If you have ever watched a tray of burnt ends vanish in seconds, you know Missouri does not play around with barbecue. This list is your fast pass to the smoky treasures that locals guard like gold.
You will smell hickory and hear that telltale crunch before you even step inside. Bring an appetite and a little patience, because these counters move fast and the best bites go even faster.
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque – Kansas City, Missouri
Step into Arthur Bryant’s and you immediately feel the weight of Kansas City barbecue history. The counter line snakes past glass cases where burnt ends glisten like caramelized treasure.
You will catch whiffs of hickory and pepper as a pitmaster carves crusty cubes that snap, then melt…