Our barbecue story ended up much different than I thought it would. Our author planned a little unknown suspense and threw in a few twists that would later prove to create a better barbecue story than I could have ever imagined myself. It all began on a chilly spring day at the end of a quick, weekend trip to Kansas City…
Kansas City is known for its barbecue, so naturally my excitement immediately went through the roof of the car as we pulled up to a two-story, red brick building with a red and white metal awning over the front door and windows. We were arriving at Arthur Bryant’s, an old and famous barbecue joint that has been visited by Americans, both famous and not, for decades. Arthur Bryant’s is located in a Kansas City neighborhood at 18th and Brooklyn, just down the street from the African American Baseball Hall of Fame. Immediately, I had felt like we were stepping out of time and getting ready to listen to Billie Holliday in the 1930’s. And within the historic walls of Arthur Bryant’s we found quite the hustle and bustle of locals shouting out their barbecue orders, carrying their heaping plates of food with pride and anticipation, and walking out with top pant buttons undone and a huge smile on their face. We had come to the right place for sure.
Ordering true barbecue for the first time can be quite the daunting task. For starters, I had heard that it is imperative that you know what you are doing and that you order your food with confidence. Also, the menus can be quite extensive. If you don’t know what you are doing, reading a barbecue menu can feel much like reading something in another language. Talk about the pressure of being a first-timer!
Being the incredible thinker that he is, Jim turned to a local for some barbecue advice. And here is where the author of our barbecue story throws in a little twist. The man behind us in line advised us to leave Arthur Bryant’s altogether and head to Gates Bar B.Q. just a few blocks away if we really wanted good barbecue. You might now be wondering, as I was then, why this man would be in line for barbecue at Arthur Bryant’s if he knew he could get better barbecue at a place that is just a stone’s throw away.
Feeling as if the best barbecue was now at stake, we needed to get the skinny. The man explained to us that he enjoys the sandwiches, large portion sizes, and generally the meat at Arthur Bryant’s the best. However, his favorite sauce is created at Gates, another famous Kansas City barbecue joint down the street. As the man was telling us this story, he was practically whispering. I slowly started to notice other customers “non-chalantly” listening in and giving us strange looks. I was pretty confused until I said the name “Gates” in what was apparently too high of a volume. The entire line of customers turned to me, put their fingers to their lips, and I kid you not…shushed me! I felt as if I had mentioned “He Who Must Not Be Named” in the halls of Hogwarts. One lady even flat out told me not to ever mention Gates Barbecue while at Arthur Bryant’s. It was then and there that I realized we were dealing with something much bigger than just meat and sauce. We were experiencing the true rivalry that goes on between American barbecue joints.
Jim and I decided that if we wanted to really know true barbecue and experience this American rivalry, we would need to try both places. This was our last day in Kansas City, so leave your belts at home and wear your stretchy pants because we were about to eat two full barbecue meals, from two famous barbecue joints, back to back!
