FCS: BBQ Meats
Fountain City Superlatives:
BBQ Meats Edition
Published May 4, 2020
Whoever coined the term “Jack of All Trades, Master of None” never tried Kansas City barbeque. When it comes to the art of “low and slow” most regions are defined by the meat that captures their focus. People point to the Carolinas and immediately think of pulled pork. In the Lone Star State, brisket reigns supreme. And on the banks of the Mississippi River, in Memphis and St. Louis, the pork spare rib is king. What has long established Kansas City as the BBQ Capital of the World is that lack of focus. Here in KC, we do it all and do it all very well.
Having visited over 50 of this city’s barbeque joints, I often get asked, “Which place is best?” or “Where do I have to go?” I always respond with the same question, “What do you like?” With over 100 places to choose from, the beauty of the barbeque scene here is that each restaurant has those meats, sandwiches, or dishes that they have perfected and do better than anyone else. For instance, if a person really likes brisket, I am going to give them a different recommendation than if they want ribs or chicken.
It’s National Barbeque Month so what better time to talk about Kansas City Q? Stepping away from the common practice of ranking overall restaurants, this inaugural edition of Fountain City Superlatives will highlight the city’s* best barbeque joints in the same way that many of these pitmasters are used to competing - by recognizing their excellence in preparing a specific smoked meat.
Where’s the Beef?
While Kansas City does not have the specified focus of other regions, if I had to choose one meat to define Kansas City by, it’s undoubtedly the beef burnt end. Cut from the point of the brisket, these delicious cubes of “meat candy” defined by their tenderness and the char on each piece were made popular by Arthur Bryant’s in the latter half of the 20th Century. Given their importance to Cowtown’s famed culinary tradition, it made sense to begin with the beef cuts.
Beef Burnt Ends
Best In Town: Smokin’ Guns BBQ
1218 Swift Street, North Kansas City, Missouri
Succulent squares of meaty brisket with a thin ribbon of fat in each and magnificently charred, the burnt ends at this Northtown favorite melt in your mouth. Smokin’ Guns sets the standard for this Kansas City staple.
Worth A Mention^: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Plowboys Barbeque, Q39, & SLAP’s BBQ
Sliced Brisket
Best In Town: Q39
1000 West 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Thick slices of exquisitely charred brisket with a deep pink smoke ring that effortlessly tears apart with a fork awaits you at Q39. The brisket has marvelous marbling that allows it to be tender and moist but never fatty. Whether on a sandwich or on a platter, this is the best brisket that KC has to offer.
Worth A Mention: Char Bar, Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ, Hawg Jaw Que & Brew (Smoked Corn Beef Brisket), Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, & Jousting Pigs BBQ
Sliced Beef
Best In Town: Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ
2900 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri
While uncommon, there are a handful of KC barbeque restaurants that serve sliced beef cuts that are not from the brisket. If you had no other cause to visit Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ, the smoked beef point would be reason enough. These decadent, singed, ribbons of flaky top sirloin softly break apart in the most pleasing way. The charred rub, with a harsh kick of pepper that dances on your tongue, elevates the smoky sirloin into a class of its own.
Beef Rib
Best In Town: Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ
13441 Holmes Road, Martin City, Missouri
The Crown Prime Beef Rib from Jack Stack is not only the best beef rib in the city; it is the finest cut of beef I have had at any restaurant, barbeque or otherwise, in Kansas City. Large enough to topple any car in the town of Bedrock, these mammoth ribs are full of rich and smoky flavor. So tender, each bite melts on your tongue like a square of butter on a stack of hotcakes.
Worth A Mention: Jousting Pigs BBQ
There is no shortage of great places to find a plate of beef burnt ends in KC but as far as I’m concerned, the best ones are in Northtown at Smokin’ Guns BBQ.
The Other White Meat
“Homer: Lisa, honey, are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No!
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No!
Homer: Pork Chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [CHUCKLES] Yeah right Lisa. A wonderful ‘magical’ animal.”
A wonderful, magical animal indeed. While this is Cowtown and our most iconic meat is a beef cut, the pig might actually be king. If you don’t believe me, walk into any KC BBQ joint and look at the menu. Not only would I surmise that the majority of the meats will be pork, but I would guess, regardless of the spot, that pulled pork is the most commonly ordered meat at nearly every barbeque place in town.
Given the popularity of the pulled pork, that is where the pork superlatives shall commence.
Pulled Pork
Best In Town: Plowboys Barbeque
3111 South MO-7, Blue Springs, Missouri
In this writer’s humble opinion, pulled pork is often unnecessarily drenched in sauce in this town. Choosing to buck this trend, this Blue Springs favorite chooses to the let the meat and their signature Yardbird rub speak for themselves and the result is a juicy and flavorful dish. The rub is sweet and salty with just a pinch of heat. The large, moist chunks of pork butt can be ordered on a sandwich but don’t hesitate to get it as a topping on their signature barbeque nachos.
Worth A Mention: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, & SLAP’s BBQ
Sliced Pork
Best In Town: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque
1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
While not nearly as common or popular as its pulled and shredded counterpart, sliced pork may be seen of a relic of a time past. By an large, the restaurants that do choose to offer sliced pork in lieu of or addition to pulled pork are the places you may consider KC’s OGs of barbeque. It should come as no surprise that Arthur Bryant’s still serves this dish and does it so well. With a nice outer bark that’s well-seasoned, Bryant’s delectable slices are the best version of this dish in the city.
Worth A Mention: Gates Bar-B-Q & Wabash BBQ and Blues Garden
Smoked Ham
Best In Town: Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ
13441 Holmes Road, Martin City, Missouri
Another meat that is not nearly as popular in the Cowtown barbeque scene as it once was, the ham at Jack Stack is everything you want it to be. The smokiness and the sweetness of these thin slices work together in perfect harmony. If you are able to get it on a bun with their mustard-based or spicy sauce, you’re in for a real treat.
Worth A Mention: BB’s Lawnside BBQ, Chop’s BBQ & Catering, & Woodyard Bar-B-Que
Smoked Pork Sausage
Best In Town: SLAP’s (Squeal Like A Pig) BBQ
553 Central Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
Once upon a time, I foolishly overlooked sausage on Kansas City BBQ menus but then one day, the cheddar jalapeno sausage at SLAP’s gave me a rude awakening. The plump, Texas-style, pork links give a pleasant pop (not too dissimilar from a proper Detroit-style hot dog) when you bite into them. Hidden within each sausage is a river of molten cheese and enough jalapenos to deliver a kick but not so many that the sausage is overly spicy or hot. While no sauce is needed, the aioli-like white barbeque sauce (only available by request at the counter) adds a delightful zip to this meat. Since that first bite years ago, I have searched the metro far and wide for a better sausage and have yet to find it.
Worth A Mention: Hawg Jaw Que & Brew, Jazzy B’s Diner, Smokin’ Guns BBQ (Italian Sausage), & Woodyard Bar-B-Que
The cheddar jalapeno sausage at SLAP’s BBQ in Strawberry Hill is the standard bearer for everything a smoked sausage can be.
Pork Spare Ribs
Best In Town: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
3002 West 47th Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
Perhaps my biggest pet peeve when it comes to barbeque is the over-glorification of “fall off the bone ribs” as many rush to deify chefs who overcook this cut to the point of sogginess. Like a great handshake, a well-prepared pork rib should have a little bit of firmness to it. At Joe’s, you will not only find a great rib, you will find the best slab in the nation. The St. Louis-cut slab is thick but still succulent. The meat is soft but grips to each bone so slightly that you have to gently tug off each delectable bit with your teeth. The rub and the signature sauce that glazes each slab gives them a beautiful deep red hue and delivers a symphony of sweet and savory seasonings with each bite that is pure nirvana.
Worth A Mention: Hayward’s Pit Bar-B-Que, SLAP’s BBQ, & Woodyard Bar-B-Que
Pork Babyback Ribs
Best In Town: A Little BBQ Joint
1101 West US Highway 24, Independence, Missouri
While the pork spare rib is much more ubiquitous across KC, particularly the St. Louis cut, there are a fair number of places that serve the babyback variety. For many, a A Little BBQ Joint is a weekend destination purely because these diminutive delights are only available Friday through Sunday. While petite, each curved slab is incredibly meaty with a charred flavor that is almost reminiscent of having been prepared on a charcoal grill in someone’s back yard. This unique profile paired with the astonishingly crispy outer bark makes these the best BBQ babybacks in the metro.
Worth A Mention: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Jazzy B’s Diner, & Woodyard Bar-B-Que
Pork Rib Tips / Riblets
Best In Town: Johnny’s BBQ
1375 West Highway 56, Olathe, Kansas
Sadly, after half a century, the original Johnny’s BBQ in Mission closed its doors forever earlier this year. Thankfully, Johnny’s son and family are still putting out the same quality menu in Olathe. Like sliced pork, the pork rib tip is another smoked meat that is still quite common at the old school joints but rarely finds it way on to more contemporary menus. The Rib Burnt Ends at Johnny’s are everything you want in a good tip. They are soft and tender with very little cartilage. The grill marks on each piece adds a lovely singed flavor that works hand-in-hand with the robust sauce that adorns each piece.
Worth A Mention: BB’s Lawnside BBQ, Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ, & Wyandot Barbeque
Pork Belly / Pork Burnt Ends
Best In Town: Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements
4500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
Once a rarity in Kansas City barbeque, the pork burnt end has become much more widespread in recent years. In many ways, pork belly is the Captain Planet of smoked meats. Soft, crispy, chewy, meaty, fatty, sweet, and savory - when their palatable powers combine, you get the perfect pork burnt end. The crispy cubes of swine at Char Bar are the benchmark for what this entree should be. Possessing all of these precisely balanced qualities and drenched in a tangy BBQ sauce, the crispy pork belly at Char Bar is what dreams are made of.
Worth A Mention: Johnny’s BBQ, LC’s BBQ, Q39, & Smoke Brewing Company
Having tried the best that Memphis and St. Louis have to offer, I am convinced that Joe’s spare ribs aren’t just the best in KC; they’re the best in the nation.
Bird’s The Word
In recent years, poultry has overtaken beef as the most consumed meat in America. This is largely due to shifting diets and the benefits of lean meat consumption. However, that same popularity has not fully translated to barbeque. Due to these trends and the versatility that meats like turkey and chicken posses, I sincerely do expect poultry’s prowess in the barbeque landscape to increase as more places expand their poultry offerings in the future.
Sliced Turkey
Best In Town: Chop’s BBQ & Catering
109 East Main Street, Smithville, Missouri
Those who know me best have often heard me say that turkey is the most underrated cut of barbequed meat. After pulled pork and brisket, it may be the most widely offered meat in town and yet it is frequently, and unfairly, ignored. The thick cut slices at Chop’s BBQ & Catering in Smithville are a great reminder of why you should never sleep on the turkey. Moist, flavorful, and with a well-seasoned rub, this turkey is always worth the jaunt up north.
Worth A Mention: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, BB’s Lawnside BBQ, & Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ
Bone-In Chicken
Best In Town: Crazy Good Eats
16695 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas
Forget about the chicken crossing the road, why would I drive nearly 40 minutes to Olathe on a lark? Because I when I am craving smoked chicken, only Crazy Good eats will do. It is hard to describe how satisfying the crunch of the astonishingly crisp skin of this chicken really is. Underneath the crunch, the meat is moist with a pinkish hue and the blend of herbs and spices on the signature skin only enhance the flavor of the bird. As the name implies, this chicken is crazy good.
Worth A Mention: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Plowboys Barbeque, SLAP’s BBQ, & Wabash BBQ and Blues Garden
Pulled Chicken
Best In Town: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
3002 West 47th Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
Juicy, flavorful, and smoked to perfection, the pulled chicken at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que is excellent. With an understated rub that really allows the meat to shine, the chicken is expertly pulled as not to allow for any stray pieces of bone or cartilage. Pulled chicken can be a difficult dish to find but if it is your cup of tea, then head to the Shamrock Gas Station in KCK.
Worth A Mention: Crazy Good Eats, Hayward’s Pit Bar-B-Que, Plowboys Barbeque, & R.J.’s Bob-B-Que Shack
Smoked Chicken Wings
Best In Town: BB’s Lawnside BBQ
1205 East 85th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
It would be inadvisable to head down to this Waldo favorite without getting an order of smoked wings for the table. The colossal wings are meaty and tender. The crackly skin is well seasoned and holds in all the flavor and juices of the fowl. Served naked or tossed in your choice of three sauces, the Peach Sweet Heat is the recommended option. The sugary, fruity notes of the peach work in concert with the underlying heat of the sauce to give you the best of both barbequed wings and hot wings in each bite.
Worth A Mention: Char Bar, R.J.’s Bob-B-Que Shack, & Woodyard Bar-B-Que
BB’s colossal wings, tossed in Peach Sweet Heat sauce, are a ménage trois of sugar, spice, and smoke.
The Other Guys
There are a few noteworthy entrees that do not fit in with the previous categories given but I would be remiss if I did not give these incredible dishes their due recognition.
Mutton
Best In Town: Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ
13441 Holmes Road, Martin City, Missouri
Since it is not as popular as other meats and can be quite challenging to prepare, lamb is a rare find at Kansas City barbeque spots. However, when places do have it on the menu, it can be quite the decadent treat. When it comes to mutton, the lamb ribs at Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ cannot be beat. The dainty bones are surprisingly meaty and have a lovely hickory profile that blends well with the natural, more gamy flavor of the mutton.
Worth A Mention: R.J.’s Bob-B-Que Shack
Vegetarian
Best In Town: Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements
4500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
I fully understand that vegetables are not meat. You may even think it is a bit misleading to have vegetarian meat substitutes in a post celebrating smoked meats but it is then I would counter that Kansas City ‘que is so good, we have places doing a better job with produce than some cities can do with a pork butt. As a carnivore myself, even I sometimes head to Westport to get The Jackknife with smoked jack fruit. It has a wonderful smoky flavor and an inexplicable texture that reminds many of pulled chicken or pork.
Worth A Mention: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (Smoked Portabella Mushroom)
That’s a Wrap!
Well there you have it! My first edition of Fountain City Superlatives is in the books so let’s get a quick recap on how your favorite spots did for 2020:
Fountain City Superlative Winners:
Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ (3)
Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements (2)
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (2)
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque (1)
BB’s Lawnside BBQ (1)
Chop’s BBQ & Catering (1)
Crazy Good Eats (1)
Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ (1)
Johnny’s BBQ (1)
A Little BBQ Joint (1)
Plowboys Barbeque (1)
Q39 (1)
SLAP’s (Squeal Like A Pig) BBQ (1)
Smokin’ Guns BBQ (1)
Honorable Mentions:
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (5)
Woodyard Bar-B-Que (5)
SLAP’s (Squeal Like A Pig) BBQ (4)
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque (3)
BB’S Lawnside BBQ (3)
Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ (3)
Plowboys Barbeque (3)
R.J.’s Bob-Be-Que Shack (3)
Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements (2)
Hawg Jaw Que & Brew (2)
Hayward’s Pit Bar-B-Que (2)
Jazzy B’s Diner (2)
Jousting Pigs BBQ (2)
Q39 (2)
Wabash BBQ and Blues Garden (2)
Chop’s BBQ & Catering (1)
Crazy Good Eats (1)
Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ (1)
Gates Bar-B-Q (1)
Johnny’s BBQ (1)
LC’s Bar-B-Q (1)
Smoke Brewing Company (1)
Smokin’ Guns BBQ (1)
Wyandot Barbeque (1)
Do you agree with my choices? Did I overlook a worthy candidate completely? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Those Pesky Endnotes That I Often Insist On
*Kansas City barbeque is defined as those restaurants whose original, sole, and/or flagship location resides within one of the fifteen counties in Missouri and Kansas that define the metro area.
^Please note that all “Worth A Mention” nominees are listed in alphabetical order and are not ranked by proficiency in that particular category.
