I Like to Eat - Guy and Mae's Tavern

Today, Terri and I enjoyed good food and good company, traveling to Guy and Mae's Tavern for some of the best ribs in the KC area.  We have been there before.  We first went to Williamsburg, Kansas to eat at Guy and Mae's - (there is no other reason to visit the ghost town) - maybe 20 years ago?  From Overland Park it is a 45 minute trip.  From Basehor it is north of an hour.  It has been around 8-10 years since our last visit when we dined with Tom Watson - true story.  We were sitting at a table in Guy and Mae's one Saturday afternoon and a couple of hunters walked in.  As they approached, I thought that I recognized one of the individuals.  As he neared, I became certain it was Tom.  I can call him Tom because I once ate lunch with him (well I ate lunch within 20 feet of him).

From the outside the tavern appears to be a deteriorating building along a row of dilapidated structures in a town that hasn't seen much action in years.  The first visit, I hesitated before entering.  I expected there to be a gang of bikers or hillbilly rednecks gulping their long necks and waiting for the next city slicker to walk in so they could go all Deliverance on them.  Instead, I opened the door and was greeted with a couple of pinball machines and a pool table where two 11 year olds worked on their skills.  It's a tavern in a country town.  No reason to be concerned.  It's probably safer than at a mall in the golden ghetto of Johnson county.

 

The tavern is long and narrow with a seedy bar running half of the length.  A recent addition to the dining area are the hundreds of messages written on dollar bills and hung or taped to nearly every surface.  A nice touch that actually added class to an otherwise gloomy dining room.

Once seated, don't expect a waitress to stop by with a menu.  The menu is conveniently thumb-tacked to the wall at each table.  If you have a taste for French fries, pulled pork or burnt ends, too bad.  The place was built on ribs, so get the ribs.  They do offer a ham, beef, turkey and/or polish sausage sandwich, but trust me, get the ribs.  For sides, choose from a rich selection of slaw, tater salad or beans, each a buck and each served in their very own Styrofoam cup.  Want a coke?  They got those too, served in an authentic Coke can.  Draft beer is served one mason jar at a time.  Whatever combination of sides and drinks you decide on, get the ribs.  They are why you travelled to the back of beyond.

The ribs and sides come quickly.  They are wrapped in heavy foil and served on newspaper.  In the 20 years of so that I have gone to Guy and Mae's, the ribs are consistently flavorful and tender.  The meat falls off the bone - bad in a BBQ competition, but great for regular people dining.  The smoky flavor is not overwhelming, but a distinct hickory flavor is evident.  I have had better tasting ribs, but not many or often.  The sauce is typical Midwestern tomato-based, but much thinner than most others in the area.  It is served in a sealed mason jar with holes cut into the top.  The idea is to flood the ribs and surrounding foil with sauce and push the meat around in it before consuming.  I am not a great fan of the sauce, but I suspect the sauce was not intended to be the star of the meal.  The ribs are.  And the ribs definitely are.

With the rich selection of BBQ joints in the Midwest, Guy and Mae's is often forgotten.  Not because the ribs are easy to forget, but the drive is.  A full slab cost $19 and at least 2 hours of your life.  That is still a pretty good deal.

For a little history on the place, take a look at this recent KC Star article.