KC STEAKS AND BBQ

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Wed May 21, 2003 9:30 am

I've only been living in the KC area for about 3 years and so alot of the local jargon andi guess you could say "rituals" are still new to me. My main question though is, is where does Kansas City rank on the list of steak and barbecue cities? When i lived in Texas, everyone there seemed to think that DFW was the barbecue capital of the world. My cousin in corpus christi says nothing can beat texas barbecue, but then again she's lived in texas her whole life and give her the fact that she is simply from texas. But when i lived in Louisiana, people seemed to think it was St. Louis or Memphis. here in KC everyone seems to think it's us or omaha. It's really a pretty trivial issue, but that's about like every other topic on this page. Give me some input if you know much about this.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Wed May 21, 2003 9:45 am

I think it's pretty much common knowledge that KC is #1 in BBQ with Memphis trying to bite our ankles...I'd put Memphis #2. Texas can hold their own but it's a bit unrealistic to compare a huge state with 2 cities....I've never thought Dallas had good BBQ, Austin had some alright places though.

Here's why KC is #1:

- Most BBQ joints of any city in the country (I think that's a fact)
- Largest BBQ contest & most prestigous to win (American Royal)
- One BBQ place or another always at the top of any BBQ restaurant list (ie. Jack Stack is best BBQ by Zagat's in the US)
- We cook it all, chicken, beef, pork...don't try to specialize in just one.

I've never thought of Omaha as a BBQ place.

Now steaks....I don't think we're #1 city in the country....I don't think a city can be #1 at steaks....only key is to have a top steakhouse...and we have plenty of those...from locals such as Plaza III (nationally top 10), Golden Ox, Hereford House, etc. to all the national chains wanting to be here like Capital Grille, Ruth Chris, etc.....

Post by **dangerboy** » Wed May 21, 2003 10:52 am

KC, Texas, and North Carolina are the big BBQ names. It isn't a good comparison though, because it takes the whole state of Texas to add up to a repuation that comes close to the single city of KC. Plus, there are big regional differences in the sauces and preparation methods. Each regional has a unique taste that some people like or dislike.

As for steaks, the thing with Omaha is that they have one large company (Omaha Steaks) that does a huge business selling steaks to restaurants and via mail order and the Internet. The Omaha steak repuation is more for the one company than the entire city.

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Wed May 21, 2003 11:43 am

i can definately tell a difference between memphis style barbecue and KC. memphis has almost a vinegar-base taste mixed with kind of a salty flavor and a lot of the time it's served with pickles, whereas i've noticed here in KC it's more of a molasses-brown sugary flavor. memphis also likes to serve their sauce on pork instead of chicken or beef. as for texas, if im not mistaken they use a mesquite and wood-fired barbecue flavor which i really do like. People in Dallas seem to think that sonny bryan's bbcue is the pooh. but if i were comparing it to arthur bryants or even gates, it couldn't even come close.

KCN · Post by **KCN** » Wed May 21, 2003 4:08 pm

KC is the best by far. The BBQ I've had down here in TX is good but doesn't come close to KC. The secret in TX is to find a hole-in-the-wall type place. The rattier looking it is, the better it is down here

I brought some friends up from TX to eat KC BBQ and they all acted like they were in heaven. All admited that it was by far the best BBQ they had ever had.

tat2kc · Post by **tat2kc** » Wed May 21, 2003 5:35 pm

Fiorella's is really the only BBQ in town I like. I really don't care much for Gates, its ok. Having grown up in Louisiana, the BBQ is ok, but hey, we'll slap anything on the grill, from steaks to crawfish. I do think tho, that Dallas has great BBQ! I love the Texas BBQ better than anywhere. I LOVE smoked meats the best. Its a toss up whether a smoked turkey or a deep fried turkey is better at Thanksgiving.

However, hands down, best meat on the planet is a smoked Turducken, from Louisiana!! (That would be a boneless duck stuffed with sausage or rice, stuffed into a boneless chicken, stuffed into a boneless turkey!! $\:D/$

Somebody slap me!!!

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Wed May 21, 2003 6:57 pm

I heard about that Turducken on Food Network, does sound good.

Don't forget we use smoke here to cook our meats too.....maybe not as much mesquite as Texas but we let the meat speak for itself

Post by **mean** » Thu May 22, 2003 4:14 pm

I travel through the south fairly frequently, and it's kind of a personal quest for me to eat in every gritty little BBQ joint from Memphis to Miami. In general, I've found that BBQ in the south sucks. Most places serve up this shredded pork mess floating in salty ketchup on a bun and call it BBQ. Yuck. More like junior high lunch from the cafeteria.

I've had a few good experiences (haven't tried Texas yet) most especially in Florida (probably old KCers retiring and bringing the secrets with them er something) but generally, if you see a BBQ sign in the south, don't expect the magical hot plate of smoked meats coupled with sweet/smoky/savory sauces that is the hallmark of KC BBQ.

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 11:28 pm

it's barbecue bonanza week on the food network which i have been avidly watching and they have given KC very little coverage for what i believe it's due. on "great foods" the dude with the funky glasses is always using texas and georgia(sometimes south carolina) as the authority on barbecue, however they have given some considerable mention of the American Royal cookoff in october. i wonder what's the deal?

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:11 am

I am an avid Food Network watcher and very disappointed in KC's role in BBQ week...Alton Brown (Good Eats host with glasses) has given us nothing.

A couple American Royals ago my team was filmed by the Canadian Food Network....not sure if that's the same or not but I never saw us on any show nor did I see anything about the American Royal.

KC is the leader in BBQ and all we see on this is Texas and North Carolina.....what a bunch of crap.

Post by **mean** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 8:45 am

Yeah, I was really excited for BBQ week (big food network / good eats fan) and it really grated my ass that KC got no love. I'm writing food network. Anyone with me?

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:18 am

i could help. i was real disappointed cause bbq is the thing that really puts us on the map. they crapped on us.

KCLofts · Post by **KCLofts** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:54 pm

KC wrote:Alton Brown (Good Eats host with glasses) has given us nothing.

I haven't watched much of this, but I did see a graphic on Good Eats the other night that the largest BBQ contest in the country/world is held in KC.

Post by **dangerboy** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 1:20 pm

I think the Star mentioned that Arthur Bryants was going to be featured, and I did see a glimpse of a bottle of A.B. sauce in one of the promos.

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 6:23 pm

Texas, Carolina, Memphis... St. Louis?

-- provincial.

Kansas City- international
http://www.starbookspreview.com/barbecu ... shmen.html

tat2kc · Post by **tat2kc** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:17 pm

Sorry, folks, but seriously, Texas and louisiana BBQ will always be best!!!

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:28 pm

KC has the quality and the quantity....not to mention you are now comparing one cities BBQ up against entire states (and the 2nd largest state at that)

StL_Dan · Post by **StL_Dan** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 9:38 am

St Louis is NOT known for it's BBQ. In fact, the BBQ I've tasted there, one of those stands outside the stadium within the gated area on the Busch Stadium grounds, absolutely sucks. The meat was thick and tough, cole slaw wilty and vinegary, and was too expensive (function of the location I'm sure).

Nothing beats the tenderness and variety of meats found in KC, as well as, the variety and tastiness of local BBQ sauces. Additionally, such sides as cole slaw, potato salad and beans produced by Fiorella's, Gates, et al are wonderful.

Maull's BBQ sauce of StL remains my all time favorite for home bbqueing needs, but nothing beats the local flavor found in our KC bbq restaurants when dining out IMO.

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 11:13 am

Does anyone know anything about Texas bbq? I have been searching for a good BBQ joint around here, and I think some people just throw a roast in the oven and throw sauce on it. There is a place near here with Texas BBQ, and the bred on hte sandwich was freakin huge! It was so big that you couldn't taste the meat. We just had catering by El Paso BBQ, which is the closest they have here to Gates, and it was not too bad, but once again, the bred was huge! The sandwich holds together, but there is more bread than meat and the bread dominates the palet. Is this a Texas thing?

DiggityDawg · Post by **DiggityDawg** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 11:41 am

phxcat wrote:There is a place near here with Texas BBQ, and the bread on the sandwich was freakin huge!...the bread was huge!...there is more bread than meat and the bread dominates the palet. Is this a Texas thing?

Sounds like the ever-popular Texas Toast to me. I loooooove Texas Toast, but not as sandwich bread!