Kansas City barbecue is a distinct style built on slow-smoked meats — beef brisket, pork ribs, burnt ends, pulled pork — with a thick, sweet tomato-and-molasses sauce. The city has over 100 barbecue restaurants, and the competition between them is genuine and serious. The burnt ends — caramelized chunks from the point of a brisket, double-smoked — are the most Kansas City specific item on any menu: you will not find them done as well anywhere else.
Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue is the historical anchor — open since 1930, still serving on paper trays with white bread and pickles. Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (formerly Oklahoma Joe's) in a gas station in the Kansas suburbs has a national reputation and lines that back up onto the street. Jack Stack Barbecue offers a more upscale setting without sacrificing quality. Gates Bar-B-Q has multiple locations and a grill staff who shout "Hi, may I help you?" at every customer who walks in — it is louder and more chaotic than the others and worth experiencing once for that alone.