Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque

One of the great places to eat BBW before you die. MUST eat at the downtown original place. True Vinegar and spice based true KC BBQ, not the ketchup and sugar stuff of Rich Davis and KC Masterpiece. Brisket rules, ribs are good, burnt ends? O.M.G. !!!

Every location is different. Downtown is the best.
Pros
Good portion sizes, fun environment, fair prices. Authentic KC BBQ
Cons
Sauces taste like seasoning pack mixed with water, gritty. Sliced pork and beef is usually dry. Good ribs.

This place is sooo good!!! But make sure your stomach is prepared to eat really greasy food. The portions are large and we would get 1 order for 2 people. Or save the left overs! We usually did take out. The place is pretty busy, but we lived two blocks away and were able to go at random hours. If you go during normal eating hours, be prepared to stand in line, but I highly recommend it and think it’s worth the wait.

This was my first stop for KC Style BBQ. The high number of raving reviews and accolades sets the bar high for this place. The location and interior décor attest to the attraction and age of this place. The walls are decorated with celebrities and politicians that make this a perfunctory pit stop.
My objective is to devour an entire slab of rib and I almost did. The ribs are dry smoked with ample rub. In my opinion, I thought the ribs were a bit too well smoked. I ordered two full slabs. One was drier than the other. The meat has a good smoke ring but an overly heavy bark. However, they were sufficiently tender and falls off the bone as expected. I think the accompanying hallmark of this place is the sauce that comes on the side at each table. There were several and the spicy one appealed to me most. it has a complex taste with good depth and well balanced.
Other than being full and satisfied that I had my first taste of KC style BBQ, I think this place is over hyped. Maybe its an off night. The ribs were still good but I’m overly impressed.

OK I have lived in Kansas City all my 56 years
This Arthur Bryants is slop.
Décor — 2 out of 10
Food — 2 out of 10
Location — 0 out of 10. It’s in the ghetto.
BBQ sauce — 0 out of 10. You’d be better off using Hinze 57 or A1 steak sauce.
Don’t go there. Unless you wan to risk getting robbed, mugged, shot, raped for a hand full of lousy BBQ

Perfection. I’ve eaten at many BBQ joints around the country and this remains my favorite one. Should I ever need to plan for a «final meal» it would almost certainly be one of their beef brisket sandwiches.

BBQ was great, but nobody hates their lives as much as the people that work here. I mean, maybe I caught them on a day when everyone’s girlfriends had dumped them, their childhood pets had been hit by cars and they’d all just been audited by the IRS, but something tells me that’s just their personalities. If you’re getting food here, don’t make too much eye contact with the person that’s taking your order and get everything to go. You’re not going to want to linger.

Arthur Bryant’s is a holy place among BBQ joints across the USA and with 108 years under it’s belt in one incarnation or another, rightfully so. Just ask Spielberg or Obama, Harrison Ford or Sally fields or any of the dozens of other celebrities framed, lined and stacked up down the wall as walk in and wait in line.
Arthur Bryant’s transcends the typical BBQ experience because of it’s history and lasting impact on the industry as a whole. In addition to their very popular open face sandwiches, there is something magical here. From the greasy floors to the sometimes gritty staff that keep the lines moving you know you are in for something special regardless.
While you won’t find the best ribs in town here, and maybe not the best burnt ends, what you you will find as you are surrounded by friends and other like minded customers is just good BBQ.

The original location is the best. Hands down. Now, that being said, it’s crowded, noisy, and maybe not the cleanest. But the food? Oh the food! You cannot go wrong, in my humble opinion. The burnt ends are the BEST, but so is everything else. You better know what you want to order when you get to the window, because those men in the back aren’t playing. And neither are the people waiting behind you. ORDER YOUR FOOD.
Really, though, this is great barbecue. The sauces are great; the french fries are great; it’s all great1

Like Oklahoma Joe’s little brother. If I had to describe OKJ’s, I’d say it’s the most smoke, salty, and sweet you can pack into a slab.
This place is more the minimalistic approach, and totally delicious as well.
The point deduction is for taking the tip of my slab of ribs without telling me, and the cashier who asked if I wanted a receipt. I said no, then she tries to make me take it anyhow, I refuse. Have to hear about how I could «throw it away myself». Why ask if I want it if you’re going to be a bitch and act like I ordered you to go pick 40 acres of cotton just because I don’t want a receipt?

My husband and I stopped here on our way traveling west from PA.
It was easy enough to find in an industrial area of town. The parking is AMPLE to say the least. We were pulling a trailer and there was tons of easy parking for us to get in and out.
The inside décor situation was lacking. It really needs some fresh paint and tile and what not. Its one of those situations where no matter how much you clean it will still look dirty.
The customer service through the line left something to be desired. You talk to people through windows basically. This was our first time there so we didn’t really understand how everything worked and weren’t really helped by the workers. They seemed to be having a good time behind the counter though so I appreciate that.
Food wise — I truly enjoyed the burnt ends. I ordered potato salad but didn’t get it so I only ate burnt ends. My husband had a full rack of ribs which came with bread and pickles. He said the flavor was good but there was little meat on the bones. Overall my husband gave it a ³⁄₅ for our bbq experiences.

I have no idea why this place gets the same prestige of other BBQ joints in KC. I can’t actually count anyone I know from KC that says Arthur Bryant’s is the best in the city… because its only fairly adequate… and only if you don’t use their sauce.
Now…that sounds harsh as hell, but the meat hasn’t ever been as good as other locations in town… and sauce is entirely up to an individual preference… but man, it’s just not that good.

This is one of the least impressive BBQ joints in KC. I know, a lot of people like/​love it, but it’s just not for me. The meats always seem pretty pedestrian. The beef has nearly always been dried out and bland, the ham (both times I had it) was fatty, the sliced pork was juicier than the pulled pork (but both needed sauce in a bad way), turkey/​chicken both lacked flavor, burnt ends were good, but the ribs were also tough/​gristley/​chewy. The original sauce is too sweet for my preference, the rich & spicy was basically just a thicker/​spicier sauce that still wasn’t really spicy, and the sweet heat literally tastes like they just poured the 2 together lol. Fries, beans, and cole slaw are all very standard. I just expect more out of the meat and sides than what this place offers.

Another KCMO BBQ spot! They don’t disappoint here, they’re bbq is always on point! Went here for lunch and had the burnt ends on bread, and wow. Amazing. The meat was so tender, the sauce sweet and spicy. I’ve never tasted anything like it before. It’s too bad that I didn’t have time to try the other items on the menu. If you’re around, you just have to stop by here and grab some great food. On theirs walls are photos of celebrities and presidents who have eaten at Arthur Bryant’s. Only thing is, the staff could be a little more welcoming in my opinion, especially for people who aren’t around the area. Other than that, must try food!

An historical, hole in the wall, bbq place with pictures of celebrities all over the walls. It’s a no frills bbq joint where you can watch them slice the meat right there.
I got the pork and burnt ends combo sandwich with baked beans and it was massive! The pork was great and baked beans were amazing. The burnt ends were good– not my favorite. I like that they serve it on white bread not buns.
Their sauce is very unique– unlike any other KC sauce. It’s less sweet and thick, not quite like NC vinegar-​based, but in between.

We came here 30 minutes prior to closing on a Monday night and it was empty. That was great because there was no weight. We ordered meats by weight and got a few sides. Pickles are free and next to the cash register. The meat cutter was meticulous and showed us through the glass the weighing of the meat. They charge you for one pound even if it is slightly over.
We got the beef, burnt ends, and sausage. The beef was good, but the burnt ends were even better. The Sweet Heat sauce was better than the Original and the Rich and Spicy in my opinion. What brings this review down is the sausage. It was not very tasty and was sliced too thin. The staff was friendly but were adamant that we leave right at 9:30 even though we still had 30 minutes. If you steer clear of the sausage, you should be fine.

Since there are SO many reviews, I’m going to keep this simple.
I like the original and authentic feel the location has to it; it definitely contributes to the ambiance. (Note: it’s weird to use ambiance when describing a BBQ place… that’s a first for me). I think the BBQ overall is pretty good. It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but then again I’m not a BBQ expert. I enjoyed it and wouldn’t turn it down, I’m just not sure I would stay in line 40 minutes again to have it.
The service was good on my part, however a woman from another country behind me was having a difficult time articulating «pickles» and one of the workers gave her a hard time. It was a complete turn off and the woman even stated out loud, «I asked for pickles and he yelled at me». I felt badly for her and would hope that if I owned a well known restaurant, my employees would expect to meet diverse people and do their best to accommodate.
Overall, I’m not upset I went and it’s cool to have experienced it, but I doubt I’ll return when I’m in the mood for BBQ. I do admire Arthur Bryant’s long tenure in KC and wish it future success.

I’m an out-​of-​towner (with less than stellar BBQ in my home town of Columbus, OH), and this is my only KC BBQ experience.
Long lines here, so that has to be a good sign, right? Come prepared for a wait. The celebrity visit pictures along the way help with the boredom. The space has a little bit of a traffic flow problem when the line is full.
We shared a meat tray (a pound of meat, combo at the patron’s selection — we got burnt ends and sliced beef). I liked the burnt ends best — they were already sauced, but not too much. The thin sliced beef was good, but I thought just a litttle on the dry side.
Arthur Bryant’s sauce was unique — a little more smoky and vinegar-​y than what I’m used to. Certainly more layered and complex. The meat was good but the sauce is outstanding.
Our sides were ok – baked beans and coleslaw. The slaw had a tangy hint of Miracle Whip, which I suppose can be a shock if that’s not what you’re expecting. Beans were a little sweet and saucy for my taste, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying them! The meat tray + 2 sides was a perfect portion to split between my husband and me.
The slow line seemed to be caused exclusively by the checkout crew. Slow and distracted at the register, getting our beverages and sides seemed to cause a kerfuffle.
The sauce and burnt ends are worth all of that, though, in my very limited experience!

When you are driving from Pennsylvania to Colorado, you need some good food to fill you every few hundred miles. Arthur Bryant’s is on the west side of Kansas City, and it’s a great stop on a road trip.
I ordered the open faced pulled pork ($ 9.55) and my brother got the beef sandwich ($ 9.55). There was plenty of meat on both sandwiches, and the BBQ sauces on the table can let you find your perfect sauce combo. I liked the mildly spicy one. The drinks are huge and reasonably priced. The employees were nice as well.
At 2 pm on a Friday, this place had a good crowd. There was a decent parking lot and a security attendant. It is also right off of I-​70, which is perfect for a quick stop.

First stop upon arriving in Kansas City — Arthur Bryant’s! I arrived right about 11am on a weekday and was met with a long line that I waited 30 minutes in to order. Ouch! I have to admit waiting in line wasn’t horrible though as I talked to those around me and admired celeb pix on the wall including a barrage of Barack.
As my turn was coming up, I didn’t know the logistics of ordering… but basically you wait for one of a few people to open up at the window, place your order, they prepare it, then they pass you on down to the cashier. Service was over the top friendly.
I got the pulled pork special sandwich which ran me $ 10 with no sides. Ouch x2. There was a ton of meat though. I was eating and eating and eating… I felt like a mountain beast and it totally filled me up. I didn’t even touch much of the bread because I was so full. Plus it was completely soggy and soaked at the bottom.
I liked the pork, found it to be moist and tasty. But the sauce was not quite as thick as I like. I realize this is just my preference but their sauce isn’t quite my thing.
Arthur Bryant’s is an institution in KC and I understand many love it. I think it’s decent and would go again if I had friends who were headed there. It’s not a place I’d go out of my way for again though. Been there, done that, over it.