Chinese$$plaza
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service citywide.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30-14:30. The Zona Rosa outpost runs the same menu without the lines.
New American$$midtown
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.
Signature: Breakfast biscuits, Quiche, Sandwiches
Order: Egg-and-biscuit sandwich for breakfast, or the daily quiche with salad.
Tip: Open Tue to Sat 7:00-14:00, Sun 8:00-14:00, closed Mondays. Strong gluten-free and vegan options.
Bbq$$18th-and-vine
Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue in Kansas City is the canonical BBQ address, with roots back to Henry Perry's 1908 pit and the Bryant family's takeover.
Signature: Burnt ends, Beef brisket sandwich, Pork ribs
Order: Burnt ends sandwich on Wonder Bread with the rust-coloured original sauce.
Tip: Open Monday through Friday 10:00-20:00, Saturday 11:00-20:00, Sunday 11:00-19:00. Cash and card; sauce sold by the bottle.
Bbq$$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 11:00-23:00, Fri and Sat 11:00-24:00. Five metro locations; sauce sold retail.
Bbq$$kck
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que runs out of a working Shamrock gas station at 47th and Mission in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Stehneys opened in 1996.
Signature: Z-Man sandwich, Burnt ends, Carolina pulled pork
Order: The Z-Man sandwich, slow-smoked brisket with provolone, onion rings and barbecue sauce on a kaiser roll.
Tip: Open Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Walk-in only and the line moves; lunch sells out by 14:00 on weekends.
Bbq$$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 11:00-21:00, Fri and Sat 11:00-23:00. Walk-ins and reservations both accepted; the brisket plate sells out late.