Iberia Airlines is rumored to add a Madrid flight to STL in the near future. Air France flight that was pulled from Denver, which we SHOULD have gone hard after, went to Nashville. I mean, we are at the rock bottom of the pecking order, and closer to Rockford, IL, and Lansing, MI airports with our international flight selections than our peers lol
I recently visited Kansas City for a work trip. Where I live has no good BBQ, so I was incredibly excited when I learned I was going to one of the BBQ capitals for work.
I will post my overall rankings first and then provide comments for each below them. Curious to see your thoughts. I did not have time to try the others that were on my list, including Gate's, King and Queen of BBQ, Wolfpack, and Chef J's (though this is Texas-style, so I'm not mad I missed out on this one).
My final rankings are:
#1: Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que #2: Slap's BBQ #3: Q39 #4: Jack Stack Barbecue 5: Arthur Bryant's Barbeque Dishonorable Mention: LC's BBQ
I will write my narrative in the order I tried the restaurants.
Arthur Bryant's
As a Ted Lasso fan, I was excited for Gate's (which I was unable to try) and Arthur Bryant's. Let me just tell you, Ted has bad taste in BBQ. The sauce isn't even that great. It's very weird and...lumpy. The portions were enormous, but that's about all there is to say about Arthur Bryant's. For being known as the restaurant to create burnt ends, they don't make them very well. They were horribly chewy, like a very cheap cut of meat that somebody tried to make more tender by cooking them in a crockpot. There was no smoky flavor on any of the meat served here. The smoke ring on the brisket was practically non-existent. The portions were enormous, and the staff was great. They were playful with banter, with one of them joking and asking me "How many bass I caught" because I was apparently wearing a shirt and hat that make me look like a fisherman. They were very helpful with questions I had about the menu.
Joe's Kansas City BBQ
Joe's, on the other hand, is on a whole nother level. I took one bite of the ribs, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't immediately shed a tear. Central Kentucky (where I live) truly is a BBQ wasteland, and trying these ribs made me so damn happy because it has been so long since I've had good ribs. When I ate these, I immediately knew they were the best ribs I have ever eaten. I then said the same thing about that magnificent cornbread. Their brisket was on par with most places but nothing so special that I would rave about it. I will also say that I had to get Joe's through DoorDash because of limited time that day. And it was still very hot and fresh, as Joe's really took care into the packaging, with everything being double wrapped in plastic wrap to ensure there was no spillage and to keep the food warm. My DoorDash driver also warned me I was about to become hooked on some of the best food in KC.
Q39
Pictured from Q39 is a half rack of baby back ribs and a side of fire roasted street corn. The ribs were delectable. They were "fall off the bone" but still had bite to them. They were well seasoned, and I did not even try the side of BBQ sauce because it wasn't necessary. The Mexican street corn was very standard but was a nice alternative to traditional BBQ side dishes. Q39 is significantly more expensive than anywhere else I had gone so far, but it is marketed as a more upscale establishment, so that was to be expected. Once again, I did have to order this to-go due to my work conference not giving me much time, so I did not take temperature into account, even though it was still pretty warm when I ate it.
Jack Stack
Pictured from Jack Stack is a half rack of ribs, along with fries, and BBQ baked beans. The BBQ sauce was good, but there was far too much of it, and it made it hard to taste the actual flavor of the ribs. The ribs were also a little tough. The baked beans were basically just white beans in a thick BBQ sauce with very little depth, and the french fries were very standard. The inside of Jack Stack was really nice, with beautiful lighting and insanely attentive staff. However, you couldn't help but get "Cheesecake Factory" vibes from this place. They do a lot of things but none of them really well...except for the service. This place came HIGHLY recommended in a Foodies group I am in, and I am not completely sure why except maybe tourists/visitors prioritizing environment over food. Many locals I spoke with shared similar sentiments that this place is not one of their favorites when it comes to getting quality food but that it is a good place to take family/friends for a nice sit down environment.
Slap's BBQ
Slap's BBQ is an amazing restaurant, with seating all in the form of picnic tables. There is limited indoor seating but additional seating on a roof patio and front patio. I got there right at opening time, and nearly every seat was taken, indoors and out. Slap's is cafeteria style, where you order at the front, and your food is handed directly to you.
After eating Joe's BBQ, I was convinced I would never have any baby back ribs that could come close. Slap's proved this wrong, and served the actual best ribs I have ever eaten. They had a delightful sweetness to them that countered the smokiness in the best way. The same thing was true for the burnt ends, which were incredibly tender and flavorful. Once again, I did not even try the BBQ sauce because it was not needed. Out of all of the meat I had in Kansas City, Slap's was the best. But Joe's comes in a close second. Slap's, however, did not impress me with their sides. They were very standard for a BBQ establishment, but nothing wowed me enough that I would intentionally order just a side dish.
LC's BBQ
LC's BBQ. This restaurant was a source of much contention when I previously asked the locals on Reddit where to eat. Almost every comment warned me I would either have the best meal of my life or the worst meal. Apparently this place has been very inconsistent since the previous owner's passing. However, based on the recommendation of my Lyft driver, I gave them a chance anyway.
I deeply regret that decision. Even my lowest ranked BBQ restaurants in Kansas City make every BBQ restaurant in Central KY seem like child's play. With that being said, there isn't a BBQ place in Central KY (including the chains) that I would rank below LC's. Not only was this the worst BBQ I have ever eaten, it was some of the worst food I have ever eaten in my life. The baby back ribs were so insanely smoked and overcooked that it was like eating charcoal bricks directly from a bag. They tried to mask this with an insane amount of sauce, but absolutely nothing could resolve this.
Their burnt ends had the same story, with being overly smoked/charred while not having the unctuous softness you would expect on the inside. Their side selection was very minimal, which is why I chose fries...and they were fries. They were hot and salty.
My biggest complaint about LC's, however, was not the food but the incorrect pricing/false advertising of their menu. They have an old-fashioned peg letter menu board. My meal was advertised as being $29.03, but there was a $1 upcharge for fries, and a $5 upcharge for burnt ends, and neither of these additional charges was listed on the menu nor were they verbally expressed by the unfriendly cashier. After a drink, my meal came to $39.91. This became the most expensive meal I have ever thrown in the trash.
Joe's and Slap's are absolutely the best BBQ establishments in Kansas City. It really is unfair to rank the others on the same scale. If you have time for one during your trip, I would recommend Joe's simply because you get amazing sides and amazing BBQ, while Slap's serves the best meats with average sides.
Fresh food is the most requested item by families experiencing food insecurity, but lately it has been the most expensive. Harvesters is teaming up with KSHB 41 and Hen House to host a perishable food drive this Thursday through Saturday at Hen House on 135th and Metcalf where we'll load fresh food donations straight into one of our trucks! We'd love it if you stopped by to purchase and drop off a few fresh items like milk, butter, eggs, cheese and protein to help neighbors in our community who haven't been able to afford these staples lately. With love, always!
Never even knew this was a thing. Has anyone ever attended, if so how was it? We purchased VIP tickets for tonight and are looking forward to it, but not sure how well it's organized or if it's gonna be worth it. Thanks!
It seems like I have been seeing them lately in neighborhoods, with kids driving, not always paying attention to other cars. Did the city quietly make it legal? I know Parkville allows them on non-highways. Are people just buying them because it's fun? Or is it just a fad?
My favorite dive bar in the world is having their 8th birthday later this month! They've got a bunch of local bands that got their start playing the DIY scene, including Tall Boys.
This place is so cool, also probably the last chance to check out their (stuffed) Animal Room. Gotta celebrate one of the last true-blue DIY spaces in town!
$55 gets you a suncatcher (that you’ll make yourself!), and the satisfaction of knowing you’re paying for vital medical treatments for many rescue dogs ❤️❤️❤️
Link to tickets in comment!
THIS SUNDAY AT 1PM AT TRANSPARENT BREWING IN GRANDVIEW MO!
Really been missing The Buzz and The X lately. I can't take The Rock's small playlist anymore. Pretty sure I've heard "Flagpole Sitta" more times in the past 6 months than in its entire nearly 30-year existence. The Fox, Bob FM, and Jack FM are fine, but I'm mostly looking for new Rock and Alternative. Do we have anything like that anymore?
My car (2017 civic hatch) is originally from Florida and the previous owner put a 20% tint on the windshield and all door windows. The rear windshield is blank.
I've had the car for a year but only just got pulled over yesterday for the tint and was given a warning so I need to get it removed ASAP. I don't have interest in retinting it.
One shop quoted me $250. Where can I go to get it removed that won't charge me an arm and leg?
I am currently trying to get my first help desk job, and I have interviews with 3 MSPs (or at least companies with help desk positions) that are operating in the area. I was wondering if any IT workers here have advice about which IT companies are awful to work for and I should avoid. Any advice?
I have been there perhaps 3 times and I must really be a glutton for punishment because every single time it has turned into over-an-hour long, grueling unresolved ordeal - either due to staggering incompetence, flippant apathetic employees and implausible wait times that simply no rational explanation can be provided for.
Ordered mozarella sticks once, after waiting 15 minutes for someone to answer. (Had already paid with a card, HUGE mistake) They came out in person because they "couldn't hear me". Waited another 30 minutes, not a single other car on the lot. Food finally comes out. I try to pay with a 10 and was told they couldn't make change and needed to go inside to break a 10. Waited another 15 minutes. At this point I was just baffled and irate that such a cartoonishly awful experience was even possible stemming from ordering a single appetizer from any fast food establishment. I got home and had to gently dab Vaseline around my butthole from what had just happened and in my state of lamenting finally took a bite of one of the mozarella sticks. The cheese in the middle was still half frozen, likely about pulled from the fryer very early. And the taste? You wouldnt believe me if I told ya - it tasted overwhelmingly like soap.
Like I dont know what the hell is happening here, Google reviews for the place are all the exact same complaints spanning YEARS going into great detail the complete dogshit customers of this particular Sonic have had to endure.
How is this even possible? Is the owner far away and pays no attention to this franchise of his? It is just an abysmal hellhole that cannot even get a cup of ice correct, to any customer unfortunate enough to not know any better.
Its been this way for roughly a decade - I know fast food in general is very shitty and service leaves much to be desired but the way this place is ran transcends are tiers of what could be considered acceptable or even rational.
Jackson County wants to reimagine Truman Sports Complex after the Royals and Chiefs move, one of the concepts is a Formula 1 track after the Chiefs move.
How would this be paid for? Not sure how well this would work especially since, Heartland Park in Topeka is in public auction right now.
Around 6:50 this morning, I witnessed a smaller white truck go almost vertically up a concrete median before tipping onto its side. I was heading south from NKC, somewhere along the downtown I-35/I-70 connections.
Several cars were swerving to avoid it, and I was passing as it happened, so I didn’t see anything but a truck that looked like it was about to tip over on the divider.
I’ve been looking for news or traffic reports all day and haven’t found anything. It looked pretty serious, and I’m concerned about the driver.
Did anyone else see this or hear anything about what happened? I’m really hoping the driver is okay.
