Kansas City

[sladeums]

LC's Bar-B-Q

13000 W. 95th St. (95th St. and I-35)

Lenexa, KS

913-894-4500

5800 Blue Pkwy.

Kansas City, MO

816-923-4484

Click Here for an uninformative web page on LC's Bar-B-Q

Click here for proof LC's is smoking more than Cheech & Chong

My second and final stop for barbecue in Kansas City. From the opinions I had heard about this place I purposefully saved it for last. A lot of people are hailing this joint as the new Bryant's and they have garnered quite a following.

There are two locations (listed above), we visited the outpost in Lenexa - - the one on the east side of Kansas City is the original, and supposedly in a little rougher area...I saw a comment in one review that stated "...the bars on the windows made me feel safe...". I would have preferred to visit the original location, but proximity to our hotel guided our choice.

On arriving the smell of hickory was thick a block away and on exiting our vehicle we were fully shrouded in the aroma of fine barbecue: wood, smoke and meat...I knew I was in the right place.

I felt sorry for the auto finishing shop employees directly next door - - I'm not sure my resolve would hold through that smell all day long.

The interior of the restaurant is fairly non-descript (a non-issue as far as I'm concerned) - - no decor to speak of - there was a TV up on one of the walls, that's about it. Pleanty of seating: just shy of 20 4-top tables with tacked on vinyl covers. Walk up counter to order and pick up your food with a full view of the kitchen and the 'cook' at his cutting board up front and center.

The menu is fairly short but has all the necessities: smoked ribs, pork, beef (brisket), chicken, all available in individual dinners or combos of your choice. Also a pork sandwich, beef sandwich and burnt ends. The dinners do not include side items so are slightly less expensive than most places - sides included the usual suspects: beans, slaw, potato salad, fries etc, and most were a dollar except for the fries which were $2.49.

My selection was the beef sandwich ($5.49) and a side of fries.

My wife chose (actually I chose for her) the burnt ends ($7.99) and a side of beans.

After ordering and waiting for the cashier to run my credit card I began watching the cook prepare my sandwich: he slapped down a piece of nice white squishy bread and added a generously overflowing handful of thinly sliced brisked to the top of the bread and then a light squirt of barbecue sauce over the top. As I turned to sign my credit card receipt I thought to myself "...that looks good, but I wouldn't mind a little more meat on there...". After returning my attention to the preperation of my sandwich I was delighted to see that while I wasn't looking it had turned into a double decker! This bad boy came out about 4 inches high - a good handful. This was slapped on a styrofoam plate and then a nice sized pile of fries came up along side and I was ready to roll!

Preparation of my wife's plate was just as enjoyable to watch...the cook took out a large brisket, lopped of a good inch and a half slice of each end of the brisket then proceeded to hack at this with a knife until everything was in something approaching bite size hunks, and then finished with a light squirting of barbecue sauce over it all. Plated on the finest styrofoam with a container of beans added alongside and it was on...

This was absolutely the best barbecue I have had anywhere...the brisket on my sandwich was uncommonly moist, shockingly so, and extremely flavorful. There was a very deep smoke presence without sacrificing the taste of the meat, a nice pink smoke ring nearly 2/3 of an inch thick and a lovely thick dark bark - - perfectly done meat. I usually don't order brisket at barbecue places because I've had too many bad experiences with dry meat. This, however, was exquisite and let me know what I've been missing - tender, flavorful, moist, juicy and well smoked beef.

The samples I shared with my wife provoked her to declare the new "..best brisket I've ever had..". Simply wonderful...I fantasize about it daily.

My wife's plate was what looked to be near at least a pound of meat. Her description of the meal was like it was getting 3 meats for the price of one: the outside edge of the meat had a very dark, intensely flavored slightly crispy bark...this transitioned into a slightly soft-jerky chew just past the edges...and then the fine, juicy most brisket in the center.

I was so engrossed in my sandwich I only sampled a few bites of the burnt ends, but what I did get left me with the same conclusion: this place kicks some ass.

The sauce here was good - tomato based, slightly sweet and somewhat darkened from either molasses or brown sugar, not much vinegar tang and the slightest hint of celery seed. I enjoyed the sauce at Oklahoma Joe's more (the first place I visited in KC - Click for Oklahoma Joe's review)...but this was definitely serviceable.

Stupidly, as mesmerized as I was by my food, I failed to ask for their hot barbecue sauce which I have heard many favorable comments about.

The beans were good...no more, no less...they would have to be pretty phenomenal to outshine the meat, but were not quite up to that task. Obviously seasoned with the same barbecue sauce served on the tables in a quite thick base. I had heard that the beans here were prepared with large pieces of brisket intact, but none were in evidence in my serving.

The fries were nice specimens. Thick, irregular cuts of potato with skin on deep-fried in lard. Leaving the skin on is very appropriate as those fries w/ the peel get a wonderful browning and crispness. Insides were fluffy and piping hot, outsides had minimal grease wonderful golden color and a nice soft plunk...a nice compliment to my sandwich.

This place rules, and if your opinion differs, well, that's just because you suck.

I am very eager to return here, too bad it's 200 miles away from home.

[jhlurie]

I have family living in K.C. I'm gonna ask them about this place.

[sladeums]

Do, I highly recommend it.

The only thing that could possibly turn someone off from the place would be the lack of decor and rather dingy looking interior.

Anyone serious about barbecue shouldn't be bothered by this, but rather that should set off the alarms that you are in the right place...all the best barbecue I've had has been in some fairly dismal dumps and shacks.

I'm not sure how well known they are outside of the barbecue cognoscenti - - when at the hotel lounge we were offered snacks by various employees we declined and offered our recent meal as reason of explanation...none of the three people we spoke to had heard of the place.

Oklahoma Joe's is recommended as well...not as good as LC's in my opinion...but definitely a far step above your average barbecue place, even in KC.

[Daniel]

Leaving for KC soon.. Was wondering if anyone has heard of BB'S.. I hear its a cool blues bar with great food.. Anyone know this to be true?

[sladeums]

I've not been, but info I've heard from reliable sources indicates the Blues is a bit better than the 'cue.

Not at all dreadful, but there's better to be had.

Good place for live music - if a decent band is playing you could definitely have a good time.

[moosnsqrl]

It's a commonly held opinion in town that the music is the draw there. Not that the food is bad, it's just nothing people rhapsodize over (like LC's is). Go have fun, enjoy the music and know that you're still eating better BBQ than you would in most cities...we've just raised the bar pretty high here.

[YourPalWill]

Any of you traveling to Kansas City for Barbeque, may enjoy the thread linked below from the LTH forum in which Cathy 2 and I ate 7 meals in Kansas City in 10 hours last month. LC's on Blue Parkway was one of our stops.

My take on our day was this: Artheu Bryant's and Danny Edwards aka Little Jakes Eat It and Beat it were far and above the best we had. LC's was in the next tier though I suspect that we just had a bad one time experience there. Neither Rosedale nor Fiorella's was worthy of a revisit.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1704

[Marlene]

We held an event in Kansas City at Winslow's City BBQ. I would recommend this place to anyone. The food was amazing and the staff very friendly.

[annarborfoodie]

I was in KC a couple of weeks ago and we tried to go to LC's but discovered that they're closed on Sunday. We went to the Blue Parkway location. Certainly not much to look at on the outside...

Based on the BBQ threads here, we tried Oklahoma Joe's and really enjoyed the Q, and they had the best fries I've had at KC BBQ places. We didn't like their beans as much. I think the best part is being able to say that you had a great dinner at a gas station ;)

Although it's rather pedestrian compared to some of the others, my favorite is still Fiorella's Jack Stack. I love their beans, brisket, and baby back ribs.

[sladeums]

I was in KC a couple of weeks ago and we tried to go to LC's but discovered that they're closed on Sunday.  We went to the Blue Parkway location.  Certainly not much to look at on the outside...

Based on the BBQ threads here, we tried Oklahoma Joe's and really enjoyed the Q, and they had the best fries I've had at KC BBQ places.  We didn't like their beans as much.  I think the best part is being able to say that you had a great dinner at a gas station ;)

Although it's rather pedestrian compared to some of the others, my favorite is still Fiorella's Jack Stack.  I love their beans, brisket, and baby back ribs.

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LC's ain't much too look at on the inside, either. Ignoring comments about service (which can be hard for some to do), the most common complaints are about the dining room being "dirty" and having "greasy floors". Good thing you're not eating off the floor. Bon Appetit accurately described the decor as "...Early Taxidermist...".

Oklahoma Joe's serves a solid product. I really think they would benefit from a better sauce, though. As I noted in the review I posted for them, the beans are very different from those you'll find elsewhere. If you liked the fries there I think you'll be pleased when you get a chance at LC's.

Fiorella's has, arguably, the best beans in town and is the only place to get lamb ribs - don't miss the cheesy corn bake, either. I think the comparatively posh decor may knock them down a notch on a lot of hardcore 'cue afficionados list, just because.

[sladeums]

We held an event in Kansas City at Winslow's City BBQ.  I would recommend this place to anyone.  The food was amazing and the staff very friendly.

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Winslow's has a unique pit set-up - there is a 25-gallon water bath that sits between the flame and the meat. Their beans are supposedly smoked for 3 days.

[Sweet Willie]

Any of you traveling to Kansas City for Barbeque, may enjoy the thread linked below from the LTH forum in which Cathy 2 and I ate 7 meals in Kansas City in 10 hours last month. LC's on Blue Parkway was one of our stops.

My take on our day was this:  Artheu Bryant's and Danny Edwards aka Little Jakes Eat It and Beat it were far and above the best we had.  LC's was in the next tier though I suspect that we just had a bad one time experience there. Neither Rosedale nor Fiorella's was worthy of a revisit.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1704

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Thanks YourPalWill, I missed the trip (damn work I'm going to just have to quit!).

So I am hoping to get a trip going at some point to KC as well as the Carolinas. I only do not mention TX as I've been down a few times recently.

[JuliaR]

Thanks to the comments in this forum, we stopped at LC's BBQ this afternoon for lunch. Very tasty ribs! We're a family of four, kids are 4 and 7, so we chose the mixed platter with the ribs and for the sliced meats, I just asked for the two most popular, the harried but patient cashier said "turkey and beef" so that's what we had. Beans and fries finished the order.

The fries were crispy and so hot. The beans were quite good, meaty and saucy. The ribs were our favourite part, with the sliced beef a close second.

We went to the Blue Parkway location, since it was the only one I could locate on our not-so-good city inset map on our AAA state map. Yes, Bon Appetit got it right with the 'early taxidermist' comment for the decor:-)

We found the service to be fine, not sugar sweet but everyone we talked to was pleasant and helpful, especially the busy clerk who answered my many questions.

[MarketStEl]

I am very eager to return here, too bad it's 200 miles away from home. 

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Only 200 miles? Why, that's right around the corner! I'd have to make an appointment and see what Southwest is charging today.

Funny thing is, this place has been here forever -- I used to pass it all the time on frequent Smith family jaunts to Lake Jacomo, Unity Village, Longview Farm, Lee's Summit, or Lake Placid (a small lake at the upper tip of the Ozarks about 20 miles S of Sedalia, closer to Ver-SALES).

How many of you remember when Blue Parkway was US 50, not MO 350? I go back that far. LC's was definitely "undiscovered" back then. (My family hadn't discovered it either, for all we drove past it.)

Some guy up this way--a Baptist preacher who founded a university; you may have heard of the place, a guy named Cosby went there--made tons of money for his school with a speech about "acres of diamonds in your own back yard." I guess that phrase could describe the relationship Kansas Citians had to their barbecue joints in the 1960s, when the respectable folks still ruled the roost: All these riches, and they went totally unappreciated except by their customers, because they weren't refined enough.

Holly Moore is right: God bless Calvin Trillin for awakening his fellow Kansas Citians from afar.