Burnt End BBQ

Burnt End BBQ is an award-winning Kansas City-style barbecue concept built around the city’s signature burnt ends, created in 2010 by PB&J Restaurants founder Paul Khoury and Executive Pitmaster Stephen “Smokey” Schwartz.¹² Its Crown Center restaurant at 2450 Grand Blvd, Suite 130, anchors the brand in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, alongside a sister location in De Soto, Kansas.³⁴

Locations

Location	Address	Notes
Crown Center	2450 Grand Blvd, Ste. 130, Kansas City, MO 64108	Downtown KCMO; full bar and happy hour35
De Soto	34071 Commerce Drive, De Soto, KS 66018	Sister location; adds daily breakfast service46

Note: An original Overland Park, KS location (the brand’s first restaurant) has since closed, with the group consolidating resources toward De Soto.² — confirm exact closure date.

Description

Burnt End BBQ specializes in Kansas City-style barbecue, with burnt ends — cut from the fatty, crispy-charred end of a smoked brisket — as its namesake and signature dish.¹ The menu is rounded out with daily specials, a wide range of sides, a full bar, and happy hour service at the Crown Center location.³⁵

The concept’s pitmaster credentials run deep in the local scene. Executive Pitmaster Stephen “Smokey” Schwartz has worked Kansas City barbecue for more than three decades, training at Joe’s and at the Barn in Stanley, Kansas, before stints as Executive Chef/Pitmaster at Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ and at the Golden Ox.² Under Schwartz, Burnt End’s barbecue has won three Grand Champion titles at Chicago’s Food Arts Magazine / Share Our Strength National Championships (2006, 2012, 2015) and first-place American Royal World Series of BBQ honors for its Chipotle Glaze (2012) and Sweet Honey Sauce (2015).²

The Crown Center restaurant sits inside the historic Crown Center complex in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, where it offers lunch, dinner, carryout, and catering.³

Ownership and history

Burnt End BBQ was created in 2010 as a collaboration between Paul Khoury, founder of the Overland Park-based PB&J Restaurants Inc. group, and Executive Pitmaster Stephen “Smokey” Schwartz; it became the signature concept for the restaurant group.¹² The brand opened its first restaurant in Johnson County (Overland Park), then expanded with the Crown Center location, which was announced in 2019 as part of a Crown Center dining lineup.⁷ Schwartz, originally from California, came to Kansas City in the early 1980s and built his career across several marquee KC barbecue kitchens before anchoring Burnt End.²

Links

• Official site: https://burntendbbq.com/
• Crown Center menu: https://burntendbbq.com/menu-crown-center
• Visit KC listing: https://www.visitkc.com/listings/burnt-end-bbq-crown-center/

Sources

Disputes

None recorded.

Footnotes

1. https://burntendbbq.com/about — asserts: Burnt End BBQ established 2010 by Paul Khoury (founder, PB&J Restaurants) and Executive Pitmaster Stephen “Smokey” Schwartz; KC-style barbecue with burnt ends as signature; burnt ends cut from the fatty charred end of a brisket. ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. https://burntendbbq.com/about — asserts: Schwartz’s 30+ year KC barbecue background (Joe’s, the Barn in Stanley KS, Jack Stack, Golden Ox); awards (three Grand Champion titles 2006/2012/2015; American Royal first places 2012/2015); Overland Park origin and consolidation toward De Soto. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. https://www.visitkc.com/listings/burnt-end-bbq-crown-center/ — asserts: address 2450 Grand St., Ste. 130, Kansas City, MO 64108; award-winning BBQ in Crown Center; daily specials, full bar, happy hour, burnt ends; hours Sun–Thu 10am–9pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm; lunch, dinner, carryout, catering; phone (816) 601-0444. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. https://burntendbbq.com/ — asserts: De Soto location at 34071 Commerce Drive, De Soto, KS 66018; both locations open. ↩ ↩²

5. https://burntendbbq.com/ — asserts: Crown Center at 2450 Grand Blvd #130, KCMO 64108; hours Mon–Thu 11–8, Fri 11–8, Sat 10:30–8, Sun 11–7; both locations currently open. ↩ ↩²

6. https://burntendbbq.com/ — asserts: De Soto location adds daily breakfast 7am–11am plus lunch/dinner service. ↩

7. https://www.crowncenter.com/business/burnt-end-bbq — asserts: Burnt End BBQ Crown Center listing and 2019 Crown Center dining announcement context. ↩