B-Que — Jeff + Joy Stehney, founder-led modern-era anchor. Started as competition team Slaughterhouse Five (1990); first KC brick-and-mortar in a converted gas station (1996); now three Kansas-side locations + the upcoming Joe’s Next Door expansion (May 2026).

Description

Jeff and Joy Stehney built Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que from a 1990 competition-circuit team into one of KC BBQ’s defining modern-era operations.1 Their journey began with a friend’s invitation to a barbecue contest, the purchase of a smoker, and the formation of a team named Slaughterhouse Five. Competition wins followed — Lenexa Kansas State BBQ Championship, American Royal Open, Invitational. The competition track established the credibility that launched the brick-and-mortar venture.

The defining KC moment came in 1996, when the Stehneys took over the kitchen of a working gas station at 47th and Mission Road in Kansas City, Kansas — the previous tenant had closed the gas station’s fried-chicken counter. The space wasn’t a restaurant; the Stehneys made it one. The combination of competition pedigree, an unmistakable smell of smoke, and a hand-curated KCK-corner location made the original Joe’s into a cultural artifact almost immediately.

The operation expanded to Olathe (2006) and Leawood (2012) locations — all Kansas-side, all maintaining Stehney-family ownership and the competition-DNA approach to barbecue. As of 2026, the Stehneys are launching Joe’s Next Door, a new concept in the former Taco Republic complex directly across Mission Road from the original gas station.

The first restaurant at the Kansas City Current’s CPKC Stadium is Joe’s KC — a cross-cluster civic role that signals the brand’s contemporary stature.2

Ownership and history

Timeline

YearEvent
1990Jeff + Joy Stehney form competition BBQ team “Slaughterhouse Five”
1996First KC brick-and-mortar opens — converted gas station kitchen at 47th & Mission Road, Kansas City, KS. Originally named Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue.
2006Second location opens at 11950 Strang Line Road, Olathe, KS
2012Third location opens at 11723 Roe Avenue, Leawood, KS
~2014Restaurant rebranded from Oklahoma Joe’s to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
2024Joe’s KC becomes first restaurant at KC Current’s new CPKC Stadium
2026-05Joe’s Next Door opens in former Taco Republic complex across Mission Road from the original

What distinguishes Joe’s

Three things:

  1. Competition pedigree as institutional DNA. Most KC BBQ operations grew out of family + neighborhood traditions; Joe’s grew out of the competitive BBQ circuit. The result is a different kind of smoke + rub precision that’s recognizable in the food.
  2. Founder-led continuity. Jeff + Joy Stehney remain active in operations; the multi-location growth was Stehney-led, not investor-led; the founders are still the operators.
  3. Single-family multi-location pattern. Unlike many growth-and-acquisition stories, Joe’s expanded while maintaining founder ownership across all locations.

Last verified: 2026-07-13 · Source: Official website menu · URL(s): https://www.joeskc.com/pages/restaurant-menu · Confidence: High (full official menu with current prices)

Competition-style Kansas City barbecue; the Z-Man — smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone, and onion rings on a toasted kaiser bun — is the signature, alongside BBQ and specialty sandwiches, dinners, ribs, burnt ends, meat by the pound, salads, and sides. Prices are regular / jumbo where two are shown.3

The Z-Man

  • The Z-Man Sandwich — smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone, onion rings, toasted kaiser bun ($12.79 / $14.79)3
  • Pork Z-Man ($11.79 / $13.29)3
  • Chicken Z-Man ($11.79 / $13.29)3
  • Portobello Z-Man — smoked mushrooms ($12.29 / $14.29)3

BBQ Sandwiches

  • Pulled Pork ($9.79 / $12.39)3
  • Beef Brisket ($10.79 / $13.29)3
  • Smoked Turkey ($9.79 / $12.39)3
  • Smoked Ham ($9.79 / $12.39)3
  • Smokie Joe — chopped smoked beef and pork in barbecue sauce ($9.79 / $12.39)3
  • Joe’s BBQ Sausage on a Bun ($9.79 / $12.39)3
  • Combo Sandwich — any two meats (+$0.45)3

Specialty Sandwiches

  • The Rocket Pig — pulled pork, bacon, pepper jack cheese, fried jalapeños ($12.39 / $13.79)3
  • Carolina Pork Sandwich — pulled pork, spicy cole slaw, Bubba’s sauce ($10.89 / $12.39)3
  • The Hog Heaven — pulled pork and sliced sausage ($10.89 / $12.39)3
  • Open-Faced Lean ‘n’ Mean — smoked turkey, spicy slaw ($10.89 / $12.39)3
  • Pulled Chicken Breast Sandwich ($10.89 / $12.39)3

BBQ Dinners (with a side and Texas toast)

  • One Meat Dinner ($16.29)3
  • Two Meat Dinner ($19.29)3
  • Burnt Ends Dinner ($24.99)3
  • Ribs & One Meat Dinner ($20.99)3
  • Ribs & Burnt End Dinner ($24.99)3
  • The Hogamaniac ($20.49)3

Chicken

  • Smoked Chicken Dinner (Half Chicken) ($15.99)3
  • Half Chicken (no sides) ($12.99)3
  • Full Chicken (no sides) ($23.99)3

Ribs

  • Rib Dinner (Half Slab) — with a side and Texas toast ($20.79)3
  • Slab Dinner (Full Slab) — with a side and Texas toast ($30.99)3
  • Full Slab of Ribs ($27.99)3
  • Short End ($19.99)3
  • Long End ($17.49)3

Meat by the Pound

  • Beef Brisket ($24.99/lb)3
  • Burnt Ends ($26.99/lb)3
  • Pulled Pork ($21.49/lb)3
  • Smoked Turkey ($21.49/lb)3
  • Smoked Ham ($21.49/lb)3
  • Sausage ($21.49/lb)3

Salads

  • Pig Salad — warm pulled pork ($12.79)3
  • Smoked Chicken Salad ($12.79)3
  • Pit Boss Salad — cold brisket, turkey, ham, and cheese ($12.79)3

Sides

  • BBQ Beans ($5.19 side)3
  • Potato Salad ($5.19 side)3
  • Creamy Cole Slaw ($5.19 side)3
  • Dirty Rice ($5.19 side)3
  • Spicy Slaw ($5.19 side)3
  • Street Corn ($5.19 side)3
  • Red Beans & Rice ($5.19 side)3
  • French Fries ($5.59)3
  • Onion Rings ($8.49)3
  • Corn Bread — with honey butter ($4.99)3
  • Side Tossed Salad ($7.29)3
  • Smoked Chicken Gumbo ($6.69 cup)3
  • Mac-N-Cheese ($6.69 side)3

Kids

  • Kid-sized Brisket, Pork, or Turkey Sandwich ($7.99)3
  • Lil’ Joe’s Smoked Hot Dog ($7.99)3
  • Kid-sized Chicken Dinner ($7.99)3
  • Kid-sized Mac-n-Cheese ($7.99)3

Dessert

  • Bread Pudding ($5.99)3
  • Banana Pudding ($5.99)3
  • Seasonal Ice Cream (1/2 Pint) ($5.99)3

Sauces (retail)

  • Joe’s BBQ Sauce3
  • Night of the Living Bar-B-Q Sauce3
  • Rocket Pig Sauce3

Sources

  • Status verified active 2026-06-23 via Joe’s KC official Locations + Yelp — original (3002 W 47th Ave) (accessed 2026-06-23). Chain operating: original (47th & Mission Rd, KCK), Olathe, Leawood, plus Kauffman Stadium and CPKC Stadium outposts. Joe’s Next Door (former Taco Republic complex) has now opened — reported open in the former Taco Republic site per Johnson County Post and Fox4 KC (accessed 2026-06-23); page may be updated from “forthcoming/May 2026” to open.

Verification

  • Level: Verified(Layer 2)
  • Independence: 5 independent sources
  • High confidence: founding date, founders, three current locations + Joe’s Next Door, KC Current stadium cross-reference
  • Outstanding: Joe’s Next Door precise opening date in May 2026 (will land in Map listing once confirmed)

See also

Footnotes

  1. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que — official “Our Story” page. https://www.joeskc.com/pages/our-story. Source asserts: Jeff + Joy Stehney founders; 1990 competition team formation; Slaughterhouse Five name; 1996 KC gas station origin; three current locations + Joe’s Next Door forthcoming. ↩

  2. KC Current — “Kansas City Current Announces Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que as First Restaurant in New Stadium.” https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/news/kansas-city-current-announces-joes-kansas-city-bar-b-que-as-first-restaurant-in-new-stadium. ↩

  3. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que — official menu, https://www.joeskc.com/pages/restaurant-menu (accessed 2026-07-13). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63

More from the Registry

In Prairie Village See all →

More BBQ in KC See all →

See also

  • Registry
  • Best-BBQ-In-KC-Fall-2026-Pre-Research
Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/joes-kansas-city-bar-b-que · record updated 2026-06-23