Tell Me About Kansas City BBQ

NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 04:04:50 PDT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu rec.food.restaurants:50608

You must try Bryant's.  The original is about 18 St. and Brooklyn? check the phone book and the second is in the Station Casino.  We get back to KC twice a year and always go to Bryant;s at least once to two times in a week, sometimes more.  We go to the casino one but to get the feel of old KC BBq go to the original.  We order a combo sandwich and fries.  One will feed two.  The ribs are great and the beer is ice cold.   The sauce is different so you might say no sauce and then add what you want at the table,  They have two so try a little on a fry to decide.  I bought several bottles last time, the original.  It's grainy, paprika based and hot, not a sweet sauce.

Some people like Gate's.  Be prepared to be yelled at "HI MAY I HELP YA" as you walk in the door.  Fries suck.  beans are good, meat is fine, serve mutton, a little fatty for me.

Our second favorite place is the Smokestack on Prospect.  The 69'er is great.  A big sandwich on a hoagie/french bun with shredded lettuce and pickle.  The burnt ends are great.  These are the tips of the brisket that aren't used for slicing, chunked brisket some places call them brownies. Not always available. The fries are so so but the beans are to die for.

Skip KC Masterpiece.  Haywards is good, south Johnson county.

Check the KC Star or go to KCBS webpage and see if there are any BBQ contests going on while you are there.  Friday nights are party night and you might not learn much but Saturday is judging day usually have to get things started going to the judges about 10 am and a new category every half to three quarter hour.  This is the time you might get samples.  Don't be offended if you don't get any, some prohibit it, others don't like to feed the public for free, and  then the contestants are BUSY trying to get the stuff ready.  We competed for many years.  The average team spend $300 to $1000+ at these contests just to try to win.  We always gave out some samples but took home most of the leftovers. Usually cooked two or three briskets,  4-6 chickens, 6-8 slabs of ribs, 2-3  pork butts, 10+ sausages and more to make sure we got exactly what we wanted to send in to judges so you can see how expensive it can get.  Visit with the contestants and watch them work, wee all kinds of cookers,  Lipton tea has a BIG teapot cooker, Swine flew has a converted airplane as a cooker, all kinds of modified contraptions.  It's a fun time.

Check our web page for recipes.

Susan

Someone wrote:

>A recommendation: Arthur Bryant's at 1727 Brooklyn or
>Station Casino. Try any kind of meat, but consider the
>"burnt ends" and the Turkey. Skip the fries and get the
>beans (IMHO the best).  or try Gates. L.C., etc.

I second Bryant's and Gates. However, my favorite in the Kansas City area is Hayward's on Antioch, just off College on the Kansas side. We stop there every time we get to the KC area.

Good day      JSW