KC BBQ Showdown- Joe’s vs. Arthur Bryant’s

Hey guys and gals! Sorry it’s been so long, but the wait was worth it- my brother and I recently took a trip to Kansas City to try some BBQ. We were gonna hit three, but our stomachs and wallets were tapped after the second joint so what started off as a tour became a showdown between two joints. Again, below is the link to the Google Album journey. And I’ll go over some pics and thoughts from both joints.

KC BBQ SHOWDOWN VIDEO JOURNEY

First, from Joe’s Kansas City BBQ, we ordered a two meat combo with pulled pork, ribs, and red beans and rice. We also ordered the famous Z-man Sandwich and a half-pound of their world renowned burnt ends, along with some fries. Ravenous, we dug in immediately to the burnt ends, and I was not disappointing in the least.

They were smokey, well seasoned, and beefy. And they came sauceless, allowing you to put as little or as much sauce as you prefer. Both my brother and I agreed this was our favorite meat of the joint, although they do advertise their pulled pork as the “house specialty.”

Now here sauce was applied, and the tangy slightly sweet sauce meshed well with the salt and smoke of the pork. Even more important- the meat was juicy, tender, and had fatty and lean meats mixed with the skin to make a truly delicious bite. Next I moved on to the ribs

The ribs were next, and once again, the sauce complimented the pork. I would even go far as to say that the sauce perfected these ribs, which had a bit too much salt in the rub for my test, but were nevertheless smokey and with the right amount of sweetness.

I have to admit, being someone that prefers Texas brisket, I was a bit skeptical of the Z-Man, with its thin sliced beef, provolone cheese, onion rings, and sauce. But upon first bite, this sandwich really impressed me. If you were to picture the ideal BBQ beef sandwich, it would probably taste a bit like this.

The red beans and rice- not the only Cajun inspired dish on the menu- were very good, with a lot of heat and flavor. Even the fries, seasoned very well, impressed. The two sauces available, one from Joe’s, the other from Cowtown. Cowtown’s Night of the Living BBQ sauce acted as the “hot” sauce alternative. But to just call this a hot BBQ sauce would do it a disservice. The sauce has fruity, tangy notes to along with a more fresh pepper taste. Truly one of the better sauces I’ve tried in my days of eating BBQ.

Arthur Bryant’s was next, and I really wanted to do a fair comparison so I ordered ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, a ham sandwich and fries. The pulled pork and burnt ends were presented as open face sandwiches.

The burnt ends were much bigger than Joe’s and upon first bite, the flavor of the sauce takes over immediately. It was a heavy tomato sauce, with natural sweetness from the fruit (or vegetable depending on who you ask). My brother likened it to “Italian BBQ.” Still the beef flavor followed soon, and it’s easy to see why this rich, decadent dish was made famous here.

As pictured, the ribs don’t have any sauce on them. In fact, they didn’t have much flavor at all. They were tender, but that’s really it. The fries were a BIT under-seasoned as well, but much easier to rectify that issue, and they were super fresh.

The pulled pork was near perfect. Served with a completely different sauce, the pork was tangy, vinegary, with hint of sweetness. I will say for the record, I prefer my wife’s eastern North Carolina style pulled pork to anything else, but this is easily in the running for top 5 pulled pork from a joint.

Finally we get to what may be the MVP of Arthur Bryant’s- the bread. Just trying the smoked ham doesn’t do this place justice. As soon you bite into the soft, sweet white bread encasing your giant pile of smokey meat, the visit is transformed, and the legend status assured.

Now we get to the sauces. Without a doubt, these are the strangest sauces I have ever tried. The rich and spicy sauce was thick, with a decent vinegar kick, heat, and tomato flavor. The sweet heat was also thick with more sugar, and about the same amount of heat. Both had a thick, almost pureed consistency. My brother compared them both to hot sauces. The original sauce was tart, with a bit of sweetness trying to combat what tastes like raw spices. It had a bit of heat, but the closest thing I can compare it to is Mexican tamarind candy with chili seasoning. Unlike the others, this one was thin. Suffice to say, these sauces aren’t for everyone, but they are unique.

In fact, I would say Arthur Bryant’s encapsulates what I love about KC BBQ. Each meat tasted so vastly different that most folks probably couldn’t tell they came from the same joint. In Kansas City, each joint is so unique in their approach, sauce, and flavor profile. For some, Arthur Bryant’s will be a bit too out there. But between the BBQ history and the classic food, there’s plenty to like.

But this is a SHOWDOWN! So how did they stack up?

In the category of Burnt Ends, the win goes to- Joe’s Kansas City BBQ In the category of Ribs, the win goes to- Joe’s Kansas City BBQ In the category of Pulled Pork, the win goes to- Arthur Bryant’s In the category of Sandwich, the win goes to- Arthur Bryant’s In the category of Sauce, the win goes to- Joe’s Kansas City BBQ In the category of Fries, the win goes to- Joe’s Kansas City BBQ

The Ribs category was the easiest decision of the bunch, as there wasn’t a real contest here. The Burnt Ends category was MUCH closer, with the simple approach of Joe’s preferred to the rich sauce at Arthur Bryant’s. However the pulled pork at Arthur Bryant’s stood out as more distinct, flavorful, and juicy in comparison to Joe’s fantastic, but standard approach. The Sandwich category was probably our most difficult choice, and perhaps the most controversial. Joe’s gives us exactly what you want in a sandwich that had plenty of ingredients working in harmony. Yet it’s the simplest combination of well smoked pork and fluffy white bread (sans sauce by the way) that won the day for Arthur Bryant’s. The fries at Joe’s were simply more seasoned and addictive, and the sauce is more approachable at Joe’s as well.

For our informal discussion, my brother and I agreed that Arthur Bryant’s offered the best value and the best atmosphere, although the shelves of KC BBQ sauce at Joe’s was pretty great. My brother also noted Arthur Bryant’s won his Best Leftover award, and I agreed after trying mine. The flavors stayed with the sauce and meat after the temperature change, and even became more pronounced the morning after our trip.

I would say that, if this were a showdown between all of the KC joints I’ve eaten, Q39 would still win the day. But for THIS SHOWDOWN-

Joe’s Kansas City BBQ IS THE WINNER!