Bar-B-Cutie comes to Kansas! They have been in business, and claim to be ‘the world’s best barbecue since 1950!’ With many restaurants in Tennessee, their roots are probably grounded in a place with a rich barbecue history. They have franchises in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Delaware, and now Kansas.
The new restaurant in Hays gave my family a chance to try the place out with a cute name and over half a century of experience in the art of barbecue. We were not disappointed. Immediately after walking in the front door the smell of smoky wood gently teased our nostrils, and induced hunger. There is something awe inspiring about the smell of smoking mesquite and hickory.
The menu at first looks huge, but after sitting down on the cushioned seat located near the registers and menu it didn’t take us long to figure out how we were going to order. The hardest part was deciding which of the eighteen ‘country sides’ we would have with our meals. My wife settled on the half-slab of baby back ribs with fried cornbread and two sides for only $9.99, while I went with the hickory smoked bar-b-q pork on fried cornbread, with two sides, for only $6.95, and a soft drink. Our entire meal, with the free extra plate for our daughter, was less than $20 after sales tax. A bargain considering the amount of food and the quality of everything we received.
Bar-B-Cuties offers, appetizers, which they call ‘cutie-tizers’, salads, a vegetable plate, southern traditional dinners, platters, ribs, hand stuffed spuds, sandwich combos, lunch value meals, a children’s menu, desserts, beverages, a takeout menu, and family packs. Their meats range from their excellent ribs, to chicken, turkey, pork, and beef brisket.
The decor is simple yet nicely done. The picnic-style tables with checkered tablecloths add to the ambience. The walls are decorated with pictures of famous Kansans who were part of Kansas’ history, especially in the Wild West days. The tables also have three types of barbecue sauces available to the customer in handy little squirt containers: spicy, mild, and sweet. They all taste great! Instead of napkins, paper towels on a spindle are also on all the tables. The area near the soda machines has plastic ware, straws, and honey to go with the fried cornbread.
Bar-B-Cuties is located on East 27th Avenue in the middle of Hays, right off Highway 183, about two miles south of Interstate 70. Although it is off the beaten path, or the main drag, it is worth the extra few minutes to drive to eat great barbecue.
From journal Once Wild West