Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions Brings Excitement to Kansas City
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend the Grand Opening of the new Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions retail store in Kansas City. Barbecue fanatics from around the country traveled to the event, which included demonstrations from top pitmasters, delicious food samples, raffle prizes, and a lot of fun.
The Grand Opening of the Proud Souls Barbecue and Provisions location in Kansas City took place last weekend. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
Located in the Northland area at 8648 N. Boardwalk Avenue, the store is the third Proud Souls location and the first outside of Colorado. Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions first opened its doors in Denver in the fall of 2017. The second location opened in Littleton at the height of COVID in May of 2020.
“We decided to open our third location in Kansas City, Missouri, primarily because we desired to operate and cultivate new and existing BBQ business relationships in what we consider to be the BBQ capital of the world,” said owner Tony Roberts. Roberts said if they can make it in Kansas City, they can make it anywhere.
The team from Proud Souls is bringing one of the Midwest’s largest selections of high-end barbecue supplies to Kansas City. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
The Proud Souls Kansas City team includes Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ, winner of the 2021 KCBS World Invitational, who has appeared on TV shows such as BBQ Pitmasters and Chopped: Grillmasters. Kim Groneman serves as the General Manager of the store.
Burnt Finger BBQ Pitmaster Megan Day talked all about makin’ bacon. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
The day-long Grand Opening celebration was kicked off by a special “rib”bon-cutting ceremony followed by demos from many well-known pitmasters. Megan Day, pitmaster of Burnt Finger BBQ, shared her secrets for making bacon-wrapped potato wedges topped with Burnt Finger BBQ’s award-winning sauce, melted cheese, sour cream, and other delicious goodies.
Matt Frampton of Urban Slicer Pizza demonstrated how to make delicious pizza and shared his new gluten-free dough. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
Pitmaster Matt Frampton of Urban Slicer Pizza made the trip down from Omaha to talk about the many ways to make a variety of different pizzas both in the oven and on the grill. He also debuted his new gluten-free pizza crust for the public at the event.
Aaron Stoffer from the Man Meat BBQ team showed his favorite way to make wings. Four-time American Royal winner Todd Johns of Plowboys Barbeque gave a master class on pork ribs. His flavorful jerk spareribs were one of my favorite bites of the day.
The smoked chorizo-stuffed alligator was a huge hit at the Proud Souls Grand Opening. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
Perhaps the climax of the entire event was when Mississippi pitmaster Craig Verhage, better known as the BBQ Ninja, served a whole smoked, chorizo-stuffed alligator to a packed house full of hungry onlookers. Verhage even brûléed the gator in the store using a flamethrower, to the amazement of the crowd. The BBQ gator tacos topped with slaw were a huge hit. Verhage said “after cooking probably over 100 gators, I think I’ve about got it figured out!”
Pitmaster Todd Johns had fun with the smoked gator from BBQ Ninja Craig Verhage. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
Smoke On Wheels BBQ’s Andy Groneman brought along the huge and impressive Creekstone Farms trailer loaded with several different Yoder Smokers. He and his daughter Kaylin demonstrated how to prepare and serve flank steak.
In addition to pitmaster demonstrations and delicious food, the drum line and dancers from the KC Fusion Drillteam put on an amazing performance during the celebration. Peers from local BBQ joints, including Stretch from Grinder’s, Scott Umscheid from Scott’s Kitchen, Terra Whipple from Chef J BBQ, and Dan Ulledahl from Chop’s BBQ, all came to show support for the store’s opening.
Terra Whipple from Chef J BBQ, Scott Umscheid from Scott’s Kitchen, and former Chiefs player Mitchell Schwartz came to show their support. (Photo by Phon Wills)
Current and former Super Bowl Champions from the Kansas City Chiefs, George Karlaftis and Mitchell Schwartz, were also in attendance. Schwartz, who is an avid backyard BBQ chef and has become active in the BBQ community since his NFL retirement, has recently teased an upcoming BBQ collaboration that is in the works on social media.
According to Proud Souls co-owner Chris Webb, the new store in Kansas City promises to be a major hub for backyard chefs and home cooks, as well as those interested in competition barbecue. “It’s important that we provide excellent customer service for everyone who is interested in barbecue,” Webb said.
Proud Souls offers classes in addition to an extensive selection of supplies. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
The store will offer barbecue and grilling classes for all levels of experience. They will also carry an extensive selection of barbecue products, many of which can only be found in the area at that location. Proud Souls is an exclusive dealer for Yoder Smokers in the Kansas City area and one of only a handful of stores in the nation that carries aged beef cuts from Creekstone Farms. They also have a selection of high-end Wagyu cuts from different brands, including A8-9S Australian Wagyu brisket.
After celebrating with the crowd of barbecue fans at the event, it’s clear that the opening of Proud Souls will continue to generate a lot of enthusiasm in the Northland area of Kansas City and beyond. “It's an exciting time for the company and our team,” Roberts said. I, for one, cannot wait until I have the opportunity to go back.
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Shee
—Veteran pitmasters served as mentors to new backyard BBQ teams at the recent Backyard Competition BBQ Bootcamp held at KC Grilling Co. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
This past weekend, several veterans of the Kansas City competition scene held a Backyard Competition BBQ Bootcamp at KC Grilling Co. in Olathe, Kansas. New teams came from Alaska, Tennessee, and Iowa, as well as the local area, to learn tips and tricks from the pros on entering the world of competition barbecue. On Sunday, a mock competition was held to give teams the chance to experience the feel of a contest. Instructors Joshua DeWitt and Jeremy Williams as well as mentors, who included Megan Day and Craig Verhage gave each team advice. Certified KCBS judges judged entries and later reviewed each entry with the teams to provide constructive feedback. The idea was the brainchild of Ryan Cain of Damn Fine Beef and Swine. “We wanted to do a class that offered a unique experience and provide something different to continue to grow interest in barbecue. It’s all about the how and why of barbecue,” said Cain. READ MORE.
Famed North Carolina pitmaster Elliot Moss has announced that he has revived his pop-up Little Louie’s but opened it in a restaurant space. The joint serves inspired sandwiches, including a brisket and cheese hoagie, grilled chicken cheesesteak, smoked meatball Parmesan, and smoked eggplant Parmesan. “It’s been 9 months since I’ve had a real job,” Moss wrote on social media. “I’m sooooo fired up to get back at it. I’ve missed the bbq grease, wood splinters, always smelling like smoke, achy back and bones, and running on fumes. I’m fully rested and recharged. I’ve missed cooking for you Asheville.” READ MORE.
With the opening of the new airport in Kansas City recently, the airport also has a great new BBQ joint called Smoke ’n Magic. This joint will operate with a one-year licensing agreement because the team won the Made in KC BBQ Championship in 2022. The team running the restaurant spoke with KSHB Kansas City for a video profile and we are looking forward to trying the joint when we visit the airport next. WATCH HERE.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has shown off his barbecue skills and talked about his passion for smoked meats before, but he recently showed off his skills while making food for more than 450 at a homeless shelter, according to TMZ. Grohl showed up at Hope The Mission in Los Angeles around midnight Wednesday with a smoker. He then spent the next 16 hours "whipping up ribs, pork butt, brisket, cabbage, coleslaw and beans." READ MORE.
ADDITIONAL READS
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly reports that H-E-B’s barbecue chain is slipping, with some disappointing results as locations expand.
Kingsford has opened applications for the third year of Preserve the Pit fellowships for aspiring Black pitmasters.
Our friends at the Barbecue Bros. report that Longleaf Swine is a new top-tier barbecue joint in Raleigh, NC.
Local publication disKCovery has written about the opening of the new Kansas City airport and how it connects to the history of Kansas City barbecue.
A Change.org petition is calling for the new KC airport to be named after BBQ king Henry Perry.
Daniel Vaughn notes that JNL BBQ in Austin “has leveled up with a new indoor location that features a stage for live music and more creative menu items.”
Myron Mixon and friends attended a ceremony last week proclaiming March 25 as Georgia Barbecue Day.
Kansas City Magazine reports that Harp Barbecue has spent time adjusting to restaurant life after being a pop-up operation.
—The Smoke n’ Magic BBQ team recently opened a restaurant in the new KCI airport terminal. (Photo via Smoke N’ Magic BBQ/Facebook)—
WATCH
Calling All Pitmasters — KCTV5
How did a local special education teacher Breana Via and her team Smoke ‘n Magic BBQ beat 35 seasoned champion pitmasters to be crowned as the best in the metro area and get the chance to open the new BBQ joint at the KC airport? Watch this video to hear her story and learn more about the Made for KC BBQ Championship. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
The Smoke Sheet’s Ryan Cooper — BBQ Radio Network
Ryan Cooper, the founder of BBQ Tourist and co-founder of The Smoke Sheet, discusses how he prepares for his BBQ road trips, shares some of his favorite spots, and talks about what he is looking forward to this year. Host Andy Groneman also gives lots of advice for your next brisket cook. LISTEN HERE.
READ
The Grill Sisters’ Guide to Legendary BBQ: 60 Irresistible Recipes that Guarantee Mouthwatering, Finger-Lickin' Results — Desi Longinidis and Irene Sharp
Kick your grilling into high gear with this how-to manual for cooks of all levels. If you want your food to explode with flavor, The Grill Sisters’ easy-to-follow recipes are just what the backyard chef ordered. Having competed alongside world-renowned BBQ experts and as brand ambassadors for Barbeque Galores, these ladies know their way around a grill. They walk you through setting up your grilling equipment, the art of using wood chips and cooking your meat to the perfect temperature, along with all the best ways to prepare food on your grill―searing, basting, smoking, and more. This amazing collection of recipes will have you (and everyone else at your table!) coming back for seconds. PRE-ORDER HERE.
—This hearty Wagyu Beef and Beer Stew recipe is the perfect comfort food for a cold day. (Photo by Eat With Me XYZ)—
Wagyu Beef and Beer Stew
By Eat With Me XYZ
Stop hurting your own feelings with bland beef stew. Try this recipe from our friend Cheree of Eat With Me XYZ instead. This hearty stew that is made with rich Wagyu beef and beer is the perfect comfort food that can be made on the stove or grill.
—Don't miss out on awesome BBQ events this spring.—
March 31-April 1, 2023: Hogs For the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
The Hogs For the Cause barbecue competition and festival is back in 2023 for its 15th anniversary. The event will be held at the UNO Lakefront Arena festival grounds. Proceeds go to fight pediatric brain cancer. MORE INFO HERE.
April 2, 2023: Houston Barbecue Festival — Humble, Texas
The Houston Barbecue Festival will return for its 10th anniversary this April. Tickets are now on sale for the event that includes some of the state’s best pitmasters and barbecue joints such as CorkScrew BBQ in Spring, Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy, Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond, Tejas Chocolate & BBQ in Tomball, and more than a dozen of Houston’s most popular ’cue restaurants. MORE INFO HERE.
April 26, 2023: Brisket King NYC — Queens, New York
The 12th Edition of Brisket King NYC will be held outdoors at the huge Pig Beach BBQ location in Queens, NYC this April. The event will feature brisket dishes from upcoming barbecue pitmasters and chefs. Historically, Brisket King has featured many pitmasters before they were household names, so you’re also getting a look at the future of the barbecue scene. MORE INFO HERE.
May 17-20, 2023: Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
Recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious barbecue contests, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held in Memphis. Teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $145,000 in prize money. The event will be held again at Tom’s River Park after a hiatus. However, based on the reduction in space in the new Tom Lee Park the event organizers expect the contest will be limited to 150 teams. MORE INFO HERE.
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