Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue Is Now Joe's Kansas City… — Food Paradise Update

Food Paradise, Season 11, Episode 12

In the 'Destination Dining' episode (S11E12), the show visited Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Kansas, spotlighting the restaurant's smoked barbecue. According to the restaurant's own website, Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que is billed as 'world famous barbecue' and, per the same site, was 'made famous in a gas station.' The Kansas City, Kansas address remains the original flagship location of the barbecue restaurant.

Food Paradise, Season 4, Episode 7 Aired 2012

On Food Paradise: Manliest Restaurants 2 (2012), Oklahoma Joe's Barbeque & Catering was featured for its barbecue served out of a working Kansas City gas station, including its signature Z-Man sandwich of sliced brisket, provolone, and onion rings on a kaiser roll. The restaurant had already drawn national attention, including a spot on Anthony Bourdain's list of places to eat before you die. According to Wikipedia, owners Jeff and Joy Stehney announced in August 2014 that the three Kansas City-area locations would be renamed Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que effective November 17, 2014, after original co-founder Joe Davidson reopened separate Oklahoma Joe's locations elsewhere and the Stehneys did not hold rights to that name outside Kansas City. A Google Places listing checked 2026-09-08 shows the original gas-station location, at 3002 W 47th Ave in Kansas City, Kansas, as operational under the new name.

Food Paradise, Season 9, Episode 9

"BBQ Bliss" (S9E9) featured Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas. According to the restaurant's own website (joeskc.com), the business describes itself as "Kansas City Bar-B-Que Made Famous in a Gas Station" and "World Famous Barbecue," referencing its original location inside a gas station. The site continues to promote its barbecue menu and online ordering under the SendJoesKCBBQ branding shown on its homepage.

Man v. Food, Season 3, Episode 10 Aired August 11, 2010

The episode featured Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas, that Jeff and Joy Stehney opened together with original partner Joe Davidson in 1996, alongside a companion location in Stillwater, Oklahoma, according to Wikipedia. The Stehneys later bought out Davidson's stake in the Kansas City restaurant, and when Davidson reopened his own Oklahoma Joe's locations in Broken Arrow and Tulsa, Oklahoma starting in 2011, the two operations' shared name created a brand conflict, per Wikipedia. Wikipedia reports that the Stehneys began phasing "Oklahoma" out of their branding in 2011 and, on 2014-11-17, officially renamed their three Kansas City-area restaurants to Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que. Checked on 2026-09-08, the restaurant's website, joeskc.com, still described the business as "KANSAS CITY BAR-B-QUE MADE FAMOUS IN A GAS STATION," and Google Places recorded the same 47th Avenue address as operational, indicating the restaurant has continued operating under its post-2014 name.