I live in CT, but visited KC a few times (Big Chiefs fan). Anyhow my kids and I would highly recommend Q39, and Jackstack. KC Joes, and maybe gates. Q39 if you can only go to one. Oh, and order the "best wings in the world"

Joe's KC (formally Oklahoma Joe's) is definitely what you want for BBQ. Q39 is real good too. Steaks I don't know as well, but I believe Anton's is still one of the best steak places in KC.

Used to live in KC. I move around a lot and that is easily my favorite place I’ve lived. Joe’s in great as above mentioned. It’s a bit more mainstream but I really enjoyed the burnt ends at Jack Stack. If going for other meals, I love the brookside area. Bella Napoli is great Italian, Heirloom has terrific baked goods and breakfast biscuits, and the Roasterie location there has awesome coffee.

I've been to two pretty good places: Arthur Bryant's and Joe's. Both are really good. Usually just pulled pork and burnt ends. No idea about strip steak.

My vote goes to SLAPS for BBQ and the 403 club for pinball in KCK. Also definitely hit Solid State Pinball Supply, it's amazing.

SLAPS is very close to the 403, but they often run out of food on the weekend so keep that in mind. Sometimes as early as 4-5pm

I'd say the most consistently great places I have been to are Q39 (midtown location, roughly 39 deg. N latitude) and Smokebox (near the airport off US-71 & Tiffany Springs Pkwy). I have eaten most of these restaurants' menus at one point or another, and it's all consistently good. Smokebox has the best burnt ends I think I have ever had.

Honestly, in my experience (travel there frequently) some of the more "famous" places like Joe's, Bryant's, and Gates can be a little hit-and-miss at times. If you stick with the original locations I think you have better odds at getting the amazing experience the hype leads you to expect, whereas some of the newest locations in more outlying areas might not uphold quite the same standards. (For example, I have eaten at the Bryant's location near the speedway twice, and it was decidedly marginal at best both times.)

Anton went nuts during COVID, had a meltdown on social media, and the restaurant is now closed.

I didn't know that, damn.

Downvoted.

(Not you, Anton!)

I keep hearing how Joes Kansas City BBQ is great, want to try it one day.

https://www.joeskc.com/

Joe's KC would also be what I would consider the right answer for BBQ but there are a lot of good options. If wanting a more formal experience Fiorella's Jack Stack I like (perhaps more for certain sides than the BBQ, but that is true for many of the locations).

I have no suggestion for steak, that's something I associate more with people home-grilling than me getting at a restaurant.

The posts about Joes/Q39/Gates/Bryants/Jack Stack are all good advice. Plan a lunch and hit one of the downtown/midtown locations. There are some big differences between the joints, so a little more background on what you like would help a bit. Bryant's sauce turns some people off (more vinegar and less sugar than most) but their meat is more consistent than Gates. Those are the two historic BBQ joints. Q39 and Joe's are a bit newer to the game, but both serve good food. Jack Stack is a little more white linen tablecloth compared to others and good if you want to sit down for dinner. Burnt ends needs to be one meat that you sample at any legit KC BBQ place. Jack stack serves more burnt ends than they naturally generate by cooking brisket, so they use short ends instead of just the tips. They are a bit more meaty and moist than the others. Eat the pork if you must, but I vote to save that experience for Memphis and points south and east. KC and Texas do brisket really well.

Don't have a good steak place, but a good ribeye cooked at home is more of my thing. The strip is my least favorite portion of a porterhouse.

Joe's doesn't blow my doors off, but it is good. My nirvana is Bryant's brisket during lunch rush, topped with Gates sauce. I might get shot if anyone notices, so I make sure the sauce is incognito.

Q39 brisket is the best, not sure it is close. Joe's is good all around, I am partial to the Rocket Pig sandwich and the fries are great. Jack Stack is another all around good place, beans are great there. Would recommend Slaps as well.

Some idiot tried to open a Dickey's franchise store a quarter mile away from a Jack Stack. I think it lasted bout a year until they ran out of cash and closed shop. That is KC for you. Locals can have a chain of stores, but don't even try to sell "Texas style" BBQ here even though there is some solid 'cue in Texas.

What’s the place that serves up the Z man or whatever it’s called ? It’s like a converted gas station or service center.

That's Oklahoma Joe's, now called Joe's KC.

I travel to KC often. Jack Stacks is the Best of the best. I have never had BBQ better anywhere. Love that place especially the burnt ends and brisket. Wow.

https://www.jackstackbbq.com

Ah found it! Took me awhile

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Joe's KC started as an affiliation of Oklahoma Joe's smokers and the pro BBQ circuit. They rebranded to Joe's KC, which is pretty fair since the gas station is what a person can definitely call "original", and the KC audience frankly could not care less about OK style BBQ. When you win enough American Royal ribbons and run a local joint here, KC accepts you as one of their own.

This thread is making me want to jump in my car and head north.

We love Jack Stack, but Q39 is our number one. Have you been there?

I don't go to steakhouses because the value proposition isn't really there for me within my budget. It doesn't take too long to cook a good steak at home, but it takes hours and hours for good BBQ. I have heard good things about this (pricey) place:

https://www.stockhillkc.com/

Hereford house is very good for steaks

Tried that also very good.

Will be passing through KC with the wife and dog 4th of July weekend, loving the BBQ tips here! I don't mean to hijack OP's thread, but would love to hear what you'd check out if you'd never been to the city and had 24 hours to check it out (not sure I'll be able to swing a pinball location on this stop of the tour, but we'll see).

4th of July, we have baseball if you like. Monarchs in KCK (low minors) and the Royals are playing at home that weekend. Royals play in a beautiful stadium, but not anything to do close by before or after. Fireworks are fairly good after the Royals game. You could make a day at the Legends around a Monarchs game, but that is "new KC" type of stuff. Typically lots of local festivals/fireworks over the 4th, but I haven't seen the most current plans. Power and Light can be fun for night life. You can get good live jazz usually. Smaller events are publicized at http://www.thepitchkc.com . Couple of very decent breweries if you are into that thing, get tour tickets early or enjoy a good brew at a local bar. A bottle of Tank 7 beer and good BBQ is an event by itself.

I work within 2 miles of many of these in Overland Park. Q39, Joe's, Jack Stack, etc. I usually just go to Wendys or Hardees for lunch.

I went to Q39 with some co-workers right before Covid. I didn't eat, just went to socialize. It was so crowded people would bump into your table and so loud you couldn't hear the person next to you unless they shouted. Food might be good, but the atmosphere doesn't work for me.

I kind of like Brobeck's. Great sandwiches and lunch specials. We have Jack Stack and Joe's brought in for work sometimes. Jack Stack isn't very good in my opinion. Sauce has no flavor. Joe's is good. We had Joe's ribs two weeks ago. Very salty, but good.

My dad swears by Bryant's. He'd take me there as a kid over 30 years ago. If he comes to KC from Oklahoma, that's his #1 stop.

Joe's KC has especially good pulled pork, fries and onion rings. The Z-Man sandwich is also fantastic. I'm getting the Carolina pulled pork sandwich tonight for the first time, so we'll see.

Tasty and filling, but I still recommend the Z-man, jumbo pulled pork, or the ribs.

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I told you their sauces were bad...

Rosedale BBQ. It closed for Covid but I think it is open now.

Maybe I should have been more clear about Jack Stack being a "white linen" BBQ place. It is genuine KC BBQ and only operates here, so we claim them as being local. Each store has their own pit and pit master. There are about a dozen good local places, but most of them are best for lunch for freshness and personal safety reasons. Most good BBQ "Joints" are in places that don't have much going on at night and the food quality suffers when not busy.

Disagree with the last two sentences wholeheartedly. Are some bbq joints in "rough" areas? Absolutely. That doesn't mean they should be excluded from
dinner recommendations in KC IMO

Rough areas aside, BBQ (especially brisket) is best served at its' prime, and there is not enough business in the evenings at the "joints" to drive a pit very hard. Brisket can get pretty pedestrian at any place if it is not kept on the cutting board or spends too much time in foil.