LSky

Let me get ready to eat my words. Just hours ago I posted that I rarely care about food while on vacation.

Now, I find myself on the way to Kansas City and a couple of the people I'm going with want to do barbeque. We almost have to eat barbeque, don't we?

If you would be so kind as to tell me where the best barbeque in Kansas City can be found, I'll get out a napkin and finish eating those words. (munch, munch, chomp!) And my friends will be grateful.

Oh, and one little caveat. One of the group is mostly vegan but will do vegetarian it would be nice if she could find something to eat too. She doesn't eat much

Thanks

sunbum1944

I think Oklahoma Joe's is the best. I even order their BBQ sauce which is not available in our area.

But you should go to Bryants too- its a legend. I was afraid to go the first time I went - but that was 30 years ago. Not the greatest area of town- but food is great I think is a must do.

kit

"Best" is forever debatable in KC. some names to google, all with varying degrees of "restaurantness":

Arthur Bryants
Jack Stack
Oklahoma Joes
Gates

...many more. They are everywhere.

musicfan

Another vote for Oklahoma Joe's here! They just opened a third location. The original location, in the gas station, is closest to the city center(even though it is technically in Kansas)and would be considered the most "authentic" but it is also the smallest so waits can be long. The other two are in the suburbs.

For a more upscale BBQ experience, try Jack Stack in the Freight House District...very cool location! Here is their website:

http://www.jackstackbbq.com/restaurants/a/850/

They also have a location on The Plaza:

http://www.jackstackbbq.com/restaurants/a/850/

Sorry I can't help with the vegan/vegetarian issue.

I hope you have a good time!

kit

Your vegan friend will probably not find anything at Gates or Arthur Bryant's. Jack Stack might be your best bet for her.

annesherrod

Arthur Bryant

Jack Stack - our vegan freind found something here.

We were just there last weekend!!! Both are sooooo good.

kit

wherever you go, get some burnt ends!

dcd

I've had the privilege of eating KC BBQ on many occasions. Among the over 300 Q joints I've sampled around the country (yes, I'm an addict who refuses to do a 12 step, lol!), KC rates pretty darn high.

My favs:

1. Oklahoma Joe's (usually a long line at the original location - a former gas station - but it moves)

2. Smoking Guns (not too far from the airport http://www.smokingunsbbq.com/)

3. Danny Edwards Boulevard BBQ (http://dannyedwardsblvdbbq.com/)

4. RJ's "Bob Be Que" (http://www.rjsbbq.com/)

5. Arthur Bryant's (http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/index.htm)

6. LC's (although the neighborhood isn't the best and they aren't the most friendly http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/O...640/l-cs-barbq)

7. Jack Stack's downtown is pretty good, too, especially for those wanting a nice sit down restaurant as opposed to a BBQ joint/shack (http://www.jackstackbbq.com/FreightHouse.aspx).

Bon appetit!!

sunbum1944

kit- would love to have a meal of burnt ends- oh yummy!

Keith

#1 LC's BBQ
#2 Danny Edward's Boulevard BBQ
#3 The Rub

Also worth a visit: Jack Stack Brobeck's, Smokin' Guns, Quick's, Arthur Bryant's, Oklahoma Joe's and others. Joe's is not worth the extremely long wait in line.

But where to send someone depends a lot of what dishes they most want and the style of experience they want.

Unless the vegetarian is going to be satisfied with onion rings, French fries or coleslaw, most of those will not work for you. Your best bets are Jack Stack, RJ's Bob-Be-Que Shack, or McGuire's BBQ (great smoked green beans or corn).

Keith

kit

Keith has a good point. You really need to have a conversation with your vegan/veg friend about what her expectations are for eating at a barbecue restaurant. I'm sure the rings, fries, etc. won't be fried in the proper oil, etc and the butter on the corn won't be right, and so on. But she may be flexible. Many are.

JAck Stack is a nice, "restaurant-y" experience with good BBQ (but not awesome, cool, authentic-y KC bbq the way some of us think of it.) It may be the only way for your your veg friend to get a bite to eat that does not compromise her values. I haven't looked at the menus, though, so I may not know of what I speak. I say all of this from living here most of my life and having eaten at many of these places.

I say all this as a newish vegetarian (and yes, I used to like burnt ends very much!)

kit

that sounds weird..."you really need to"

I dont mean it like that at all. I was just thinking about this some more because this is hard for me...a vegetarian in KC...

HAve fun...KC BBQ is great...(and so are the salads : )

LSky

Wow! Thanks all! this is a great list and now I can't wait to be a "barbeque foodie"

Thanks kit, that's sweet of you to be concerned. I've been a vegetarian in the past and still eat healthy. My friend understands and she's free, even of her own conventions and may very well decide, "when in KC..."

Anyhoo, she can cross the bbq bridge when everyone gets there. If there is a convenient place that serves salad or maybe she'll get a hankering for those burnt pieces - oh my they look good

We won't give up the best bbq to please one, when there may well be a couple of us.

Attnymom

I agree with the above posters - the best bet for your veggie friend is Jack Stack's. The one in the Freight House district is very nice, but the Plaza location is hard to beat. Jack Stack's is more "restaurant-y" as Kit said. It is like "fine dining" BBQ. If you want a real, honest to goodness BBQ "joint" then check out Gates, OK Joe's, Bryant's, etc... Everyone has their own favorites for the best BBQ in KC, but I think OK Joe's is hard to beat. Smoke n' Guns was just on DDD along with two other local joints I'd never heard of - which makes me wonder how Guy picks his restaurants.

If you REALLY want to experience BBQ, come to Kansas City the first weekend in October for the Kansas City Royal BBQ competition. The entire city smells like BBQ and the smoke cloud is visible for miles. Very fun.

One more thing - while you are in KC, pickup some "Meat Mitch" sauce (available in grocery stores or online). It is our family favorite.

http://meatmitch.com/

Enjoy your trip to KC!

A

LSky

It's going to be a down-to-earth-get-a-stack-of-napkins-cuz-things-will-be-messy kind of place.

My friend will live through it . I love doing shots of wheatgrass with my organic apples as much as the next woman but when in the land of meat, one must not falter. This seems to be serious business.
We're going to a convention so we'll have many choices of dinner companions.

I imagine that there are plenty of vegetarian and healthy food places in KC, Unity Village is near by and that must have some influence.

I'm looking forward to your art museums too

sunbum1944

Unity Village is close by but I don't think it has much influence on the meat eating habits of the area. We used to go to their cafeteria frequently- they had meat on the menu as I recall but the best thing they had was peach pie- yum.

Are you going to visit Unity in between eating BBQ?

LSky

I've always had an interest in Unity Village but that's not why I'll be in KC. We only have a limited amoung to free time in KC and have kicked the idea about but the art museums are winning me over.

I did notice though, that there's a vegetarian restaurant at the Unity Plaza at 707 West 47th street and a meditation on Sunday morning.

musicfan

Unity Village is not what I would consider close to the rest of Kansas City...it's off to the southeast closer to the suburbs in that area. The vegetarian restaurant at the Unity Temple on the Plaza is nice...quite spacious and I've heard good things about it (it's in the basement so is not visible from the street...just an fyi for you).

LSky

Thanks musicfan for the info and the correction "on the Plaza"

Would you recommend the American Jazz Museum?

kit

I'll jump back in -- Eden Alley is the veg restaurant in the basement of the Unity Temple. Basement sounds weird, but it is a very popular restaurant and a very good, typical vegetarian one, too. I think you might like the Temple, too, on Sunday if you enjoy Unitarian services. Also very popular in Kansas City.

The Nelson and Kemper are wonderful art museums, the former much larger than the latter, if you are having time issues. Be sure to see the Thomas Hart Bentons if you go to the Nelson. He's our native son. I can never get enough.

The Jazz Museum is co-located with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which I personally prefer, but both are easy to see at the same time. And both are near Arthur Bryant's BBQ if you want a real, down and dirty BBQ experience. All are in the historic 18th and Vine district, and easy cab ride.

The WWI museum is also downtown and the Truman Library is in an eastern suburb. I think the exhibits/papers on his decision to drop the bomb and (separately) recognizing Israel are something worth seeing, too, if you like presidential libraries.

I hope you enjoy your visit!