[1] Kansas City barbecue uses a wide variety of meats, such as pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, sausage, and sometimes fish.

[8][9] Kansas City barbecue history originated with Henry Perry, who operated out of a trolley barn at 19th and Highland in the legendary African-American neighborhood around 18th and Vine.

Perry's restaurant became a major cultural point during the heyday of Kansas City Jazz during the "wide-open" days of Tom Pendergast in the 1920s and 1930s.

Arthur Bryant's, which eventually moved to 1727 Brooklyn in the same neighborhood, became a hangout for baseball fans and players in the 1950s and 1960s, because of its close proximity to Municipal Stadium, where the Kansas City Athletics or A's played their home games during that period.

In April 1972, Kansas City native Calvin Trillin wrote an article in Playboy proclaiming Bryant's the best restaurant on the planet.

With new-found fame, Bryant did not change the restaurant's very simple decor, which consisted of fluorescent lighting, Formica tables, and five-gallon jars of sauce displayed in the windows, even when visited by Presidents Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.

Along the main inner wall of the restaurant is photographic history of many famous politicians, actors, actresses and sports figures and other tribute pictures of military personnel displaying Arthur Bryant's memorabilia such as shirts or bottles of sauce.

Gates also expanded its footprint in a more conventional way, with restaurants all displaying certain common features—red-roofed buildings, a recognizable logo (a strutting man clad in tuxedo and top hat) and the customary "Hi, may I help you?"

[10] Eventually Jack, along with his wife and children, decided to expand their menu selections, adding non-traditional barbecue menu items like hickory-grilled steaks, lamb ribs, crown prime beef ribs,[11] and fresh, hickory-grilled seafood, along with an extensive wine and bar selection.

They also opened a full-service catering operation in Martin City and their third location in the historic Freight House building in the Crossroads Arts District.

Accompanying friends at the American Royal and The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle[14] inspired Jeff Stehney to start cooking on his own.

By 1993, Jeff, his wife and business partner Joy, and Jim "Thurston" Howell were ready to join the KCBS competition circuit.

Over the next several seasons Slaughterhouse Five won dozens more awards and was generally recognized as one of the top competition BBQ teams in the Country.

[citation needed] KC Masterpiece was sold to Kingsford charcoal in 1986 and now claims to be the number-one premium barbecue brand in the U.S.

Located on East Truman Road in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Missouri, Curt's has been a large competitor in many local barbecue competitions.

[28][29] In March 2019, the sisters and the barbecue were featured on the third season of American television series Queer Eye,[30] which was filmed in and near Kansas City.