My daughter moved to KC Mo. so while visiting I decided to try their BBQ to compare to Texas BBQ. I live in the Houston area so I have a lot of places to compare theirs too and I regularly eat BBQ since I am on the Keto diet.

I looked up the place with the highest reviews and ate there. First thing that surprised me was how small the portions were. I joked with my family that they gave me a kids meal. For the price, they do not give enough food, but the KC folks must be ok with that since the place was full.

I tried their brisket ands sausage and although decent, neither were up to par with Texas BBQ. Good Texas brisket is very moist and tender, theirs was dry and a bit tough. The sausage was ok, but a different flavor than most in my area.

I tried their sauce and I swear it tasted just like commercial sauce from a jar. Good brisket does not need sauce anyway, but I had to try it.

It may stir up some, but Texas has much better BBQ. Killens in Pearland, The Brisket House in Deer Park and every BBQ place in Lockhart are better than the Kc BBQ. Keep in mind that the place I ate at (Q39) claims to be award winning. I’m sure that if one of our local places were close to them, they would go out of business or they would have to change their business model.

Sorry KC, your BBQ is not that good - come to Texas for good BBQ.

And there's no beans in Texas brisket...

Non-Texas BBQ is a lot more forgiving of subpar quality, because the copious amounts of sauce that most folks outside of TX slather on their meat helps cover up any problems with its flavor or moisture. So you can have crappy meat but decent sauce, and lots of folks will still think it's "good BBQ".

Whereas in true Texas BBQ, the meat has to speak for itself. (With the help of a little salt and pepper, and maybe a few other spices if you're not a total purist.)

Beef brisket is either good, or bad. Not much in between, in my opinion.

quote:

It may stir up some, but Texas has much better BBQ

It's just a fact, especially for beef.
Isn't ribs and pork ~ their specialty anyway?

Yep, Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

It may stir up some, but Texas has much better BBQ

It's just a fact, especially for beef.
Isn't ribs and pork ~ their specialty anyway?

It is, all slathered in sauce....yuk.

I haven't eaten BBQ in Kansas City, but I have had KC style BBQ. I don't like it as much as Texas style. I don't like that much sauce or that kind of sauce - much of it is too thick and too sweet. There is probably really good 'cue in KC, though.

As RogueJSK says, I think some folks use sauce to get away with brisket that is not as well-cooked.

Good brisket needs no sauce. When you hear people talking about barbecue and going on and on about the sauce, you know they don't know what they are talking about.

Being from Texas but having spent lots of time in KC I can attest this to be true. Q39 is ok, but Joe’s KC (the original, not one of the newer locations) is probably the best bbq in KC. Was super disappointed in Slaps last time I was there. Gates is probably the best “fast” bbq in town.

The one area that I can say KC does shine is the burnt ends. Some places sauce them too much, but if some go pretty sparingly, in those cases they’re pretty good.

This idea that BBQ = "slow-cooked cheap cut of beef" is flawed IMHO.

I'm sure I'm not the only Easterner to regard a true BBQ as pulled pork with either a red BBQ sauce or Carolina-style vinegar-based sauce, the latter, applied sparingly is what I consider good BBQ, on a good bun with a little coleslaw on the sandwich.

Best be cautious with these assumptive mentions of "BBQ," some of us are not fooled!

Kinda like saying that .45 ACP is the only caliber appropriate for self-defense.

You have to choose your place by the meat you want IMO.

Q39, kc joes, and jackstack and the best. Jackstack and kc joes consistently in national top 20.

I prefer q39 and jackstack for brisket and burnt ends. Jackstack easily the best sides.

Kc joes for pork but i can make any pork better than most in town so why bother. Thier fries are crack tho.

LCs for turkey.

Slaps and gates are super meh.

BBQ comes from a pig, not a cow.

I seek out BBQ at every layover in the US. It’s not even close, TX BBQ is far superior to anything else in the country and I’ve tried them all at every major city (I’m an airline pilot now). Brisket obviously but even pulled pork is better. Literally every BBQ meat is better in TX.

That said, if you google the best BBQ places then filter by ratings and volume you’ll find some good spots all over.

You forgot the most important part of your post!!!!
Where did you go???????

Arthur Bryant’s is the place to go and I am presuming you did not go there with the mention of small portions.
They don’t have small portions. However the portions used to be much better when you were allowed to tip the line staff.

KC Masterpiece is not a thing anymore and a bit more higher end place than your typical BBQ Joint and it was really good but not nearly as good as Arthur Bryant’s.

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the meat has to speak for itself.

That declaration is worthy of stone inscription.

While living in McKinney and pursuing all things brisket and sausage, I also had a client I visited monthly in KC area. I tried several highly rate places, all bleh, not that much better than AL or GA if I'm honest. And that's not a great endorsement!

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Originally posted by arabiancowboy:
<snip>
That said, if you google the best BBQ places then filter by ratings and volume you’ll find some good spots all over.

I might be wrong, but I think good google rating are bought. Or at least influenced by money.

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Originally posted by SigM4:
Being from Texas but having spent lots of time in KC I can attest this to be true. Q39 is ok, but Joe’s KC (the original, not one of the newer locations) is probably the best bbq in KC. Was super disappointed in Slaps last time I was there. Gates is probably the best “fast” bbq in town.

The one area that I can say KC does shine is the burnt ends. Some places sauce them too much, but if some go pretty sparingly, in those cases they’re pretty good.

I went to school in Texas and lived in Dallas for four years. I've also spent time in KC.

1. Obviously, it depends on the cook and the cut of meat more than the city.
2. Both are good... but I agree that sauce can be used to cover lesser meat.
3. Burnt ends are awesome!
4. There are places in St. Louis, like Pappy's, which are just as good if not better than anyplace in KC.
5. I miss Texas.

Texas for brisket. Kansas City for ribs.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:
Texas for brisket. Kansas City for ribs.

Kentucky for Mutton, Carolinas for Pork,


Although, Western KY BBQ at Starnes, pulled pork sprinkled with the correct amount of their BBQ sauce as sandwich on white toast wrapped in wax paper will make you slap yo pappy