The iconic “Hi, may I help you?” was lost on my kids.
They didn’t care that we were in one of Kansas City’s oldest franchises, Gates Bar B.Q., packed with history and wonderful smells. All they really cared about was the mechanical horse just inside the door.
My kids were 5 and 3, and I had decided it was time to give them their first taste of Kansas City barbecue. And actually, their first taste of barbecue ever.
I had low expectations, what with being familiar with their limited palette, which favored pizza and pancakes. But, I like barbecue and thought it was time for them to experience an important Kansas City tradition.
To get them excited, I told them we were going to a barbecue party. They couldn’t wait! I invited some of our favorite barbecue lovers to go with us, including my dad, sister, brother-in-law, and a visiting friend. I think this was a key to success as they added to the party atmosphere (never mind that I would have lost my mind trying to manage everything on my own with two kids!).
Once we moved beyond the excitement of the horse, we all stood in line together, deciding what to order and trying to keep the kids entertained. We got our food and found a big table in the back. Between all of us, we had quite an assortment of options for the kids to sample in addition to the chicken I ordered for them to share.
My son, who is a touch more adventurous when it comes to eating, surprised me by eating some of his chicken and then sampling pork from my plate and brisket from my dad’s meal. It’s probably more accurate to say he did more than sample. The kid chowed down and shocked us all. I had hoped he would eat some chicken, but he really went to town on the other meats, too. My dad joked that my son ate four pounds of meat that night. My daughter, on the other hand, did exactly as I expected. She enjoyed many, many french fries. I can’t really blame her, those were tasty fries. None of the meat options interested her and not even baked beans could entice her away from the fries. Oh well, we tried!
So, all in all, a fun time enjoying a Kansas City tradition. It helped a lot to have extra hands to keep an eye on the kids, ferry them to the bathroom, and chase after more sauce and napkins. It also helped us to have lots of options for the kids to eat as my son enjoyed getting to sample from other plates (the only time he gets to do that!). I wished I had brought my pack of wipes to keep things clean and the kids’ water bottles so I wouldn’t have to worry about spills. But, I’d call it a success.
I’m looking forward to taking my son again and seeing if he will eat more. We’ll leave sister home for a while and make this a special mom and son treat (or party, if you will)!
What’s your favorite KC BBQ joint to take kids?
