Here’s what sets Kansas City barbeque apart, differentiates it from the species savored in Alabama or maybe South Carolina: KC BBQ aficionados love the “burnt end” – that crispy part of the brisket you’ve got a tough time slicing, but is still wonderful. Then there’s the sauce. In KC, they dry-rub the meat first. Then they sauce it. That sauce can be sweeter than in other regions of the country, depending on which Kansas City barbeque restaurant you frequent. Some say there are more than 100 in and around the city. See for yourself.
Here are three iconic contestants:
Arthur Bryant’s. When celebs and pols – people like Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter, Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson – come to visit KC, this is where they come to eat. Author Calvin Trillin once called Arthur Bryant’s “the single best restaurant in the world.” Get the drift? One of the secrets is its sauce, acidic and robustly vinegary. That’s what differentiates it from the sweeter sauces that set the tone for the town.
Gates Bar-B-Q is mentioned in the same breath as Bryant’s. They once battled in the Travel Channel’s Food Wars. If your car window is rolled down, you know you’re close. Hickory smoke attracts your nose to the place, and the rest of you comes along for the ride. The servers really know their stuff, having attended (really) the Gates College of Bar-B-Que Knowledge – otherwise known as Rib Tech.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque at the Freight House is perhaps the town’s most upscale barbeque restaurant. Zagat loves it. The service is first-rate and the ambience excellent. Oh, and then there’s the food. There’s more than barbeque to this KC favorite. The wine list is really good, and they know how to make a proper cocktail. We know baked beans may seem an incongruous match with wine, but go ahead, try ‘em. Fiorella’s are reputedly the best around.
What you don’t want to do before you stop in at one of these restaurants is come in with a full stomach. Eat a light breakfast, a lighter lunch, and come in famished. Preparation is important.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Mike Willis)
