, reminding me of home no matter how far I was. Kansas City BBQ wouldn't be the same without Gates! read more