Now Open: Adam’s Rib

The theme for last week’s “Restaurant Critic’s” edition of KCUR-FM’s Walt Bodine Show was Italian food. But the caller questions, typically, had little to do with the theme. A woman called in looking for a place that served home-made, hand-breaded onion rings. A few minutes later, a gentleman called in to rave about the onion rings and everything else at Adam’s Rib Original KC Barbecue, which opened a month ago.

I wrote about owner Hope Loehr getting the place together on Fat City in February.

Yesterday, I decided the time had come for me to eat at the restaurant, which usually closes early on Sundays, but the mention on the Walt Bodine Show brought in so much business over the weekend that Loehr was ignoring her own closing times. “If we’re busy,” she told me, “I stay open.”

The joint was packed, but after ordering at the counter, my friend Bob and I found a little table where we could watch the muted TV monitors and eat ‘que: a sampler plate with brisket and babyback ribs for him and a Carolina-styled pulled pork sandwich for me. The ribs were great and so was my pulled pork, topped with a hefty spoonful cole slaw, especially after I doused it with Adam’s Rib signature sauce, a molasses-heavy number with a surprisingly fiery aftertaste. I liked it. In addition to the typical side dishes, like fries, baked beans and onion rings (which aren’t hand-breaded but are really good), Loehr offers a creamy mac-and-cheese — a nice counterpoint to the smoky meats — and cheesy cornbread with honey butter.

Adam’s Rib serves desserts too, including fried apple fritters heavily dusted with cinnamon sugar. They’re big, about the size of a small Macintosh apple. Like the fruit that got Adam and his rib-turned-love interest, Eve, in so much trouble.