Post trip: what we found

We visited 12 bbq places over a period of 4 days in 6 different states. In hindsight, we rank them as follows:

1. a. LC's
b. Oklahoma Joe's
2. Central
3. Payne's
4. a. Germantown Commissary
4. b. Al's
4. c. Saw's
5. Cozy Corner
6. Danny Edwards Blvd
7. Bob Sykes
8. Arthur Bryants
9. Riverfront

Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, Kansas City, MO

Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, located in Kansas City, MO.

After LC's was the last stop of our BBQ trip: the famous Arthur Bryant's. Bryants is probably Kansas City's most famous bbq joint, and has developed a reputation over many decades. This was the original location from the 1920s.

We were met by a pretty long line, not quite as long as OK Joe's but it took almost as long to navigate it. We passed the time gazing at the classic interior, packed with people with walls adorned with numerous framed articles boasting of the 'best BBQ in Kansas City', and photographs of various celebrities and even presidential candidates dining at the place.

We ordered a beef sandwich with a side of fries. We split the sandwich in half.

Beef sandwich at Arthur Bryant's, with side of french fries.

The sandwich sucked. The brisket was dry, chewy, and lacked flavor. The fries are cooked with lard and were OK but nothing like their reputation would lead you to believe. They had 2 sauces, their original and a hot and spicy. Bryant's famous original sauce sucks. Its bitter and quite grainy (too much garlic powder is the likely culprit), despite being a tomato based sauce.  I tried it on the bread and the meat and it just wasn't good. The 'hot and spicy' was a good tomato based sauce, but it was not hot or spicy at all.

Its been said Bryant's can be off and on. Maybe we caught them on an 'off' day, but it was impossible to not get the sense that Bryant's is living off a reputation it probably no longer deserves. 2 star worthy, very disappointing and not worth the wait.

LC's Bar-B-Q, Kansas City, MO

LC's Bar-B-Q, located in Kansas City, MO.

After Danny Edwards we took a break for a couple hours before driving to LC's for the first half of our dinner.

LC's is a true 'hole-in-the-wall' type of place. Inconspicuous and a little weathered looking from the outside, we could smell the smoke from the pit inviting us inside as we walked past the piles of wood.

Exterior of LC's.

LC's is known for their burnt ends, so we ordered a plate of burnt ends, with a side of baked beans.

The burnt ends came in a heaping pile with their sauce layered on top. The brisket had great appearance and texture, with a solid crust and visible smoke ring. The flavor exceeded the appearance; an unbelievable flavor that almost overwhelms the palate and taste buds. Smoked to perfection, the ends were tender, melting and full of flavor. Just awesome. The sauce actually complemented the meat quite well and was excellent with the bread. The sweet tasting beans were excellent, probably the best we'd had on the trip. Good enough that you could justify making a trip to the place just for the beans,

Burnt ends with side of baked beans.

LC's exceeded expectations to a degree unlike any other place we tried. Incredible Q. 5 stars, and a MUST try if you are in Kansas City.

Danny Edwards Blvd Barbecue, Kansas City, MO

Danny Edwards Blvd Barbecue, Kansas City, MO.

After leaving Oklahoma Joe's we drove back across the border into Missouri to try Danny Edwards. The building is fairly large and has a small pig statue in the front.

The line was non-existent and we ordered quickly. We went with a combo plate of ribs, brisket, chicken, and ham.

Ribs, brisket, chicken, and ham, with side of baked beans.

Maybe it wasn't completely fair to be reviewing Danny Edwards after trying OK Joe's.....but nothing really stood out. The brisket was probably the best of the meal, was well cooked and smoky with decent crust. The ribs were average and unspectacular, while the chicken was dry and below average. The ham was decent and so were the beans, so it wasn't a total loss. They had one kind of sauce; it was pretty weak and insipid tasting.

While not awful, Danny Edwards was a little disappointing. We give it 3 stars.

Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue and Catering, Kansas City, KS

Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, located in Kansas City, KS.

After leaving Cozy Corner we drove to St. Louis for the night, then drove to Kansas City, Missouri.

The first place we stopped for lunch was Oklahoma Joe's, which is actually across the state line in Kansas. Oklahoma Joe's started as a competition BBQ team on the KCBS circuit, before moving into their original location in a gas station in Kansas City. Though truthfully, its become more like a gas station located in a restaurant.

We arrived at around 11:20 (they opened at 11) and already there was a line snaking through the interior, out the door, and around the side of the building. A sign that we could expect some pretty decent Q.

From the time we got in line to the time we got our food, it took about 45 minutes.  The interior was packed, but had a clean, new look to it. They are clearly proud of their Q, with plenty of reminders on the wall in plaques and awards won. We decided to order a rib and pork dinner, with a side of baked beans.

Rib and pork dinner, with side of baked beans.

The food was ready quickly and the wait was brief. The meal also came with some Texas toast and some pickles.

We tried the ribs first. Amazing was the first word that came to mind. These were superb, competition level ribs cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful despite a light rub, with light smoke. They were, simply put, the best ribs either of us had ever had.

The pork wasn't on the level of the ribs but was still quite good. It was pulled, tender, and moist. The beans were delicious, very meaty and had a unique flavor that reminded one of chili, not excessively sweet but great flavor. The meal also came with 2 pieces of Texas toast, a piece of bread, and pickles. The Texas toast was actually tasty also.

They had 2 types of sauce available at the table. A mild, which was pretty good, and a hot, which was excellent on everything. Truthfully though, neither of the meats require any sauce.

Oklahoma Joe's without question lived up to the expectations. Some of the best Q we'd ever had the pleasure of trying, and a good deal at that. We give it 5 stars.

Cozy Corner Restaurant, Memphis, TN

Cozy Corner, located in Memphis, TN

After eating at Payne's, our last stop in Memphis was Cozy Corner Restaurant. The place is located in a small plaza but has a pretty good size dining room. While not as bare as Payne's, the interior isn't as festively decorated as the other places we'd been either.

Cozy Corner is perhaps best known for its cornish hen, so we ordered a plate, with sides of baked beans and another Memphis staple, bbq spaghetti.

Cornish hen, with sides of baked beans and bbq spaghetti.

The hen came sauced. It was flavorful but not smoky. Their sauce is actually good but the chicken would have been better off without it. The beans were great, sweet with some spice and cinnamon. The bbq spaghetti was a disappointment however. It was pasta with bbq sauce....actually tasted kind of lame. Meal also came with 2 slices of bread.

Overall the food wasn't 'great' but was decent and worth sampling. We rated Cozy Corner 3 stars.

Payne's BBQ, Memphis, TN

Pork sandwich at Payne's BBQ, located in Memphis, TN.

After taking a break, we drove to Payne's, in a run down area of Memphis. The place is in an old building with a very rustic and simple interior that is dimly lit.

Payne's is reputed by many for having the best pork sandwich in Memphis, so we both ordered one. It would not disappoint.

The pork sandwich at Payne's is a heap of succulent smoked chopped pork. They give you a choice between 3 sauces: mild, medium, and hot, and you can get it with or without the slaw. We ordered ours with slaw and medium sauce.

The slaw is not like typical coleslaw; its mustard based and has a pickly flavor. It really compliments both the sauce (which is quite good) and the pork, which is outstanding. The sandwich is truly a meal on its own.

The pork sandwich at Payne's was truly the best I've ever had. And at under $4 its a fantastic deal.

On the strength of the sandwich alone (we didn't order anything else), we rate Payne's 4.5 stars. Another must-try in Memphis.