Kansas City calls itself the barbecue capital of the world and VisitKC counts more than 100 barbecue restaurants in the metro, while St. Louis' tourism office points to pork steak as its own barbecue signature.
Each row below was read on the page named in its last column on October 30, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm with the operator before you go. Items we could not read are listed under What We Could Not Verify.
more than 100Barbecue restaurants in the Kansas City metro (VisitKC)
1908Year Arthur Bryant's says its tradition began with Henry Perry's smoke pit
1946Year Gates says George W. Gates opened Gates Ol' Kentucky
Background
- VisitKC says Henry Perry began barbecuing in the early 1920s from an outdoor pit by a streetcar barn, selling food wrapped in newspaper. (visitkc.com)
- VisitKC names the Bryant, Gates, Boyd, Harris, Fiorella and Thompson families as a second wave of pioneers. (visitkc.com)
- VisitKC ties the city's barbecue growth in the 1930s-40s to its role as a livestock and meatpacking center. (visitkc.com)
- Arthur Bryant's says Arthur took over in 1946, developed the sauce still used, and moved to Brooklyn Avenue in 1958; burnt ends began as free bites for people in line. (arthurbryantsbbq.com)
- Gates timeline: opened 1946 at 19th and Vine, Leawood branch 1972, national sauce distribution 1983. (gatesbbq.com)
- Explore St. Louis describes pork steak as a bone-in shoulder cut, usually grilled with tangy sauce. (explorestlouis.com)
- VisitKC's barbecue guide calls Kansas City the barbecue capital of the world and lists 24 restaurants under Find Local BBQ. (visitkc.com)
Where to Go
| Place | Town | What It Is | Hours or Price as Printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Bryant's Barbecue | Kansas City | Longtime 18th and Vine barbecue house that its own site credits with helping make burnt ends a local staple. | Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm (as printed on operator site, read 2026-10-30); 1727 Brooklyn Ave, phone (816) 231-1123; prices not stated | arthurbryantsbbq.com |
| Gates Bar-B-Q (several locations) | Kansas City | Family-founded Kansas City chain; VisitKC lists Downtown, East, Midtown, Southeast and a Leawood branch. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue | Kansas City (Freight House, Plaza, Martin City, Lee's Summit; also Kansas locations) | Local chain with a large menu; VisitKC lists six branches including the Freight House at 101 W 22nd St. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que | Kansas City, Kansas side (3002 W 47th Ave) | VisitKC's history article notes it is served out of a gas station. | not stated (operator site returned HTTP 429, not read) | visitkc.com |
| Q39 Restaurant | Kansas City (1000 W 39th St; also Q39 South on Antioch Rd, Kansas side) | Listed among the modern innovators for its wood-fire grilling. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements | Kansas City (Westport, 4050 Pennsylvania Ave; also Parkville) | Cited by VisitKC for a vegetarian smoked-jackfruit sandwich called the JackKnife. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| B.B.'s Lawnside Bar-B-Q | Kansas City | VisitKC mentions live blues and a smoker more than 60 years old. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| LC's Bar-B-Q | Kansas City | Described by VisitKC as an institution on the east side. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Local Pig & Pigwich | Kansas City (River Market, 20 E 5th St) | Listed in VisitKC's Find Local BBQ section. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Burnt End BBQ at Crown Center | Kansas City (2450 Grand St, Ste. 130) | Listed in VisitKC's Find Local BBQ section. | not stated | visitkc.com |
| Meat Mitch Barbecue | Kansas side (3620 W 95th St) | Listed in VisitKC's Find Local BBQ section (Kansas side of the metro). | not stated | visitkc.com |
| BEAST Craft BBQ Co. | St. Louis area | Named by Explore St. Louis under pork steak places. | not stated | explorestlouis.com |
| Dalie's Smokehouse | St. Louis area | Named by Explore St. Louis under pork steak places. | not stated | explorestlouis.com |
| Hwy 61 Roadhouse | St. Louis area | Named by Explore St. Louis under pork steak places. | not stated | explorestlouis.com |
| The Fattened Caf | St. Louis area | Named by Explore St. Louis under pork steak places. | not stated | explorestlouis.com |
| Salt + Smoke | St. Louis area | Named by Explore St. Louis for a burnt-end version of toasted ravioli. | not stated | explorestlouis.com |
What We Could Not Verify
- explorestlouis.com barbecue-specific pages and visitkc.com/bbq/trails/barbecue-bucket-list (HTTP 404/504)
- joeskc.com (HTTP 429 rate limit), gatesbbq.com locations/hours not read
- Operator sites for Q39, Char Bar, Fiorella's not fetched; hours/prices not stated
- Explore St. Louis named St. Louis barbecue places without addresses or hours
More Missouri Guides
Things To Do in MissouriMissouri State ParksWildlifeMissouri HistoryDrive TimesEvents by RegionAnswers
Questions People Ask
How many barbecue restaurants are in Kansas City?
VisitKC says the metro has more than 100.
Where did Kansas City barbecue start?
VisitKC points to Henry Perry's pit in the early 1920s; Arthur Bryant's site dates the tradition to 1908.
What is the barbecue style in St. Louis?
Explore St. Louis highlights pork steak with tangy sauce.
Sources
- visitkc.com
- visitkc.com
- arthurbryantsbbq.com
- gatesbbq.com
- gatesbbq.com
- explorestlouis.com
- explorestlouis.com
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/things-to-do/bbq/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.