Dixson Bar-B-Q a neighborhood meeting place with specialty dishes

Photo by J. Miles Cary

Owners are Toby Dixson, right, and William Dixson, left. Cousin Wayne McCallie, center, helps to prepare the side dishes and sauce.

Photo by J. Miles Cary

Owners are Toby Dixson, right, and William Dixson, left. Cousin Wayne McCallie, center, helps to prepare the side dishes and sauce.

Dixson Bar-B-Q is a family business that has been in operation since 1989. It’s owned by father and son team Bill and Toby Dixson, respectively. Cousins Wayne McCallie and Marvin Dixson help with the business. Toby answers the following questions.

Why did you open a barbecue restaurant?

My father and I have always barbecued, and one day he asked me if I would be interested in opening up a barbecue place. I said yeah, let’s try it and see how it goes. We opened up and have been here ever since.

What varieties of wood do you use for smoking?

We only use hickory. It’s got the best flavor. I know other people that use different woods but it’s hard to beat that hickory taste.

What sets your barbecue apart from the rest?

The Dixson marinade is a big key to our barbecue. Our sauce is really good, too. Some people come and buy the sauce and think they can go home and cook their own meat, use our sauce and they will have Dixson’s barbecue, but that’s not the case. Without the marinade it’s not the same. Plus, we only use wood for smoking, not for heat.

Have you ever competed in a Kansas City barbecue sanctioned event?

No. Me and my dad have talked about it but never got around to it. I work another job, and when we first opened up he was working, too. He’s retired now.

What makes your restaurant unique?

It’s just a small place in a really good location. We’ve been here a long time and know our customers. Sometimes people just come in to talk. We’re a neighborhood meeting place that sells good barbecue.

Finish this question. A good barbecue rib always…?

A good barbecue rib will always leave a taste in your mouth that will bring you back for seconds. You know it’s really good if, in a few days, that taste comes back to you and you say “Man, I gotta have some more of that.”

List three of the best selling items on your menu.

We sell a lot of pig burgers, ribs and baked beans. People get hooked on our baked beans because they have meat, onion, peppers and other stuff in them.

What is your price point?

Our prices range from $3 to $29, but the $29 is for a whole side of ribs. We’ve had to raise our prices because everything else has gone up. Momma worries that some of the church people won’t be able to afford us anymore, but I think we’re still cheaper than anybody else.

Why should someone visit your establishment?

We serve specialty foods that you can’t get anywhere else, and it’s good.

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