History

Kansas City pitmasters built the spare-rib programme out of the African American barbecue tradition Henry Perry brought from Shelby County, Tennessee in 1908. The cooking method spread through the Bryant, Gates and Stehney families to the modern competition circuit. Burnt ends get the headlines; ribs are the locals' second-favourite plate.

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 racks St Louis-cut pork spareribs
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup paprika
  • 2 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp cayenne
  • 1 cup Kansas City barbecue sauce
  • Hickory wood chunks for the smoker

Method

  1. Pull the membrane from the back of each rib rack with a paper towel for grip.
  2. Mix the rub; coat the ribs heavily on every side. Let them sit for 60 minutes.
  3. Set up the smoker at 225F (107C) with hickory. Place ribs bone-side down.
  4. Smoke for 3 hours. Brush lightly with cider vinegar; smoke another hour.
  5. Brush with sauce; smoke a final 30 to 45 minutes until the meat pulls back from the bone by 1/4 inch.
  6. Rest the ribs 15 minutes wrapped in foil before slicing between bones.

Tip from the editors. The 3-2-1 method (3 hours smoke, 2 wrapped, 1 sauced) gives fall-off-the-bone ribs; competition cooks prefer 3-1-30 for the bite. Avoid spritzing too often; the bark needs to set.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kansas city-style ribs

Kansas City-style ribs in Kansas City

Arthur Bryant's Barbeque ★ 4.7

BBQ$$18th-and-vine

Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue in Kansas City is the canonical BBQ address, with roots back to Henry Perry's 1908 pit and the Bryant family's takeover at the Brooklyn Avenue location in 1958.

Signature: Burnt ends, Beef brisket sandwich, Pork ribs

Order: Burnt ends sandwich on Wonder Bread with the rust-coloured original sauce.

Tip: Open Monday through Friday 10:00 to 20:00, Saturday 11:00 to 20:00, Sunday 11:00 to 19:00. Cash and card; sauce sold by the bottle.

1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64127 Book →

Gates Bar-B-Q ★ 4.6

BBQ$$18th-and-vine

Gates Bar-B-Q's Emanuel Cleaver II flagship in Kansas City has run the city's tomato-sweet sauce style since 1946, with the famous greeting at the door.

Signature: Burnt ends, Beef on bun, Mixed plate

Order: Beef on bun with extra sauce and a side of beans, plus burnt ends if you can get them.

Tip: Open Sun to Thu 11:00 to 23:00, Fri and Sat 11:00 to 24:00. Five metro locations; sauce sold retail.

1325 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64110 Book →

Q39 Midtown ★ 4.5

BBQ$$midtown

Rob Magee's Q39 on 39th Street in Kansas City applies a competition-circuit pitmaster's discipline to weeknight barbecue, with a full bar and table service.

Signature: Burnt ends, Pit Master Brisket sandwich, Mr. Burns sandwich

Order: Pit Master Brisket sandwich on a brioche bun and the burnt-ends plate to share.

Tip: Sun to Thu 11:00 to 21:00, Fri and Sat 11:00 to 23:00. Walk-ins and reservations both accepted; the brisket plate sells out late.

1000 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111 Book →

Slap's BBQ ★ 4.7

BBQ$$kck

Slap's BBQ on Central Avenue in Kansas City Kansas runs a competition-pitmaster operation since 2014 and sells out daily by mid-afternoon, ribs first.

Signature: Burnt ends, Pork ribs, Brisket

Order: Burnt ends and pork ribs at the counter; grab them before the kitchen sells out.

Tip: Open Tue to Sat 11:00 to 19:00, often closed earlier if meat runs out. Walk-in only.

553 Central Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101 Book →

Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que ★ 4.8

BBQ$$kck

Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que runs out of a working Shamrock gas station at 47th and Mission in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Stehneys opened in 1996 and invented the Z-Man sandwich.

Signature: Z-Man sandwich, Burnt ends, Carolina pulled pork

Order: The Z-Man sandwich, slow-smoked brisket with provolone, onion rings and barbecue sauce on a kaiser roll.

Tip: Open Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Walk-in only and the line moves; lunch sells out by 14:00 on weekends.

3002 West 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103 Book →

More cities are in research. Want kansas city-style ribs covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →