LC's Bar-B-Q

KANSAS CITY: LC's Bar-B-Q
5800 Blue Pkwy
Kansas City, MO 64129
816-923-4484
Open M-Thur 11:30-9:30, F-Sat 11:30-11
www.lcsbar-b-que.nv.switchboard.com

Plumes of smoke were visible from the back of this little joint on the east side of KC. The joint was packed when we entered, but that gave me plenty of time to peruse the menu while I waited in line. Service here is curt and efficient, and you're expected to have your order ready when you reach the front of the line. After my Gates experience, I was nervous about ordering the "mixed plate", but was happy to hear "which meats?". I opted for ribs, sliced brisket and sliced ham along with fries and rings. This wasn't quite enough meat, so I opted for a plate of burnt ends and the homemade sausage.



We were ready for a feast while hoping for some great 'cue after reading so many positive reviews. Digging into the burnt ends first proved a perfect start. Each chunk of meat had great smokey bark and well rendered fat. These were definitely more defined pieces of protein than what we found at Gates. The sauce added a sweet counterpoint, but did not overwhelm the meat. I was happy to see that LC offers only one sauce rather than playing to the crowd by making an entire line of flavors.



Sliced beef and ham were both tender due to the thin slices, and both had a mildly smokey flavor. The flavor of both was somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of sauce, but the plate was enjoyable. Ribs were better with an excellent crust untainted by the sauce since the slab is turned crust side down on slices of white bread before being sauced. The meat was perfectly tender, plenty moist and very flavorful on its own.



The homemade sausage was unexpectedly casing free. Bulk sausage had been spiced and formed into an elongated football shape. The smoke penetrated this meat more than any other, and the flavor was reminiscent of the Bacon Explosion from back in February. Each "link" was sliced lengthwise making for easy dipping.



When the meal was completed, we had a hunch that the guy talking with all the regular customers might be LC. We introduced ourselves and thanked him for a great meal. He was glad to hear we enjoyed our trip, and I assured him we'd be back if we made our way to KC again. I'm already craving those burnt ends.

Rating ****