barbecue, blind box barbecue, brisket

Blind Box Barbecue in Shawnee, Kansas

Blind Box Barbecue brisket sandwich.

Tonight I visited Blind Box Barbecue in Shawnee, KS.  Blind Box is a relatively new restaurant, opened by Joe Tulipana in August of 2015.  According to the Kansas City Star, “Tulipana, 27, earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2012. After working in IT, he spent a few months converting a former Japanese steakhouse into Blind Box Barbecue, naming it after the “blind boxes” teams submit to judges in competitions. He opened it in August 2015.
His menu includes both classic and innovative items: burnt ends, baby back ribs and chicken, as well as the Lil’ Juicy signature sandwich (smoked, shaved steak topped with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese and served with a horseradish cream sauce), barbecue nachos and wontons, Hog Wings (pork shanks tossed in a spicy chili and honey glaze) and barbecue sweet corn.”

Blind Box is a sit down restaurant and bar.  They tout their bourbon cocktails just as much as their barbecue. I arrived around 5:00 on Thursday.  I walked in and noticed the bar near the front of the restaurant and was instantly greeted and seated at a booth.  The server asked for my drink order and went over a few of the menu items for me.  They have a regular and a large brisket sandwich that comes with fries.   I ordered the large sandwich, which is 12 dollars, along with a brandy Old Fashioned.

Blind Box brandy old fashioned.

I received my food in about 15 minutes.  The brisket was thick cut slices and was served on a bun with sauce.  The brisket was warm and tender and I could detect a slight hickory smoke flavor.  The meat was also very lean, containing little or no fat.  A very good sandwich overall.

The sauce has a strong molasses flavor and had a little bit of a kick to it.  I really liked it and ate it with my fries.

No label on the sauce!



I really enjoyed this place.  The bourbon bar is a nice touch and they have some pretty good barbecue.  I’d definitely check it out if you’re in the area.

This is stop number 27 on my quest.  I’ve started a Facebook page so you can follow along there as well.  Thanks for your support and positive encouragement.  Till next time….

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