2/2/2017
Dallas/Fort Worth beats Kansas City big time on barbecue tacos per capita. We are not at a loss for excellent to so-so tacos, but good luck finding barbecue tacos in Chow Town. We have tortillas. We have smoked meat. But the two are seldom married in our major barbecue restaurants.
Breaking News: Kansas City’s barbecue taco deficit is over. And, no surprise, one of our most creative, continuously innovative chef/pitmasters is leading the way. Q39 Executive Chef/Owner Rob Magee’s new outstandingly delicious pulled pork taQos are upping the Kansas City barbecue taco per capita tally one smoked meat taco at a time.
It was my pleasure to be treated last week to a Barbecue Hall of Fame induction celebration lunch at Q39 hosted by Kansas City’s Barbecue Queens Karen Adler and Judith Fertig.
We enjoyed a fabulous feast, beginning with spiced onion straws, bacon-wrapped shrimp, pork belly corn dogs and sausage corn dogs. Karen shared the new Short Rib Griller sandwich. Judith shared her favorite classic brisket Q Burger. I shared the new Pulled Pork taQos. Everything met Rob’s high presentation and flavor standards. Since I have been bemoaning the dearth of barbecue tacos in Kansas City for more than a year, I was excited about that new addition to Q39’s menu.
I have tried barbecue pork, beef, chicken, sausage and breakfast tacos in Dallas/Fort Worth and liked them all. Now I am elated that the rollout of the new Q39 pulled pork barbecue taQos puts Kansas City a giant step closer to an array of barbecue tacos that equals or exceeds Dallas/Fort Worth in variety and quality.
Q39’s pulled pork taQos are:
▪ Nested in an eater-friendly stainless steel taco boat, plated on a bamboo serving board for perfect eye-appeal.
▪ Soft flour tortillas bearing gently smoked/lightly seasoned moist pulled pork squiggled with horseradish chipotle mayo and crowned with jalapeno cilantro slaw.
▪ Loaded with complementary palate-pleasing flavor combos that leave a memorable smoky tingly afterglow of pleasure on your lips.
Thank goodness and Rob Magee that Kansas City’s barbecue taco deficit is eroding. One of these days we won’t have to go to Dallas for a burnt-ends taco!
Ardie Davis founded a sauce contest on his backyard patio in 1984 that became the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce, Rub & Baste contest. He is a charter member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and an inductee into the KCBS Hall of Flame. He has been interviewed on food shows and writes for barbecue-related publications. He is author/co-author of 11 published barbecue books and is a 2016 inductee into the Barbecue Hall of Fame.
