Declaring the very best version of Kansas City barbecue coming out of the many beloved joints in the metro area is often a futile and controversial task — it depends on one’s preference and the day and time a diner goes to a restaurant, and you best be prepared to defend it. But each year, publications, influencers and anyone online with an opinion tackle the scary job of ranking our barbecue and sharing their findings.
USA Today, the national media company that owns newspapers across the country, including in Missouri and Kansas, published the 2026 readers’ choice list of 10 best Kansas City-style BBQ restaurants on Oct. 28.
Last year the publication’s readers voted, strangely, to award a non-Kansas City joint (Stateline Road Smokehouse in Napa, California) with the No. 1 spot on a Kansas City BBQ list — though to be fair, owner Darryl Bell is originally from Kansas City. But it seems those readers righted their wrongs, with a Kansas City-based barbecue restaurant earning the most votes to claim the top spot.
That best barbecue restaurant is Slap’s BBQ, a KC spot that’s often considered one of the best to ‘cue and has produced a loyal following of diners…