Arthur Bryant's Barbeque

If you know ‘cue, you know Arthur Bryant’s. This legendary restaurant can trace its roots to 1908, when Henry Perry, dubbed “the father of Kansas City barbecue,” began serving up smoked meat at his restaurant. Charlie Bryant, who worked there, took over the joint in 1940, and Arthur took over for his brother in 1946. Arthur moved the restaurant to a prime location just a few blocks from the city’s baseball stadium in 1958, and the legend was officially born.

Arthur Bryant worked at his restaurant every day until his passing at age 80 in 1982, and today his family carries on his tradition of smoking some insanely delicious barbecue. Spare and baby back ribs, pulled pork, and burnt ends are smoked low and slow and doused in a legendary vinegar- and paprika-laced sauce that’s not too sweet. Over the years, everyone from Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford to Harry Truman and Barack Obama have dropped in for a taste of this world-renowned ‘cue, and in 1974 legendary writer Calvin Trillin famously wrote in Playboy that it’s “possibly the single best restaurant in the world.” While that’s certainly up for debate, there’s no denying that there’s a very good reason why no conversation about BBQ is complete without a shoutout to Arthur Bryant’s.