Speaking of ribs, and not relying on sauce, Moms chose Brobeck's for her most recent B-day dinner. IIRC, my sis had her work bring some in for an office lunch one day, leading to the recommendation.
All seemed pleasantly surprised, and everyone's eyes widened when they tried their ribs.
They rely on their meat and don't even 'offer' a BBQ sauce. They have it, but they were clearly an afterthought, and the prominently also offer competitors sauces. . . KC Masterpiece X-tra Hot, Curley's Sweet and Smoky, etc. And they say on the menu to feel free to bring in your own sauce from home if you like something better.
In addition to great ribs, they have some unique things to recommend them. They have a smoked ham salad. The day we were there, they had a really really good smoked jalapeno cheddar long sausage. They do a good job on cheesy corn. Great onion rings. etc.
https://brobecksbbq.com/
I wouldn't put them on the highest level with Joe's KC, but they are a credit to the KC BBQ scene. A pleasant surprise, without all the hassle of being the 'go to' place at present. If you get a craving for that smoke ham salad, that's the only place to get it. And their ribs are good enough to elicit a smile and a moan or two.
