American Way Smokehouse (Kansas City)

a satellite of an Arizona-origin BBQ brand (founded Chandler, AZ; rebranded a smokehouse in 2014) that expanded to the KC metro paired with its Merchant Square antique marketplace concept. Despite cooking KC-style BBQ and branding itself “Kansas City,” it is an out-of-market brand. Tier 3 (out-of-market) — disclosure overlay.

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Description

The American Way Smokehouse in Independence, Missouri (17710 East 39th St S) is a satellite of an Arizona-origin barbecue brand.¹² The brand began in Chandler, Arizona in 2010 inside founder Mike Moore’s Merchant Square Antique Mall, serving pizza and sandwiches, and rebranded as “American Way Smokehouse” in 2014 after Moore acquired industrial smokers.³ The KC-metro unit — the brand’s “newest location” — replicates the same paired concept (Merchant Square antique marketplace + American Way Smokehouse) transplanted from Arizona, indicating a company-style expansion of the same ownership enterprise rather than an unrelated local franchise.²⁴

Ownership disclosure: Despite cooking KC-style BBQ and branding itself “American Way Smokehouse — Kansas City,” this is an out-of-market (Arizona) brand, founded and headquartered in Chandler, AZ by an Arizona native. It does not meet the Tier 1 “pride + dedication to a KC owner’s roots” standard.

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Ownership and history

Ownership

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
2010 → present (AZ)	Mike Moore — Merchant Square / American Way Smokehouse, Chandler AZ	Opened 2010; rebranded smokehouse 2014.3
~2023 → present (KC)	Same brand enterprise (Independence MO satellite)	“Newest location”; paired Merchant Square + smokehouse concept transplanted from AZ. Named local operating individual.24

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Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-23 · Source: American Way Smokehouse — Kansas City official online menu · URL(s): https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/menu/americanwaysmokehousekansascity · Confidence: High (official site)

KC-style smokehouse BBQ. The KC location menu is built around meat sold by the pound, combination plates, and smoked sandwiches, with classic Midwestern barbecue sides.⁵

Meat by the pound

• Brisket ($6.00+/lb) and Burnt Ends ($6.00+/lb) — the KC signatures, slow-smoked with Kansas City BBQ sauce served on the side.⁵¹
• Pork, Chicken, Sausage ($4.50+/lb each).⁵
• Ribs — full or half rack ($13.00+).⁵

Plates

(Include choice of sides, BBQ sauce, and rolls.)

• 1 Meat ($16.00), 2 Meat ($20.00), 3 Meat ($23.00).⁵
• Rib Plate ($30.00).⁵

Sandwiches

• Chopped Brisket ($17.00) and Burnt Ends ($17.00).⁵
• Pulled Pork, Kielbasa, Smoked Chicken ($15.00 each); Ham ($16.00).⁵

Sides & soups

• Backyard Beans, Potato Salad, Slaw, Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Chili ($5.00 each); Chips ($2.00).⁵

Bakery & beverages

• Pitmaster Donuts ($3.00), cookies ($2.00–$4.00); fountain/bottled soda ($3.00), juice ($2.00), water ($1.00).⁵

Family special

• Family Way Special ($95.00) — large-format family meal.⁵

Note: a separate brand-wide menu page lists overlapping items at slightly different prices (e.g., Smoked Brisket sandwich $15, Tri-Tip / Market Dip / Cuban Club / Pastrami “Smokehouse Sandwiches” $16.50–$17.50, and a Jackfruit vegetarian option) — likely the Arizona flagship or a combined brand menu; the Independence (KC) location page above is treated as authoritative for this record.⁶ Prices are subject to change.

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Links

• Website: https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/
• KC location page: https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/americanwaysmokehousekansascity

Sources

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Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

1. American Way Smokehouse — Kansas City page. https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/americanwaysmokehousekansascity — asserts: Independence MO location at 17710 East 39th St S; KC-style BBQ (brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork). ↩ ↩²

2. American Way Smokehouse — “Locations.” https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/page/locations — asserts: Chandler AZ (original) + Independence MO (“newest location”); “the tradition continues in two great cities.” ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. American Way Smokehouse — “Story.” https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/story — asserts: founded Chandler AZ 2010 inside Merchant Square; founder Mike Moore (4th-gen AZ native); rebranded smokehouse 2014. ↩ ↩²

4. Merchant Square Vintage. https://merchantsquarevintage.com/ — asserts: Chandler AZ + Independence MO locations of the paired Merchant Square + American Way Smokehouse concept (common-ownership signal). ↩ ↩²

5. American Way Smokehouse — Kansas City online menu. https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/menu/americanwaysmokehousekansascity — asserts: meat by the pound (brisket, burnt ends, pork, chicken, sausage, ribs); plates (1/2/3 meat, rib plate); sandwiches (chopped brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, kielbasa, smoked chicken, ham); sides (beans, potato salad, slaw, fries, sweet potato fries, chili, chips); bakery/beverages; Family Way Special; with listed prices. Verified 2026-06-23. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

6. American Way Smokehouse — brand menu page. https://americanwaysmokehouse.com/menu — asserts: overlapping BBQ items at slightly different prices plus additional “Smokehouse Sandwiches” (tri-tip, market dip, Cuban club, pastrami) and a Jackfruit vegetarian option; likely the Arizona flagship / combined brand menu (price-variance flag). ↩