City Description
As Americans, we expect everything now. We like quick cars, fast food, short lines and rapid transit. But when it comes to cooking barbecue, natives of this Midwest town will attest that sloowww roastin' is the way to go! With more BBQ restaurants per capita than any other city in the country, K.C. is the capital of all things lip smackin' and chin dribblin'. Like Hoosiers and their basketball rims, finding a Kansas Cityan without a backyard grill, smoker or pit is a difficult task indeed. Since the first Kansas City BBQ smoke signals went up in 1908, locals while away countless hours basting and marinating, hoping to discover that perfect, fall-off-the-bone meat and delicious sauce.
Every October, smokin' hot shots from around the country come here to compete in the American Royal Barbecue Contest. Not just any slab smacker can sign up for the fun. Only winners from state qualifiers can participate in the invitational division. And the open event, now limited to 400 teams, commands an ever increasing waiting list of hopefuls salivating to square off in this moo and oink extravaganza. With beefy prize packages totaling more than $65,000 in BBQ stained cash, earning the coveted Grand Champion title can mean more than prestige. After winning the first contest in 1980, psychiatrist Rich Davis "shrunk" his medical practice to market his champion sauce, KC's Masterpiece, he's doing pretty well.
Leave your hurries and worries behind and savor your time in this easy goin', finger lickin' city. Sampling the local slow-fired fare proves that patience can be a mouth watering vir-chew!
