BBQ WARS!

People say they enjoy Kansas City. Find out why.
longviewmo
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by longviewmo »

Highlander wrote:Another chain BBQ struggles and goes under in KC. How many extant bbq chain restaurants are there in KC (outside of KC chains)? Is there still a Famous Dave's out at the Legends? I guess there will be another Billy Simms in Gardner in 2018.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 51198.html
Crappy location doesn't help. Between French Market and Metcalf South being nice piles of nothing right now, the area just doesn't draw. And the shopping center where the restaurant was also appears half empty.

There's still a Famous Dave's (with a 4.3/5 star rating on Google) at the Legends. Besides that, there's five Dickey's in KC, all on the Missouri side oddly.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by flyingember »

longviewmo wrote:
Highlander wrote:Another chain BBQ struggles and goes under in KC. How many extant bbq chain restaurants are there in KC (outside of KC chains)? Is there still a Famous Dave's out at the Legends? I guess there will be another Billy Simms in Gardner in 2018.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 51198.html
Crappy location doesn't help. Between French Market and Metcalf South being nice piles of nothing right now, the area just doesn't draw. And the shopping center where the restaurant was also appears half empty.

There's still a Famous Dave's (with a 4.3/5 star rating on Google) at the Legends. Besides that, there's five Dickey's in KC, all on the Missouri side oddly.
There's too much retail in the area. Too many options can be as bad as too few for an area. OP over time has approved more retail for Metcalf than the home density can support. That Metcalf South closed and the other centers didn't fill up in response shows this.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by brewcrew1000 »

But the thing is that retail in OP just keeps moving further south. 159th is a new emerging retail hub while 95th and Metcalf rots. Eventually 175th and Metcalf will be the new hotspot while 119th and Metcalf suffers
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FangKC
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by FangKC »

grovester wrote: Tue Aug 26, 2014 6:58 am Danny Edwards gets a shout out in this month's edition of Esquire. best 5 bbq in the US.
Danny Edwards died.
mean
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by mean »

Oh man, that is kind of shocking. Damn.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

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rxlexi
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by rxlexi »

chrizow wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kansas ... naissance/

Anyone see this article?
Thanks for sharing that. Interesting perspective and I like the references to what I thought was an excellent "Best of KC BBQ" list in KC Magazine last year. Of the "new guard" spots, I've only tried Harp. Really enjoyed it, but I'm not going to frequently make a special trip to a small brewery in Raytown (even if it is my favorite in the city) to wait in line for BBQ that may or may not be sold out, especially when I'm typically have BBQ for dinner, not lunch.

And that's the problem for me with these highly rated new spots, as noted in the last paragraph of the article - most are either far-flung, have lunch-only or till sell-out hours, possibly only a few days per week, or are a pop-up. Or some combination of these. Admittedly my relative dislike of pop-ups and food trucks may just be unique to me.

Would love to see the situation with some of these spots improve to more typical restaurant expectations - I think great 'Q will be noticed and supported in this town if given a little more visibility/availability.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by shinatoo »

The whole premise of his article is that KC BBQ is all about beef, like Texas BBQ. I would argue that is incorrect. We like to do everything and anything. And sides are hugely important. But the KC guys he interviewed are right, consistency is the hardest thing about running a BBQ joint. It's not like if you screw up you can dump it and refire in 20 minutes.

I have many Texas co-workers that come to KC often and they always want to go for BBQ.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by earthling »

^Agree with all of this. KC smokes anything, even seen ostrich smoked. And yes BBQ hard to pull off consistently in restaurants. The reason KC stands out for BBQ isn't the restaurants... it's about so many locals knowing what they're doing and a lot of almost incompatible 'sects' that other BBQ towns don't have (sauce vs no sauce, indoor vs outdoor pits, method of dry rub, finishing approach, etc). I've seen the purists of various sects argue such things with a passion that doesn't exist elsewhere. KC is the BBQ capitol for this reason, not really because of the restaurants.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by Cratedigger »

chrizow wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kansas ... naissance/

Anyone see this article?
I want this guy's job
"In 2021, I traveled across Texas to finalize our current top fifty barbecue list, and I also took four trips to Kansas City to assess the smoked-meat situation there."
"Honey, I gotta go on my fourth beef trip to Kansas City" - This writer
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by AlkaliAxel »

chrizow wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kansas ... naissance/

Anyone see this article?
I'm gonna be honest, I've never given a rats ass about the BBQ culture thing here. I also can't stand that people try to make that like KC's "thing" when there's so many greater things here than a piece of meat.
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

AlkaliAxel wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:11 pm
chrizow wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kansas ... naissance/

Anyone see this article?
I'm gonna be honest, I've never given a rats ass about the BBQ culture thing here. I also can't stand that people try to make that like KC's "thing" when there's so many greater things here than a piece of meat.
After being in Texas for a year, I can attest to the fact that KC BBQ is leaps and bounds better, so if nothing else, we should own it only because Texans are insufferable about their overrated BBQ
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by AlkaliAxel »

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Wed Feb 16, 2022 3:29 am
AlkaliAxel wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:11 pm
chrizow wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kansas ... naissance/

Anyone see this article?
I'm gonna be honest, I've never given a rats ass about the BBQ culture thing here. I also can't stand that people try to make that like KC's "thing" when there's so many greater things here than a piece of meat.
After being in Texas for a year, I can attest to the fact that KC BBQ is leaps and bounds better, so if nothing else, we should own it only because Texans are insufferable about their overrated BBQ
I bet it is, and I do enjoy our BBQ. I just get annoyed that a large segment think that's all we should be known for
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FangKC
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by FangKC »

Yes, we should be also be known for the Kansas City Strip steak. :lol:
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beautyfromashes
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by beautyfromashes »

Sausage is not BBQ.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by CorneliusFB »

^not true in KCMO

In Texas BBQ is beef, in Carolina BBQ is Pork, in Kansas City if it’s dead we’ll smoke it (the wood mixture just needs to include hickory).
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

CorneliusFB wrote: Wed Feb 16, 2022 10:19 am in Kansas City if it’s dead we’ll smoke it…
I’m suddenly incredibly concerned about any BBQ place near a morgue now
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beautyfromashes
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by beautyfromashes »

Lunch at Gates on Main today. SO. MANY. ROACHES. Might be because they're tearing up Main St in front of the building.
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by KCKev »

So did anyone attend the American Royal Bbq championship? I know it is at the Kansas Speedway now. Hope that fact didn't stop people from going. My favorite BBQ is still Arthur Bryant's! Can't get anything close to it here in Tucson.
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Chris Stritzel
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Re: BBQ WARS!

Post by Chris Stritzel »

No offense to Arthur Bryants, but I went one day at lunch and ordered ribs -they were extra dry and hard. Was disappointed. I plan on going back to try a Brisket Sandwich since everyone there seemed to be ordering it.

I do like one little BBQ place in town - Chef J in the West Bottoms. It's always good whenever I go. Very limited hours though and they can see out fast.
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