Rob Magee
“People ask if I miss fine dining. I tell them I'm still doing fine dining. The dining room is just louder and the main course weighs 16 pounds.”
Rob Magee's path to becoming one of Kansas City's most respected pitmasters ran through professional restaurant kitchens rather than backyard pits. Trained chef, Magee brought a culinary school sensibility to BBQ when he opened Q39 in Midtown in 2014 — and the result was a restaurant that serious eaters and casual diners both embraced. The brisket at Q39 is widely considered the most technically precise in the city: the bark-to-smoke-ring ratio, fat rendering, and slice consistency reflect someone who thinks about food the way a chef does. Magee has been an influential figure in the 'new wave' of KC BBQ, demonstrating that fine-dining technique and pit tradition are not mutually exclusive.
Philosophy
I came up through fine dining kitchens. The discipline is the same — mise en place, consistency, respect for the ingredient. The ingredient just happens to be a 16-pound brisket.
Technique
Certified Angus Beef brisket, 16+ hour smoke over hickory and cherry wood blend. Rested a minimum of 2 hours before slicing. The bark is developed through a proprietary dry rub applied 24 hours before smoking.
Recognition
- Kansas City Star Best BBQ
- Zagat Top BBQ in KC