CLICK HERE for KC's famous #BBQBible!
CLICK HERE for KC's famous #BBQBible!
FLYOVER
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FCS: Best of 2025
“The thing all writers do best,” Alan Dean Foster once wrote, “is find ways to avoid writing.” At the last minute, the Fountain City Superlatives for 2025 are finally here. As I look back on the year that was, and ahead to the year that will be, it is important to remember that this yearly feature is about recognizing places that are NEW TO ME. The places listed are not necessarily brand new or the very best in KC for their given category. Instead, they were just the best thing I tried in 2025 that I had not tried prior.
Devan’s Dozen: BPT Edition
There are many places that can lay claim to the breaded pork tenderloin (BPT for short). Of course there’s Indiana where it was invented, Iowa and Illinois where it grew up, or even up the river in St. Joseph, Missouri where they gave the sandwich its own revolutionary twist. While Kansas City doesn’t have the history of those places, we still have some great BPTs. These are the best pork tenderloins in the metro.
FCS: BBQ Sides
Oftentimes, my recommendation on what BBQ joint a person should try is simply based on the question of “What do you like?” While that typically is all about the meats, the fact is that the side dishes are just as much a part of the barbeque experience. Typically, BBQ restaurants aren’t judged on everything else but as a follow up to my meat rankings, I decided to rank, well, everything else that can be found at KC BBQ joints.
Devan’s Dozen: Burnt Ends Edition
While it is unclear exactly how long the beef burnt end has been a part of Kansas City’s barbeque tradition, they have been our national calling card for over half a century. These delightful chunks of meat candy are often replicated in other regions but have no doubt, they were created and popularized here. In honor of National Burnt End Day, I talked about my own love affair with burnt ends and ranked my Top 12, make that 13, places to find them in KC.
The KC “BBQ Bible” (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.
Devan’s Dozen: BBQ Sandwiches Edition
I have ranked the BBQ joints and their sauces but now I tread into new territory - the specialty sandwich! It is hard to believe but 25 years ago, the BBQ specialty sandwich was largely unheard of but due to the creation of the Z-Man and its popularity, nearly every restaurant has at least one specialty handheld they are known for. These are my Top 12 in the city.