This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Award-winning, brothers-owned Kansas City, Kansas barbecue restaurant founded by Mike and Joe Pearce, grown out of their competition team Squeal Like a Pig and opened on Central Avenue in 2014.

Description

Slap’s BBQ is a barbecue restaurant on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. It was founded by brothers Mike and Joe Pearce and grew out of their competition barbecue team, “Squeal Like a Pig” — the source of the restaurant’s name (an acronym, S.L.A.P.). The restaurant is known for a competition-style approach to barbecue and has a reputation for selling out of meat on busy days, a function of cooking in limited daily quantities.

Menu staples include brisket, pork ribs, burnt ends, and pork-belly burnt ends, with the kitchen carrying its competition methods over to the daily service. The restaurant competes on the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) circuit, reportedly entering on the order of 25–35 contests per year, which is unusual for an operating brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Ownership and history

Slap’s BBQ is owner-operated by brothers Mike and Joe Pearce. The two first built a reputation on the competition circuit with their team Squeal Like a Pig, founded in 2013, which appeared on the television program BBQ Pitmasters (reported as a second-place finish in the show’s fifth season). They translated that competition success into a restaurant, opening Slap’s BBQ on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, in June 2014. The business operates under a parent entity tied to the Squeal Like a Pig name.

Since opening, the restaurant has earned national and regional attention — including Food Network coverage — and is frequently ranked among the top barbecue restaurants in the Kansas City metro. Reporting from The Pitch has covered the restaurant expanding its space and adding dinner service over time.

Last verified: 2026-08-11 · Source: slapsbbqkc.com/menu + Sep 2024 menu PDF first-party descriptions · Confidence: High

Competition-style Kansas City barbecue famous for burnt ends and ribs (which often sell out early), served as combo plates, sandwiches, one-meat plates, and meat by the pound, with hearty sides.1

Meat Combo Plates (2 sides, bread, sauce, pickles)

  • Cattleman’s Plate — brisket, burnt ends, and beef Polish sausage ($22.95)1
  • Three Little Pigs — two ribs, pulled pork, and jalapeño cheddar sausage ($19.95)1
  • No Cow Combo — choice of two: smoked turkey, jalapeño cheddar sausage, chicken leg quarter, or pulled pork ($16.95)1
  • Brisket Combo — brisket plus one choice of smoked turkey, beef Polish sausage, or jalapeño cheddar sausage ($17.50); or plus pulled pork or chicken leg quarter ($16.95)1
  • Burnt End Combo — burnt ends plus one choice of sliced brisket (+$2), smoked turkey, beef Polish sausage, jalapeño cheddar sausage, pulled pork, or chicken leg quarter ($20.95)1
  • Sampler Plate — brisket, pork, turkey, and sausage, plus two large sides; add ribs or burnt ends $4.75 each ($24.95)1

One Meat Plates (2 sides, bread, sauce, pickles)

  • Burnt Ends — Tender meat marshmallows from the brisket point, smoked to perfection, cubed. ($21.45)1
  • Brisket ($18.95)1
  • Turkey ($16.95)1
  • Sausage ($16.95)1
  • Chicken ($14.95)1
  • Pork ($14.95)1

Sandwiches

  • The Mike Johnson — jalapeño cheddar sausage, smoked brisket, chopped lettuce, white sauce, sweet sauce, and hot sauce on a pretzel bun ($12.49)1
  • The Sandwich — smoked brisket or pulled pork, two onion rings, and creamy Provel cheese ($12.49)1
  • Southern Comfort — large pulled pork topped with creamy coleslaw and a drizzle of sweet sauce ($12.49)1
  • Pick One — sliced brisket, smoked turkey, beef Polish sausage, or jalapeño cheddar sausage ($10.79–$11.97)1
  • Pick Two — choice of two: sliced brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, beef Polish sausage, or jalapeño cheddar sausage ($11.95)1
  • Pulled Pork — slow-smoked pulled pork tossed in sweet rib juice ($9.97–$10.97)1
  • Burnt End — cubed brisket-point burnt ends (“meat marshmallows”) on a bun ($14.49)1

Ribs

  • Full Slab ($27.99)1
  • Half Slab ($16.95)1
  • 1 Bone ($3.50)1
  • 2 Bones ($6.99)1
  • 3 Bones ($8.50)1

Rib Dinners & Plates (2 sides, bread, sauce, pickles)

  • Full Slab Dinner ($30.99)1
  • Half Slab Dinner ($18.49)1
  • Three Ribs and Burnt Ends — three bones plus burnt ends; listed as most popular plate ($22.95)1
  • Three Ribs and 1 Meat — with sliced brisket, smoked turkey, beef Polish sausage, or jalapeño cheddar sausage ($20.95); or with pulled pork or chicken leg quarters ($20.49)1

Meat by the Pound

  • Burnt Ends — Tender meat marshmallows from the brisket point, smoked to perfection, cubed. ($27.99/lb; also 1/2 and 1/4 lb)1
  • Sliced Brisket ($25.99/lb)1
  • Beef Polish Sausage ($20.95/lb)1
  • Smoked Turkey ($20.95/lb)1
  • Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage ($20.95/lb)1
  • Pulled Pork — Slow smoked pulled pork, tossed in a drizzle of sweet rib juice ($19.95/lb)1
  • Chicken Leg Quarters ($3.50 each; 24-hour notice for 10+)1

Sides

  • Baked Potato Casserole ($4.99 single)1
  • Mac & Cheese ($4.99 single)1
  • Coleslaw ($4.99 single)1
  • Cheesy Corn ($4.99 single)1
  • Baked Beans ($4.99 single)1
  • Sweet Potato Fries ($6.49)1
  • Onion Rings ($8.25)1
  • Fried Pickle Chips ($6.49)1
  • Fried Cheese Curds ($6.49)1
  • French Fries ($5.49)1
  • Hush Puppies ($5.49)1
  • Side Salad ($6.99)1
  • Entree Salad ($10.95)1
  • Chicken Salad ($13.95)1

Sources

  1. Slap’s BBQ — official “About Us” — https://slapsbbqkc.com/about-us/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  2. The Pitch — “Slap’s BBQ adding dinner service, expanding restaurant” — https://www.thepitchkc.com/slaps-bbq-adding-dinner-service-expanding-restaurant/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  3. Yelp — Slap’s BBQ, 553 Central Ave — https://www.yelp.com/biz/slaps-bbq-kansas-city-2 — accessed 2026-05-30
  4. Food Network — Slap’s BBQ — https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/ks/kansas-city/slaps-bbq-restaurant — accessed 2026-05-30

Verification

Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 4 independent sources (official site, The Pitch local press, Yelp, Food Network). Founders (Mike and Joe Pearce), team origin (Squeal Like a Pig, 2013), restaurant opening (June 2014), KCBS competition activity, and the 553 Central Ave KCK address are corroborated across multiple sources. Note: the base intake address (5531 Merriam Dr) was not confirmed by any source and has been corrected to 553 Central Ave — flagged above. The BBQ Pitmasters second-place-finish detail and the brothers’ birthplace are single-sourced/unverified and flagged.

Menu capture (2026-06-02): Added menu_last_verified, menu_status, menu_source_types frontmatter + earned tags (burnt-ends, ribs). Inserted standardized ## Menu section with current offerings + website/Toast sources + archive pointer (huge batch). Updated Edit History.

Footnotes

  1. Slap’s BBQ — official website menu (item descriptions); prices cross-checked against Toast online ordering, toasttab.com (both accessed 2026-08-10). ↩ ↩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

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On the record — ks.city/registry/slaps-bbq · record updated 2026-08-11