Gran-Daddy's BBQ Pit

913 N. 2nd Street,
Lawrence, Kansas

Yen and yang, minus and plus, black and white, studio and independent, and then there's Gran-Daddy's BBQ Pit, a place of pure good and good barbecue. So what could be the yen to this most impressive yang? Well, if you're a bible-blastin' Baptist, there is a strip club right next door! How 'bout that?

My first trip to Gran-Daddy's was with Mark Bernstein. We were about to go do a shoot at Allen Fieldhouse for ESPN, and the producer was some scatterbrained kid, just stepping into the job, and after having given us four different call times, Mark and I finally decided that we had time to go get some lunch.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I didn't know that Gran-Daddy's was there. It's in a hole in the wall, tucked away off of Second Street and right next to Allstars (the most recent name of a strip club that goes through names like their dancers go through outfits in a night... not that I'd know, of course). Out front, they have a home-made smoker and a pile of firewood, and there's something wholesome and spiritual about actually watching your food being cooked on the lawn out front. It's like a big July 4th get-together and we're all invited. The prices are incredibly reasonable (in fact, it's the best priced barbecue I've found. Period), and the service is incredibly friendly. You just feel good to be in there, surrounded by KU Basketball articles and people who have stopped all conversation because the food is now controlling their mouth and motor functions. It's just a good feeling. Especially, the KU Basketball (notice that it's capitilized, like idolatry), since we're gearing up to shoot a special on KU Basketball for ESPN, and nothing can fill you and get your ready to take on a tosterone-laced sports half-time spot like ribs, which were great alone, but even better when completely covered in their homemade sauce. And if you like the sauce enough, they're happy to fill an empty ketchup-like bottle for you to take home.

Bottom line: Gran-Daddy's smokes some good meat. And basketball is the greatest of all sports. And KU rocks. And apparently strippers will take off their clothes for you, but not that I'd know.

-Jeremy Osbern