Savor the Smoke: A Flavor-Packed Barbecue Tour of Kansas City
If you are a true lover of barbecue, there are certain journeys you must take in search of an amazing meal. At the top of most people’s lists are trips to Memphis and Kansas City. For us, it was finally time to venture west to the BBQ mecca of Kansas City to sample as much as we could.
Seemingly every corner of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas has a restaurant proclaiming to have the best BBQ in the area. As tempting as it would be to sample them all, we had to narrow our list down to a manageable number that one can reasonably hit in a short amount of time.
Our Kansas City BBQ Tour
We had just over 24 hours in the metro for our Kansas City BBQ tour, yet we still managed to visit four different restaurants to sample their fare and pick up a bottle of their sauce for enjoyment at home. So get your bib on, bring the wet naps, and let’s explore the best BBQ in Kansas City with stops at Arthur Bryant’s, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Jack Stack Barbecue, and Gates BBQ.
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque
Our first stop was the legendary Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, located at the corner of 18th and Brooklyn. This historic location is near the Negro Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum, making it a great place to stop before or after a visit.
Arthur Bryant’s traces its roots back to 1908 and has been serving up delicious food at its current location since 1958. When we asked friends for recommendations, Arthur Bryant’s came up frequently. It was already familiar to us, and easy to add to the list thanks to its mention on the TV show Ted Lasso. Unlike other big-name Kansas City barbecue restaurants, Arthur Bryant’s still operates from a single location.
The menu features all your favorites: brisket, sliced or pulled pork, turkey, and sausage by the pound, along with a variety of combos and sandwiches. You order at the counter, giving you plenty of time to take in the amazing smell and make up your mind. We settled on the 3B Special—a burnt ends sandwich topped with an onion ring. Among the sides, the baked beans were the standout—easily the best we tried. The hand-cut fries were also excellent, especially when dipped in the sauce.
The sauce at Arthur Bryant’s was good, though for us, a little underwhelming compared to others we tried in Kansas City. That’s not a knock on their sauce—it’s just a testament to how high the bar is across the metro area. You can purchase their sauce online.
Our advice: get there early or be prepared to wait. We arrived just before the Saturday lunch crowd, and by the time we finished, the line was out the door.
Jack Stack Barbecue
The barbecue tradition at Jack Stack dates back to 1957. Still family-owned and now in its fourth generation, Jack Stack has multiple locations across the metro area.
We visited the Crossroads Arts District location, near the World War I Museum and Monument. Housed in the historic Freight House, this location accepts reservations, though we were lucky to walk in and get a seat at the bar early on a Saturday afternoon.
Jack Stack’s lunch and dinner menus feature all the classics. If you’re hungry, try one of the Kansas City combos, where you can pick two or three meats (beef brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, turkey, smoked sausage, bone-in chicken, pork spare ribs) served with sides.
Since we were visiting multiple spots in one day on our barbecue tour of Kansas City, we kept it light with a combo of mac ‘n cheese and pulled pork. Often, mac ‘n cheese can be an afterthought, but not here—it was creamy and flavorful enough to stand on its own. Topped with hickory-smoked pulled pork, it became a standout dish.
Jack Stack’s sauces were another highlight. We sampled several, and the standard sauce was so good we bought a bottle to take home. Our favorite, though, was the honey-chipotle sauce—unfortunately not available for purchase at the time.
One unexpected bonus: the bourbon selection. We counted nearly two dozen Blanton’s bottles and a wide variety of other rare bourbons—perfect if you want a cocktail with your BBQ.
Can’t make it to Kansas City? Jack Stack offers nationwide shipping.
Joe’s Kansas City BBQ
Joe’s Kansas City BBQ is perhaps the most hyped spot on our list. It gained fame after appearing on Anthony Bourdain’s list of 13 places to eat before you die, and after visiting, we understand why.
Full disclosure: we didn’t eat at the original gas station location. Time was an issue, and waiting for hours in 90-degree heat wasn’t on our itinerary. Instead, we visited the Leawood, Kansas, location and still had to wait—though 40 minutes was far better than the double wait time at the original.
Joe’s offers amazing sandwiches and dinners, including smoked turkey, ham, pulled pork, brisket, and burnt ends. The most talked-about item is the Z-Man sandwich—smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone cheese, and two crispy onion rings on a toasted Kaiser roll.
The Z-Man lives up to the hype. The smoked provolone perfectly complements the brisket and sauce. Variations include chicken, pulled pork, or even a smoked portobello mushroom.
As good as the food was, the sauce was even better. If you’re looking for a sweet Kansas City-style sauce, Joe’s original is liquid gold—one of our all-time favorites.
Sides are another way to judge a BBQ joint, and Joe’s scores high marks. The banana pudding, topped with Heath bar pieces, was unexpectedly fantastic.
Joe’s offers national shipping, including a Z-Man kit and their sensational sauces.
Gates Bar-B-Q
Our final stop was Gates Bar-B-Q, a Kansas City staple since 1946. With five family-owned locations, their iconic red roof and “struttin’ man” logo are easy to spot—and their sauces are even available in local grocery stores.
We decided to dive into a slab of ribs and some pulled pork from the Gates menu. In addition to our selections, you can grab sausage, chicken, and even mutton. The ribs were excellent, and the sauce complimented the smoky meat well. A full slab is a big portion, so make sure you come hungry.
The pulled pork sandwich was also a hit. It was so large that we found it easier to eat with a fork than as a sandwich.
Don’t skip dessert—Gates serves a variety of pies. We had a slice of peach pie that was outstanding.
We visited the Independence, Missouri, location—just minutes from Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums. If you’re in town for a game, it’s a great pre- or post-game stop.
Gates offers three sauces: traditional (a bit spicy), extra hot, and a sweet Kansas City-style version. They also sell special seasonings, all available for nationwide shipping.
Other notables Kansas City restaurants
We ate a lot of barbecue. While we knocked off four from our list of places to try, there were still others that we wanted to get to but just couldn’t fit them in. When planning your trip, you might consider these places as well. Let’s face it, to survive as a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City you have to be good.
If you like an iconic meal, check out some of our other culinary observations!
