BBQ in Review: A review of the new barbecue restaurant, Meat Mitch opened by East dad Mitch Benjamin

When looking for an authentic plate of Kansas City barbecue, my mind instantly goes to Z Mans from Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q or burnt ends with buckets of cheesy corn from Jack Stack. However, there’s a BBQ restaurant beyond that, and I knew the next best place would be Meat Mitch — a new restaurant created by East dad Mitch Benjamin and located at 3620 W 95th St.

Walking into Meat Mitch, grill tops of all colors made into light fixtures hung above me at the entrance, giving off a modern but casual vibe in just the first two minutes of my experience. The woody, southern look captured the classic KC barbecue feel.

I contemplated over the plethora of appetizers, barbecue options, burgers and dessert. I had saved plenty of room in my stomach — or so I thought — and ordered fried pickles, Cheesy Hog Fries, the Naked & Afraid sandwich, the Texas Ranger sandwich, a side of mac and cheese and a chocolate whoopie pie to top it off — all for a whopping total of $70. 

The appetizers were first up in my taste-line: which consisted of fried pickles and Cheesy Hog Fries. The fried pickles were paired with a side of creamy ranch that hit the spot. Despite the struggle to take a bite of the thick, juicy pickles, it was worth the savory and salty taste of the fried bread crumbs sprinkled on top.

Next up on the plate were the Cheesy Hog Fries, consisting of sticky curly fries, crispy pulled pork, cheesy “fun-do” and Tillamook sauce. Benjamin said they even drizzle them with a little bit of honey as a not-so-secret recipe and it does the trick, adding a hint of sweetness. The mix of seasoning, cheesy goodness and Tillamook sauce completely sold me, reminding me of a mix of nachos and fries with a splash of Kansas City. However, both addicting and not-so-small appetizers posed a struggle for me to get my main course of the night down.

I quickly learned my eyes were bigger than my stomach, even with the help of a few friends to take a bite or two. My main meal, the Naked & Afraid sandwich, was too much to stomach and had to come home with me.

The burnt ends, smoked rope sausage, pepper jack, charred mayo, matchstix potato, pickled jalapeño and side of Whomp! Sauce — one of many of Benjamin’s signature BBQ sauces — all on a bun made it hard to resist. The sandwich’s massive size was a challenge as I tried to take my first bite, yet the amazing burnt ends combined with the rest of the sandwich definitely made me feel better than Naked & Afraid. While I only ate half to make sure I had room for the rest of my meal, the half didn’t disappoint and the other was safely buckled into my front seat.

Next up was the Texas Ranger, recommended to me by employee and junior Aidan Winne as his top pick on the menu, and he was right. The Texas Ranger is made up of shaved brisket, pepper jack, onion rings, charred mayo and a side of Whomp! Sauce to top off the second sandwich to scarf down. 

Again, the sandwich was almost double the size of my fist but the crispy onion rings in between the buns paired with the sauce-covered brisket were worth the struggle of fitting the huge sandwich in my mouth. The tangy taste of Whomp! Sauce on top of the brisket aided me in jumping out of my barbecue comfort zone with no regrets.

I was impressed with both the Naked & Afraid and the Texas Ranger sandwiches, regardless of my pants feeling too tight. It’s almost impossible to pick between the two sandwiches, and even more impossible not wanting to go back for more.

I also ordered mac and cheese, thinking I would be able to eat this alongside my sandwiches — my bulging stomach was sadly mistaken. While the warm and comforting mac and cheese wasn’t necessarily much different than anything I’ve had before, the bread crumbs on the top added some extra flavor and a crunchy texture that was much needed.

Lastly, was a chocolate whoopie pie. The thought of biting into another piece of food was honestly nauseating, but I found a small motivation to try my very first whoopie pie. Personally I’m not a big cake and icing fan, but the fluffy icing between the two patties of chocolate cake melted in my mouth. However, It would’ve been even more enjoyable if not following the biggest meal I’ve ever had.

Within the restaurant, there’s tons of options to sit — high tables, booths, the bar — surrounded with a Southern, cookout vibe, TVs to watch any and every sporting event and cowboy and bull posters to fill the walls. At each table there are sauces galore, all handcrafted by Benjamin for any item on the menu.

All in all, our table service was great and we were able to see Mitch Benjamin himself for a warm welcome into the new restaurant. If you’re looking for a new place with a different setup, variety of food and award winning KC BBQ, Meat Mitch is the place to go.