Here’s how reigning world champion Kansas City Chiefs fans can be Super Bowl Party champs
Kansas City takes its barbecue so seriously, even the baby formula here comes in mild, medium and hot.
Indeed, the Kansas City Barbeque Society is the largest on the planet, with 16,000 members worldwide – many times more than the United Nations has delegates. KCBS sanctions over 300 BBQ contests around the world, and trains and certifies judges who, I swear, are required to take a solemn oath of office.
Now, I’ve had some terrific barbecue across the country – notably the brisket at Midwood Smokehouse (ask for the fatty side) with five North Carolina locations and one in Columbia, South Carolina. I also have fond memories of the ribs at Fox Brothers BBQ in Atlanta, as well as various iterations of good ol’ Texas brisket in Fort Worth.
But after returning home to my native Kansas City, I’m convinced KC barbecue is the absolute best ever.
It’s hardly a secret that KC is known for its barbecue. Anytime there’s a big Kansas City Chiefs game, the TV networks highlight local BBQ spots – and the parking lot at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is one big, aromatic barbecue pit.
Since the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII game against the San Francisco 49ers Feb. 11 is in Las Vegas, you’ll have to recreate that barbecue ambience in your own kitchen. Here’s a fun way that will make you a Super Bowl Champion among your friends and relatives: Ask your Super Bowl Party guests to each bring their favorite entrée and/or side (and sauce) from whatever barbecue restaurant they like. They may even get an entrée from one restaurant and a side from another. But at the very least, you’ll have multiple restaurants represented at your Super Bowl Party!
You’ll end up with the “best of” Kansas City barbecue as your Super Bowl Party platter!
And what is that, exactly? Well, there are too many great KC BBQ joints to mention in one place – so, since they’re being rated all the time, I’ve included some links to several reviews below. But first, here are quick thumbnails of some of the most popular stops, in no particular order:
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
Jeff and Joy Stehney were hooked by the first barbecue contest they attended. They started entering, and winning them, eventually hooking up with a partner and starting Oklahoma Joe’s in Stillwater, Okla., which later closed. Thankfully, though, they had opened a small second location in a gas station near their home in KC, which has grown to become three award-winning restaurants in town.
TheInfatuation.com calls Joe’s KC “the gold standard of local barbecue” – the mainstay of which, and my son’s favorite, being “the Z-Man Sandwich that’s loaded with brisket, provolone, onion rings, and barbecue sauce, all on a kaiser roll.” I love the Carolina Pork Sandwich with coleslaw. Unreal.
Q39
Classically trained chef Rob Magee set out to master KC barbecue when he came here, and the result is two local restaurants that make barbecue feel like fine dining. I have to say, the dark red Q39 sauce is a draw in itself. The Infatuation describes the sauces as Q39’s “original sauce — sweet and apricot molasses-based — and their zesty sauce with apple cider vinegar for some tang.” I just know I love it.
LC’s Bar-B-Q
Truck drivers are renowned for finding the best eats, but Major League Baseball players get around nearly as much – and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright tweeted a few years back that, “Okay, found a KC bbq joint that is special… LC’s BBQ. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, onion rings, tater salad, pit beans… real good.”
“Hands-down the best sausages in town,” adds The Infatuation.
Harp Barbecue
Started as a mobile pop-up and now in its own space, Harp quickly served up some of the best, if not the best, brisket in town (and therefore the nation). Kansas City Magazine calls Harp’s brisket “world-beating,” and says it has “the best sausages in the city.” I’ve interviewed owner and pitmaster Tyler Harp, and he’s worked hard and traveled far to perfect his art.
Slap’s BBQ
The barbecue here isn’t the only thing that’s competition-quality – so is the line! Though technically open 11-7 seven days a week, the lines are long (and worth it) and they’ll close when they sell out, which might be early in the afternoon.
Arthur Bryant’s
The most iconic barbecue joint in KC, dating to 1908, and the carnivore’s delight: the rapid-fire, school lunch counter-style restaurant serves up more meat than can fit on one sandwich, so it historically has offered an open loaf of bread for you to grab more slices to break your sandwich into several.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
Known locally as simply Jack Stack, some best-of ratings gloss over it – but amazingly, three of its locations occupy TripAdvisor’s Top 10 best BBQ places in town. It’s also my family’s favorite. It does all the staples well, but the potato salad is the best ever, and the baked beans aren’t far behind. In fact, my wife thinks it’s got one of the best turkey sandwiches around – but that it also has absolutely one of the best salmon sandwiches ever, ranking right up there with the salmon entrée at a fine restaurant.
Gates Bar-B-Q
Tangy with some bite to it, my favorite barbecue sauce in the world.
As promised, here are some other folks’ opinions on the best barbecue in KC:
https://kansascitymag.com/the-best-bbq-spots-in-kansas-city-2023/
https://www.theinfatuation.com/kansas-city/guides/best-bbq-kansas-city
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Best+Bbq&find_loc=Kansas+City%2C+MO
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g44535-c6-Kansas_City_Missouri.html
