The restaurants worth a reservation in Kansas City, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Kansas City: bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
23 places
Order Burnt ends sandwich on Wonder Bread with the rust-coloured original sauce.
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.
Order Beef on bun with extra sauce and a side of beans, plus burnt ends if you can get them.
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.
Order The Z-Man sandwich, slow-smoked brisket with provolone, onion rings and barbecue sauce on a kaiser roll.
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.
9 of the restaurants on this list are known for burnt ends.
Order Pit Master Brisket sandwich on a brioche bun and the burnt-ends plate to share.
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.
Order Burnt ends, lamb ribs and the famous hickory pit beans baked with sausage.
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.
Order Burnt ends and pork ribs at the counter; grab them before the kitchen sells out.
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.
Order Beef sandwich piled high, sauce on the side.
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.
Order Burnt ends platter and the charred cauliflower, on the patio with a Boulevard draft.
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.
Order Brisket sliced fat and lean, plus a side of burnt ends if they have any.
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.
Order Whatever pasta is on, plus a glass from Leslie's growers-only list.
The Antler Room in Kansas City's Longfellow is Nick and Leslie Goellner's husband-and-wife room. Kitchen leans new american. At 2506 Holmes St.
A sample of Kansas City hotels from our booking partner, who list 57,552 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Super 8 by Wyndham Kansas City at Barry Road/Airport
Located in Kansas City, Super 8 by Wyndham Kansas City at Barry Road/Airport is in the business district, a...
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Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kansas City Airport
When you stay at Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kansas City Airport in Kansas City, you'll be near the ai...
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Econo Lodge Kansas City Downtown North
A stay at Econo Lodge Kansas City Downtown North places you in the heart of North Kansas City, within a 5-m...
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American Motel Kansas City, Kansas
Located in Kansas City, American Motel Kansas City, Kansas is a 5-minute drive from Grinter Place State His...
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Compare for next weekend: Holidu in Kansas City from USD 90/night · Expedia in Kansas City
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Order Steak au poivre with frites and a Pinot Noir from the list.
Le Fou Frog in Kansas City's River Market is Mano and Barbara Rafael's French bistro on the corner of 5th and Oak, with Provencal classics since 1996.
Order The chef's tasting menu, with the wine pairing built around small-importer bottles.
Novel in Kansas City's East Crossroads is Ryan Brazeal and Jessica Armstrong's tasting-menu room, opened on the Westside in 2013 and relocated to McGee.
Order The pasta tasting trio, three handmade pastas served family-style with unlimited refills.
Lidia Bastianich's Kansas City room sits in a former railroad house just north of Union Station, opened in 1998 with the famous pasta trio service.
Order Fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and biscuits; finish with the butterscotch pie.
Colby and Megan Garrelts opened Rye Plaza in 2017 as the Country Club Plaza outpost of their Midwestern cooking; fried chicken and biscuits headline.
Order A spread of small plates, the wood-grilled meats and a bottle of natural red from the European list.
James Beard winner Michael Smith's Extra Virgin in the Crossroads opened in 2007 as Kansas City's Mediterranean tapas room, with a wood grill and a deep wine.
Order Chicken spiedini, the city's defining red-sauce Italian dish, with a side of pasta.
Garozzo's in Columbus Park has run the historically Italian North End of Kansas City since 1989. Mike Garozzo invented chicken spiedini in this room.
Order Whatever the chef's tasting menu of the night is; the wine list leans Old World.
The Restaurant at 1900 in Mission Woods runs out of a renovated 1967 Modernist building on the Kansas side, with chef-led seasonal menus and a quiet polished.
Order The dry-aged ribeye with bone marrow, plus the charcuterie board to start.
Anton's Taproom in the Kansas City Crossroads is a butcher shop plus steakhouse with grass-fed beef from regional farms and a long natural-wine list.
Order Dry-aged porterhouse for two with lobster mac and cheese, and a bottle from the cellar.
The Capital Grille on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts to order, with a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.
Order The Kansas City strip, with the shrimp cocktail starter and old-school sides.
Golden Ox in Kansas City's West Bottoms opened in 1949 inside the Live Stock Exchange as the birthplace of the KC strip steak, reopened in 2018.
Order Pan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, pan gravy and the legendary cinnamon rolls.
Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor is the Kansas City pan-fried chicken anchor, set inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead that became the second Stroud's in 1983.
Order Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are anchors.
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service citywide.
Order Egg-and-biscuit sandwich for breakfast, or the daily quiche with salad.
The Russell on Main Street in Kansas City's Midtown is Amanda Lopez's all-day cafe and lunch counter, with house-baked biscuits and a strong veg programme.
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