Restaurant Review: Mad Jack's Fresh Fish

  Since we already visited one of the top fish restaurants in KCK this week, we might as well hit up another one. Mad Jack's Fresh Fish is a little different from others, as they offer fresh fish you can take home to cook. They have about a dozen varieties of fish, and also a few shellfish items. They sell some breaded items for folks to take home and fry up, as well. They have there own breading mix, and assorted seasonings and boils, for those that prefer to do the whole job themselves. Here you can get all the fixings for your next homemade fish dinner.

  Okay, I got that part out of the way, so now we can move on to the reason most people come to Mad Jack's, the already prepared food. The menu is built around four main ways you can order your meal. You can order a half pound or a full pound of the entree, which include items like basa, tilapia, catfish, walleye or even frog legs. You can have your entree combined with fries, bread and hot sauce or cole slaw and potato salad. Of course that is a fairly light overview of the menu, as they have plenty of other sides, mains, and even desserts. You can even mix and match some of the sides, although if you get too crazy there may be a slight up-charge.

  The fish is well flavored, and crispy good. I have on occasion tried about four of the varieties, and all have been delicious. The fries are standard thick cut, and hold up well. The potato salad and cole slaw are run of the mill, but make decent sides. If you order the bread and hot sauce version, it tastes like Wonder white bread, and the hot sauce is very much like Frank's. Overall these are passable, but the main reason to visit is for the fish. Mad Jack's is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm. On Sunday they are open from Noon until 6:00 pm. For more information or to see their menu visit http://www.madjacksfreshfish.com/.

Restaurant Review: SLAPS BBQ

No nonsense approach to BBQ.

  Every once in a while when a new restaurant opens they will quickly develop an almost fanatical following. To achieve this feat requires them to offer a superior product or service to their customers. It is almost magical to watch this process, since it only happens on rare occasions. This is exactly what happened with SLAP's BBQ. Brothers Mike and Joe Pearce began the restaurant after years on the barbecue competition circuit. Their team name is Squeal Like A Pig, from which S.L.A.P.'s derived. These two have won numerous competitions, and still compete in 25 or more events annually. They do this to help keep their skills honed.

The Sampler Plate is plenty for at least two adults.

  The old saying "The proof is in the pudding" could be altered to say in the smoke. These guys have got their barbecue skills down to an art form, and serve it up Monday through Saturday starting at 11:00 in the morning. Their hours are listed as being open until 7:00, but they usually sell out long before that. Fortunately, they have added the feature to pre-order, so you can be sure to get some of this deliciousness.

3 Ribs and Burnt Ends make for a filling lunch.

  Besides the normal offerings,  SLAP's serves up turkey, brisket, pork, sausage, and burnt ends by the pound. They offer a handful of side dishes, which include baked beans made with their sauce, as well as a delicious version of cheesy corn. Located at 553 Central Avenue, in the heart of KCK, SLAP's BBQ strives to make the best product they can provide every day. Be sure to make plans to try them out, but you may want to pre-order for piece of mind. Find out how at http://www.slapsbbqkc.com/.

Restaurant Review: Big Grill & More

  We can't begin to count the number of times we have driven by a place and wondered what it has to offer. Too often it is merely a fleeting thought, and then we move on to the next thing. Such was the case for me on multiple trips to City Hall. My route takes me to the 5th Street exit off of I-70 East, and then I cut down Sandusky Avenue to get to 6th Street. This dumps me out just down the hill from City Hall. It also means that I turn right in front of Big Grill & More restaurant. Rarely do I see many vehicles parked in front, but then again I usually pass by in the middle of the afternoon.

  After too many missed opportunities, I finally decided to stop for an early meal, since I knew I would be in meetings until late in the evening. I was surprised to see that they are an all-day restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were lots of egg dishes listed on the breakfast portion, and I'm supposing it would be homestyle meals. Lots of fried foods are included on the lunch list, including burgers and fish items.

  The restaurant has daily specials which I decided to try. Of course I picked a meal that was not the special of the day I visited, but it was the item that reached out to me. My dinner consisted of BBQ rib tips with fries. The price was decent, especially for the amount of food they served. The meat was tender enough, and the sauce is sweet & spicy, but not overpowering. The staff were friendly, and the whole place gave a good Mom & Pop vibe. It is certainly a spot to keep on your list when visiting downtown KCK.

Restaurant Review: Johnny's Bar-B-Q

  Well since we seem to be on a barbecue kick, we might as well add another place for this week. Johnny's BBQ in Mission, Kansas has been in business since 1977. In a fairly nondescript building, sitting squarely on the corner of Broadmoor and Martway Streets, Johnny's serves up what they label as "fall off the bone tender" meats. Their sandwiches come in small, medium, and large sizes. They have the standard beef, ham, pork, turkey, and sausage, but unlike many others they also offer chicken. If you are really hungry you can order a double-decker sandwich and a half, which comes with fries for only $9.

  Of course for a true test of their offerings (in my opinion) you need to order ribs with an assortment of sides. The ribs are flavorful, and pretty tender. The fries and rings are crisp like they should be. The slaw and beans are pretty standard fare, but certainly good accompaniments. We find Johnny's to be a good fall-back for BBQ when we are in this neck of the woods, and have never been disappointed in the food or the service. They do run specials on most days of the week, with full slab specials on Wednesdays and Sundays. To see the full menu or just find out more about them visit http://www.johnnysbbqkc.com/.

Restaurant Review: Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que

  If you have been following our blog for any length of time, then you know we like BBQ. Of course, I don't imagine there are a lot of people in the area that aren't fans. We have watched the responses and comments on the various posts about some of the BBQ joints we have reviewed. It is clear that most people have their one favorite go-to, while others are okay with a variety. We like some more than others, but have an open attitude about trying every place we can find.

  Each BBQ place has it's go-to it on the menu. Some wow you with the smokiness, while others have a command of sauces. The sides may be a homerun at one joint, but only passable at others. The key is finding what each of them do better than the others, so you can always get a consistent winner. At Papa Bob's they have a lot of positives, and one thing hat is rare in Kansas City.

  Bob's has the Ultimate Destroyer! It all starts innocently enough with a 12" hoagie bun. The first layer has 1/2 lb. of pulled pork and 1/2 lb. of smoked pork. Squirt on some sauce and toss on a couple slices of bread and you are ready for the next layer. A 1/2 lb. of ham and 1/2 lb. of turkey go on followed by the sauce and bread again. Is that enough? Well not at Bob's. Next they add three 1/2 lb. burger patties topped with, sauce and bread. A final layer contains 1/2 lb. of brisket and 1/2 lb. of sausage topped with sauce and the hoagie lid. For those that lost count there are 4 1/2 lbs. of meat on this sandwich. Just for giggles they add 1 1/2 lbs. of fries, and some pickles or jalapenos (customer's choice). This mighty meal will set you back $58.00, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

  Let's say you have an immense appetite, and think you can tame this beast. Well if you can accomplish this feat in 45 minutes or less the meal is free. There are a few rules around this challenge including; you can't leave your seat during the challenge, you have to keep it down, and you have to sign a release form. Before you run out to try your luck be warned that this has been attempted by many before. In 2010, Adam Richman (Man vs. Food show) took up the gauntlet and came away defeated by this beast of a sandwich. He finished about 2/3 of the meal before waving the white flag.

  Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que has food for normal meals also, so don't let the Ultimate Destroyer scare you away. Stop in and check them out at 11610 Kaw Drive, between Edwardsville and Bonner Springs. For more information or to view their menu visit http://papabobsbbq.com/.

Restaurant Review: San Antonio

  When we first discovered San Antonio we were searching for fresh tortillas. There are many places in WyCo to get them, but they all seem to have their own distinct flavor, and we were trying to find the one we liked best. After trying theirs we were hooked. Our love affair with their tortillas has continued for years, but only recently has it spread to include their prepared food offerings.

  Sitting in the heart of Armourdale, at 830 Kansas Avenue, Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio seems to be busy at all times. To us this is a good sign, as I am sure it is to the owners. It serves as a meat market, grocery store, and restaurant all wrapped up in one location, so at any given time you have a wide range of customers. 

  I was introduced to their tacos at a local event, that San Antonio was catering. Guests were offered a choice of pork or beef filling, and I chose to sample each one. Topped with fresh diced onion, cilantro, and a little hot sauce, these tacos were amazing. I have discovered that many of the people in my office will periodically visit San Antonio for a quick take-out lunch. Their reviews of the tamales, pork sandwich, and beef burrito are just as promising. It looks like we will need to do a lot more research on this place. Maybe we'll will bump into you there.

Restaurant Review: Pizza West

  I will go out on a limb and say that most people like pizza. This is a fairly wide cast generalization, as many people are just as particular about this special type of pie as they are about their barbecue. We have our favorites, as you surely do as well, but we are usually game to try new places for the hopes of finding some new treasure.

  So last evening we were heading to an appointment in western Shawnee, which would take us away from home during the time we would usually prepare dinner. This meant that I needed to find a suitable substitution for a quick take out. Low and behold I happened along Pizza West at 5436 Roberts Street in Shawnee, Kansas. It had solid reviews, and the online menu showed promise, so it was decided to give them a shot.  

   The exterior is what you would expect in any strip mall, and the interior continues the somewhat cookie cutter design. Booths line the exterior with tables dotting the middle, but we were here for the pizza, so design concept was not important. To tell the truth, we find that design has a low priority for us, as long as the place is clean. The order entry was quick and painless with assistance of one of the owners. He was even nice enough to explain that our order qualified for one of their daily specials. I ordered two medium sized pies, and the total came up to around $25.00, which I feel is very fair.

  With the need to feed four adults it gave us the chance to test a little variation in their Craft Pizza menu. Our first pie was the "Fredo", which has chicken, onion, mushroom, bacon, and tomatoes with an Alfredo sauce. They offer two crust styles, and we decided to have the regular version on this pie. The owner explained that the outer edge of the crust ends up being almost like a big bread-stick encircling the pizza. He was absolutely correct on his description. 

  Our second choice was their "K-7 Combo", which is pretty much a combination pizza like you would find at most places. For this one we chose the thin crust variation. I was told it would not be cracker-like, but it would be fairly crisp. While I enjoyed the Alfredo version, my favorite ended up being the combo. The ingredients are certainly fresh, and the crust had just enough texture to stay together when you took a bite. Overall both pies were well received, so it looks like we will have to make plans to test some of their other variations. For more information and to peruse the menu visit http://www.gopizzawest.com/.