“Blues, BBQ, and cold beer since 1990”
BB's Lawnside is where Kansas City barbecue clocks in at a blues club. Open since 1990 in a roadhouse on 85th Street in Waldo, it runs live blues nightly and folds Cajun cooking into the KC menu, a crossover no other metro pit tries with a straight face. The setlist matters here as much as the sauce, and the room has genuine soul to spare. The pork ribs are smoky and properly glazed, holding down the Kansas City side of the menu, but the gumbo and crawfish etouffee are what make BB's singular—a dark roux, real Louisiana spice, served next to pulled pork like it belongs there. Add a cold beer and a band, and dinner turns into a night out. It is Kansas City soul in the most literal sense, the one pit in town where the smoke and the stage share top billing.
Know Before You Go
- Hours
- Daily 11am–9pm
- Price
- Mid-range ($$)
- Don't miss
- Gumbo, Pork Ribs, and Pulled Pork
What to Order
Why It Stands Out
Nowhere else in the metro pairs a KC smoker with a nightly blues stage and a legit gumbo. The Cajun-meets-barbecue menu is no gimmick—the roux is dark, the ribs are glazed, and the room has genuine soul.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 1205 E 85th St, Kansas City, MO 64131
- Phone
- (816) 822-7427
- Hours
- Daily 11am–9pm
- Website
- bbslawnsidebbq.com
- Price Range
- $$
- Established
- 1990
Ratings Breakdown
6 dimensions, each scored 0-10
BB's Lawnside BBQ — Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at BB's Lawnside BBQ?
Regulars point to Gumbo, Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Crawfish Etouffee.
What are BB's Lawnside BBQ's hours?
Daily 11am–9pm
Is BB's Lawnside BBQ expensive?
BB's Lawnside BBQ is mid-range ($$).
What kind of barbecue does BB's Lawnside BBQ serve?
BB's Lawnside BBQ serves Kansas City Style barbecue — Kansas City BBQ is defined by its variety of meats (not just pork or beef, but both plus chicken, sausage, turkey, and more), thick tomato-and-molasses-based sauce, slow-smoking over hickory wood, and the legendary burnt ends.
When did BB's Lawnside BBQ open?
BB's Lawnside BBQ has been serving Kansas City barbecue since 1990.