No kitchen nightmare: Gordon Ramsay dines on famous KC BBQ while filming show

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que patrons on Tuesday were surprised to see a man who doesn’t always like what he puts in his mouth chowing down on some of the city’s most famous fare.

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Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay had TV cameras with him.

“Hells Kitchen Chef himself, Gordon Ramsay was seen at Joes KC BBQ this morning,” said an Instagram post from Kendall Burnett, co-owner of DV Media.

“Talk about being at the right place at the right time! We had a friend in town from NY and grabbed a burnt end Z-man before his flight out.

“Looks like Kansas City BBQ will be featured on an upcoming show, stay tuned! Kansas City is no longer a flyover city, this is great for the town!”

Commented one Joe’s fan who knows how caustic and aggressive Ramsay gets when he tastes food he dislikes: “I would have caused a scene thinking it was Kitchen Nightmare … I was waiting for Chef to start flipping tables and calling people doughnuts.”

No worries here. Apparently Ramsay was there to show Joe’s as an example of the correct way to run a business, Burnett reported.

Ramsay should know Kansas City tastes well — he has a restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Steak, inside Harrah’s Kansas City.

He is in the Kansas City area this week filming an episode of his “Kitchen Nightmares” show at the Big Creek Cafe in Pleasant Hill, about 30 miles southeast of downtown K.C., The Star reported last week.

Filming was set to begin Monday and is expected to run through Friday.

The show follows Ramsay’s efforts to save and make over failing restaurants.

Big Creek — a breakfast and lunch diner — did not respond to The Star’s requests for comments.

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Restaurants on “Kitchen Nightmares” are publicly exposed for the faults that have led to their impending demise, embarrassing transgressions such as bad management and food safety violations.

Fans also spotted Ramsay and his crew filming in Lee’s Summit at another barbecue joint, Jazzy B’s.

No word on whether it made Ramsay’s naughty or nice list. But the restaurant hinted at changes coming in a Facebook post earlier this month that said the restaurant would be closed Sept. 25-29 “for remodeling” and invited patrons to “come see the new thing happening after that.”

An emergency Ramsay redo, perhaps?

Ramsay followers are having fun knowing that the caustic-on-camera Brit is in town.

“I’m sure you’ve all seen that Gordon Ramsay is here in town. I just have so many questions. All in fun,” wrote an anonymous poster on the Lee’s Summit Community Facebook page.

“Where do you think he’s eating while he’s here? Anyone seen him out and about? Do you think he goes inside or gets takeout?

“He’s been all over the world, do you think he thinks Lee’s Summit and PHill are janky?

“Maybe he’ll come christen the new Costco before he leaves.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM with the headline “No kitchen nightmare: Gordon Ramsay dines on famous KC BBQ while filming show.”

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