Kansas City BBQ Gets Its Due… In Chicago
15 Comments Published by Joel August 29th, 2007 in Food, Meat. Share This
Susie and I have made a bit of a name for ourselves among our friends here in Brooklyn for being BBQ nerds. Which is fine—I make some great ribs; she has a killer pulled pork recipe. But we often try to explain to our friends as they cram meat down their gullets why BBQ is so important to us, having both grown up in Kansas City.
Next time, I’ll just link them this great piece about KC BBQ by Donna Pierce for the Chicago Tribune. It’s worth the time to read, but here are a couple early highlights:
Located midway between two barbecue bastions — Memphis and Texas — the city borrows from those destinations: slow-cooking pork ribs seasoned with a dry rub, a la Memphis, and the beef brisket, hot links and ham from Texas. But it also adds pulled pork topped with coleslaw in the Carolina-style and trimmed lamb ribs in the Denver tradition.
That’s such an important factor in Kansas City’s BBQ culture. It isn’t so much that KC has a particular style—although the obsession about sauces, including the common spicy-sweet hybrids, may be unique—but that BBQ in all its forms is lauded and embraced.
And it’s not just all styles that are welcomed, but BBQ both low and high. Kansas City is the only town I know that has a chain of fast-food BBQ restaurants (”Gates”; HimayIhepyou?!) as well as fine-dining BBQ establishments (including my favorite, to much disagreement, Fiorella’s “Jack Stack”). BBQ isn’t an occasional treat in KC. It is seriously, no-foolin’ a way of life.
When Susie and I run across a fellow KC native here in New York, the topic almost always turns to BBQ. “Found any good BBQ places yet?” There’s some decent BBQ in New York, but nothing sublime. It’s hard to match the best output of a town engaged in a hundred-year-old BBQ arms race.
Kansas City is barbecue bountiful, but it wasn’t always that way. A century ago, records indicate the presence of only one commercial barbecue venture. According to barbecue historian Doug Worgul, smoked meats did not become a commodity in Kansas City until 1907, when Henry Perry, from Shelby County, Tenn., opened the city’s first barbecue stand. He smoked pork, beef, possum and raccoon, sauced them and sold them like English fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper.
I’ve never heard of BBQ’d possum and racoon, but now I’ve got a new mission.
Tell me if I’m wrong, but KC is the only place I’ve been where BBQ sauce is a regular tabletop condiment for everything. In fact, the best thing about Gates isn’t the meat (which is good, but not spectacular), but the thick-cut fries, perfect for dipping in one of their three house sauces.
Arriving at the crossroads [ChicagoTribune.com] (Thanks, Ryan!)
Bonus link: Kansas City Rampage: 2 Chowists, 10 Hours, 7 Meals (PICS) [ITHForum.com] Including a stop at one of my all-time favorite KC BBQ joints, L.C.’s!
BBQ > all
Dang. I want LC’s now.
“According to barbecue historian Doug Worgul, …”
When I grow up, I want to be a barbecue historian.
Maurice’s Gourmet BBQ has a chain of drive-through BBQ restaurants in Columbia, SC. It’s good stuff. You can order bottles of his sauces – as long as you don’t have a problem with the Dixie flag on the label.
http://www.mauricesbbq.com/
Being a Chicago transplant now living in KC I can tell you that Gates does not deserve to be in the picture for the article. There are plenty of better places here.
Gates is not the best, but when they’re on their game, they’re pretty good.
Bryant’s forever!
Oh yeah, and uh, wtf is up with Maurice’s yellow sauce? It looks like split pea soup.
I went on a trip to KC and went to Arthur Bryants, Jack Stack, KC Masterpiece, and a little place called Oklahoma Joe’s in a gas station, but it was PACKED.
Been down to Memphis and checked out Corky’s, Interstate (can’t remember full name), Sticky Fingers, and a few others.
They were all good. Some things better at some than others.
Worth mentioning is also a little town in Oklahoma. Muskogee, OK . They have a TON of BBQ restaurants too, especially for such a small town.
Try My Place (there is an East side and West side…owned by different families), Malon’s, Cowboys and Log Cabin. (there’s more too)
My rankings:
Sauce: My Place West, Muskogee, OK
Brisket: Oklahoma Joe’s – KC or Arthur Bryants in KC (original one)
Ribs: Jack Stack in KC or Carson’s in Memphis – Jack Stack is a nice restaurant
Hot links: Porky’s in Dallas, TX
I respectfully disagree. The best thing about Gates is the “HimayIhelpyou!” bellowed at you as soon as you hit the threshold, demanding that you be ready to order or get out of the way.
Worked for a year out in KC a while back. While the sauces may be a bit better at a Gates or Jack Stack, I thought the best overall experience was Oklahoma Joe’s, hands down. Fantastic brisket on Texas toast, and awesome seasoned fries. And you can fill up your tank while you’re there.
Also have to big-up some of the best steaks around too – The Majestic and Plaza 3 in particular.
Yeah the Majestic is badass for steak. We might have to hit that place up next time we’re in town.
I agree about Gates. Pretty good bbq, but mostly famous for being famous, kind of like Arthur Bryant’s. I’d like to add The Filling Station in Lee’s Summit as a great bbq joint (also in an old, restored gas station).
My Favs:
Sauce – Gates Hot, Haywards Original, Jack Stack Hot
Meats – Jack Stack, Oklahoma Joe’s
Beans – Jack Stack hickory pit beans. Period.
Fries – Oklahoma Joe’s
Atmosphere – The Filling Station, Jack Stack in Martin City
Service – Jack Stack
Best Overall – Jack Stack or The Filling Station, depending on your mood.
BTW, Jack Stack ships their bbq.
What’s the story with Hill Country in NYC? Have they really managed to replicate Lockhart, TX BBQ on 26th and Bway??
eLad in MO, go to LC’s for beans. You’ll thank me.
Thanks, Susie. Been to LC’s, done that. Really good stuff, but Jack Stack has them beat by far.