Famous barbecue restaurant dropping Oklahoma name

Gov. Brownback and and New Jersey Gov. Christie stopped at Oklahoma Joes last week — Gov. Brownback and and New Jersey Gov. Christie stopped at Oklahoma Joe’s last week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The well-known Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que restaurant is changing its name to reflect that it has no ties to Oklahoma.

The restaurant, which has three locations in the Kansas City area, will be known as Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que by the end of the year.

The restaurant has made several national lists of best barbeque stops. It has attracted celebrity diners and recently served about $1,400 worth of food to Air Force One when President Barack Obama was in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Star reports the business started in Oklahoma but hasn’t had a restaurant in that state for 17 years.

Co-owner Jeff Stehney says the company is proud of its roots but the name change reflects where it has been based for nearly two decades.