Award-winning pitmaster prepares to open Crown Center barbecue restaurant

An Overland Park barbecue restaurant led by an award-winning pitmaster is nearing the debut of its third location.

Burnt End BBQ will open its Crown Center restaurant in Kansas City on Monday. The 6,200-square-foot space previously was occupied by Milano Italian Dining, which closed last summer.

The restaurant concept is owned by Overland Park-based restaurant group PB&J Restaurants Inc., which opened Burnt End BBQ's first location in 2011. It later added a location in Denver. Crown Center also is the home of Three Little Pigs BBQ, which is located on the same floor near its new competitor.

Burnt End BBQ Executive Pitmaster and General Manager Stephen "Smokey" Schwartz crafted the menu, which features the traditional barbecue offerings, such as burnt ends and pulled pork, as well as some more unique options. Its latest twist, for example, is pineapple teriyaki-glazed ribs. The menu also includes Smokey's Signature Bowls, including the Mac It Your Own Bowl, which elevates macaroni and cheese with herbs, crispy onion straws, barbecue sauce and your choice of smoked barbecue meat. There's also the Vegan Bowl, which features crispy fried tofu tossed in barbecue sauce, grilled seasonal vegetables and wild grain rice.

Schwartz takes his craft seriously.

"People don't understand — it's not just throwing food on a grill or a flattop or in a sauté pan," Schwartz said during a previous interview. "It's a true art."

Schwartz, who's a partner in PB&J, started working in restaurants in high school. In the early 1980s, he got his first taste of barbecue at what's now known as Joe's Kansas City. Since then, he's worked at restaurants such as Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue and the Golden Ox.

His barbecue sauces have earned two first places at the American Royal barbecue championships, and he also won three grand champion titles at Chicago's Food Arts Magazine/Share Our Strength National Championships. In 2018, Food Network featured Schwartz and the restaurant on the TV series, "The Grill Dads."

Original article at KC Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/02/14/burnt-end-bbq-crown-center-location-opens.html