Where to eat in Kansas City

Restaurants, cafés and street food in Kansas City, United States that locals actually go to — plus the local names for the chains you already know.

• Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que — BBQ, Kansas City, KS (2). Order the Z-Man sandwich + fries. World-famous BBQ served out of a working gas station; the Z-Man earned every bit of the hype.
• LC's Bar-B-Q — BBQ, East Side (1). Order the Burnt ends. Smoke-stained windows, styrofoam trays, and the city's most honest burnt ends.
• Q39 — BBQ (chef-driven), Midtown (2). Order the Burnt end burger. Competition-circuit chef gone brick-and-mortar; brisket with finesse.
• Town Topic — Burgers / diner, Crossroads (1). Order the Double cheeseburger. Tiny 1937 burger shack that never really closes.
• Garozzo's Ristorante — Italian, Columbus Park (3). Order the Chicken spiedini. Old-school KC Italian; the chicken spiedini set the local template.
• Gates Bar-B-Q — BBQ, Midtown (multiple) (1). Order the Beef on bun. "HI, MAY I HELP YOU?" — know your order before you reach the counter. That's the KC way.
• Fiorella's Jack Stack — BBQ (upscale), Freight House / Crossroads (3). Order the Crown prime short ribs. White-tablecloth barbecue; the crown prime beef rib is a spectacle.
• Stroud's — Fried chicken, Fairway (2). Order the Pan-fried chicken + cinnamon rolls. Pan-fried chicken done the slow way since 1933; the cinnamon rolls end every meal.
• Arthur Bryant's — BBQ, 18th & Vine area (1). Order the Burnt ends sandwich. The grease-house presidents make pilgrimages to; sauce with grit and history.
• Winstead's — Burgers, Country Club Plaza (1). Order the Steakburger + cherry limeade. Steakburgers and skyscraper sodas on the Plaza since 1940.
• André's Confiserie Suisse — Swiss café / pastry, Main Street (2). Order the Quiche lunch + pastry case. Swiss family tearoom since 1955; the prix-fixe lunch is a quiet KC ritual.

Back to Kansas City