KC-crowned ‘King and Queen of BBQ’ return to the throne with new Prospect restaurant

Gary Paul and Patricia Moore have long been dubbed the “King and Queen of BBQ” by their loyal followers, they said.

After several relocations for their P Moore & Moore BBQ brand over the past few years, the duo has landed a new kingdom at 5932 Prospect Ave. And they’ve now fully embraced their nicknames by calling the restaurant The King & Queen of Barbecue.

It opened in late October, but only for breakfast and a few other items while they were waiting on a fence to be built around their smoker — per city regulations.

The menu now includes pulled pork, sausage, hamburgers and Impossible burgers, shredded chicken nachos, shrimp, salads, wings, chicken strips, open-face beef or turkey sandwiches, and fried fish. Current customer favorites: ribs, burnt ends, and burnt end nachos.

“It feels real good,” Patricia said. “I love customer service. You meet good people and they are loving the food. We’re here to stay.”

The King & Queen of Barbecue at 5932 Prospect Ave., Kansas City; photo by Joyce Smith

Signature sides include cream cheese corn, Griff-time baked beans (using the recipe of Patricia’s late brother, Ray Griffin, who was called Griff-time), coleslaw and potato salad. Cake, pie and cheesecakes round out the desserts.

The Soul Food Sunday special at The King & Queen of Barbecue; courtesy photo

Specials include ham or turkey on a bun with a side for $7.99 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

During Soul Food Sunday, customers can get chicken or sliced turkey, dressing, sides (candied yams, mac and cheese or mashed potatoes with gravy, greens or green beans, cranberry sauce, and a choice of banana pudding or peach cobbler, and a drink for $18.99). The couple also offers an Impossible meatloaf with two sides for $15.99 on Sundays.

The King & Queen Platter comes with two slabs, a pound of turkey, beef and ham, fries and two sides for $125.99. The King & Queen Seafood Platter has 10 shrimp, four pieces of fish, eight pieces of chicken and two sides for $48.99.

Gary Paul had long barbecued as a hobby. After marrying Patricia in 2007, the couple would make platters of barbecue for family and church get-togethers, earning them the “king and queen” designation.

They opened their first restaurant in Independence in 2015 and later expanded it. In 2017, they added a location in the former Adam’s Mark Hotel & Conference Center. They relocated to Texas in 2019, but soon returned with another Independence location, opening just weeks before COVID. It survived for a time with carryout only and catering. 

The couple took a break for a year before opening in a former IHOP at 3260 Broadway, a building in such need of repair it was soon demolished.

“I was praying about it. I thought I was washed up,” Patricia said. “Then my cousin told me about this building (on Prospect). Then my former pastor came and told me ‘I know where your new building is.’ It was this building. It was confirmation.”

The landlord spent the summer refurbishing the space, formerly King’s Table Soul Food Restaurant.

Patricia furnished the dining room through Facebook Marketplace and other sites — leaning heavily on her favorite bright red hues. 

Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays and includes such items as chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, omelets, sliced ham with eggs and potatoes, and pork chops with potatoes, hash browns or grits.

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Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follower on X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.