Wolfpack BBQ & Burgers in Kansas City, Missouri
Wolfpack BBQ & Burgers has been making waves on the Kansas City barbecue scene for about five years now. I have visited twice now. Once in December and the other time this past Sunday. Yes, they are open on Sundays! (their hours are Monday – Saturday: 11am – 9pm and Sunday: 11am – 6pm)
Here is a brief summary of the operation from their website:
“Here at Wolfpack BBQ & Burgers, we strive for our guests to get the best bbq Kansas City can offer. We offer some of the top rated BBQ slow smoked on old school offset smokers using Oak and Hickory wood.
The journey for us started in 2021 knowing that we could pursue a dream that would leave a lifelong impression for the people that grace us.
We found our first location through friendships from the BBQ and Brewery scene and found our roots in the Historic Columbus Park. Our location is right in the Downtown area and about ten minutes from the KCI Airport.”
The building that Wolfpack is located in at Columbus Park is pretty old, but I am not sure just how old it is. It adds to the charm of the place. I believe “Wolfpack” is a play off of the Kansas City Chiefs, because the walls and decor in this place are full of Chiefs stuff.
There is a nice, big bar on the left as you walk in and there are always people sitting there enjoying a drink and some barbecue. There are two separate dining areas and an outside eating area, so there is plenty of room for a lot of customers.
The service was fantastic both times we went. Once you are seated, they will promptly ask what you’d like to drink and ask if you have any questions about the menu. After we ordered, we received our food in under 10 minutes.
The first time we went, I ordered a brisket sandwich. As you can see in the photo above, the brisket is served sliced and thick. There is a bit of fat, as you can tell. If you prefer, you can order the brisket sandwich with the meat chopped instead of sliced. The brisket was flavorful and tender. Definitely didn’t need any barbecue sauce on it.
My girlfriend and I split some ribs and fries. The ribs were flavorful and tender and neatly trimmed of fat. I tried the two sauces with the fries. They have a “regular” sauce and a “spicy”; sauce. The regular sauce has a slight kick to it and was very good. The spicy sauce has quite a kick to it and you can’t have much of it.
The one-meat sandwich is $12 and the two-meat sandwich is $17. The spare ribs are three for $9, six for $18, and 12 for $36.
We were impressed enough that we took my girlfriend’s parents this past Sunday to try it. The experience was the same, other than we went during the day on a Sunday instead of a Thursday night.
This time I tried the brisket burger and the wings. I also tried the ribs (again) and the burnt ends.
The smoked wings come in multiple quantities and flavors. I opted for the buffalo wings. The first wing was pretty good, but the next two were a bit chewy and not quite as good. Kind of odd to not have consistency between the same order of wings, but that’s what happened.
The brisket burger is $15 and is two smash burger patties. I added the cheese. The Wolfpack brand on the bun is a nice touch. The burger tasted good, but was a bit tough to chew.
Those brisket slices were great. The ribs were good, too. I tried the burnt ends, but didn’t get a picture of them. The first one I tried was really good. Cooked thoroughly and not fatty. The next two were very chewy and fatty. Again, not much consistency in the same order of burnt ends.
All in all, I can see why Wolfpack is getting positive publicity. The food is mostly good. My favorite is the brisket, but there are many offerings they have. You can view their menu here.
If you are in the downtown area, give them a try. They are just a couple of blocks from the River Market. I’d definitely go out of my way to go to Wolfpack over Gates or Arthur Bryant’s. They’re not quite Jack Stack or Slap’s, but they’re still pretty new on the scene and seem to be getting better and better. If you visit, let me know what you think!
