Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
FLYOVER
COUNTRY
IS A MYTH
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KCRW 2024 in Review
Every year, Kansas City Restaurant Week (KCRW) creates a golden opportunity for Kansas Citians to try new restaurants and visit familiar favorites, and enjoy unbelievable deals on multi-course meals. Despite the weather and a busy schedule, I found a way to enjoy KCRW as I do every year. And while I enjoyed three fantastic meals, I found myself asking, “Is KC Restaurant Week really the unbelievable deal it once was?” This was my experience.
Everything but the Bread
Every year thousands travel to Kansas City to try the best that the World Capital of Barbeque has to offer. With over a hundred spots to choose from, locals and travels alike visit a number of barbeque restaurants, joints, stands, trucks, and pop-ups, and enjoy a variety of sauces, sides, and smoked meats. Regardless of where they choose to eat or what they order, nearly every single sandwich and tray in the city is united by a common thread. Everyone in KC seems to know it, but nobody really acknowledges KCQ’s best supporting actor.
Bar-V-Que
Barbeque is a community food. It is best when shared with others. And yet? Not every member of every community eats meat. Year after year, vegetarianism becomes more popular in the United States. And whether it’s a lifestyle, or just for a meal, more and Kansas City pitmasters are flexing their creative muscles to serve up Kansas City flavors that are inclusive to a much wider audience. These are some of the best places to enjoy bar-v-que in the city.
The Fountain City Foodie’s Guide to the World Capital of BBQ (KS)
Setting out to try every single Kansas City barbeque spot, it can be easy to know where you start, but where does one finish? There’s no set checklist of every BBQ joint in the metro. There’s no order guide of what you must, and mustn’t get! That is, there wasn’t. As I recorded my own decade-long pilgrimage through the Q Capital, one friend joked this was a “BBQ Bible”. Not only did I confirm it, I got a little carried away with the concept.
Part 2 / 2 explores the 5 Kansas counties that comprise KC.
The Fountain City Foodie’s Guide to the World Capital of BBQ (MO)
Setting out to try every single Kansas City barbeque spot, it can be easy to know where you start, but where does one finish? There’s no set checklist of every BBQ joint in the metro. There’s no order guide of what you must, and mustn’t get! That is, there wasn’t. As I recorded my own decade-long pilgrimage through the Q Capital, one friend joked this was a “BBQ Bible”. Not only did I confirm it, I got a little carried away with the concept.
Part 1 / 2 explores the 9 Missouri counties that comprise KC.
Destination Q
As a self-designated rib snob, I am quite particular about my pork ribs. I hold very specific standards for the texture, taste, temperature, moisture, and even the cut! Then, I made a long overdue trip to a barbeque joint on the outer edges of the metro. One bite into a slab of ribs that did not fit my usual preferences immediately changed everything that I thought I knew. These most unlikely ribs were some of the best I have ever had! In the same way that a book should never be judged by its cover, I will never again make the mistake of judging a rib by its cut - without at least taking a bite.
KCRW 2023: A Preview
Every January, for 10 glorious days, the Kansas City restaurant community bands together to offer “affordable, adventurous dining” for all. As an added caveat, a portion of all proceeds always are donated to a worthwhile local cause. With the KC Restaurant Week menus starting to be released and so many options, here’s a few recommendations. Last year, I did a review of KCRW. This year, I offer a preview.
Pack Mentality
If there’s one thing that I can take from my time getting to know the guys behind Wolfepack BBQ it’s that, “Barbeque is a community food.” So for this Northtown eatery, who prides itself on innovation, Wolfepack is more than a good pun. It’s an indicator of how this team approaches their craft day-in and day-out. Without their pack, nothing else would be possible.
Party in the Pit
I have long championed Kansas City’s world-class barbeque scene that makes this city the global capital of smoked meats. Getting the opportunity to attend the inaugural Party in the Pit, which featured 18 local pitmasters, reminded me that what makes this city the World Capital of BBQ goes beyond the restaurants and the offerings, it’s all about the people who are so committed to contributing to this rich history.