Burnt end sandwich and sliced brisket at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Gates Bar-B-Q, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Burnt end sandwich at Gates Bar-B-Q, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Gates Bar-B-Q, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Burnt ends and pork ribs at Smoking Bros. BBQ, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Barbecue pit at Smoking Bros. BBQ, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Smoking Bros. BBQ, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Rosedale Barbeque, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Burnt End sandwich and chili at Rosedale Barbeque, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Museum of BBQ, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Museum of BBQ, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Slap’s BBQ, Kansas City, Kansas
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Burnt end sandwich at Slap’s BBQ, Kansas City, KS
J.C. Reid/Contributor
Burnt ends and brisket at Q39 Midtown, Kansas City
J.C. Reid/ContributorJ.C. Reid/Contributor
For the most part, other regions of the country have conceded that contemporary Texas barbecue is the standard-bearer for smoked meats in the U.S.
Even in regions like the Carolinas, where a flourishing and popular barbecue style endures, Texas barbecue has made inroads at places like Lewis Barbecue, with more Texas-style joints on the way.
One region that still claims supremacy, at least in conversations I’ve had with barbecue fans from there, is Kansas City.
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I’ve been hesitant to visit because other fans I’ve consulted have said the claims of great barbecue in Kansas City are overblown. They paint a picture of a city resting on its barbecue laurels, living in a past that undoubtedly had a rich history of smoked-and-sauced meats.
This summer I finally made the pilgrimage myself, spending a Sunday making the rounds of both old- and new-school Kansas City joints. Though some of the most famous places, like Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, were closed that day, I was able to put together an itinerary that provided a glimpse into the state of contemporary Kansas City barbecue.
My focus was the city’s famous burnt ends, those often-crispy chunks of brisket tips that are cubed, sauced and served as a delicacy.
I started at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.
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No research into Kansas City barbecue can avoid a reference to Arthur Bryant’s. Especially in the city’s official promotional materials, this joint is held up as the pinnacle of barbecue here.
And indeed, the history is important and consequential. Unfortunately, the barbecue is not.
I ordered a tray of thin, gray slices of brisket, along with a sandwich of chewy burnt ends and a soggy onion ring. Look, I get it. This is not Texas-style barbecue. But the execution of the barbecue was, at best, indifferent. I can only chalk it up, again, to a legendary barbecue joint resting on its laurels.
I had a better experience a few blocks away at Gates Bar-B-Q. I arrived as neighboring churches were letting out, contributing to a lively local atmosphere. I ordered a burnt end sandwich, which turned out to be a chopped beef sandwich, with plenty of crispy, charred pieces of bark mixed in. The whole thing was doused in the city’s legendary molasses-laden sauce and piled onto a hoagie roll. A solid effort.
My next stops would be newer-school joints, but as an intermission, I detoured to a shopping mall in downtown Kansas City to visit the Museum of BBQ. This small but ambitious storefront is a fun and informative trip through the regions of American barbecue.
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From there I visited Slap’s BBQ, which opened in 2014. The burnt ends here are more reminiscent of Texas barbecue briskets, meaning they’re more tender with slightly charred bark.
My final stop was the bustling Q39 Midtown, a newer joint with, again, burnt ends cooked in a more contemporary style, as well as competition-style slices of brisket.
Indeed, the new-school joints here often reference the city’s focus on competition barbecue, as exemplified by the annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue event.
Overall, my experience with Kansas City barbecue mirrored the comments of other barbecue fans — it’s a city that prides itself on tradition rather than promoting barbecue as something that should evolve and innovate.
If the best barbecue is a combination of tradition and innovation, then Texas barbecue does, indeed, reign supreme.
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1221 Brooklyn Ave., Kansas City
Crown Center Shopping Mall
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2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 231, Kansas City