Review Submitted by:

Clark Smith - 01/03/11

Oden's Family BBQ and Steakhouse

1302 N Scott Ave

Belton, MO 64012

(816) 322-3072

Facility / Vibe

Out on the southeast corner of the KC metro sits a little outpost the locals call Oden's Family BBQ and Steakhouse.  Oden's holds court in a free-standing building just off 71 Hwy.  The restaurant has a rural diner feel with plenty of lovely locals working the tables.  Pardon the irony, but I find the smoker-friendly accommodations terribly disappointing - especially since the smoking section is merely "that side of the room" with second-hand choke freely wafting throughout the whole dining hall.  Eight booths and 9 large tables easily accommodate family-sized gatherings.  And if you ever wondered what happened to those fruit-themed, stained glass lampshades Ruby Tuesday had before it got all Pier One on us... Oden's solves the mystery.

Menu

For a family joint, Oden's is ambitious.  There is a full selection of burgers and sandwiches and steakhouse entrées on top of the BBQ options.  Prices seemed reasonable - a KC Strip (size not stated) was $18.99.  Sandwiches run in the $7-9 range.  BBQ meals were right in line with metro area competition.

Personal Experience

We beat the Wednesday night holiday rush by ten minutes. By the time we left at 7pm, 20 people were waiting to be seated. My wife and I ordered big. We shared the Wed special of slab o'St Louis Ribs w/ two sides ($14.99) and an entrée of Burnt Ends (also w/ 2 sides $11.99). The ribs were PERFECT - tender, smoky, lean. PERFECT. The burnt ends were old school, not just cube-cut brisket. Some pieces were a tad tough, but the taste was wonderful. We saved half our bbq for the ravenous chil'ren back at the ranch and treated ourselves to a heaping mug-full of cherry cobbler. Spectacular. Oh, and KC fry cooks pay attention, if you want to learn how to cook perfect fries, get yourself an internship at Oden's. Best in KC!

Service

Wonderful team approach and all the ladies were sweet as peaches.

Value / Comparison

Two big entrées, sodas, cobbler +tax +tip totaled $42 and change.  As stated, we brought home another meal and a half, to boot.  In my book Oden's is as good a BBQ joint as there is in KC.