16 editor picks in Kansas City.
16 american bbq places in Kansas City we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Kansas City | American Bbq across every city.
Barbecue is the dish Kansas City is built on: slow-smoked meats finished with a thick, sweet-and-tangy tomato sauce, and burnt ends that the city claims as its own invention. The form's roots run through 18th and Vine, where Arthur Bryant's Barbeque and Gates Bar-B-Q anchor the tradition. Across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Slap's BBQ draw long lines, while Q39 in Midtown and Fiorella's Jack Stack in the Crossroads carry the competition-circuit polish.
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.
OrderBurnt ends sandwich on Wonder Bread with the rust-coloured original sauce.
TipOpen Monday through Friday 10:00-20:00, Saturday 11:00-20:00, Sunday 11:00-19:00. Cash and card; sauce sold by the bottle.
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.
OrderBeef on bun with extra sauce and a side of beans, plus burnt ends if you can get them.
TipOpen Sun to Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri and Sat 11:00-24:00. Five metro locations; sauce sold retail.
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.
OrderThe Z-Man sandwich, slow-smoked brisket with provolone, onion rings and barbecue sauce on a kaiser roll.
TipOpen Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Walk-in only and the line moves; lunch sells out by 14:00 on weekends.
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.
OrderPit Master Brisket sandwich on a brioche bun and the burnt-ends plate to share.
TipSun to Thu 11:00-21:00, Fri and Sat 11:00-23:00. Walk-ins and reservations both accepted; the brisket plate sells out late.
Jack Stack's Freight House in Kansas City's Crossroads serves Russ Fiorella's family barbecue under 25-foot ceilings inside a converted railroad warehouse.
OrderBurnt ends, lamb ribs and the famous hickory pit beans baked with sausage.
TipReservations on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00. Five metro locations including the Plaza and Martin City original.
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.
OrderBurnt ends and pork ribs at the counter; grab them before the kitchen sells out.
TipOpen Tue to Sat 11:00-19:00, often closed earlier if meat runs out. Walk-in only.
L.C.'s Bar-B-Q on Blue Parkway in Kansas City is the East Side dive that pitmasters cite quietly, with heavy smoke and heavier sauce since 1986.
OrderBeef sandwich piled high, sauce on the side.
TipOpen Monday through Saturday lunch through dinner. Cash works best, line and decor are part of the experience.
Char Bar in Westport, Kansas City pairs Mitch Benjamin's award-winning smoke programme with the city's largest dog-friendly patio plus games and a fire pit.
OrderBurnt ends platter and the charred cauliflower, on the patio with a Boulevard draft.
TipBrunch on weekends from 10:00-14:00. Kitchen runs until 22:00 most nights; the beer garden stays open later.
Wolfepack BBQ in Columbus Park Kansas City, an all-wood smoker pit using Creekstone Farms brisket and Duroc ribs in a tin-ceiling brick-walled vintage room.
OrderBrisket sliced fat and lean, plus a side of burnt ends if they have any.
TipTue to Sat opening through sell-out; arrive at lunch. Walk-in only; no reservations.
Char Bar in Kansas City's Westport pairs Mitch Benjamin's award-winning smoke programme with the city's largest dog-friendly patio plus cornhole.
OrderBurnt ends on the patio, with a Boulevard draft.
TipWeekend brunch 10:00-14:00. The beer garden stays open later than the kitchen.
Gates Bar-B-Q's Emanuel Cleaver II flagship in Kansas City stays open to 23:00 weeknights and 24:00 weekends, with burnt ends and beef on bun after the jazz.
OrderBurnt ends, beef on bun
TipThe Main Street location runs to 24:00 weekends as well; both are reliable late-night BBQ.
Char Bar in Kansas City's Westport keeps the bar open until midnight on Fri and Sat with smoked-meat snacks and Boulevard drafts. At 4050 Pennsylvania Ave.
OrderBurnt ends, charred cauliflower
TipKitchen runs until 22:00; the beer garden runs later. The fire pit is the survival seat on cold nights.
L.C.'s Bar-B-Q on Blue Parkway in East Kansas City is an East Side dive that pitmasters quietly cite as the city's best smoke for the dollar, cash only.
TipCash and the time to wait; meat sells out by late afternoon.
Wolfepack BBQ is a american bbq room in Columbus Park. Arrive at opening; brisket and burnt ends sell out by mid-afternoon. Cash and card both fine.
TipArrive at opening; brisket and burnt ends sell out by mid-afternoon. Cash and card both fine.
L.C.'s Bar-B-Q on Blue Parkway in Kansas City is the East Side dive that pitmasters cite quietly, with heavy smoke and heavier sauce since 1986.
OrderBeef sandwich
TipCash works fastest; the line is the experience.
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que in the working Shamrock gas station at 47th and Mission in Kansas City, Kansas serves the Z-Man sandwich, brisket and provolone.
OrderZ-Man sandwich
TipClosed Sundays; the line is the experience. Cash and card Cash is faster than card.
Private tour · 3 hours
Discover Kansas City’s flavors on a private chocolate and wine tour through the Power & Light District and Crossroads Arts District. Tastings included with a local guide.
Private tour · 3 hours
As you stroll through the heart of the city, you’ll be the star of a culinary adventure, indulging in the finest artisan chocolates and exquisite local wines.
Guided tour · 3 hours
KC all its own: smoky, bold, and full of stories. Let a local guide take you through the heart of it, one extraordinary bite at a time, all the way to a rooftop Secret...
