From the BBQ Capital of the USA---Kansas City, Missouri

Best Joint----Arthur Bryant's BBQ
Where---------1727 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, Missouri (816) 231-1123
Online--------- http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/index.htm
What-----------Beef, Pork, Chicken, Ham, Turkey, Ribs, Handmade Fries, Pickles, and the BEST Dang BBQ Sauce in the WORLD!

Why------------ One visit to this Kansas City BBQ legend will answer why. Arthur Bryant's BBQ is simply BBQ nirvana and the King of BBQ joints in the USA. This joint has been around since the 1920's and the Bryant family's expertise with BBQ shows with every finger-licking meal they serve. Don't expect a fancy type place, you won't be seated by hostess, and you won't have a waitress or waiter. You will most certainly have to stand in a line that sometimes stretches out to the street and around the building, but the line moves fast, and the food is well worth the wait. When you reach the cafeteria style line, you give your order and watch it being assembled right in front of you. A few feet away, behind the counter, you can see right into the huge ovens, with all the delectable meats inside. No kitchen hidden in the back at this place, you can see everything. Your order doesn't come to you on hoity-toity china plates either. Your meal is served in a double wrapping of butcher paper, which comes in quite handy when you take the leftovers home. And believe me, you WILL have enough meat and fries to take home. The portions are simply huge, Bryant's does not skimp when it comes to how much you get for your buck. Order a sandwich, and you will receive enough meat to make three sandwiches.

Laying on the butcher paper will be a amazingly large mound of meat, whatever you choose, three or four slices of bread, and what seems like a whole jar of pickles, If you order fries, be prepared to get the largest amount of home-made spuds you have ever seen served anywhere. And the sauce..........ahhhhh....Arthur Bryant's BBQ Sauce! This sauce is a spicy, gritty, mouthwatering delight. You won't find a sweet, molasses type of sauce here, this is hardcore BBQ sauce.

If you decide to eat at the restaurant, be prepared for the unique Bryant's atmosphere. Linoleum floors, plain formica tables, mismatched chairs, and more paper napkins then you will ever see in one BBQ joint. No fancy plants or artwork here, instead the walls are covered with framed magazine and newspaper articles about this legendary BBQ mecca, along with photos of celebrities and famous people that adore Arthur Bryant's. The Bryant's family puts all of their efforts into the amazing food they serve, and once you taste this BBQ, you won't miss any la-de-da surroundings. Eat in or take your BBQ home, either way, once you taste this stuff, you will be spoiled. Any other BBQ you may try, will never, ever compare to Arthur Bryant's BBQ. It is simply the Best.

Carolyn Henneforth
KaysingerBluff@aol.com

Carolyn,

I've heard this is a good BBQ joint from others as well and will definitely give it a try the next time I'm in town. I used to live in Kentucky Hills in the mid sixties, in Independence in the late sixties, and worked at the Twin Drive-In in the seventies. Arthur Bryant's BBQ will be the first place I eat. I want to see how it compares to Gates!

Bob.

Bob,
What a small world....I live about a mile away from the Twin Drive-In. Let me know how you like Arthur Bryant's.....once you taste it...it will become your favorite!

Carolyn

Bryants, Gates. Probably the two biggest names always tossed out there for the best Kansas City barbecue. I enjoy the food at both of these joints, but as far as the best, hardly.

Recipe for Trendy BBQ Joint
Combine Calvin Trillin's proclamation as the "best darn restaurant in the world", thrown in two US Presidents, a heaping portion of local celebs, then lightly sprinkle with some Hollywood types. Garnish with everyone trying to fit in with their new found barbecue expertise.

I was ready for you to toss in KC Masterpiece, but I suspect newbies like yourself know that even McRib has them beat when it comes to barbecue-like fare.

The best is in the eye of the beholden-the-sandwich. People's taste is as varied as there are barbecue joints in Kansas City.

Honestly, I think you were paid by Bryants for the fluff piece. This is a community board. Call the Star like everybody else.

My favorites, in order: Jack Stack Barbecue, my own, Bryants, Gates, Haywards.

School's out. Dismissed.

NoHurry, you have one opinion, here are many: http://kansascity.citysearch.com/best/results/8606/

Bryants #1 barbecue at CitySearch.

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue #1 barbecue, and #1 Kansas City restaurant, at ZAGAT.

So what? Maybe we can find a survey of top surveys.

[Info@Workman]

We welcome a lively debate here, but do play nice! And be sure to log in so we can see who stands on what side of the debate!

Besides, the best BBQ is in my neck of the woods, Lexington, NC . . .

Info

Notice it's usually the KC people that are pretentious enough to annouce they are the BBQ capital yet most veterans of Q that I know disdain their style of "Q" smothered in sugary ketchup products, yech!

I got news for you KC, great Q can be found just about anywhere. Lately my favorite originates from Iran of all places.

To My Fellow Barbecue Lover, Airfoils,

Your generalizations are exemplary.

We can all agree that just about any "low n slow" pit meister can put out a fine barbecue with enough care. My apologies for the "pretentious" ones around me here in KC, they're just proud of their Q. As you can see, a lot of people claim to have the best. Well, to them, it is the best.

Now I'm hungry for a slab of pork ribs. Gotta' go.

P.S. I take my ribs (best in the country) dry with my sauce on the side for dipping, here in Kansas City.

Probably not as far as beef is concerned. The best beef (brisket and sausage) is found in Central Texas. Joints in the small towns of Lockhart, Luling, and Taylor smoke the best briskets and sausages anywhere. And none of them serve fries either.

Who would have thought that there would be varying opinions on the best Q?

I just happened to catch A. Bryant's and Gate's BBQ on Food Network and wasn't all that impressed with what I saw. No offense, but any place that wraps BBQ up with a load of greasy fries is not gonna make my list of must eats for BBQ. Are you kidding me? Y'all also appear to drown your meats in BBQ sauce too. Good meat needs NO sauce. The absolute best BBQ brisket and sausage is found in Central Texas, namely Lockhart, Luling and Taylor, PERIOD, end of story...

Been to Texas - really, really good bbq there. Lived in KC - really good BBQ all over town there. But, for those adventurous souls like me out there, the best BBQ comes from those little no-name, barely standing, waiting for the health department to shut them down shacks you pass in Small Town, USA. Where are they at? Heck, they're all over this great country. Some will be the absolute worst BBQ, but then you run across a gem of a place where you see the homemade smoker out back chugging away and the Cook with a mixture BBQ sauce, grease, and fire ash smeared on his apron. Just went through Kansas on I-70 and found such a place and for the life of me I do not remember the town. I'll track down a map and post the town. It's off the interstate about 7 miles south. But the place is called Mama Bell's. I had their sampler platter (and platter kinda understates the size of the dish it came on). It beat Bryant's, Jack Stack (or Smokestack like it used to be called) and everything I ate in TX. And the entire platter only cost $7.00!! So, I say, you all can argue all you want about the popular places, I'll give my business to those no-name mom and pop places.

It's so refreshing to hear so many people from so many different areas basically saying the same thing, "I like our style, I don't like yours, so there".

I have travelled to a few different countries around the world, and a fair number of the states in this country. I have my preferences, and there are certainly foods and styles that I don't like, but I'm not about to condemn somebody simply because they like something drier than I do, or wetter, or sweeter.

I doubt anybody will change their personal tastes simply because someone else doesn't like it that way.

I'll get off my soapbox and go fix myself something disgustingly sweet.

We all have our preferences on how we like our BBQ. Personally I like to try all different types from all over the country when I get the chance.

Back when I was in college I moved outside KC for an internship and that is when I learned what a gem KC was for BBQ. I have had the chance to travel around the country and I have tried all kinds of BBQ. I have never sent a plate back either . I have great respect to all the BBQ chefs and joints out there and I can always find something I like.

I live in KC and I know my grill at home is fired up at least once a week because I have never found a better way to prepare meat. But on those occasions I eat out I like to go to Rosedales BBQ down on soutwest Blvd. When I have client in from out of town I like to take them to Jack Stack because it has a great ambiance for a restaraunt and the food is wonderfull. I enjoy Gates BBQ as well as it has a great sauce. Aurther Bryants to me is just OK. I always thought there sauce was just too gritty and the nieghborhood that the original restaraunt is in is not a place I would visit after dark.