Kansas City is known around the world for its fine barbecue

Kansas City is known around the world for its fine barbecue, and this weekend I plan to sample some of it to celebrate a family birthday. Choosing the best restaurant for this event is proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be, as our city offers a few too many selections.

Since I’ve moved here, I have found that people are as dedicated to their favorite KC barbecue joint as they are to their favorite sports team. You can easily end up in a bitter argument with a friend or relative by suggesting that your favorite place is better than theirs. In fact, when chain restaurant Famous Dave’s opened its restaurant in the Power and Light District, diehards were offended by the presence of a Minneapolis barbecue restaurant in the heart of the city.

So which restaurant will we choose? We have heard rave reviews about Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue on the Kansas side of town. Their legendary pit masters continue preparing their meat in the same way the founder did when he opened the restaurant nearly a century ago. This historic restaurant has a very rustic atmosphere, so I am not sure if it is what we are looking for this time, but it is definitely on my list of “must try” barbecue joints.

Gates is another hometown favorite. This family owned and operated restaurant has been a Kansas City staple for years, and it continues to provide great barbecue. I happen to prefer their ribs over anything else on the menu. We probably will not be choosing Gates, though, because of its casual atmosphere and noisy clientele, which wouldn’t work well for our plans.

If we feel like going downtown to the Plaza and don’t mind waiting for our dinner, we could dine at Jack Stack Barbecue. They smoke their meat over a brick pit using 60 percent hickory and 40 percent oak, then after it is seared they move it to a rotisserie to cook slowly. Their vegetable kabobs are delectable, I have heard, but I do prefer to stick with meat if I am going to enjoy barbecue.

Now, if the choice were left up to me, we would be dining at the Smokehouse, which has locations in Gladstone and Independence. Just pull into the parking lot of this restaurant and you’ll be overwhelmed with the smell of the meat roasting over the open pit. The sauce at the Smokehouse is the perfect blend of spices and definitely not sweet at all, just the way I prefer it. The quieter, sit-down atmosphere would work well for our celebration as well.

All of this talk about Kansas City barbecue has made me hungry! Regardless of the restaurant we choose, we’re going to have a delicious meal as we remember why Kansas City barbecue is world famous. This leaves just one more question in my mind. Is it Friday yet?