Chef J BBQ Expands to Northland
Kansas City's Chef J BBQ is opening a Northland location this summer at 1900 Clay Street Popular West Bottoms BBQ restaurant to open North Kansas City location in summer. Bubba’s Smokehouse is enhancing its menu with an authentic Texas-style smoker for a richer flavor Bubbas Smokehouse enhances BBQ experience with authentic Texas-style smoker.
Chef J BBQ's expansion bucks the trend of limited hours and frequent sell-outs common in the Kansas City barbecue scene. Chef J BBQ was named Kansas City's No. 1 barbecue restaurant in 2023. The new North Kansas City location will feature an open smokehouse, a patio, and five 1,000-gallon custom offset pits. A bread and pastry program, along with cooked-to-order items like steak frites and smoked burgers, will also be offered. The new location aims for a more elevated restaurant experience. Chef J BBQ, owned by Justin Easterwood and Terra Whipple, started in the West Bottoms in 2020. Easterwood's barbecue journey began with tailgates outside Arrowhead Stadium. The original location is housed in a century-old red brick warehouse that was once owned by John Deere. The 5,400-square-foot restaurant will have a 4,000-square-foot patio and seat roughly 300 people. Easterwood learned to cook from his Italian grandmother and from Vito, the original owner of Original Pizza. He also draws inspiration from New Orleans restaurateur Emeril Lagasse. The North Kansas City location is in the former Calibration Brewery building at 1900 Clay St. North Kansas City was incorporated in 1912 and is nearly surrounded by Kansas City. The city's streets are arranged alphabetically. Kansas City is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, expecting an influx of tourists. The Kansas City BBQ scene includes over 100 restaurants. The Museum of BBQ is set to open in Crown Center in spring 2025.
