This year’s World Science Fiction Convention meant a trip to Kansas City, and Kansas City, of course, meant BBQ. I managed seven BBQ meals, and wish I could have fit in a few more. There were several restaurants, such as LC’s and Snead’s, which I was unable to get to because of panel scheduling, party invites, and pulling off the recording of five new episodes of Eating the Fantastic.

Wherever I went, burnt ends were a part of my meal, though I was surprised by how many of the burnt ends weren’t, well … burnt ends. Several of them either weren’t burnt or weren’t ends.

In order to fulfill the demand for something which constitutes an incredibly small part of a brisket, many restaurants try to turn other sections of the brisket into burnt ends, which while sometimes tasty, doesn’t really fit my own definition of a naturally occurring burnt end.

And so …

Arthur Bryant’s

My barbecue tour began Tuesday night with what’s perhaps the most famous Kansas City barbecue joint, especially to those who don’t live there. I ordered the burnt ends, ribs, and baked beans, expecting to have my mind blown, and while I wasn’t disappointed by the meal, my mind remained unblown … but surprised. Because thought the ribs were fine, and the burnt ends were tasty, the latter didn’t seem either fatty or charred enough to be burnt ends, but were rather heavily sauced chunks of beef. And the beans, while above average, didn’t come close to my favorite, at Hometown BBQ.

Danny Edwards

Wednesday, joined by David D. Levine, I recorded the first of five Worldcon episodes of Eating the Fantastic. I ordered a two-meat sandwich—brisket and burnt ends. I didn’t attempt to lift this monster to my mouth at first but began with a knife and fork until it had diminished into something more manageable, since I had to keep tinkering with recording equipment I didn’t want covered in sauce. The burnt ends were a step up from those at my first stop above, properly fatty and crusty, and the brisket was tender.

Joe’s Kansas City

Wednesday night I went with a group to Joe’s Kansas City—the location in the gas station, of course—and once more ordered burnt ends. And I’m glad I did. Their burnt ends seemed exactly the way burnt ends should be! Fatty, juicy, and crusty. Plus the rib given to me by a friend was my favorite of the week. If I’d had time for a return visit to any BBQ joint during my Worldcon trip, it would have been to Joe’s.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack

I recorded my second Worldcon episode of Eating the Fantastic Thursday night with Adam-Troy Castro, and yes, once again had burnt ends as part of my meal, ordering the restaurant’s famous lamb ribs as my second meat. And I’m glad I did, because though I found the burnt ends surprisingly inconsistent here, with some bites moist as they’re meant to be, and others dry, the lamb ribs hit the spot, tender and quite fatty … and I say that last in a good way.

Gates

The Gates Burnt End Sandwich, which I ordered during the Friday Eating the Fantastic episode I recorded with Alyssa Wong, was barely recognizable to me as containing burnt ends, in that the meat was chopped so the meal was a mix of slivers and chunks in a bath of sauce. But still, the taste was there, and I very much enjoyed the flavor of the meat, which had been covered with my favorite sauce of the week.

Char Bar

Though several locals recommended Char Bar, I didn’t end up there Saturday night primarily for the meat, but because it has a large location and seemed capable of getting our group in without a long wait. And so, since everyone wanted to make the Hugo Awards on time, we went there rather than some of the other spots on my list. The burnt ends, though the meat was tender and properly fatty, didn’t have the crunchy bark of a true burnt end, the problem with many of the burnt ends on the list. Also, while I enjoyed the food, Char Bar seemed more like an upscale sports bar than a BBQ joint, an ambiance which is obviously quite popular for some, but didn’t work for me.

Q39

My BBQ journey through Kansas City ended Sunday afternoon with Robert Reed as we recorded my fifth and final Worldcon episode of Eating the Fantastic. I ordered the Certified Black Angus lunch plate, which came with brisket and burnt ends, plus I added a sausage. The brisket seemed a bit dry, needing to be sauced, the bark on the burnt ends was soft, and I felt the sausage had no flavor other than fat. After all the raves I’d heard about the place from local fans and Uber drivers, perhaps it was an off day, which makes me understand why restaurant critics try to visit multiple times before writing reviews. For me, at least, on that day, it didn’t live up to the hype.

The clear winner—Joe’s Kansas City, which to my mind had the best food, a great staff, and was my favorite overall experience. As I wrote above, if I’d had the opportunity to revisit any one of these restaurants, it would surely have been Joe’s.

And I promise you the fact that their BBQ competition team gives a shoutout to science fiction had nothing to do with it!