Kansas City, MO - Home of jazz and blues, Arrowhead, the George Brett Super Highway, and of course mouth-watering, cholesterol-laden, smoky barbecue! Now I have been to Kansas City before and have tried about 6 different joints, so I’d like to think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But first some background:
Since KC is smack in the middle of the U.S., and was once a main stopping point for shipping goods to/from west and east, it has incorporated its unique take on BBQ by combining many aspects and flavors from other parts of the country. Many workers from the South who came up north to work in factories and meat packing industry in Chicago, stopped in Kansas City. Many stayed and brought their cooking techniques with them. BBQ is thought to have originated in the South created by African-Americans, and it is they who through their migrations in the early 20th century brought it to Memphis, Texas, and Kansas City. Music, along with food also emigrated here. KC was considered a jazz and blues mecca in the 1920s and 1930s with such greats as Count Basie and Charlie Parker being leading musicians there playing in many clubs in the now-historic 18th & Vine District.
Before the review I’d like to go over some primers on KC BBQ and how it differs from other American smoked meat bastions, namely Texas and Carolina, which are two of the more popular American BBQ variants.
o Sauce: Texas is known for their spicy tomato based sauce made with chili peppers, and Carolina is known for their tangy vinegar based sauce. KC is primarily known for a sweet & spicy tomato based sauce, with a heavy molasses flavor. While all establishments have their own sauces, and make variations, the standard sauce is the molasses & tomato based one.
o Meat: Again the middle of the road. Texas is known for ONLY smoking beef and Carolina known for ONLY smoking pork. Well KC does BOTH, as well as turkey, chicken, salami and if you are lucky to find it…bologna. One great meat option that is only found in KC is burnt ends. Burnt ends are the end pieces of the beef brisket which are chopped up and either served on top of white bread or in a sandwich. They have a slightly charred skin, but are very succulent and tasty as they are from the fatty ends of the brisket.
o Sides: As in other BBQ Kansas City establishments also serve an array of sides, including BBQ beans, cole slaw, and French fries. Most places also offer pickle slices and/or dilly beans (pickled green beans). For either sandwiches or as a side to a platter, Wonder bread is served. It goes great with sopping up the juices from the meat and extra sauce.
I have been to 7 or 8 BBQ eateries in Kansas City, and all are fantastic with different sauces, preparations and meat varieties. But since I was only there for a weekend, I would have to limit my BBQ experience to two of the most well known establishments: Gates and Arthur Bryant’s.
Gate’s BBQ
Gates BBQ is a small chain with six locations around Kansas City founded in 1946. Their menu is classic KC, serving beef, ham, pork, turkey, burnt ends, and the lauded sausage. They are also well-known for their BBQ sauce and rubs, which I read are looking to have national distribution but can also be ordered off their website. Pulling into the parking lot you can see the smokestack protruding from the roof spewing wonderful hickory smoke, coming from their huge smokers. You can just picture the racks of ribs, beef brisket, ham and turkeys aging and slowing cooking in all the woodsy goodness.
When entering you are greeting with a friendly “How ya doin? Can I take your order?” from the woman behind the counter. Behind her you can see the cooks pulling meat out of the smoker then chopping to precision. I went for the basics:
o Ham on bread – actually a double-decker sandwich
o BBQ beans
o Side of pickles
o Extra slices of bread
o Mug of MGD ($2!!!)
o Sides of sauces:
o Original
o Extra Hot
o Sweet & Spicy
Gate’s puts a minimal amount of their Original sauce on the sandwich itself; which I approve as I like to taste the true smoky flavor of the meat without the sauce overpowering. However, one shouldn’t discount the sauce at Gate’s. You can serve yourself the sauce with little dishes, which provided myself the full gamut: Original, Extra Hot and Sweet & Saucy. The Original has a great smoky flavor, and not too sweet. Definitely more of a classic barbecue sauce. My favorite is the Sweet & Spicy, which provides the same smokiness, but with a molasses aftertaste. It was perfect for dunking the sandwich and extra bread in.
The beans were perfunctory; good size beans with chunks of bacon simmering in the Original sauce. BBQ beans are always a great side for BBQ.
The ham on bread can never go wrong at Gate’s. Actually I went for the burnt ends first, but they were out that day. I wouldn’t be able to return to Gate’s so I went for my #2 which is the ham on bread. The ham itself was juicy and smoky, and was loaded between the Wonder bread. As I wrote, the Original sauce was applied sparingly, but I loved dunking the corners into the Sweet & Spicy. Just fantastic honest BBQ
Arthur Bryant’s
Claimed by many foodies to be not only the best BBQ, but also the best restaurant in the country. Definitely the most famous BBQ join in Kansas City, Arthur Bryant’s is located right in the 18th & Vine historic area. Walking in through the screen door is entering BBQ mecca: sparse dining room, pictures on the wall of celebrities and politicians eating at Bryant’s, and the long line. Bryant’s is known for their somewhat gruff ordering procedure: walking in a line you yell what you want to the people on the other side of the glass, where you can see some of the smokers and cooks working. Once you make your order you grab a tray and utensils; the cooks take the meat (ribs, turkey, ham, beef, etc) and then chop it up. Throw it on a plate and then give you about 6 slices of Wonder bread. Then you call out your sides and drink.
- Meat Combo
- Sausage on bread
- Burnt ends
- Fries
- Pitcher of Bud (shared with my brother; and it being only 12pm was served with a big smile from the cashier)
- Bunch of pickle slices from the big jar by the register
First thing first: the portions are HUGE. A regular order of fries can easily be shared, and when the guys carving up the meat they give you generous portions, and of course the requisite Wonder bread.
While I prefer Gate’s Original sauce, Bryant’s is also great in the KC tradition. Smoky and sweet, with a nice sharp tang. It can be somewhat strong so they don’t use too much on their meat (other than burnt ends, where the sauce compliments the charred bits).
Burnt ends from Bryant’s may be one of the best food items in America. As mentioned they are unique to Kansas City, and Arthur makes the best. Nice huge chunks of charred brisket thrown on top of white bread, with Bryant’s sauce slathered over. It can be eaten as a sandwich, but it is too large that a fork is necessary. While this part of the brisket isn’t as tender as what is cut for the regular beef plate, those in the know jump for the burnt ends. You can definitely taste a good amount of smoke in the meat, and while it isn’t soft, the charred ends give so much flavor coupled with the sauce that you don’t mind chewing and savoring every bite.
The sausage may not be the most popular, but it is still an item to get. Like a smoked or Italian sausage, a BBQ sausage is pork but isn’t formed in casings. Rather the sausage is made with meat and spices, ground together and then smoked as a whole item. When served it is sliced and served on bread (as a double-decker sandwich), resembling a cold cut. The flavor is divine. The combination of the spiced pork flavor, hickory smoke and sauce is just a wonderful creation of the Food Gods. The texture is somewhat flimsy and light (picture bologna) but very tender and juicy. If only ever deli would serve BBQ sausage as a sandwich item, we would be in a happier world.
Arthur Bryant’s, the king of the meat. Easily the most famous BBQ joint in Kansas City, and the meats and sauce live up to the reputation. There is a large blow-up copy of an editorial cartoon published by the Kansas City Star the day after Bryant died. Bryant himself is standing before the pearly gates with his suitcase, with St. Peter’s arm around him asking the one important question: “Did you bring the sauce?”
Luckily he left some of it to us here.
