If there’s one thing Kansas Citians are passionate about, it’s barbecue. After all, we were voted the “Best BBQ City in America.” With National Barbecue Day (Mon., May 16) just around the corner, let’s fire up the grill and flip through our rich + juicy barbecue history.
Henry Perry | 1908
Kansas City’s barbecue scene began blazing thanks to Henry Perry, the “Father Of Kansas City Barbecue.” In 1908, Perry sold smoked meats from a pushcart in the city’s Garment District, cooking animals like possums, hogs + raccoons. This ultimately created KC’s local barbecue style which is carried on today by our original barbecue behemoths.
Arthur Bryant’s | 1946
Charlie Bryant took over Perry’s business after he passed. Then he sold it to Arthur Bryant in 1946. When Arthur Bryant took over, he modified the barbecue sauce to be more universally appealing + renamed the business after himself.
In 1974, journalist Calvin Trillin wrote that Arthur Bryant’s was “quite possibly the best restaurant in the world.” Known nationally for its barbecue, former presidents Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter + Barack Obama have even popped by.
Rosedale Bar-B-Q | 1934
This spot initially began as a neighborhood hot dog + beer stand. The smell of smoking meats down the road would cause the owners to crave barbecue, so they started their own barbecue business.
Rosedale is the metro’s oldest major barbecue restaurant continuously owned and operated by the same family.
Gates Bar-B-Q |1946
“Hi, may I help you?” is the first thing you’ll hear when you enter the restaurant. It initially opened as “Gates Ol’ Kentucky,” with Arthur Pinkard, a former employee of Henry Perry, helping in the kitchen.
Gates now has six metro locations, with its barbecue sauce + seasonings sold in supermarkets.
Jack Stack Barbecue |1957
This spot was started by Russ Fiorella with only five to six items on the menu. The eldest son, Jack Fiorella, worked alongside his dad until 1974 before cooking up Fiorella’s Jack Stack of Martin City. To stand out, the business cooked gourmet meats over hickory wood.
Today, it is the largest wood-fired cookery in the country.
LC’s Bar-B-Q | 1986
Founder L.C. Richardson started by smoking meat in a steel drum before moving to a pit. Apart from barbecue, Richardson is known for his relationships with customers.
The spot has been coined an unofficial pit stop (no pun intended) on the way to baseball + football games. It is one of the few barbecue spots in the city that still uses a brick pit built by local pitmaster Bill Chaney.
Honoring legacy
Today, we have 100+ barbecue restaurants across the metro, all having sprung from Perry’s petite pushcart. To honor his contributions, the city declared July 3 “Henry Perry Day.”
And the barbecue city brushes on.
