Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
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Devan’s (Double) Dozen: BBQ Edition, Part II
After a year that took me to nearly every barbeque restaurant, joint, stand, pop-up, and concept in the Kansas City metro, a lot of readers were left asking the one question I had failed to answer, “Which is best?” Here in Kansas City, talking about barbeque is as common as discussing the weather or the local sports team, but far more precarious. The BBQ joint one person swears by will be the one another swears they won’t visit again. That didn’t stop me from weighing in with the first-ever double edition of Devan’s Dozen. This part contains a countdown from #12 to #1!
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.
FCS: The Meats
“With great palate comes great responsibility.” Perhaps that was not the line exactly as Ben Parker famously delivered it, but does it not hold true? Oftentimes, my recommendation on what BBQ joint a person should try is simply based on the question of “What do you like?” With that in mind, after a year that took me to every BBQ joint worth visiting, this column names the best BBQ joints in the metro, based on the cuts of meat where each spot excels.
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.
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.
Devan’s Dozen: Fried Chicken Edition
When I was a kid, fried chicken was a special treat. It wasn’t that fried chicken was reserved for special occasions. Instead, it was that fried chicken made any meal a special one. A friend asking me the question a couple years ago of, “What’s the best fried chicken in KC?” spawned a very intentional quest to answer that question. So here are my Top 12 Fried Chicken Spots in KC. If you’re expecting Stroud’s or Go Chicken Go, you won’t find that here.
Devan’s Dozen: Sauce Edition
Kansas City BBQ is all about the sauce! Or at least, that’s what strangers try to tell us. Our barbeque is so much more than the sauce but there is no denying it has an important role in our city’s history and whether it is robust, smoky, salty, sour, sweet, savory, or spicy - that barbeque sauce is delightful. It’s the cherry on top of the sundae. In honor of National BBQ Month, I ranked the Top 12 Kansas City BBQ Sauce lineups!
Devan’s Dozen: BBQ Edition
More than political party, sports team, or religion; your barbeque of choice will define you in this town. While that kind of pressure can be quite daunting, this edition of Devan’s Dozen explores the 12 best BBQ joints in the World Capital of ‘Que.
FCS: BBQ Sides
Fountain City Superlatives (FCS) represent the best that Kansas City has to offer in a given category. Previously I awarded my best in show for smoked meats and now we move on to the equally important other half of a BBQ meal - the sides.