The crew working at Fox and Pearl. Fox and Pearl
Brisket sandwiches at a gas station barbecue spot approved by Anthony Bourdain, hefty burritos from a James Beard-winning tortilleria, elote-flavored kakigori at a cocktail hotspot, and more of Kansas City’s best meals
To many, Kansas City will always be a cowtown. The city’s culinary scene was largely defined by the Black pitmasters that established its barbecue traditions and the cattle ranchers that thronged the Kansas City Stockyards (the second-largest in the country after Chicago). Barbecue, burgers, and butchery are still a critical part of the restaurant scene. But the city’s palate has never felt broader than it does right now, thanks to a flurry of experimentation and innovation. Today, you’re as likely to stumble across a hand-pulled noodle shop or a vegan lunch counter as a brisket sandwich.
The uniting feature of Kansas City’s dining scene isn’t a single ingredient or style of cuisine, but an inclusive Midwestern hospitality that infuses even the most stately dining rooms with a little warmth and whimsy. Dress for dinner if you’d like, but no one’s going to fuss if you forgo the white collar for something more casual (and less vulnerable to barbecue sauce stains). Whether you’re touring the high-end tasting rooms in downtown KCMO or the casual carnicerias in KCK, every restaurant makes sure you feel right at home.
Liz Cook is a restaurant critic for The Pitch and writer of the experimental food newsletter Haterade.
