Betty Rae
Kansas City's Betty Rae's mixes two local favorites.
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Many Kansas Citians claim to have barbecue sauce coursing through their veins. This past summer, Kansas City, Missouri-based Betty Rae’s Ice Cream shop had barbecue running on its menu. The quirky and wildly popular shop opened in early 2016 using the owner’s grandmother as its namesake. It is known for its ever-changing and innovative flavors, ranging from Lavender Honey to Lemon Poppyseed Cake and even Vegan Vanilla.

However, from July through October, the parlor featured brisket-infused ice cream to the delight of its carnivorous customers. Partnering with the locally famous Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que restaurant, Betty Rae’s rolled out its “Joe’s KC Burnt Ends & Sauce” ice cream flavor, blending barky brisket with creamy goodness. David Friesen, owner of Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, said the inspiration for the limited-time flavor was to honor the Midwest’s barbecue culture.

“We wanted to make a flavor that reflected the city we’re in because otherwise it could be an ice cream parlor anywhere,” said Friesen in a video posted on the company’s website. “So we wanted to say something about Kansas City and, you know, kind of honor a good food tradition.”

Besides its popular shop in trendy bedroom community of Waldo, Betty Rae’s is also rolling throughout the metropolitan area in its cream-based food truck, where social media announcements announce the next street corner it will be stopping at while it is also available for wedding receptions, corporate outings and other special events.