Kansas City’s oldest barbecue joint celebrates 90 years of tradition

Kansas City’s oldest barbecue restaurant celebrated 90 years of tradition with a holiday weekend rib special.
Published: Jul. 6, 2024 at 3:26 PM CDT

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Kansas City’s oldest barbecue restaurant celebrated 90 years of tradition with a holiday weekend rib special.

On Friday, July 5, Rosedale Barbecue, the very first spot to serve barbecue in Kansas City, celebrated its 90th anniversary. It was founded on July 4, 1934. What started as a hot dog and beer stand - The Bucket Shop - turned toward barbecue after owners caught a whiff of smoke at Fatty Sharp’s Smoking Meats, just down the road.

“Grandpa just took it as something that he wanted to learn,” said Misha Brown Smith, a current part-owner. “Part of the smoke thing, if you burn it up once or twice - you’re going to learn to do it either the right way or the wrong way.”

Since it opened as Rosedale Barbecue, owners have never strayed far from tradition. It is the oldest major barbecue restaurant continuously owned and operated by the same family in Kansas City.

The restaurant is set to celebrate the milestone all weekend with slabs of ribs for $19.34 - the year in which it was founded. It can be found at 600 Southwest Blvd. in Kansas City, Kan.