*Papa Lews was an okay place. I didn't like the sauce because it was so sweet. My ham sandwich was weird and had to check twice to see if I was eating Spam or not. The fries were delicious and wish I could have tasted the baked beans but settled for cole slaw.  The waitress was great and very entertaining. Mrs. Papa Lew did all the cooking and she was very nice. I appreciated the nice hug from her at the end of the meal and she claims to do that with all of her customers. If I hadn't received the hug, my overall rating probably would have been "5" instead of "6".

*Two things commend Papa Lew's, the sassiness of the servers and the large portions on the combo plate.  The beef was a bit fatty.  The ribs were large and well-smoked although a bit tough.  The food curiosity was that the BBQ sausage was more like breakfast sausage than the usual link sausage.  It would seem an acquired taste.  In short, if you want top of the line BBQ, Papa Lew's isn't the place, but if you want large portions in a really fun atmosphere (at least in a large group), then this is your place.  Also, nobody tried the soul food part of the menu, so who knows what we missed.  Great cobbler!

*Our waitress was the most entertaining, help-yourselves-folks-and-make-yourselves-at-home lady we've ever had in four years of Q sojourning.  It was like sitting at a kitchen table at her home, especially when she told Robert, "now, baby, you don't want sweet potatoes AND mashed potatoes.  That's too much starch.  Baby, you have one or the other.  Then you have some greens . . ."  You get the picture.  She was just a hoot, very friendly, service oriented, and down-home.

*Although I was very disappointed that the beef wasn't ready, after all it was Friday and the beginning of the weekend, the rib-tips did not disappoint.  They were tasty, very tender, and ample.  The fries were cooked just right and served HOT.  Our waitress brought a couple extra plates of french fries for our group 'cause she thought the cook hadn't given us enough.  The sauce was a nice blend of sweet and not-too-tangy --I really liked it.  I thought it was a good value and predict their beef would be quite tasty indeed.

*Although our waitress didn't stop working, it did take a while for our food to be served, and we seemed to be served in waves, so that all did not finish uniformly. A little improvement in this area would make dining at Papa Lew's a fine dining experience.  That's the only drawback I saw to Papa Lew's.

*I enjoyed the experience at Papa Lew's, but was disappointed that they were out of beef--my usual fare.  So, I had rib tips which were really cast-offs which were much too chewy.  But I still will go back because the servers were great!  I may call to see if they have beef first.

*Loved the waitresses, lots of fun, both of them. They made the visit a lot nicer! Plus: they actually got our big order right!

*Enjoyed the experience and fellowship.  No beef or pork was a letdown, but the ribtips were tasty.  The sauce although with flavor needed some zest to it.  Pleasant and accommodating service by our hostesses were a definite plus.

*Great employees.  They were very friendly and went out of their way to provide excellent service.

*Had a really good time at Papa Lew's despite the fact that they were low on beef and only served it to those who ordered the BIG combo plates (you know who you are).  Enjoyed my second choice sandwich (sausage) and the fries served hot, hot right out of the fryer.  Waitstaff made the experience fun.  (Word to the wise: never try to order two starches with your catfish.)  

*big ol' plate of rib tips with hot fries, sweet tea, extra bread, hot peach cobbler and a hug from Mama Lew...what could be better on a sunny Kansas City day!

*The service and warmth of this place could not have been better.  Where else can you expect a hug from the owner at the completion of the meal?  It was truly a great lunch experience.  The rib tips I had were rather tough.  The sauce was ok.  Overall it was a good experience, but the food (in my case) was not what I have come to expect from KC BBQ.  The menu is very broad...including a wide range of fish and soul food.   A very warm neighborhood feel to the whole experience.  

*I traveled solo to this outing, and I must say that Papa Lew's is easy to miss- distinguished from the monotone city block by a small yellow sign.  But with a Map quest printout to guide the way, I drove past the front door only twice before discovering the promised Oasis.  The atmosphere was no-frills (ketchup strait from the store bought bottle), but the people were welcoming and friendly.  I arrived 10 to 15 minutes later than the large group (see above)- but was able to order my sandwich at the counter right away.  Curiously, my ham sandwich and fries were delivered to me before a hungry and envious group of earlier-arriving onlookers (when questioned, our waitress jokingly commented that she just shows preference to younger guys).

The ham on bun was average- large amount of thinly sliced ham, and the fries were average at best (similar to the kind you buy frozen from grocery store).  What I really liked though, was the sauce, and the short ends that I sampled from my esteemed neighbor.  The sauce was mild with a pepper-like spice flavor (I generally don't like the sauce to overpower the meat flavor).  The short ends were excellent- the tender meat practically dripped off the bone. 

Papa Lew's would be worth another trip to sample a full order of the short ends.  And yes, as I'm sure others will mention, I got a hug from the owner as well.