I enjoyed my full slab of ribs to go. It was easy to place my order on the phone. I still ended up waiting a good bit in line to pick up though. The carry-out section was not open so I was in the normal line. The worker pulled my already packaged order when I made it to the register. It was quick after that. I had to get my sauces from the pumps. They did not have lids for their solo cups.. maybe because it was the dine-in side or it wasn't restocked. The ribs itself were on the dry side, especially on the short end. The ribs were pre cut. The tips were pretty fatty. The spicy bbq sauce is so great. I think it may be my favorite sauce of the 5 or so places I have tried so far in KC. No complaints about slaw. It was tasty. read more

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

A Kansas City Legend Fails in a Legendary Fashion. Skip this place and go somewhere good. I LOVE Kansas City Barbecue. I champion the cause of KC BBQ everywhere I go. I even took KCBS BBQ Judge course to learn everything I can about BBQ from several angles. I eat at least one different local BBQ joint every day I am in Kansas City. Always. Gate's BBQ alongside Bryant's put Kansas City style barbecue on the culinary map. For decades these two ruled as the best Kansas City had to offer. Gates is now failing miserably to hold up their end of the legend. Before you walk in the door, part of the lore is the loud greeting from behind the counter asking your order before you even have a chance to see the menu. In years past, they would somehow magically get every order correct and synced, ready for you to pick up it many, many people later when you finally arrive to the counter to pay. Sounds brilliant. It was. It is not now. For those who have never been to Gates, the menu offers no descriptions or suggestions on how to decipher the terms and code phrases the employees yell at you impatiently with no attempt to hide their disgust and annoyance for newbies who have many basic questions. Seasoned BBQ veterans like myself even sound like rookies, childish even, for having to ask how to order a simple combination of pork ribs and sliced brisket. It's important to note, after specifically asking three times, the overly-annoyed lady (who had no time to answer questions about my order because she was too busy telling me I was ordering wrong) still never told me what it was she ordered for me. Unintelligible menu aside, the biggest failure is the food. Ranking the brisket and ribs each with scores for taste, texture, and appearance, Gates' meat was left completely unfinished on my table. I left hungry after leaving the undesirable meat on the tray. The food was handed to me on thin, floppy paper plates wrapped in layer upon later upon layer of plastic wrap. Why?! I spent the first five minutes at my table trying to unwrap my food! I live in Texas. Texas prides itself in spicy versions of damn near everything--especially barbecue sauce. The sauce which DROWNED the ribs and SMOTHERED Gates' brisket was far more spicy than anything I've had in Texas. The ribs were dry, crusty, over-cooked. And yet I didn't miss the irony of having so much sauce it caused the crispy char on the ribs to get soggy. I got 7 ribs. 4.5 were left completely untouched. According to the receipt, I was given "One & 1/2," which, by process of elimination, had to have been the quantity of dry, tasteless brisket I received. I know it was dry and tasteless because the massive amounts of horribly spicy sauce pooled on top fortunately didn't reach the pieces at the bottom of the heap. The top pieces were so overwhelmed by the miserable sauce, I estimate "One & 1/4" was left on the plate. Which is unfortunate for multiple reasons. Had they given me what I ordered instead of what they ordered for me, I would've only received 1/4 [pound] in the first place. All told, I paid $30.20 to leave three quarters of the foul-tasting food on the table when I left. Go to Bryant's. They still make good meat. But if you want the BEST Kansas City has to offer, NEVER come to Gates, eat at Bryant's to say you have, and FREQUENT places like Joe's. read more

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

Very bad service and treatment. I took a group of friends who were visiting from Ohio... and the attendant was so gross and unfriendly even though I told her it was their first time. No sense of hospitality and service for a costumer. Heard the food was good reason why I took my friends here but with that service we all were disappointed. Please be friendly and welcoming. read more

Gates is my favorite BBQ joint when in Kansas City! The spiciness of the sauce combined with the tenderness of the meat makes a winning sandwich. This location is easy access off I-70 when I depart KC to get my last bbq fix. Highly recommend the combo sandwich. Love the service you receive from the moment you walk in the door. Great place! read more

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Service was top notch as usual--if you're not accustomed to being asked for your order almost as soon as you get in line, it can be jarring. However, fear not, just yell back what your main order is--you'll sort out drinks and sides when you get to the front of the line. The ambience is best described as mid-century cafeteria but you don't come here for that. The food was okay. I ordered the center cut ribs and expected the usual tasty ribs. What I got was tasty but only room temperature and downright chilled in the middle. The others with me ordered pulled pork sandwiches and thought their food was mid. I was disappointed and our group decided to skip stopping there on our way back from Des Moines. I'll be back but I'll be careful to have lower expectations. read more

Definitely worth a trip! Great food, quick service, classic atmosphere! Can't recommend highly enough!

Enjoyed our visit today at Gates. We have been to several locations but stumbled on this location waiting to go to a Royals game. So nice inside a lot different than the original locations. I enjoyed the Nooner. They give you a good helping of fries and the sandwich was awesome. Due to covid you have to ask for BBQ sauce as it is not available for you to dispense yourself. We really enjoyed our visit. This will be our new go to location when we are going to a royals game. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Nooner sandwich and fries. Always good. - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

I had a pleasant experience here. Had great fresh food, friendly faces and service. Sweet Marie waited on us, wrapped my leftovers. She went above and beyond to make me feel like family. She's a keeper! I left with a smile and my belly full read more

We came in as a herd of family and friends...BUSY was an understatement - and I can see why... There is a walk-up line at the register. We came on a Sunday, so understandably it's busy...We all grabbed a tray, spoke in our orders, and they were filled right away. Most of us ordered the burnt ends sandwiches with the potato salad and slaw sides, a nice cold soda...My husband bravely got the mixed plate (SO much food) and a side of sausages (SPICY!). Everything was just as expected, delicious!! The service was incredible!! The lady behind the register kindly hustled through our orders, and the manager was doing her best to accommodate the customers by seating them and making sure everyone had what they needed. Other than their wonderful customer service, the food is VERY good, and the facility is CLEAN. Highly recommend his place! read more

How does one not visit KC without having a little bbq? Gates is a local chain I had been to years before so figured I would come here in this trip for lunch. First off, it may be a little intimidating to first timers. The counter help yells out asking your order before you even reach the counter so be prepared. I went with a combo sandwich which was loaded with enough meat to fill me up. My daughter had the burnt ends which I tasted and they were real good, too. Meats come with their standard sauce which is tangy and can be a little tough on those with sensitive stomachs. Another in our party had the ham which they thought a little spicy but I think I'm traveling with some whimps so you can decide. Salads come with a mustard base dressing except the coleslaw which was creamy and good. Not sure if COVID is the reason but I only saw the one sauce. I thought they had a variety so maybe I just missed them. I thought the meats were really good but the sauce just ok. read more

I went in for the first time to Gates barbecue. I went in for carry out. I went in and ordered one order pork burnt end. I waited there for about 10 minutes and I finally I thought got my order when I got home. There was this hoagie bun with some kind of chopped up stuff that look like they scraped out of a bottom of a pan and I guess they called that burnt ends. But I did not order a burnt end sandwich. I wanted an order of Burnt ends. I called them and they said that is the way they serve their burnt ends on a hoagie bun. I said I did not order a sandwich,I want burnt ends. anyway, I do not believe I will patronize gates barbecue again. not a happy camper. I would give this place a -5 stars if I could, but it doesn't allow me to do that. read more

For context, we ended up going there 45 minutes before close. They were busy, so we thought it must be good! The service was good. Friendly and fairly fast. Oh and the onion rings were good. They were hot, fresh and tasted good. That's not saying a whole lot as they were obviously frozen, breaded rings. That's where the good ended. We spent $78 on 3 drinks, onion rings, two double meat sandwiches with fries and two single meat sandwiches with fries. The taste of BBQ sauce is a personal preference, but this sauce wasn't just not great, it was nasty. That only compromised the top meat, so it was easily removed. Unfortunately, the meat was worse. The turkey was cold, gelatinous, flavorless lunchmeat. The beef and pork wasn't any better. It was mostly gelatinous, fatty pieces. All three meats were void of any BBQ flavor. It was as if they'd been cooked in an oven with no seasoning of any kind. There was hardly any actual meat to the sandwich. It was all what should have gone in the trash. Now on to the fries. They were cooked good, had a good texture and were hot. Unfortunately, they were void of any flavor, even salt. Our kids love fries, but didn't eat them. We learned an expensive lesson. NEVER eat at Gate's BBQ. The food went in the trash and we stopped by Wendy's. read more

This is the first bad review I've ever left at any establishment, ever. My family and I travel through Kansas City quite a bit when traveling. We usually get BBQ here, and decided to try Gates. Ended up being a big mistake. First, the ordering process. You stand in line to order and then get your food to take to a dining area. The whole process was very disorganized. The ladies would yell at you for your order before you got the counter (meaning you had to shout it). Had some questions (because the menu has no descriptions) and the ladies were snarky in their answer; they were quite impatient and unpleasant overall. Then had to repeat my order when I got up to the counter. Not sure why this has to be the ordering process, but it was quite frustrating. Next, the food. I ordered the burnt ends. I definitely was not expecting it to be on a sandwich, but I decided to be okay with it and just pick them off. Upon further examination of my sandwich, it didn't look like burnt ends at all. They were chopped up little pieces of burnt end meat, nothing like any burnt ends I've had in other Kansas City establishments. They had some sort of onions or other vegetable (I couldn't tell what) mixed in, and came drenched in BBQ sauce. Tried it and was not appealing at all; had a weird flavor and texture. Got fries with my meal: not the worst fries I've had, but were definitely not worth getting again. Because my burnt ends were not appetizing, my sister gave me one of her ribs that she was not going to eat. They were seasoned okay, but they were quite dry, with little edible meat on them. The other issue I had was the table service. Essentially, you are made to go sit down as soon as you get your food, and this lady said she would get what we needed. I think it's meant as a version of hospitality, but it felt extremely overbearing and made me extremely uncomfortable. I sat my food down and tried to use the restroom before I ate, but the lady in charge of our table service told me to sit down, and not being comfortable in confrontation, I decided to sit down, and waited until I was finished to use the restroom. Additionally, when my sister got up to use the bathroom, the lady told her to sit down, called her a "little girl" (she's an adult), and told her she would get put to work if she kept getting up. Never have I not been able to get up at my own will when eating at a restaurant. Between the food and the service, I will never eat here again. read more

I placed an order online, and there was no way to pick up my order besides standing in the long lunch line until I was close enough to tell them I was here. Once notifying them, it took another 10 minutes to get my order. Once I got where I was going, I found out that the only part of my order that was correct was that there were fries. Extremely disappointed and frustrated. read more

Love Gates!! We've been eating there for 40 years and still love it. Everyone in KC has their favorite BBQ. There are many amazing BBQ places, but for me, Gates is the best. The Nooner is a great deal and the best of all worlds. It's your choice of meets topped with burnt ends and served with fries. Enjoy!! read more

The beef ribs were ok but I prefer pork baby back ribs but their beans were fantastic

We were in for the first time recently with family. Our host told us that Gates is an old name in the Kansas City area regarding BBQ. First and foremost is the ordering process. There is no table service so when our turn came we were asked in a very loud and stern voice what we wanted. It felt abrupt and rushed. Choices we made and then the lady taking our money acted like she had no idea what to do. She wasn't able to answer even simple questions about Coke vs Pepsi as offered. We somehow got through that and were surprised to find the same person was responsible for filling our cups. No biggy, but no refills either. Or so it seemed. I was just relieved to get through the ordering process. It was stressful and not a good way to start a meal. I had a two-meat sandwich but was told they didn't have cheese as an option even though the reader board clearly presented it as such. I also ordered fries. I found the meats not particularly appealing although two members of my party had burnt ends and they looked delish. The fries were some of the worst I've ever had. I actually left them after a couple bites. A very rare event for me. During our meal we did encounter a personable employee that came over to chat. About what I'm not sure, but she was a character to say the least. Gates was a disappointment from food to service to atmosphere and I can't recommend them given the plethora of BBQ restaurants in and around the city. I won't be back. You can do better. Much better. read more

This is a brand new Gates building that serves up the same Gates recipes. If you like Gates then you'll like it here. You'll get the same menu with the same customer service. I do like Gates, but I found this location had a similar issues with the quality of its meat that other locations have. My beef on bun was good, but it had a decent amount of fat still on it. I think I might have to move to ordering it lean. This location has a separate entrance with separate condiment stand for to-go orders. This is a nice little touch that helps break up the line. It also has a large parking lot with plenty of spaces. read more

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

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The hotel clerk where I was staying immediately suggested Gates when I asked where I could get a good meal! I followed her advice and immediately went here. Now the hotel clerk warned me that the staff could be a little brusque because of the but to just stand my ground and tell them it was my first time. I got really lucky there was no line and everyone was nice to me. I got way too much food but that's my usual when trying something new and having to take it back to where I was staying to actually eat it. The first thing I did when I got the huge box open was to remove all the large crispy French fries from the box so I could get to the star of the show the meat. The bottom of the box was lined with bread to soak up all the juices. The box contained barbecued brisket, pork ribs, and ham. Along with a ton of delicious pickles. The sauce was not a typical KC sauce but was vinegar and spice based. There was a bit of heat to the end of whatever you were consuming. I had thought that the ribs or brisket would be my favorite but I loved the ham and actually would have been happy if I had ordered more ham or even only ham. Would definitely return! read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - The box the mixed barbecue sampler comes in - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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The service and food were great. It was pretty busy but worth the wait! BBQ sauce that comes on the food is a little spicy so sensitive mouths beware. read more

1st impression coming from Texas , really nice location, very inviting establishment. As soon as you walk in you are yelled at asking what you want. Mind you there is a line of people in front of you but they want you to put your meat order in 1st then you get back in line and wait for it to be ready then when it is you add your additional sides, drink etc. a little confusing for new or out of town guests. Now I have my food I find a spot to sit. They have table hostesses that will get you additional items you may need but when I checked out I tipped based on my experience ordering. Am I expected to tip my table server for this experience too? Again confused. Now the food on the mixed meat plate that I ordered there is brisket and ham sliced paper thin on a meat slicer and 3 spare ribs all swimming in sauce. The included side is steak fries. To be honest. The ribs were ok a little tight but definitely ok. The brisket ( again I'm from Texas) was ok not flavorful definitely need the sauce for that. But they heavily smoke but in my opinion under cook definitely need a knife and fork even for this paper thin slice. Now the ham. I kind of enjoyed the ham it was what I would expect it to be with BBQ Sauce. The fries were excellent though. The additional sides I chose were the baked beans which are super sweet and molasses and seem to have some rib meat in them again OK in my book. The Cole slaw is a traditional slaw with a mayo base and nothing special but they definitely love their celery seed. Potato salad is good a little mustard and pickle in there with a little sweetness. The pasta salad is super sweet and again celery seed is pretty obvious. I had a sweet tea and it seemed like an instant type of lemon tea it was OK. Overall experience I am so glad to have experienced this institution in KC BBQ but at the end of the day that is what it reminded me of was institutional, lunch room type of food and I doubt much made in house and definitely think they are making everything in bulk off site and they are just putting out preprepared food. Your not gonna starve here that is for sure but I don't think this is the best KC has to offer. $60 spend possibly 25-30 value to me. read more

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Confusing ordering process, menu unclear- we would have benefitted from description of what we were ordering; ribs dry; burnt end sandwich didn't have many 'burnt ends' (crispy parts). read more

Driving through and this place was recommended by the desk clerk at my hotel. I ordered the center cut ribs. By far the absolute best ribs I've ever eaten. Meat so flavorful...so tender...just enough blackened. And I could only finiah two bones because there was so much meat. Absolutely love this place! Also...they have a couple local beers and I needed one after my long drive. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Center cut ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

On our way to Joe's KC BBQ when our Uber driver convinced us to come to Gates, stating it was real out bbq and far superior. My husband is a huge fan of our BBQ. We walk in and never being here before felt overwhelmed when the lady behind the counter starts yelling out, what do you want? We let some go ahead of us as we tried to figure out what we wanted. The Uber driver said to get the nooner sandwich as it was super good. I got that with turkey and burnt ends. The burnt ends are chopped up meat that tastes nothing like a burnt end nor resembles one. The turkey was an odd texture and didn't taste pit smoked? The bbq sauce it is drenched in was not good. The beans were very sweet, not tasting house made? The fries were even terrible. Husband did like his ribs. read more

First of all... the price. It was $22.50 for a slab of ribs. I would be more understanding if the food held up to the price. Sadly it did not. From poorly trimmed ribs to frozen onion rings. The onion rings were $6. Bossy service was unexpected and unwanted. Serving sizes were massive and impossible to finish. Back to the ribs, terribly butchered and there was pin bones left in as well as an excessive amount of fat. Sincerely, Disappointed read more

Was told about this restaurant by the desk person at the motel. The "BEST" ribs I've had in a very long time. It's worth the price by all means. The sauce was absolutely amazing with flavor. Wish I lived closer than Florida. On a scale of 1 to 10 ? 100. Great job !!! read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Full rack with a KC Dunkel bier. - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

I'm sure the food is good when warm. Our beef sandwich and beef and turkey combo had cold meat. Which is super weird for bbq. Place is clean. They take your order as you walk in the door as is the custom. But we were asked to 2 more times what we ordered. read more

Dry meat overdone ribs they get a 2 star because great people and service but I went there for the bbq

The service and food was awesome as always. This is a must-try in KC if you are visiting.

Will never return . Brisket nothing but fat. Prices are OUTRAGEOUS.Save your money.Order process is a joke and so disorganized. Prices are not accurate on website..​ read more

On March 17, 2024 I went to The Pit on 12th & Brooklyn. I ordered a slab of ribs, sausage, lg order of baked beans & french fries. 2 Strawberry sodas. The ribs were burn I refused that slad & they gave me another slab which was burnt also..I shouldn't have accepted those either. Fries were also over cooked & baked beans tasted different. Plates we were given had food on them so we requested paper plates. A family member dining with us got sick. Worse experience I've received from this establishment. I contacted the Corporate office by email but haven't had any response. Won't be dining there for a while & OUR FAMILY LOVES GATES. read more

The worst BBQ I have had in years. I never go to Gates and I thought I would go today after many years. Now I see why I stayed away. The beef was so dry it's looked like it was 2 weeks old. Never again. I called back up there and was told if I bring it back they would refund fund my money, I told her I live in Lees Summit. read more

Me and my husband stopped by today. My husband loves bbq so we decided to visit this place and we were undecided what to order. So the moment we walked in I felt a little racism but I shrugged it off. So we finally ordered and I was not impressed at all. My husband ordered the beans as a side order and they just served and overflowing basically sloppy. The older lady seen my tray and she asked "who served that to you like that". I am going to have to talk to them. I was visiting from L.A, I have to say our bbq out here is probably better. So I will never come back to this establishment read more

Don't know if it's because I'm white or what, but half the time I come to this Gates I get all the left over pieces from the cutting board instead of slices of brisket. I even tip well. When I actually get sliced brisket it's so good... When it's like this, it's absolutely terrible. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Nasty left over trimmings - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Pork Ribs6 Stop by 40 highways since I was doing some shopping over there To get me a Sharon in the shardium was bumped the meat was very hard and tough it was like biting into something that they had on the grill all day Too far to return it back even if I did they probably wouldn't take it backGates BBQ read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - Short end ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Awful bbq that tastes like liquid smoke. Very disappointed in this experience. Too many great places to eat to waste my money here

Wow. It was my first time at Gates. $15 for very average store bought sausage and no sides. You have got to be kidding. Oh and sides are nearly $6. The place was packed. What are Kansas Citians thinking? I also think its kinda crappy the wat the cashiers were upselling. They would ask do you want a side of sauce or sauce on the side. Normally one would think ok sure. But of course, theres a premium just to have sauce on the side. read more

Gates Bar-B-Q - $15 sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Good food, fun atmosphere and quality service...the staff makes this place amazing, a KC must!

Gates is quintessential, old school Kansas City BBQ. Nationwide the perception is that all KC BBQ is sweet and molasses based, but Gates flips that narrative on its head with their tangy, spicy, vinegar based sauce. I could put it on anything! If you're looking for the staff to cater to your every need, you might try a more upscale spot like Jack Stack or Q39. They will rush you at the counter, that's their schtick, but take all the time you need. I'll help you out...at lunch order the Nooner, dinner order a combo double stack with fries. The chopped burnt end sandwich is great too! More affordable than some other BBQ joints too. This particular location is clean and bright inside. I hadn't been here before the fire. Contrary to some reviews, the staff has always been friendly to me and my friends. A true KC BBQ experience at its finest. read more

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The food is OK as far as BBQ goes. The staff is beyond gruff - borderline rude and unfriendly. I don't know if they think it's cute or are just unfriendly to certain demographics. It's unbecoming and not polite. People coming in to spend their hard earned money deserve to be served by staff that are friendly and cheerful. read more