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chef/pitmaster-owned, fine-dining-trained craft barbecue operating out of a former haunted-house concession stand in the West Bottoms. Owned and operated by KC-metro-raised pitmaster Justin “Chef J” Easterwood, who grew the business from backyard cooks and Arrowhead tailgates through a side catering operation into a weekend lunch-to-sellout brick-and-mortar. Named Kansas City magazine’s No. 1 barbecue restaurant (2023), with a second, full smokehouse location opening in North Kansas City in summer 2026.

Description

Chef J BBQ is a chef- and pitmaster-owned barbecue operation in the West Bottoms, run out of a former concession stand inside The Beast haunted-house building at 1401 W. 13th St., Suite G.12 Owner-pitmaster Justin “Chef J” Easterwood cooks meats “low and slow” for up to 18 hours, with a menu built on brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, housemade sausage, pork ribs, and a bacon burnt-ends preparation.34 The operation runs Thursday through Sunday, lunch to sellout — a deliberately small-footprint kitchen described as primarily pits, a few induction burners, and a single three-door cooler.4

Easterwood’s cooking is unusual among KC pitmasters in being grounded in fine-dining and Italian training rather than competition barbecue alone. He learned to cook in his Italian grandmother’s kitchen and worked from age 14 into his late twenties at Original Pizza in Independence Center under owner Vito, an “old-school Italian” mentor; he also cites Emeril Lagasse as an early influence.3 He describes his approach as “old school barbecue” emphasizing craft, quality, and experimentation.35

Chef J BBQ has earned strong local acclaim, including being named Kansas City magazine’s No. 1 barbecue restaurant in 2023, recognized for tender ribs and shareable, oversized meat platters.56 The operation has also expanded into concessions at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums.13

Ownership and history

Chef J BBQ is independently owned and operated by Justin Easterwood (pitmaster) and his fiancée Terra Whipple, who oversees the business side — marketing, social media, and human resources.1 The couple has two children. There is no corporate parent or chain affiliation; the business is owner-operated.13

The path to brick-and-mortar ran through several stages. Easterwood began backyard barbecuing in his late teens, cooked for friends at Arrowhead Stadium tailgates, and then launched a side catering operation serving a range of cuisines before committing to barbecue full-time.3 He and Whipple opened the West Bottoms storefront in early 2020, just as pandemic shutdowns were beginning — taking the small concession-stand space inside The Beast haunted-house building.24

After roughly six years as a weekend-only, lunch-to-sellout West Bottoms operation, the owners announced a second, far larger location: a 5,400-square-foot full smokehouse at 1900 Clay St. in North Kansas City (the former Calibration Brewery building), targeting an early-summer-2026 opening timed to the FIFA World Cup. The new venue is planned with an open smokehouse, a large outdoor patio (roughly 300 seats), five 1,000-gallon custom offset pits, daily lunch and dinner service, and a bread-and-pastry program plus Italian-inspired dinner specials drawn from Easterwood’s grandmother’s cooking. The original West Bottoms location is to remain open after the expansion.135

Timeline

PeriodEvent
Late teensEasterwood begins backyard barbecuing; cooks at Arrowhead tailgates
Pre-2020Runs a side catering operation serving varied cuisines
Early 2020Opens Chef J BBQ brick-and-mortar in the West Bottoms (The Beast building), Thu–Sun
2023Named Kansas City magazine’s No. 1 barbecue restaurant
~2023Adds concessions at Arrowhead / Kauffman stadiums
Summer 2026 (planned)Opens second location, a full smokehouse at 1900 Clay St., North Kansas City

See also

Sources

Footnotes

  1. KCUR — “West Bottoms barbecue favorite Chef J expanding to North Kansas City in time for the World Cup.” Published 2026-03-14. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2026-03-14/barbecue-north-kansas-city-chef-j-west-bottoms-bbq. Owners Justin Easterwood + Terra Whipple; six years weekend-only West Bottoms operation; The Beast building; Thu–Sun; NKC expansion at 1900 Clay St.; stadium concessions; Whipple runs business side; two children. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. Startland News — “‘Follow the smoke and look for the Ferris wheel’: Chef J BBQ set to join Pennway Point (and Arrowhead).” Published 2023-08. https://www.startlandnews.com/2023/08/chef-j-bbq-pennway-point/. West Bottoms early-2020 open during pandemic; The Beast haunted-house space; address Suite G. ↩ ↩2

  3. Startland News — “Chef J planning Northland BBQ experience: His training was Italian, his passion fire.” Published 2026-03. https://startlandnews.com/2026/03/chef-j-north-kansas-city/. Italian grandmother’s kitchen; Original Pizza in Independence Center, age 14 to late twenties, owner Vito; Emeril Lagasse influence; backyard barbecue in late teens; Arrowhead tailgates; catering operation; low-and-slow up to 18 hours; brisket, pulled pork, turkey, housemade sausage, bacon burnt ends, ribs; NKC 5,400 sq ft former Calibration Brewery, 1900 Clay St. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  4. Kansas City magazine — “Chef J BBQ Is Opening A Second Location, Just In Time For The World Cup.” https://kansascitymag.com/chef-j-bbq/. Founded 2020 West Bottoms; former haunted-house concession stand; minimal kitchen (pits, induction burners, three-door cooler); NKC 5,400 sq ft + ~4,000 sq ft patio; KC magazine named it No. 1 BBQ in 2023; shareable platters; tender ribs. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. Kansas City magazine — coverage corroborating menu, live-fire approach, expansion plans, and No. 1 (2023) recognition (same publication / tag index). https://kansascitymag.com/tag/chef-j-bbq/. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Kansas City magazine — “The Best BBQ spots in Kansas City (2023).” https://kansascitymag.com/the-best-bbq-spots-in-kansas-city-2023/. Chef J BBQ ranked No. 1 barbecue restaurant in KC for 2023. ↩

See also

Categories
  • Locally owned
  • BBQ
  • West Bottoms