New list ranks 29 best Kansas City barbecue restaurants, based on Tripadvisor reviews

Stacker, a digital news site, has compiled a list of the 29 “Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in Kansas City.”

It used Tripadvisor rankings, factoring in the average rating and number of reviews.

“Today, barbecue is a wildly popular staple across the U.S., with many cities and regions boasting their own take (and all claiming to have the best),” Stacker said. “Because barbecue meat spends hours upon hours cooking, restaurants are a go-to source for many Americans who would rather not spend all day and all night tending to their flames.”

Midtown’s Q39 was top on the list with a rating of 4.5 from 3,289 reviews. It also has a location in Overland Park.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue in the Freight House is No. 2 with a 4.5 rating from 3,882 reviews (it scored a bit less on value than Q39).

Others in the top 10: Jack Stack’s in Martin City and the Country Club Plaza; Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements in Westport; Slap’s BBQ and Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que both in Kansas City, Kansas; BB’s Lawnside Blues & BBQ in south Kansas City; Scott’s Kitchen and Catering at Hangar 29 in the Northland; and County Road Ice House BBQ & Bar in the Power & Light District.

Here’s how some other local favorites ranked: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque was No. 12; LC’s Bar-B-Q was No. 14; and Gates Bar-B-Q (the 3205 Main St. location) was No. 17.

Some of those barbecue spots were also mentioned last week in Food & Wine magazine’s list of the eight best barbecue restaurants in Kansas City.