These brothers SMOAK’d gameday concepts at Kauffman, Arrowhead; now their craft BBQ, burritos are delivering downtown

March 7, 2024  |  Startland News Staff

Cade and Seth Colson, SMOAK Craft Barbecue+; photo by Zach Bauman

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2024 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        He retired after an exit; now this govtech veteran is back in a CFO role for KC-scaled PayIt

        By Tommy Felts | July 23, 2025

        As Kansas City-built PayIt scales across North America, a new financial leader is expected to help guide the company in its game-changing efforts to help government agencies modernize, serve their residents, and improve operating efficiency. Steve Kovzan, a nearly 30-year veteran of leadership across government technology and finance spaces, is now chief financial officer at…

        KC Tech Council celebrates tax fix in Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that boosts growing businesses

        By Tommy Felts | July 23, 2025

        A tax fix included in the recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill” — sprawling legislation meant to overhaul taxes in the United States — marks a major win for Kansas City’s tech and innovation economy, said Kara Lowe. At issue: a long-awaited change to Section 174 research and development expensing that now allows businesses to…

        Thank a community leader; Nominate them to win $50,000

        By Tommy Felts | July 23, 2025

        Editor’s note: The following is a paid message from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, a fourth-generation Kansas Citian, is chief impact and strategy officer for the Kauffman Foundation. In communities around the country, people are doing uncommon things in the most common places — parks, food pantries, classrooms, soccer fields, and church…

        Crossroads distillery asks KC to make a toast in honor of founder lost in weekend motorcycle wreck

        By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

        Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate.  With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with us,…