Brought a dozen clients here this week for lunch. Portion sizes were fine yet skimpy on meat in the bowls unless you count the just okay sausage. The drink prices are not in line. Almost a 4 star given the flavors were actually quite fine. We did like the chipotle style order line. Staff was friendly. Plenty of onion straws added to the bowls. Looking forward to a second visit hoping for the 4 star experience. Rooting for this place. read more

We had the pulled pork sandwich, mac and cheese, and cornbread. Everything was very good and the staff were very friendly.

Great tasting bar b que, they have bowls that are too much to eat. Place is clean, bathroom is clean. Nice location, convenient to the highways. Staff is super friendly. read more

Seriously...BBQ beef comes out of a "steaming pan"? You've GOT to be kidding! There are too many good BBQ places in Kansas City to even consider ever visiting this joke again. I stood in line to place my order. I got a "BBQ" beef sandwich. I watched in horror, as they opened up a steaming pot behind the counter...counted out about six slices of dry, tasteless beef, and put them onto a 3" thick bun. Then they scooped up some fries and sent me to the end of the (cafeteria) line to pay. It cost me just less than $8, for a dry, tasteless, "steamed" beef sandwich and TEPID french fries. It was a Sunday afternoon about 1:00PM....no one came by to see if we liked it....no one asked how it was....no one called out a "thanks for visiting" when we were walking out the door. Apparently, they do not care how it tastes or if you enjoyed it. If you want to try this place...well, first, I'd say DON"T!!!!! ...but, if you insist....you'd better hurry, cause they will not be there long. read more

Place is designed and functions almost identical to a Chipotle. I ordered one of their unique bowl items, which consisted of a base of fried potato wedges, sweet pepper and onions, brisket, chicken, pulled pork, sausage, cheese and topped with onion straws. I was worried it was going to be a lot to take in, but I actually had to drown it with sauce twice to get through it. The brisket was tender, good rub flavor, chopped in cubes...probably the only meat I'd eat by itself if I went back. Chicken was really dry and not enjoyable to eat. Pulled pork was marginal. The sausage was interesting because it pretty much tasted like Italian sausage, which I did not expect. I guess it makes sense in a barbecue place serving onions and peppers. Wife got a Carolina-style sandwich, said she likes the other place's more. Beans were decent, although I am not big on kidney beans. Kid ate a hot dog and fries. If you are going to advertise free kid meals in line and at the dining table, you might want to make sure your employees actually know to give the discount. I have definitely eaten worse barbecue in KC, but I cannot say I will be rushing back to the Rub. I think they choose a wise, under-served location and should do fine for themselves. read more

Only go on Sunday because Joe's is closed. No one is ever in this place. Older gentleman at front counter working. When I came in 3 kids ran out from the back room. Meat is unwrapped from Saran Wrap after you order. Fries were fried for 2nd or 3rd time after I ordered them. Meat was so greasy I had to throw the bread away when I got home. 2 sandwiches with sides over $25. Then they expect a tip? Sorry. Seen this place for the last time. Too bad because it's close to home. Oh and get your leaky roof fixed. Should have gone in with my umbrella. read more

Took the family here on Memorial Day. Oklahoma Joe's was closed and we were in the mood for Barbecue. I'd seen this place a couple of times and had been curious. We ordered the "Ultimate Platter" - ribs, sausage, pork, burnt ends with 3 sides (we picked cheesy corn, fries, and beans). Cost was a little under 20 bucks and was more than sufficient to feed my wife and I, a 6 year old, and a very hungry 2 year old. I didn't come away with a new favorite barbecue joint, but that's hard to do in this town so it's no knock on them. The ribs were excellent, the burnt ends were very good, and the sides were very tasty, especially the beans. The thing that's hardest to argue with is the value. After we had ordered I noticed that the sign said you get a free kid's meal with every adult entree purchased. I think that means we could have asked them for one to go with our meal, but there was really no need - as I said, there was plenty of food. Plus the "deal of the day" was buy one pulled pork sandwich, get one free. So there are plenty of options to eat cheap here, especially with kids. Obviously "cheap" isn't always the goal, but if I can feed my family some very good barbecue for the same price as it costs to take them to Wendy's, well, sign me up! read more

Not impressed at all. One sauce option and I did not like it one bit. It's an overpowering tangy vinegar sauce and I was thankful they didn't serve it over the meat. The pulled pork and brisket were both tender. The brisket had a good smoke flavor but the pork had none. My favorite thing was the baked beans. They aren't the traditional BBQ style but they have great flavor. I dipped my pork in them b/c I hated the BBQ sauce. They do serve cornbread, but I was not a fan. It ought to be called corn cake as it's super sweet, too much for me. The place is clean and service is friendly. But I also did not busing my own table when you can't just throw everything away. You gotta separate put the silverware, bowls, tray and trash. Not a good last impression to me. read more

MY SECOND VISIT: I liked my food the first time. This time, I absolutely loved it. I got the same bowl again but tweaked it. It's called the Hillbilly Bowl. On my first visit, I split my meat selection into a half order of sausage and a half order of ham. This time I swapped out the ham for burnt ends. I will not tinker with my order when I make my many future visits. They nailed it. You can read the description of my first visit to see how the bowl is constructed. The tweak was right on target I'm a Louisiana boy who knows good food. I've eaten Texas BBQ in Texas, Memphis pit BBQ in Memphis, Carolina BBQ in Carolina, and KC BBQ in KC at the all of the places variously considered the best. On this night at The Rub, I enjoyed the best individual BBQ meal I've ever had at any restaurant. I hope they have hit their mark and will deliver just like this every time. MY FIRST VISIT: My first visit to The Rub was with a group of family and friends. This afforded me the opportunity to sample tastes of a number of the menu items. All of them were really good. My personal order was one of the bowls. It was built in layers. They started with a generous piece of cornbread. I should mention that the cornbread is the best I've ever tasted, and that's before you even take into account the incomparable crisp and crunchy sugar crust. The next layer was the barbecue beans. I was wowed by these, too. They are a blend of pea beans (like the ones in pork and beans), kidney beans, and great northern beans that is seasoned to perfection. I split my meat selection in two, getting half an order of sausage and half an order of ham. Both were good, but I was really impressed with the former, as they started with Italian sausage, which as I learned is a natural as a barbecued meat. I'm glad this place opened up. My trips there will be numerous. My problem is going to be checking out the whole menu. Once I find something I like, it is hard to venture to other stuff. I believe I'll keep getting my bowl and use the ham slot to try a different meat each visit. Burnt ends sounds like a good possibility. Since I live in Fairway, it is not just a hop, skip, and jump to get to The Rub, but the journey is well worth it. What am I saying? The trip is worth it for the cornbread alone. I can't wait for my next visit. read more

Great Mac n cheese bowl, great bar-b-que, friendly serversclose to the soccer fields.lots of room. Good parking.

Me and my son are from the Saint Louis area and we stopped in to try some Kansas bbq. This place has a nice atmosphere but that was it about the high lights. We both got the burnt ends and brisket. The brisket tasted old and was dry and the burnt ends were dry. It was a big disappointment from a town known for bbq. read more

Wow, I shouldn't have decided to write this review over lunch time, because now all I can think about is how bad I want to do lunch at The Rub! Being an Olathe resident, I would always take my out of town friends to OK Joe's for some "Good Ol' KC BBQ," but that has now changed. The food here is fantastic, I've been there a few times and never had a bad experience. When I go somewhere to eat, I'm usually pretty hungry, so the time it takes to get through the line (or lack of time, rather) at The Rub is appreciated by me. The service is what you could expect from a Chipotle. A lot of people have referenced the similarity, but seriously, you'd think they just put new signs in a closed Chipotle. In my opinion, this doesn't take away from the BBQ experience at all, it's a very efficient setup. What you should try: If you've ever had BBQ anywhere in KC, then you're aware of how good smoked meats can be - and The Rub at the top of this ladder, but the real star here is the bowls. It's a novel concept where they take all the great things about BBQ food and throw it together in a bowl. Meats, beans, cornbread, even peppers and onions if you want - then top it all off with a heaping helping of onion straws. Legit. Check it out next time you're in the area - you won't be disappointed, and it may even become your new favorite KC BBQ restaurant like it did me! read more

I've eaten here a couple times previously and the food was okay. I ate here for lunch today, and my food was so gross that I threw it in the garbage. The chicken was cold and rubbery, and my tray was covered in grease. I'll never eat here again, and I suggest you don't either. read more

We were lucky enough to be invited to the soft opening of The Rub and I have nothing but great things to say about our new neighborhood BBQ joint. Something tells me it will become our family's new "go to" for a quick lunch or dinner...or carryout. Four of us attended last night. My daughter got the kids rib basket. A great value at only $3.99. The ribs were tender, but I agree with the other reviews that they could have used a little more rub. Her fries were hot and crispy...just how I like them! My son got the Hillbilly Bowl with burnt ends which he loved. I sampled his burnt ends and they were very tender. The husband and I both got brisket (which we believe to be the true test of good bbq) and it was oh so good. He got the plain sandwich, I went for the Haystack which adds onion straws on top of your choice of meat. I highly recommend it! The sauce is a little on the warm side, which I prefer to sweet, but may not be liked by everyone. I also got the cheesy corn that was very cheesy and scrumptious. The sugar crusted cornbread was a hit with everyone at my table, but me. Seems I'm definitely in the minority on that one. Overall, it was a great dining experience and we will be back often. My husband is a certified bbq judge and smokes meats regularly at home, so we do consider ourselves spoiled bbq snobs. High praise from us on the bbq front doesn't come often, but is definitely deserved in this case! read more

I had the Haystack with Pulled Pork. My husband had the Carolina and our friend had the Chicago version. The meat itself is not seasoned but good once you had some BBQ sac or some of the small cup of BBQ beans that came with my order. We also order side fries with our sandwiches. The fries are horrible. Not worth the $1.99. The fries were limped & over cooked. I haven't tried the other side dishes yet so there is potential. I'll give them another try and see how it goes. read more

Decent BBQ, not the best in KC but good. combo sandwich is good. Pepsi products so be warned - not a fan of that but hey. Fries and sides are very good. Atmosphere is good, comfortable. read more

My local favorite. Super convenient, great staff, great portions and consistently good food. My wife always seems to get a bigger serving than me but she's prettier than I am so I understand. read more

Simply excellent bar-b-que. They have a sweet sauce that my kids love. They give super generous portions of fries and onion rings, we serve 2-3 people per order. We order from here on special occasions to treat ourselves. We feed a family of 5 for under $70. read more

Being that this was my first time eating at this establishment, I will not be eating here again and I would not recommend this place to my friends and family. Upon entering the establishment, I immeditely was reminded of Chiptole. It had that open, airy feel of the dining room, natrual lighting, and the echoes bouncing off of the walls from diners eating their food. The service was friendly and welcoming and everyone that took my order was all smiles. I safely ordered a turkey sandwich and french fries, while my fiance ordered a hash bowl. The turkey sandwich was served on white bread topped with two pieces of turkey slapped on the bread. Something I could easily made myself at home. Thank goodness the turkey was warm. My fiance's hash bowl was a bowl with potato wedges, turkey, pieces of sauage, and a montage of other items topped with fried onion curls. He couldn't even finish it all. The sauce was purposterous at best. Whatever they use to flavor their sauce is not good at all. It honesty tasted like raw vinegar that set in a thermos flavored with liquid smoke. As far as price is concerned, The Rub is severly overpriced. For both of us, it was 21 dollars and some change. OK Joe's would not cost us that much to eat there. read more

Sebastian is the most amazing worker in the universe. The Maddies on the other hand, can't even high five (or chest bump). #sebeiscool #dissapointed #maddiessuck #sebeiscool read more

I haven't eaten at this place in a long time, but the one time I decide to eat at The Rub I was extremely disappointed. Ribs were okay kinda chewy not tinder and not falling off the bone. The brisket was very tough and hard to chew, they had 2 sauces one was very dark red and it was way too much vinegar in that sauce. The other sauce was actually good sweet and had a little kick too it. The best parts about the meal were the burnt ends were really good melted in your mouth and the baked beans were so delicious seasoned just right and had a little bit of sweetness too them, but overall it wasn't a good experience read more

Had the worse experience with the manager of this restaurant. Very rude and disrespectful over the phone. My order was missing the main part the meat and called to the restaurant(dash order). A nice lady answered the phone and she offered to refund of if we wanted to go and pick up the meat that was missing. Suddenly a guy called himself the manager started arguing with me over the phone. He said no order was picked up from there and many other excuses. I gave every single detail he requested me. Still wasn't satisfied. I had company at home and I put in speaker mode for everyone to hear what he was saying and the tone he was using. My husband was vivid of how he was talking to me. No help from them. Called dash and all got resolved. And the restaurant earn this rant just because of him. No one needs to be treated that way woman or man. read more

The soft opening was a really pleasant experience, we got a chance to meet the owners and sample quite a few of The Rub's well-above-average meats and sides. The highlights: The ribs, with chili powder and cumin predominant in the rub don't need any sauce at all. They are the best I've had in any KC 'cue joint. Pulled pork? Easily as good as Okie Joe's. I can't wait to try a sandwich with some of this super flavorful hog. I really liked the cheesy corn and the beans. The slaw was fresh and cold, but the Sugar-Crusted Cornbread stole the show. I will definitely go back (I work right across the street). This concept is tailor made to grow and expand, I just hope the next one is close to my house in Prairie Village! read more

The Rub Bar-B-Que - I forgot to take a photo before digging in! - Barbeque Near Me - Olathe, Kansas

We did need another dining option along the K10 corridor, Rub BBQ is very welcomed!. Between us we had pulled Pork, Burnt Ends, Ham and Turkey. All the meats were excellent. Our sides were onion straws, baked beans, cheesy corn. All excelllent. The beans are 'different' but real good. We topped it off with 2 brownies that were maybe the best I've ever had. Total bill $21.98. Quick service, insides nothing fancy at all. The place was packed on Friday night - we had to take it to go. Highly recommend. read more

How AWESOME is this place!!!! Growing up in KC, and now living in Minnesota....I was excited to hear of this new BBQ joint that opened. When I was in KC over the 4th of July...I got a carry out experience. This place is GREAT! Food is awesome, and simple, and most of all, the price is so fair it hurts! I mean seriously...KIDS EAT FREE! Do NOT let the 1 and 2 star haters stop you from trying this place! Yes, they only have one sauce...that has a little heat to it. But it is really good. Yes, the cornbread is sweet...but it is AWESOME! And don't get me wrong...I love Gates, I love OK Joe's...but now I also LOVE The Rub! Keep up the good work, because this is a WONDERFUL resturant!!!! read more

Some of the best smoked meats I've had in a long time,It's different than other KC BBQ joints,but that's the point.Great sides,generous portions,and great service.And easy on the budget. read more

Sebastian Hortua took the Mac&Cheese and put it the container like an absolute beast. #worthit #sebeiscool #maddies suck

Friendly wait staff followed by a clean restaurant and great menu definitely a place I would return to, children eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée. My nephew went wild over the kids ribs. I really enjoyed the meat stuffed baked potato with choice of meat I went with the burnt ends, delicious baked potato stuffed with burnt ends topped with fried onion rings and then also served with butter and sour cream once you eat your barbecue. One of the more reasonable barbecue restaurants pricewise. read more

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Overall neat place. My boyfriend and I went here for lunch. We both had 2 meats and a side. So we had the pulled pork, burnt ends, chicken, and beef, aso this allowed us to try a little bit of everything. The sides we had were the beans and cheesy corn. Out of all that this is my reveiw: Pulled Pork: was very good in flavor, and pretty moist Burnt Ends: not bad, also pretty moist Chicken: was ok, pretty dry Beef: ok in flavor, but pretty dry as well Beans: probably my favorite thing. Corn: was pretty good. They do have a special on Mondays: buy one pulled pork sandwich get one! (Since the pulled pork was the best meat, I would probably go back on a Monday) read more

Stopped by for a quick meal mid afternoon on New Years. As expected at 2:30, it wasn't crowded. Had a special (burnt end burrito of all things) and it was very good. Allowed the worker to put on their pico (seems odd on bbq...even a burrito) and it was amazing. Fries were great, portions huge. read more

The bowls are good but pricey. This place is typically busier during the weekday rather than on the weekends. Maybe it's the shopping center that it is attached to. read more

I like this place a lot. So much so that I was really surprised to see any negative reviews on here. That said, I can understand some of the comments about the service not being overly friendly. But, c'mon, have you been to Gates or Arthur Bryant's lately? I'd argue the service is on par or better than what's found at other KC-area BBQ places. But the main thing worth talking about is the food. And I've never been disappointed with my choice. I'm a big fan of the haystack sandwiches. (Meat topped with fried onion strings.) And I really like their signature bowls, particularly the hillbilly bowl. (Sugar-crusted corn bread topped with mean, beans and onion straws.) And about that corn bread- someone wrote it ought to be called corn cake. I agree, and I love it. I always add a piece to my order. The prices are reasonable and it's a pretty easy to get to location if you're on the KS side. All in all, one of my favorite new spots. read more

Kids eat free on Mondays. That gets a star. The guy was nice, the place was clean and the sauce was okay. Now we are at two stars. And that is where we stop. Thin cut homemade fries had potential, but were overcooked and gritty with salt. Brisket seemed a bit fatty and was as salty as the fries. The turkey was inferior to the Hy Vee deli counter stuff. Portion size smaller than the competition. Corn bread dry. This is KC, land of BBQ. If you want to be a BBQ place worth more than one curiosity visit, you need to kick some butt. The Rub does not. It would be indefensible to come here in light of the (at least 10) superior options within 20 minutes of the place. Gates, AB's, OK Joe's, LC's, Jack Stack, Woodyard, Hayward"s.... All infinitely better. Smokin' Joe's on Santa Fe in Olathe is better. The Zarda in OP is even better. If you like salt and mediocrity, you may fall in love, however. read more

Just moved to Olathe and I had seen The Rub when we had dinner at the Salty Iguana. But based on some of these Yelp reviews, I was skeptical. However, when one of our Pastors at church asked us to join him for lunch and he recommended The Rub, what the heck. We (3 of us) arrived on this review date at 11:30 and there was only one customer present. Some concern. Ordered the beef brisket sandwich, as did my spouse, and the Pastor ordered a combo chicken and turkey sandwich. Two orders of fries, and drinks. As you can see by the rating above, I was pleasantly surprised by my beef sandwich, as was my spouse. It was a big portion, tender, juicy, and tasty. I saw the meat being placed in containers that had been wrapped in Saran Wrap, or a similar product, but that didn't dissuade me. I use plastic wrap when smoking ribs, beef and pork, as I've seen at many a BBQ competition, therefore no turnoff. The fries were acceptable and nothing special. By 12:15, the place was filled, so someone must like the place, and I'm one of them. I'll be going there again, and recommend it to all. At least based on my meal. I'm anxious to go back to try the Hillbilly Bowl in a Pan. read more

I go to this place a couple times a month for lunch. They have some pretty solid meat depending on your preferences and taste. My personal favorites are the sausage, burnt ends, and ribs -- in that order. What really sets this place apart are 1)its unusual menu items for a barbecue place, and 2) its sides. On the unusual items front -- they have a couple of bowls that are surprisingly good. I am usually a bbq purist -- often not even saucing the meat -- so to throw meats in a bowl with onions, peppers, and potatoes (or cornbread and beans) was something difficult for me to accept. But it opened my eyes and was amazing. Secondly their sides are great. They have some great sugar-crusted cornbread, as well as pretty good beans and cheesy corn. read more

Ate here twice while I was in town for work. Had the ribs both times which were fall off the bone and very good. I also liked the heaping pile of fries that came with it. They are the fresh cut kind that you don't find at a lot of places. read more

I really like this BBQ joint. Is it the best in KC...No, but for a quick BBQ meal, it does the trick. The meat is fresh and juicy, sides are good but the sugar coated cornbread is soooo good! We get a double side of cornbread. read more

Da bomb again! This place delivers each time I visit. Service was great, the place was clean, and the ribs were out of bounds!

Pull pork was really good. The fries were okay but the sauce was awesome. Definitely going back to try something else.

Ordered carry out and cant say enough about how kind and considerate the staff were. They knew we were staying at a hotel so they added plates, silverware and serving utensils into the bag without us even asking. The burnt ends and ribs are amazing. Also had the hash bowl and really enjoyed the flavor of the chicken. We will definitely be repeat customers! read more