These brothers SMOAK’d gameday concepts at Kauffman, Arrowhead; now their craft BBQ, burritos are delivering downtown
March 7, 2024 | Startland News Staff
A popup business that launched stadium-based concepts alongside two of Kansas City’s biggest sports teams will now be serving its popular handcrafted barbecue and burritos from an East Crossroads-based hub for ghost kitchens.
Cade and Seth Colson, SMOAK Craft Barbecue+, at Kauffman Stadium; photo by Alyssa Broadus
SMOAK Burritos and SMOAK To-Go — the latest ventures from brothers Cade and Seth Colson’s SMOAK Craft Barbecue+ — open today at 1600 Campbell St. at the Crossroads Food Stop.
The duo is looking forward to giving Kansas Citians another vehicle to enjoy their barbecue any day of the week, not just at pop-ups or on game day.
“I smoked my first brisket in 2017 and was hooked at the level of quality that I could produce with not a lot of experience,” said Cade Colson. “Of course the first brisket was totally beginner’s luck, because the next half dozen were not good at all. What keeps me in barbecue and what I love most about Kansas City is the absolutely incredible passion for barbecue the city exudes. The city is truly peerless when it comes to the love of barbecue and support for those who excel at making it.”
The menu at SMOAK Burritos will feature handcrafted SMOAK’D meats with fresh fillings served on Caramelo Tortillas or in bowls. The menu at SMOAK To-Go will include BBQ plates, sandwiches, burritos, and bowls with signature BBQ meats and homemade sides.
Click here to explore offerings at SMOAK Burritos and here to see what’s smoking at SMOAK To-Go.
Both menus will be available for pickup or delivery on the major delivery platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub) with a delivery radius of 5-plus miles from the ghost kitchen location.
Seth and Cade Colson, SMOAK Craft Barbecue+; photo by Zach Bauman
The Colson brothers debuted SMOAK Craft Barbecue+ in 2020 as a pop-up outside of Carmen’s Cocina II in Olath. Since then, they’ve built a loyal following at pop-ups hosted by multiple local craft breweries and wineries, as well as a regular pop-up schedule at Maps Coffee and Chocolate in Lenexa.
SMOAK To-Go by SMOAK Craft Barbecue+; photo by Zach Bauman
In the spring 2023, SMOAK was offered an opportunity to partner with Aramark Sports + Entertainment to serve their barbecue out of the KCQ concept at Kauffman Stadium, followed by an opportunity for a SMOAK branded stand at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2023-2024 season. The Colson brothers also had the opportunity to serve at the NFL Draft Fan Experience in April 2023.
Click here to follow SMOAK on Instagram.
Many of SMOAK’s menu items highlight ingredients that pay homage to the Colson Brothers’ home state of New Mexico and Cade’s decade long residence in Dallas, including their signature hatch green chile sauce.
“I am fortunate enough to have tried a lot of different cuisines from all around the world, and I really enjoy bringing flavor combinations together in ways that not many people have tried,” said Cade Colson. “I also believe that being from New Mexico helps me bring in spice to our food that really compliments the flavors of the barbecue, rather than having heat for the sake of heat.”
SMOAK Burritos is open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday. SMOAK To-Go will be open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday.
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Effort hopes to rebuild eastern KC neighborhood by reviving jazz roots
Since the 1920s, jazz has built a reputation for Kansas City. About 90 years later, a local organization is hoping the power of jazz can rebuild Kansas City. Led by co-founders and spouses Daniel and Ebony Edwards, KC Jazz LP is working to establish Kansas City as the jazz recording capital of the world while…
After St. Joseph tech firm acquisition, Online Tech expands to KC
Ann Arbor-based Online Tech has acquired a St. Joseph, Mo. cloud firm, paving the way for its expansion into Kansas City. The cloud security company announced Thursday that it purchased St. Joseph-based Echo Cloud, which provides colocation and cloud hosting services. Echo Cloud CEO Bill Severn said he’s pleased to be joining the Online Tech…
Before and after: Tour progress at KC’s massive coworking campus, Westport Commons
Launched in 2015, Plexpod Westport Commons recently opened its doors after completing phase one of the project to revamp a middle school to become a coworking campus. Opened in April, the 160,000 square-foot, formerly vacant Westport Middle School has new life as a huge coworking space that will house more than 500 people and dozens…
Voting open: Hyperloop One gauges interest in semifinalist routes
If MLB All-Star voting is any indication, Kansas Citians are quite adept at voicing their opinions online. Well, that skill should come into play as part of an online poll that could help Kansas City land a Hyperloop One route. The futuristic transportation system would haul people at speeds of about 760 miles per hour,…