Woodyard Bar-B-Que...The Secret is in the Smoke

The first I heard of Woodyard Bar-B-Que, located on Merriam Lane, just off Interstate 35, was from my sister who lives in Dallas because Woodyard was featured on a Food Network show. Since then I've heard the name every so often from a variety of barbecue enthusiasts.

A friend of mine, Sarah Studyvin, was visiting her sister in Fairway, and wanted to get some authentic Kansas City BBQ. Since I had to pick her up across the border anyway, I decided to take her to Woodyard and we were both blown away with the fumes that flow from Woodyard's constantly smokin' pit.

I smelled the sweetly pungent odor the second I opened my car door. On my way into the tight cottage that houses Woodyard's restaurant, I glimpsed enormous stacked piles of wood set far back from the cramped parking lot. Next to the cottage laid bags of several wood varieties. Woodyard is an actual wood yard and has been since about 1914. The restaurant was established in 1950.

Sarah and I walked up by the brick smoker which was a part of the brick patio, through a swinging screen door and into the cramped joint. Woodyard might be a bit crowded on a cold or rainy day as only a few tables sat inside, but outside stood a few picnic tables and numerous sets of patio furniture.

I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and got the two side option, fries and cheesy corn, for a total of $7.25. Yes, an entire meal for $7.25. I also got the beans, a single rib and a soda to put my total just about $13.00. I thought that selling single ribs was genius, because it allowed everyone to at least try a rib in case someone isn’t up to eating the full or even the half slab. I thought the option considered their customers cravings and marketed their product brilliantly. Both baby back and spare ribs were available. I got a spare rib because it has more meat. Sarah ordered the burnt end sandwich with fries, cheesy corn and a soda.

The view from our table

We sat at a picnic table outside, caught up and enjoyed the lovely day, sensing the smoke-filled air. A fan blew next to us, keeping people cool and the smoke blowing from the old smoker into the air and away from the patio. Our food was delivered, to our delight, with reasonable speed.

My sandwich, crafted to seemingly specific, precise proportions and grounded in a long hoagie bun, sat next to the wedge fries and two reasonably sized cups which held the corn and beans. I thought the hoagie bun was a nice touch because it allowed more meat than an average hamburger bun and created structural integrity.

Wood for sale

The shredded pork swelled with sweet smokiness, and small diced onions, which had either been sautéed or smoked with the meat, hid amongst the shreds. I thought that the onions provided a particularly creative and tasty touch separating Woodyard’s pork sandwich from any I have ever eaten.

 I could not find any gristle or fat in the juicy, but not dripping, shreds. The pork held a certain sturdiness, gained from extensive smoking that recoiled before it reached the level of toughness, an attribute I admire when the meat can maintain such a level of juiciness. The pork reached a level of smoke-potency that I have rarely tasted. I think that using the sweet woods, like pecan, as Woodyard does, allows the smoke flavor more prevalence without dominating the sandwich. I didn’t need bread. I didn’t need sauce. I didn’t need fries, cheesy corn or beans. I think I have found my new favorite meat.

The rib meat, cocooned, in a crispy, burnt-with-intention crust dropped from the bone in my fingers. The tender, juicy flesh held, ingrained in every molecule, a well-smoked spectacle. This meat too required no sauce, but I added some any way just to try it out.

The burnt end sandwich grasped the sweet smoke in the same manner. The ends lightly-burnt-crust exterior refrained from overtaking the beef, allowing the insides to remain tender, juicy and flavorful.

Woodyard had two sauces, Original and Spicy. The Original, composed from a strong vinegar base, was accompanied by a soft tang and a slight subtle sweetness that restrained the vinegar, which kept it under control. Although the more strident, more dedicated vinegar taste lingered shortly in my mouth.

The Spicy version was similar, but had a stronger tang, followed by a hot jab, potentially from chili powder or cayenne, to the taste buds, although the sauce kept control, powerful but not overpowering, in your face but not abrasive. I wouldn’t say these were my favorite sauces by any means, as I like a sweeter blend, but they were solid and complimented the meat perfectly. A sweeter sauce might have gotten control of the meal, but here, the smoke-infused meat is the star.

The sides backed the sandwich appropriately. The cheesy corn was composed of crisp fresh corn and a thin cream mixed with thyme and chunks of ham, conceiving a smooth balance of taste. I’m not much of a ham fan but I thought this meat added a special saltiness to the side. And, while most places emphasize their cheese, Woodyard emphasizes their fresh corn and I truly enjoyed their take on this local favorite.

The beans held a substantial beef flavor, which emanated from the chunks of beef that waded in the thick blend which was partly composed of diced onions and paprika. We also tasted a sampling of power, maybe chili powder or cayenne pepper that gave the beans a little something extra.

The crispy wedge fries, cut from real potatoes as shown by the skin on their bottoms, supplemented the pork perfectly. The thick wedges had been dashed with pepper, and tiny red specs of cayenne, providing the potato meat with full flavor.

As we left I talked a bit to Mark O’Bryan, the expert smoker. O’Bryan, a cousin of Woodyard’s owners, explained that Woodyard used a lot of pecan wood, and also white oak with some hickory. O’Bryan explained that even though using hickory chips is considered dogma around Kansas City, that he thought it often left the meat a little bitter.

“Pecan is idiot proof,” O’Bryan explained. “I say idiot proof because I have good results with it,” he chuckled.

Smoke pouring out after
O'Bryan opened the grill

I don’t think the atmosphere at Woodyard can be beat. “That’s what a barbecue place should be, that you can see the meat being cooked,” Studyvin explained. There was something special about sitting outdoors on a picnic table with the brick smoker, only 15 feet or so from our table, connected with the brick patio. They patio, the smoker and us were one, creating an acutely homey feel.

And, as far as sandwiches, meat and sides go, Woodyard has moved up towards the top of my list. It might be a little out of the way unless you’re already on I35, but the trip is worth it. I promise.

O'Bryan encouraged me to get closeups of the meat. The resulting photo shoot is below.