6 Best BBQ In Kansas City You Must Visit | Kansas City Food Travel Guide

Apr 27, 2021

Last Updated on: Jul 7, 2025

Travel Blog

Are you in Kansas City? Welcome to the world’s barbecue city. Kansas is popular for its servings of a wide range of different menus of barbeques and ribs. If you are searching for the best BBQ in Kansas City, we must say that all the downtown BBQ restaurants in Kansas have a very popular range of BBQ dishes. 

The Kansas City BBQ menus are pretty impressive, with perfectly caramelized outside and juicy meat inside. Both blanks of  Missouri rivers are full of different barbecue joints.

If you are a new traveler visiting the blanks of Missouri and searching for the best BBQ restaurant in KC, The downtown food network Kansas City BBQ is so very popular. So, this food item is conquering the permanent place in many travel channels’ best BBQ recipes.

Best BBQ In Kansas City: These Are The Top 6 Joints 

Best BBQ In Kansas City

BBQ in Kansas City is much beyond a delicacy or food item. It has history and for many African-American families, BBQ is like a heirloom or the tapestry of family traditions. What started with Henry Perry in the 1920s, has now become an identity of the city. 

So, let’s check out the six top picks of KC BBQ joints.

1. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que

Yelp Rating: 4.6

Do you know the best food in Kansas City? Are you a steak or ribs lover? When you are in Kansas City, you must enjoy Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, which is one of the best BBQs in Kansas City. 

This joint is quite popular among the locals and tourists. Joe’s Kansas City BBQ locations are just in the middle of the city. Further, this joint is popular for its unique beef dish, the Z Man sandwich

The sandwich filler is a slow-smoked beef brisket along with provolone cheese and crispy onion rings.

Further, the slow-cooked beef here perfectly preserves the moisture inside it and the perfectly crispy caramelized out layer. The cheese and crispy onion rings add the best flavor to the dish. 

This is the reason Joe’s BBQ Kansas City is one of the most famous barbeque joints in Kansas. 

2. Arthur Bryant’s

Yelp Rating: 3.6

Arthur Bryant’s is the king of ribs. It serves perfectly cooked ribs and briskets. The master of slow cooking, it uses a special kind of BBQ sauce to increase the spicy and juicy texture of the meat

They not only serve the sauce with the dishes. You can simply buy the bottles of sauce and take them to your home.

The entirely organic and slow cooking method turns this juicy meat into a delicious mouth-watering platter. The meat here, smoked with hickory and oak wood, is very flavourful.

3. Q39

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Q39 relatively new barbeque joint in Kansas. If you are searching for the best BBQ in Overland Park KS, the south branch of the Q39 is the closest one. 

Though Q39 is a new one than Joe’s and Arther’s, within a short period of time, it has conquered its permanent position in the list of the best BBQ in Kansas City.

Q39 BBQ is an entirely chef-driven barbeque joint. Rob Magee and his wife Kelly brought this unique BBQ experience to Kansas City in 2014. Within just years, the popularity of these joints has been sky-high.

From the ambiance to every dish, the restaurant is preserving the unique orthodox atmosphere. And the chef maintains the authentic taste of spice and herbs in every dish.

4. Jones BBQ

Yelp Rating: 4.1

Here comes the name of one of the oldest BBQ joints in Kansas City. Jones Sisters have been running these BBQ joints for thirty years. 

First, their father, Leavy B. Jones Sr. established the restaurants, and these two sisters have carried their father’s legacy of serving a perfectly cooked, delicious smoked BBQ.

Along with every dish they are going to serve you their special BBQ sauce. The recipe of the sauce is carried forward from generation to generation in the Jones family. 

This place has the best BBQ in Kansas City as they offer an orthodox-style BBQ with flavourful secret sauce.

5. Woodyard Bar-B-Que

Yelp Rating: 3.8

Do you love the authentic taste of wood and brick ovens? This Woodyard Bar-B-Que is offering the best BBQ in Kansas City. 

The traditional way of cooking ribs is not only the attraction of the place. You can taste the delicious juicy meat under the blue sky. The outdoor dining facility of the BBQ junction is the best one. 

And guess what? This is the last one old restaurant that provides the facility of the outdoor bricks and smoked meat

When you are searching for a barbecue near me while roaming around Merriam Lane, this is the best option you can get there.

6. Slap’s BBQ

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Meet the kids of the BBQ junctions, a very new one, in the Kansas BBQ world. Within this short period of time, Slap’s BBQ has conquered its place in the hearts of many BBQ lovers. 

Burnt End sandwich is the most popular and one of the best BBQ platters in Kansas City.

Along with the BBQ ribs, pork, chicken, and potato salad are also available here. 

Burnt End ribs are another great choice for the southern sandwich with pulled pork and juicy sweet potato salad. All the sauces are perfectly balanced with the great taste of herbs and spices.

Wrapping It Up:

When you are in the BBQ city of the world, you do not have to take any headaches to find the best BBQ in Kansas City. Almost every corner of the streets is filled up with various types of different street BBQ corners. 

Further, if you are asking our suggestion, we would say every one of them is quite impressive as their platters. However, these six BBQ junctions are outstanding as their meals. 

So, where are you planning to go to in Kansas City to taste the amazing quality food? Do not forget to share your experiences with us.

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Subham Saha started his career as a professional web content writer. He has more than 4 years of experience in digital marketing. He also has a great knowledge in SEO, SMO, Website development, etc. He completed his graduation in Electrical Engineering. He is very passionate about building his career in the Digital marketing industry. Subham has a great interest in reading books about Business, Economics, Psychology, Technology, and History.

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