Hungry? We were famished. This time, I knew right where to go: The Rib Shack at 360 E. State St.
I grew up on Kansas City-style barbecue in Kansas City (if you’re from there, you pronounce it: “Kansas City,” just fyi). I know my barbecue. This is good barbecue. We both got the 1/4-sandwich size — still as big as my head — burnt-ends. I had smashed potatoes and the five-bean baked beans for my sides; Diona had the beans and the cole slaw. I am salivating while I write this, no joke. It’s delicious. I will caution you, however, on using the No. 7 hot sauce. I brazenly sopped some on my white bread and took a b-i-g bite. For the next 30-40 minutes, I was wiping away alligator tears. “Man, that must’ve been hot!” Diona said.

Owner Andrew Petrehn grew up in Kansas City. “When I moved out here, I kept complaining about it (that there wasn’t any barbecue), and I had to do something about it,” he says. At first, Petrehn practiced at home on Saturdays. His friends and neighbors soon figured out that was a good day to stay home. “They egged me on,” he laughs. “I used them as guinea pigs.” Those are some lucky guinea pigs. The place has racked up awards, along with its steady-all-day-long flow of customers. Just serve it on the patio, James