Q39

a chef-driven Kansas City barbecue restaurant founded in 2014 by Culinary Institute of America-trained competition pitmaster Chef Rob Magee (team Munchin’ Hogs) and wife Kelly Magee. After Rob’s death in December 2021, Kelly leads as CEO (2024 KC Restaurateur of the Year). Four locations: Midtown, Overland Park (Q39 South), Lawrence, and Lee’s Summit (opening early August 2026). Tier 1 (independent, chef-driven, KC-rooted).

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Description

Q39 is a chef-driven barbecue restaurant that blends traditional Kansas City barbecue with scratch-kitchen technique in an open-kitchen setting.¹ It was founded in 2014 on Midtown’s 39th Street by Chef Rob Magee — a Culinary Institute of America graduate (Hyde Park, NY, class of 1986) whose competition team, the Munchin’ Hogs, spent over a decade at the top of competitive barbecue — and his wife Kelly Magee.¹² A second location, Q39 South, opened in August 2017 in Overland Park in the former Hayward’s Pit BBQ space (the late hayward-spears, the “Baron of BBQ”).³⁴

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Ownership and history

Ownership

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
2014 → 2021	Rob & Kelly Magee	Co-founded Q39; Rob the chef/competition face, Kelly running tech/marketing/business/HR/accounting.15
Dec 2021 → present	Kelly Magee (CEO)	Took the lead after Rob’s death; oversees ~250 employees.15

Founder

Rob Magee graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1986 and became a competition pitmaster (Munchin’ Hogs, multiple KCBS Grand Champion / Team of the Year honors) before opening Q39 in 2014.¹² He died December 4, 2021 after a 5½-year battle with colon cancer.²⁶ His wife Kelly Magee has since led Q39 as CEO and was named the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association’s 2024 Restaurateur of the Year.⁵

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Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Source: Official Q39 menu PDF (q39kc.com Q2Go menu) · URL(s): https://q39kc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Q39_Q2Go-web.pdf · Confidence: Medium (full item roster and descriptions from the official Q39 menu; the official site’s HTML menu is JavaScript-gated, and some listed prices may predate current dine-in pricing)

Chef-driven, competition-rooted Kansas City barbecue from an open scratch kitchen — Certified Angus Beef brisket and burnt ends, honey-glazed Q pork spare ribs, smoked and charred chicken, house-made chipotle sausage, and oak-fired pork belly — alongside shareables, chef salads, brisket burgers, specialty sandwiches, and from-scratch sides.⁷

Starters & Shareables

• Q39 Spiced Onion Straws — BBQ aioli ($9)⁷
• Best Wings on the Planet — jumbo chicken wings, chipotle BBQ sauce ($13)⁷
• Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp — chipotle mayo, jalapeño-cilantro slaw ($15)⁷

Salads

• Wood-Fired Grilled Salmon Salad — Bibb lettuce, strawberries, toasted almonds, pickled onions, balsamic herb vinaigrette ($19)⁷
• Smoked Mozzarella Caprese Salad — arugula, tomato, balsamic syrup, sea salt ($14)⁷
• Chopped Salad — mixed greens, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sharp cheddar, chopped egg, pickled onions, garlic croutons, balsamic herb vinaigrette ($12)⁷

Smoked & Grilled Pork Belly

• Smoked Pork Banh Mi — grilled pork belly, pulled pork, spicy mayo, Asian slaw ($14)⁷
• P.B.L.T — smoked pork belly bacon, Bibb lettuce, roasted tomato, aioli, toasted bread ($12)⁷
• Pork Belly Appetizer — bacon onion marmalade, apple slaw ($13)⁷

Competition BBQ Dinner Plates

Butchered, smoked, and prepared fresh each day. Lunch includes one side; dinner includes two.⁷

• Certified Angus Beef Brisket — sliced smoked brisket, burnt ends, classic BBQ sauce (Lunch $19 / Dinner $24)⁷
• Judge’s Plate (Pick 3) — Q pork spare ribs, sliced brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, chipotle sausage (Lunch $21 / Dinner $26)⁷
• Combo Plate (Pick 2) — choose two of Q pork spare ribs, sliced brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, chipotle sausage (Lunch $17 / Dinner $22)⁷
• Smoked & Charred Half Chicken — chipotle BBQ sauce (Lunch $15 / Dinner $20)⁷
• Q Pork Spare Ribs — honey glaze BBQ sauce (Lunch: Qtr $16 / Half $20 / Full $30; Dinner: Half $24 / Full $34)⁷

Brisket Burgers

Certified Angus Beef brisket, butchered and ground in house daily.⁷

• Burnt End Burger — sliced burnt ends, spicy pickle slaw, classic BBQ sauce ($16)⁷
• Q Burger — grilled pork belly bacon, sharp cheddar, BBQ sauce, onion straws ($15)⁷
• BBQ Veggie Burger — classic BBQ sauce, provolone, onion straws ($14)⁷

Specialty Sandwiches

• Pit Master Brisket — classic BBQ sauce, provolone, onion straws, toasted bun ($13)⁷
• Triple Threat — chipotle sausage, pulled pork, pork belly, zesty BBQ sauce, apple slaw, toasted bun ($13)⁷
• Mr. Burns — cubed burnt ends, chipotle BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, onion straws, toasted bun ($14)⁷
• Southern Pride — pulled pork, zesty BBQ sauce, southern slaw, toasted bun ($10)⁷
• Smoked Buffalo Chicken — ranch, blue cheese, onion straws, hoagie roll ($12)⁷
• MAC & Q — from-scratch five-cheese mac with herbed breadcrumbs; add pulled pork $6, brisket $7, pork belly $7, sausage $5, onion straws $4, or roasted tomatoes $4 ($9)⁷

Side Plates

Single $5 / Pint $10 / Quart $16.⁷

• Apple Slaw — creamy dressing, green onions⁷
• Baked Beans — pinto beans, burnt ends⁷
• White Bean Cassoulet — chipotle sausage, onion, tomato, thyme⁷
• Cucumber Onion Salad — dill vinaigrette⁷
• Orzo Pasta Salad — oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, spinach, peppers, basil vinaigrette⁷
• Potato Salad — russet potatoes, egg, tarragon⁷

Additional Sides

• Seasonal Vegetables (Single $6 / Pint $12 / Quart $20)⁷
• Macaroni & Cheese (Single $9 / Pint $18 / Quart $36)⁷
• Crispy Fries — chipotle ketchup ($5.50)⁷

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Links

• q39kc.com — official site

Sources

• Status verified active 2026-06-23 via Q39 — Locations (accessed 2026-06-23). Both locations operating: Midtown (1000 W 39th St, KC MO 64111) and Q39 South (11051 Antioch Rd, Overland Park KS 66210). Official per-location pages live with current hours; Yelp Q39 South updated June 2026.

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Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

1. Q39 — “Our Story.” https://q39kc.com/about/our-story/ — asserts: first Q39 opened 2014 on 39th St; Rob Magee CIA graduate (Hyde Park NY); Munchin’ Hogs competition team; “Kelly leads Q39 as the CEO.” ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Johnson County Post — “Rob Magee, Q39 founder and Prairie Village resident, dies” (Dec 5, 2021). https://johnsoncountypost.com/2021/12/05/rob-magee-q39-founder-and-prairie-village-resident-dies-137482/ — asserts: died Dec 4, 2021; colon cancer (5½-year battle); 1986 culinary-institute graduate; KCBS top-team honors. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. KSHB — “Q39 opens Overland Park location” (2017). https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/q39-opens-overland-park-location — asserts: Q39 South opened Overland Park (2017). ↩

4. Feast Magazine — “Q39 brings competition-style barbecue to its new location in Overland Park.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/sponsored/spotlight/spotlight-q39-brings-competition-style-barbecue-to-its-new-location-in-overland-park-kansas/article_a6885af8-8dcf-11e7-9a2f-1f5edf0345b4.html — asserts: OP location in the former Hayward’s Pit BBQ space (Hayward Spears). ↩

5. Kansas City Magazine — “Q39’s Kelly Magee Is KC’s 2024 Restaurateur of the Year.” https://kansascitymag.com/q39-kelly-magee-is-kcs-2024-restaurateur-of-the-year/ — asserts: GKC Restaurant Association named Kelly Magee 2024 Restaurateur of the Year; she led after Rob’s death; ~250 employees. ↩ ↩² ↩³

6. FOX4 — “Rob Magee, founder of Q39, dies.” https://fox4kc.com/business/rob-magee-founder-of-kansas-city-barbecue-restaurant-q39-dies/ — asserts: Rob Magee’s death; Q39 founder. ↩

7. Q39 — menu via the official Q39 Q2Go menu PDF, https://q39kc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Q39_Q2Go-web.pdf (accessed 2026-07-14). ↩ ↩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