Let’s talk about Kansas City’s barbecue reputation
According to an article in The Kansas City Star this week, the Kansas City Chiefs’ hometown may be slipping among the nation’s best barbecue destinations.
A new ranking lists Kansas City as one of the top cities in the United States for barbecue, but it just misses out on the top spot.
The crowd-sourced review website Yelp published its 2025 list for the “top BBQ cities in the U.S.,” and the birthplace of burnt ends placed No. 3 in the eyes of reviewers.
It’s the first year that the review site put cities head-to-head. The state of Texas claimed superiority over Kansas City; Austin and San Antonio were ranked No. 1 and 2.
What makes Kansas City’s barbecue the best — and is it fair to say that the local barbecue isn’t as good as it used to be? How are other cities making inroads against our town? What can the city do to stay on top?
Let’s talk about it!