Charles Kendrick stands in what will soon be the new Mr. K’s Barbeque and shoves his hands in his pockets. This new eatery is a world away from the tiny restaurant he opened years ago on South Park Avenue, and this talk of a restaurant honoring him and his achievements seems to needle his modesty a bit.
“First I questioned their judgment; now I’m questioning their sanity,” says Kendrick, now in his 80s. “This is my last hurrah. I missed my 15 minutes of fame, but this is my last hurrah.”
The new Mr. K’s is located in the former Chili’s on the corner of Stone Avenue and River Road. Kendrick and his daughter, Rhonda Kendrick, are opening the restaurant with local restaurant designer John Foster and Steve Sargent, the executive chef at Mays Counter, in which Foster is also a partner.
“For me, it’s more about him than the food,” says Foster, who has known the Kendricks all his life. “He had quite the impact on me the first time I met him, and it just so happens that he makes some gangster barbecue, too.”
Kendrick was one of the first black students to graduate from the UA’s School of Pharmacy, and will be honored at this year’s UA homecoming for his accomplishments. He worked as pharmacist for 40 years at Kino Community Hospital, opened an African-American museum and then opened a barbecue joint to keep the doors open.
He’s also been a vocal advocate for equal rights and access to education, and sort of an unelected official on the southside for many decades.
And his barbecue, well, let’s let him talk about that.
“I went to Kansas City three times; I went to Texas three times. I tried barbecue all over the place, and the only thing I ever did was add a little more spice to my beans,” says Kendrick, who swears by his tomato-based barbecue sauce. “This is Tucson barbecue. We live here; we’re not just passing through.”
What Kendrick and his crew are trying to do is make Tucson a barbecue destination, with them as the nexus. They say there’s other good barbecue out there, but they’re going to try to raise the bar just a bit.
Sargent — who has worked at a number of restaurants, including stints for Metro Restaurants and the now-defunct Terra Cotta — says the meat will come straight from the smoker, and that nothing will be reheated. He’s putting a bit of an upscale flair on some of the side dishes, too, although every recipe must get the go-ahead from Mr. K himself.
The restaurant will also pay homage to Kendrick’s accomplishments, with pictures from his life lining the walls. Kendrick himself will also hold court at the restaurant, as he’s always done at his south side joint.
On the menu: Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey breast, hotlinks and rope sausages. Side dishes: Candied yams, okra, macaroni-and-cheese, kettle chips, collard greens and many more. There will also be a nice selection of Southern desserts and a full bar. Prices are in the $5 to $12 range.
There will also be live entertainment, and Foster says he’s bringing in a piano from the 1800s for live gospel concerts.
The original Mr. K’s on South Park Avenue will stay open, and they’re talking about doing some improvements to the property.
The new restaurant is expected to open in August.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 6, 2011.
There is NO barbeque in Tucson that can stand up to Mr. K’s. Honestly, I believe that many Tucsonan’s are going to welcome the great taste of Mr. K’s “down home” barbeque.
I especially like the ribs. I’m on the band wagon….ride along!
Woohoo! So excited Mr. K’s will be closer to us I can’t wait this is definitely the best BBQ in town! Congrats Mr. K!
THIS is not Mr. K’s. Not once is the actual chef and proprietor to the original Mr. K’s off south Park Avenue even mentioned! It’s all about their dad, the sister and this executive chef who are putting more into an already good thing and conglomorizing on the name. If this place falls on its backside and fails, I won’t be surprised. If it SUCCEEDS? I’ll be disappointed in seeing THE REAL Mr. K’s being subjugated to this fraud of a yet established establishment. For all of you thinking you’ll get a taste of Mr. K’s close to home, allow me to be the first to warn you that you will be vastly disappointed. If I’m wrong? Then let it be… but after speaking directly to the original Mr. K’s proprietor– this place is a fraud and a sham trying to feed off the success of the actual Mr. K’s name and integrity.
Furthermore, about this particular article as to WHY the son isn’t mentioned– all that’s said is the vague hindrance of what can be called a location of the original Mr. K’s. If there’s ever a biased piece of crap I’d ever read it has to be this when they don’t even state where it specifically. It’s like they’re attempting to have the main stream collection of news about this new Mr. K’s opening up overshadow the humble sentiments of the actual Mr. K’s. Well it does not deserve this! Ironically, Mr. K’s is loved by many who frequent to it but remains unknown to a vast majority of the Tucson populous, this could be in part to the establishment’s inconveniently vague location. Personally, I’d passed by the place FOR YEARS not realizing it was an actual BBQ place (when you finally find the place, you’ll know what I mean) as this place holds a kind of ‘hidden gem’ quality to it in a very unique way. The place is by no means upscale, VERY casual and some might even say rundown… but if you’re gonna let that deter you from the REAL experience of the place (THE FOOD) then you are completely missing the point. THAT point being that the success of Mr. K’s, which has now been somehow overstated has conveniently been abided to the rest of his family looking to leave him out of it it seems. I might not know both sides of the story but reading this article is infuriating to see Kendrick’s son, the current owner to the recent Mr. K’s, being left out… it’s like he’s being treated as the odd one out on this. For whatever reason, I’ve no clue, but it’s indecent and shameful.
Mr. K’s Barbecue
1830 S Park Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85713
You got the address, you’ve got my insight, go there, get learned on some seriously good BBQ and rejoice in the experience. Because I’m in my highest belief that this will, and forever be, THE BEST and only BBQ joint to sink your meat loving teeth and obsessions to.
What this new place is looking to do? It looks to be the complete opposite… in a VERY tragic way. It’s almost sickening to see all the ‘new’ development they’re looking to make this new Mr. K’s, as though to truly set it apart from the original.
Do any other ‘chains’ or collections of restaurants do this? Let’s take a look at other Tucson establishments, albeit most of them are mexican restaurants and eateries as these are the most prominent ones around but does one El Taco Tote differ greatly from another? Is one Nico’s Mexican any different by far from the other? Or what about El Guadalajara? Perhaps small nuances BUT NOT COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENTS. Don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes on this one. Don’t. I believe most of you to be smarter than this and if you love Mr. K’s as much as you do; you’d best be known on what’s yet to come. As for those of you who don’t know Mr. K’s? You’ve got the address, I’ve put it out… do yourself that favor and KNOW now before it’s too late.
Support your locally owned businesses but I strongly enthuse anyone against this one because it is falling under false pretenses on all corners from the box they’re trying to think out of.
Never have I been more upset about anything of this caliber in Tucson until now.
Hey Aardcore, how do you know so much about Mr. K’s? Are you involved in some way?
@ Adam
Not so much involved as I am an honored frequent customer and proper enthusiast, if not fanatic, of Mr. K’s. I talk to him when I can while I’m waiting for my food and when he told me about his sister starting up the new Mr. K’s up near the Tucson Mall area, as stated, Stone and River, I was pretty shocked… even more so when I’d found out in this article that their dad was involved helping her. I mean he helped his son out first too but the fact that it seems like he’s ignoring his son completely, maybe to get another kick out of opening another Mr. K’s… … it just hit a wrong chord with me. He started the business, sold it to his son and pretty much walked away from it from what I gathered. Then came the success of his son’s management of the place, hence the development of the currently ‘new’ one now.
The fact that Mr. K’s exists but is nearly non-existent to a majority of Tucson as far as amazing BBQ goes, is an understatement. And for this new Mr. K’s, which isn’t Mr. K’s, to come and steal the thunder from Mr. K’s (hahahaha, oh man the redundancy is insane) is a little surreal, upsetting and all together strange.
I’ll probably be heading out there tomorrow to get my weekend started right; get them hot links, brisket and ribs goin’ (MMMM-MM!) and I’ll divulge more information from him when I can as I doubt I’ll be able to get anything else from his sister if she was even available to speak to. So sadly, my only reliable source is from the actual Mr. K’s owner’s mouth himself.
As for me being involved personally, I’d say indirectly to be more precise. I just love this place that much and tend to build a strong rapport with what I know and love. Plus the folks there are some good people of an even greater community out here in Tucson. Just seeing this sidewalling attempt jars me in a way I am very uncomfortable with. Nothing hits home harder than food to bring people together and when this just so happened… it felt more like a family betrayal than anything else. I can only imagine what the inner workings of the Mr. K’s family are like upon all this. I dread the thought really…
You all have this wrong. Mr. K’s is named after Charles Kendrick, not Ray Kendrick whom for some reason gets all the credit for a store his father started. Ray was to be let in on the deal but did not want in! Charles Kendrick (the namesake for Mr. K’s) was to even let him keep the store. But after 13 years of mismanagement and being taken advantage of they have decided to sever ties with him.
And Aardcore, Ray does not own the building, the name, the sauce, the equipment or probably even his big white truck to be honest. So before you go spreading worthless information that is only coming from one mouth. Figure both sides of the story out and come up with an informed decision! Until then its just hatred and BS!
I admire your passion for barbecue, and who would fault you for loving a Tucson gem like the Mr. K’s on South Park Avenue? That said, I want to make sure readers get the facts, and the story above has the facts about the new restaurant. Nobody at the new Mr. K’s is saying that the food is going to be exactly the same – I note that Mr. Sargent will be changing some of the sides – and noone is disputing that the original Mr. K’s is awesome.
And, yes, there is a dust-up between the members of the family, but wouldn’t it be sort of sketchy to lay bare the inner workings of a family as they deal with internal issues? I say we let the barbecue do the talking, give a little love to 80-year-old Mr. K and his legacy and leave it at that.
Aardcore, Sir (which I think you are). The newest location of Mr. K’s will let those of Tucson who have not yet experienced the great taste of barbeque, in on the secret of the first location at 1830 S. Park Avenue (just before Silverlake). Your fancy talk is not going to do anything to change what is going to be another great addition to Tucson’s fine restaurants. I do not agree with you nor do I wish any stories be started without Mr. K doing the talking. I only wish them the best. And, THEY will be very successful!!
But see that’s what I’m trying to get at! I’m not intentionally slandering this new Mr. K’s establishment for my own benefit of denouncement. In fact the intention was never there, but there is indeed passion about this. A strong pitted sense of the case but by all accounts for which I can be wrong and I don’t mind or care if I am. A good debacle is good so long the truth presents itself, causes some stir in the community and causes a vacuum effect of people paying attention to what’s going on and not just what’s happening. Mr. K’s is having a new place established on the north side and that’s great, I don’t agree with it, but that goes with a bit of some quandaries of the case in how it will be regarding the former Mr. K’s.
As for Ray probably not having the rights by any means of the sauce, the equipment, as well as whatever else TucsonanBeast mentioned, that goes a little farther than that doesn’t it? Maybe Ray hadn’t considered it because, for his dad, he maintained a tradition of food he wanted to share to the world through Tucson by the Kendricks. So as far as I know, if he didn’t really OWN anything, then what did he invest his money in? Why, after all this time, has he been making memorable barbecue for everyone and anyone in Tucson that has come across Mr. K’s and claimed it as their own personal joy and comfort in food? Why after all this time and then suddenly all of this had to happen? Was Ray stupid? Is it that so easy to claim him by? Ray mentioned this to me himself on the matter, that because he never corporated on the name sake or set up any kind of copyright for it and rather let Mr. K’s sit as as Tucsonan “hole in the wall”, it put him in an opening of and opportunity lost, which was opportunistically taken up by his sister, his father, this executive chef and Sargent. Ray probably never saw this coming and when it did, it was too late. Did he luck out? Did he make a mistake NOT claiming the rights of Mr. K’s all to himself? By all of this, it sounds like he’s being punished for doing a good deed and then having it all taken away because he never OWNED UP TO IT. Rather, he livened up to the responsibility…
So when Ray disagreed, they went a step further and swept the rug up from underneath him when he least expected it, or probably did but couldn’t do anything about it! At least that’s how it sounds to me and how he explained to me. Is he wrong? I dunno… why doesn’t someone of significant journalistic posture go to Ray for the other side of this story? As far as I can see, Ray was doing everything he could to give everyone in Tucson a bit of amazingly done BBQ not done by a chain of restaurant franchises and just a cut above the rest of locally owned BBQ places which rarely exist in Tucson alone. Then this comes along… it could be a possibility of creating a new sensation, possibly overturning the old Mr. K’s, and I’m not afraid to reject or deny that fact but the dilemma still exists as to how this will all turn itself out.
And I seriously hope I’m wrong on this. I do. However in the tide of things, one can’t help but feel defensive over an establishment that has made myself and so many others happy yet have not voiced their opinions based on this possible change, if there really is. I’m uneasy with the outcome soon to be made and sometimes going with that gut instinct provides alot better than really knowing in order to prevent a disastrous outcome; it’s either that or paranoia but I’m more convinced to the former.
If it’s anything stolen, then no, I never said anything about anything being stolen except in a metaphorical translation of the case. If you want verbatim then I said “to come and steal the thunder from Mr. K’s” as this place is probably building its foundation on, getting it legally tied up and then ran from there. Because I solely believe what Ray has been doing is a kindred part of the community in a service no other place could probably offer equally or better of– but again I could be wrong and I wouldn’t mind being proven such. But I’ve a feeling I’m not.
I never intended to show any signs of slander, or disrespect, for any I have shown I apologize, but I cannot simply sit idly and watch something I’ve come to appreciate be overshadowed, overcome and possibly whisked away so easily through a blend of missed, excluded or undiscovered information. There’s writing on the wall and someone’s gotta read it…
Aardcore that was a much better response and I as many Tucsonans who have been visiting the store on Park Ave can tell you “The food is fantastic!!!” We (whom have been fortunate enough to find it) love the place and hope the food does not change too much. Ray has done a fantastic job and does deserve some credit for that. My apologies to him for my above comment. Really I was trying to find out if you were affiliated with the restaurant. Which it seems from your lack of response to that topic that you are not.
I too am sad to see the Park Ave store change or go away or whatever they decide to do with it. It has been a staple of that neighborhood for many years. But at the same time for Charles Kendrick to have the opportunity to move up and on is fantastic!! I hope you would agree! As it really is any business owners ambition to make money and grow as a company and that is what Mr. K’s deserves! It will not change from using Mesquite to fire its smokers! It will remain a Tucson local home grown business and in this town we need more! More non-Mexican fare! I love Tucson’s diverse culture and am overjoyed when I see a local man who has worked so hard for so many years finally making moves!
This is about Mr. K’s legacy!! This is about something for his family! Ray is family and I can only hope that the bonds between a father and a son are not so far gone over a business to end those family ties! Because when it all ends the ones who will be there when we pass are our family and friends! And nothing is more tragic than when those minute differences change a relationship for life.
My hopes for all involved is for just what they are looking! I hope Ray opens his own place “Baby Rays”! And is tremendously successful, He has a great smile and a wonderful way with people. I hope Charles, Rhonda and the other partners in the new venture are successful as well! I fully support the efforts of all involved here!
Much success Mr. K!!! And Ray I hope to see you pulling ribs out of a smoker very soon! I know you have it in you to be great at whatever it is you decide to do! Just love your father, and your sister as I know deep down you all do for each other. That’s my wishes
Because no amount of success is worth alienation and silence 🙂
And you guys are right. I just have a follow up with a soury case of stubbornness and defensiveness especially in the case of when I’d found out about the demise of the Park location Mr. K’s and its questionable fate. Like this could have gone a whole other direction if I’d gotten to meet Charles, because the way Ray made it sound, he’d left the place alone completely and left it all to him to manage as I’d NEVER met his father before. So when the announcement to me was made one day when I showed up for my ritualistic serving of BBQ, I was utterly shocked. So much that it seriously felt like a case of betrayal, as from what Ray served, I could seriously tell what he put in there is some serious TLC and that he was willingly sharing that with everyone he served; which made it feel like family, and with that it went the whole way, all the way. I don’t know what the future presents itself by with his family and I doubt it’s my business to know unless he’s willing to share if I ask, and if I ever get the chance to meet the others in his family, but I really do hope everything works out as it should.
I also hope I’m proven wrong and that one day when I go check out the new Mr. K’s scene for myself that it’s exactly how I know Mr. K’s and not some hash up I criminally suspect it to be. I’m serious when I say I want to be proven wrong because it’s much easier and fulfilling to accept that, than to have it work the other way around and that it falls off the seams on all ends. Proven wrong, I can deal with, disappointment, a WHOLE other story.
So good graces to that effect to Ray, Charles, even the suddenly announced sister, Rhonda, who I’d only recently heard about when all of this came up and has been lingering in the back of my mind. It just took this article to rear it back up again when I’d read it. With so much ambition being put into this place I seriously hope it’s everything and a surprising bit more than I’ll expect. But still being stubborn, I’ll still hold a special place for the obscure, little lot I originally know Mr. K’s best 🙁
As TucsonanBeast sits there and accuses Aardcore as being a part of, well we will call it the real and original Mr K’S. It’s seems to me TucsonanBeast has a big stake in the other BBQ joint that is trying to open. As for telling Ray (who I know very well) that its all about the family and not the money and that he should love his father and sister. I think it’s the other way around. As Raymond has made what mr k’s is today. You say he should love them. Maybe they should love him and take te knife out of his back they put in there. I wonder TucsonanBeast how his sister wakes up everyday and looks at herself and feel good about the stabbing she has done. If anyone has ruined that family. It is her. Karma is a bitch.
No steak in the restaurant at all on this end. Not sure about the others on this page. And not knowing the in’s and out’s of it all I cant say 100% what all the family beef is (no pun intended) But Theone you are right to an extent. But again this is not about Ray or his sister. This is about Mr. K! An incredible man in his own right! Forget the family drama, Mr. K has done much for the community here and I want to see him rewarded and remembered for it. Not for this, not for this family squabble, not for the he said she said. But for the hard working man he has been, for the dedicated member of the community he has been. He deserves to be successful, and whomever rides with him I wish all the best!
They should all respect each other just as we should. I appologize greatly for the above comments, just hurts to hear someone blasting on a man who does not deserve the accusations or rumors. And that goes for Ray and his sister too. None of them deserve any of this. Only wish them all great success in their ventures! And if your such a great friend of Rays tell him to pursue his Baby Rays place. He does make some mean BBQ and I have told him that every time I have been in to eat! And people do come to see him, hell he has been there years and years. That big smiling face and warm attitude draws them in just as much as the good food.
Now I humbly bow out of any further comments and just want to see local businesses succeed! Best of luck to the Kendricks and everyone involved in these ventures!
And Adam, great article. It seems that there are some very passionate people who love Mr. K’s (under whomever they thought ran the place) You are correct, Let the BBQ speak for itself!
Aardcore that last post was brilliant! I too am very anxious to see what the future holds for all the Kendricks! If Ray opens a new spot (which I hope 100% that he does) I will be there with my wet wipe waiting for some helpings of that Brisket and those unmatched yams! But at the same time I am so looking forward to seeing what a new place and some collaborative thinking from a group of dedicated BBQ lovers brings to the table as well. I tell you what I think the worst outcome here is that Tucson might have two kick ass BBQ spots!Because right now Mr. K’s is the only place I get BBQ in this town!!
3 Things
1. Charles Kendrick is and always has been Mr. K. From this article it seams pretty clear that this is going to be Charles Kendrick’s BBQ.
2. Whatever rift is going on with the family is their business, not ours to speculate on. I doubt if anyone commenting on here really knows exactly what is going on anyways.
3. It appears that Charles and Raymond don’t have the same vision for the BBQ and are going in separate directions… These things happen and the outcome is usually better for both parties.
I hope the outcome of this whole deal will be Tucson having two great BBQ’s
Hey Rhonda! I recognize you. We went to school together. I’m definitely going to stop by and try out the BBQ! Congrats on the new restaurant!
I have been a cheerleader for the park location for many years, not only monetarily, but emotionally, and physically. There are many things behind the scenes that have never been brought to the attention of others and that was by my choice.
I do, however, wish to give my father Mr. K his dream of building as he envisioned. The new restaurant was never intended to cause a family rift. This venture was s to pay homage to Charles Kendrick the man that the community knows as Mr. K, and honor the man Raymond and I know as our Dad. Raymond and his partner chose not to be a part of the venture, and I sincerely wish them the best in all their endeavors.
I would like to say “thank you” for all the kind comments and welcome everyone to visit I am confident that Raymond and his partner, and the new location will both continue to offer great BBQ for Tucson to enjoy
Rhonda-
I love the original Mr. K’s and have been a regular customer for so long I can’t even say how long now. This bbq is the best I’ve had in town and it’s novelty is certainly that “hole in the wall,” and “hidden gem” appeal. All credit due to Charles Kendrick. Having said that, all this time I have been a customer to Mr. K’s BBQ I have always seen 1 of 2 people there at any given time. That is Ray and Dennis and they are always working behind the counter. I have never seen Rhonda there but if she is going to get her hands dirty at the new location, best of luck to her. I will continue to support the Park location as long as they continue the great bbq.
I’m still trying to figure out how you can have Mr K’s barbeque with an “executive chef”…
It’s sad to me that the family isn’t in agreement about how to expand the business and celebrate the food and Mr Kendrick. It has been very intriguing going to the park location to try to find out the latest scoop, wondering whether they’re going to be closed or whether there has been some kind of compromise that will let them stay open until they find a new place. For a while, we had to read between the lines as Ray and Dennis wouldn’t say anything, leading us to believe that they had been given a gag order by the lawyers. (Lawyers involved in a family business dispute? Not good.) One time we saw what looked like a 30 page lease for the Park location. (A 30 page lease between family members? Not good.) At another point, I saw what looked like a PR package that said Ray was going to be the “kitchen manager” and Dennis wasn’t even mentioned in the plans for the new place! A bit strange, considering the two of them have been the guys that have done all the work for a dozen years…
I think it would be great to see Mr K be famous. I also think that Ray and Dennis deserve the credit for making Mr K’s barbeque what it is today and they should be rewarded for their hard work, not left out in the cold wondering if they are going to be acknowledged or appreciated or even whether they will have a place to continue their craft.
Can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s been a great soap opera so far!
Talk about a slap in the face. Look at the 4 people in the picture and you tell me which of them you saw everyday at Mr. K’s BBQ. As several people have mentioned Ray and Dennis together are the ones that have been putting out delicious BBQ for more than a decade that I have been going there. Who is that guy with the solo picture? He sure hasn’t been a part of the “K” tradition in all the years I’ve been eating there. I don’t care if he can fit 2 tons of meat in his smoker. Cuckoo’s nest syndrome here. Shame on Rhonda for getting into her father’s head and ruining a beautiful thing. I want to find out what other businesses those other guys are affiliated with so that I can boycott them, seeing how they do business.
Eat more & talk less! I’ve never been to Mr K’s on Park Ave. South, but I’ll ck them out as well as the new incarnation; who ever serves the best bbq will get my future business. I’ve had bbq @Famous Dave’s, Brush Fire & Jack’s, with varying degrees of satisfaction – there’s room for multiple bbq joints in Tucson, as long as the quality is high; the proof is not in the pudding, but rather in the ribs, brisket, chicken & sausage – may the better bbq joint prevail (sans decor!) -Jeff B.
I love the original Mr. K’s restaurant and have been a regular customer there for at least 15 years. I have honestly never seen any of those people in this article working there. Sad to see these 4 become benefactors of 2 other people’s hard work.
This family drama is very sad for Tucson. One of the great things about Tucson is the good eating here. Mr. K’s is one of those special restaurants like Mi Niditos, Pat’s Chili Dogs, etc. Right now I honestly see both sides ultimately failing. The location for this new Mr. K’s is in a plaza where Chile’s, Ruby Tuesday and that Greek Restaurant went out of business. Just down the roads On the Border, TGIFridays and Tony Roma also went out of business. So they are working against that not to mention they will be competing against Famous Daves and El Corral. The Original Mr. K’s is supposedly relocating further south, in an area that is predominantly a Latino community. I spent half a year abroad in Mexico and was dying to find a BBQ restaurant and never truly did. When I came back I asked several of my Mexican friends why they don’t have BBQ restaurants down south. They told me that most Mexicans really don’t really care for BBQ. Kind of makes sense as you do not see many BBQ restaurants on the southside. It will really suck if both Mr. K’s spinoffs fail, because I have enjoyed the Park location for a long time. I think they “smoke” Jack’s Original BBQ. I just do not see either side succeeding in their new locations. I also hate to beat a dead horse but I have to agree with some of the other people on here that I have never seen any of the people in the pictures at the Park location. If the place is called Mr. K’s and they have THE Mr. K then at least they will have the original creator of that delicious sauce!
The quality of Mr. K’s Bar-B-Que on the South side went down drastically when Ray took over. I’m glad to see that Mr. K’s (Charles) legacy will have a place that will do the elder Kendrick’s vision some justice with sound operations and a stamp of approval from the man who created the restaurant. It’s unfortunate that the family is divided on the direction the restaurant should go. Ultimately, Ray was wrong not to follow the direction his father wanted to go, even if he didn’t like the changes. It’s was your dad’s vision, not yours. I must admit that I wasn’t too thrilled when I found out that the new location had new partners to cash in on the new successes. However, times change, nothing stays the same, and the best thing Tucson can do for such a great man (Charles Kendrick) is to create a legacy that will survive. I pray that both places make it. Ray, you can learn a lot from the man who brought you into this world and work on your chop beef sandwiches. Stop using the shavings from the brisket!
As I understood it, C. Kendrick started Mr. K’s BBQ and ran it for 3 years before handing it over to Ray Kendrick (who has run it for the last 10 years). Mr. K’s BBQ has had a growing fanbase all these years (not the opposite), so many people obviously don’t agree with Texas BBQ Lover’s slandering. As a matter of fact, I think that is why so many comments on here are skeptical about the new K’s restaurant. They simply love the original location. I am a regular at the original Mr. K’s but have already been to the new one a few times. Simply put, they are both good. Somehow though I end up spending a lot more at the newer location. That is fine as it is a new restaurant in a nicer location but somebody please tell them to step up their game and get some SILVERWARE… I know I am pushing it since already requesting real metal forks but also how about some tumblers or real glasses. Of the 3 times I have been to the new Mr. K’s only one time did brisket carver go cheap on me. I mentioned to him that the previous time I got more meat. He did nothing. I mentioned it to the next person who gave me the sides and he told the carver that we got more last time. The carver said, “That’s how much we put.” The sides guy put the meat on the scale, they both looked at it and the carver mumbled something and reluctantly put some more meat for us. Once we got to eating it was delicious.
The Original Mr. K’s is supposedly opening in a new location under a different name. I hope Ray steps up and makes some improvements. Most importantly increase business hours. This is BBQ. It is heavy and a lot of people don’t like to eat heavy meals until dinner time but I have found it difficult to do that with the hours they are open. Also hate driving there on Sundays and Mondays when I forget that they are closed on those days. One last piece of advice, stop jacking the prices up. A combo used to be $7.95 and now it has gone up several dollars. I know a lot of this is due to increasing meat and produce costs but please be a little more reasonable. I’ll be a loyal customer to Mr. K’s forever but please make it possible for me to go more often.
Mr. K’s – best BBQ in Tucson at either location!
We bought a groupon thinking it was the Mr. K’s down on the south side of Tucson (the original Mr. K’s), but apparently there is some family drama someone went off and trademarked the name and opened this new restaurant under the same name with “similar menu” (same story from both places, since we accidentally went to the other one first). The food is still bbq, but this new Mr. K’s is a lot more institutional, the food is more bland, and the atmosphere is just not the same at all. I feel like I’ve been fooled & I’m not too happy about it =:-/
To weeklyfan, you say this is not Mr K’s but Charles Kendrick is in the picture and menitoined in the article, what are you talking about man, your confusing
I feel Mr. Kay was doing great, White folks should stay out of black folks business when it comes to decesion making for food, yea!!!I said it!!!`We do cook and quit capitalizing on it.