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Short answer: Two one-day barbecue drives: a Kansas City loop from Union Station through 18th and Vine, Midtown and the Crossroads, and a St. Louis day from the Gateway Arch through Soulard, the Delmar Loop and Valley Park. Road times come from OpenStreetMap routing; days open come from each place’s own site. Kansas City works any day; St. Louis works Wednesday to Saturday.
- 2Road tripsone day each
- 11Stopsall pinned on the map
- Wed-SatSt. Louis daysKansas City works any day
- 11:00 / 11:00Start timesKansas City day 11:00 a.m. and St. Louis day 11:00 a.m., our planning estimate
How we checked: each stop’s own website for its address and days open. All read on November 4, 2026. Hours, prices and dates change, so confirm with the place or organizer before you drive. Anything we could not check is marked Not Confirmed where it appears. Road times between stops come from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), with no live traffic, closures or construction. Time at each stop, Essential or Optional, and arrival times are our own planning estimates. We rank nothing: no source we used ranks these places, and we did not taste, rate or compare them. Nobody paid to be listed.
Kansas City Barbecue Day From Union Station
A lunch-to-dinner loop through the Kansas City style the state page describes: burnt ends and thick tomato-and-molasses sauce. It starts near 18th and Vine, where Arthur Bryant’s and Gates sit a few blocks apart on Brooklyn Avenue, and ends in the Crossroads. Every stop lists hours for all seven days on its own site, so this day works any day of the week. Share plates and drive on.
18th and Vine, Midtown and The Crossroads
Day at a glance: about 180 min at stops plus 27 min on the road, 3 h 27 min in all, done about 2:27 p.m. (our estimate from an 11:00 a.m. start).
- Stop 1: Union Station Kansas City (start)11:00 a.m. arrival (our estimate)First stop. 30 West Pershing Road. A public landmark used only as a start point; start whenever suits and the arrival times move with it.
- Stop 2: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque11:06 a.m. arrival (our estimate)6 min, 2.3 mi by road from the last stop. About 60 min here, Essential (our estimate). 1727 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, MO 64127. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Monday–Friday 10am–8pm; Saturday 11am–8pm; Sunday 11am–7pm. Its site carries forward Henry Perry’s tradition and says “Since 1908.” Gates Bar-B-Q is a few blocks north at 1221 Brooklyn Avenue (Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday to midnight, per its site) if you want to compare two sauces on one block. The American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum are close by; see 18th and Vine.
- Stop 3: Q39 – Midtown12:17 p.m. arrival (our estimate)11 min, 4.5 mi by road from the last stop. About 60 min here, Essential (our estimate). 1000 W 39th St., Kansas City, MO 64111. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Sunday–Thursday: 11AM to 9PM; Friday–Saturday: 11AM to 11PM. Its site gives two Friday and Saturday closing times (11 p.m. in the hours block, 10 p.m. in its FAQ) Not Confirmed
- Stop 4: Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House1:24 p.m. arrival (our estimate)7 min, 2.9 mi by road from the last stop. About 60 min here, Optional (our estimate). 101 W 22nd St. #300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Mon to Thur: 11:00am to 9:00pm; Fri to Sat: 11:00am to 10:00pm; Sunday: 11:00am to 8:30pm. Its site says the restaurant is in a historic 1887 railroad freight house in the Crossroads, a short walk from Union Station.
- Stop 5: Union Station Kansas City (finish)2:27 p.m. arrival (our estimate)3 min, 0.8 mi by road from the last stop. 30 West Pershing Road. A public landmark used only as a start point; start whenever suits and the arrival times move with it.
Any day: all three restaurants (and Gates) print hours for every day of the week. Shorter day: drop Jack Stack (Optional). Dogs and kids: none of these sites says whether dogs are allowed on a patio Not Confirmed ; all three are sit-down restaurants, so plan for kids to eat at a table. Places can sell out; check each place’s own site the morning you go.
St. Louis Barbecue Day From The Gateway Arch
A St. Louis day for ribs, from Soulard to the Delmar Loop and out to Valley Park. Explore St. Louis says St. Louis-style ribs lead the local scene; two of these stops call their own barbecue Memphis style, and we quote each place’s own words. Go Wednesday to Saturday: Pappy’s is closed Tuesday, Bogart’s Sunday and Monday, and Dalie’s Monday, per their own sites. Several say they sell out, so this plan starts early.
Soulard, Midtown, The Loop and Valley Park
Day at a glance: about 180 min at stops plus 76 min on the road, 4 h 16 min in all, done about 3:16 p.m. (our estimate from an 11:00 a.m. start).
- Stop 1: Gateway Arch, Kiener Plaza side (start)11:00 a.m. arrival (our estimate)First stop. Downtown St. Louis. A public landmark used only as a start point; start whenever suits and the arrival times move with it.
- Stop 2: Bogart’s Smokehouse11:03 a.m. arrival (our estimate)3 min, 1.5 mi by road from the last stop. About 45 min here, Essential (our estimate). 1627 S. 9th Street, St. Louis, MO 63104. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Tuesday & Wednesday: 10:30AM to 4 PM; Thursday – Saturday: 10:30am – 7pm. Its site says it may sell out and to call later in the day. Open Tuesday to Saturday only; closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Stop 3: Pappy’s Smokehouse11:55 a.m. arrival (our estimate)7 min, 3.0 mi by road from the last stop. About 45 min here, Essential (our estimate). 3106 Olive St, St. Louis, MO 63103. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Mon: 11am-4pm; Wed: 11am-4pm; Thurs: 11am-6pm; Fri-Sat: 11am-7pm; Sun: 11am-4pm; CLOSED TUESDAY. In Midtown St. Louis. Its site says to call if later in the day, as it may sell out early.
- Stop 4: Salt + Smoke – Delmar Loop12:51 p.m. arrival (our estimate)11 min, 5.0 mi by road from the last stop. About 45 min here, Optional (our estimate). 6525 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Sun–Thu 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–10pm. On the Delmar Loop in University City. Its site says the Delmar location sells out quickly.
- Stop 5: Dalie’s Smokehouse2:01 p.m. arrival (our estimate)25 min, 15.7 mi by road from the last stop. About 45 min here, Optional (our estimate). 2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd, St. Louis, MO 63122. Hours as printed on its own site on November 4, 2026: Closed Monday; Tuesday-Saturday 11am-8pm; Sunday: 11am-6pm. Its site says it is in Valley Park and is open until 8 p.m. or until it sells out.
- Stop 6: Gateway Arch, Kiener Plaza side (finish)3:16 p.m. arrival (our estimate)30 min, 19.4 mi by road from the last stop. Downtown St. Louis. A public landmark used only as a start point; start whenever suits and the arrival times move with it.
Tuesday: Pappy’s is closed, and Bogart’s closes at 4 p.m., so go Bogart’s, then Salt + Smoke and Dalie’s. Sunday: Bogart’s is closed; start at Pappy’s (until 4 p.m.) and finish at Dalie’s (until 6 p.m.). Monday: Bogart’s and Dalie’s are closed; Pappy’s (until 4 p.m.) and Salt + Smoke make a short day. Dogs and kids: no site we read says whether dogs are allowed Not Confirmed .
Map of Road Trip Stops
11 of 11 stops are pinned. Pins sit on the street address each place prints, placed by OpenStreetMap; they are not checked entrances or parking.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Time at each stop, Essential or Optional, and the arrival times: our planning estimates. Not Confirmed
- Road times: OpenStreetMap routing, with no live traffic, closures or construction. Not Confirmed
- Whether dogs are allowed on any patio: no stop’s site says. Not Confirmed
- Q39’s Friday and Saturday closing time: its site gives both 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Not Confirmed
- Sell-outs: Bogart’s, Pappy’s, Salt + Smoke and Dalie’s each warn they can sell out early. Not Confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Kansas City barbecue day?
The “day at a glance” line under the plan adds our time-at-stop estimates to the computed road time, from an 11 a.m. start at Union Station. Jack Stack, the Optional stop, can be dropped to shorten it.
Can I do the St. Louis day on a Sunday or Monday?
Partly. Bogart’s is closed both days and Dalie’s is closed Monday; the swaps under the plan keep a short day possible. Pappy’s is closed Tuesday.
Where do the road times come from?
From OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), computed between each pair of stops when we built the page. They include no live traffic, closures or construction, so add time for rush hour.
More Barbecue Pages
Sources
- OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), read November 4, 2026 (road times, no live traffic)
- Missouri Secretary of State, Official State Barbecue Capital, read November 4, 2026
- Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Gates Bar-B-Q, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Q39 Midtown, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Jack Stack Barbecue, Freight House, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Bogart’s Smokehouse, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Pappy’s Smokehouse, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Salt + Smoke, Delmar Loop, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
- Dalie’s Smokehouse, read November 4, 2026 (address and days open)
How we check: editorial standards. Spot a mistake or a closure? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's Missouri, “Missouri Barbecue Road Trips”, itsmissouri.com/barbecue/road-trips/ (updated ). By the It's Missouri editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.