Through A Glass Productions

1727 Brooklyn Avenue,
Kansas City, MO (original location)
http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/

While I've eaten at Arthur Bryant's several times, I'd like to recount for you the most memorable of them all. Our friend Jake Weller had just had his film screened at the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubliee. The film was slightly political and stood in somewhat of a contrast to several other films that played. No doubt, it was a part of the conversations that were spurned as people left the theater in downtown Kansas City. Jake, as all filmmakers are, was a little nervous as to how people reacted to the film, so to ease his mind, we ventured across town to Arthur Bryant's (the original of course, located at 18th and Brooklyn). Arthur Bryant's is truly a international phenomenon. It's one of few locations on Brooklyn that you're likely to find $80,000 cars surrounding a fairly small building, and people travel from all over the world just to eat there. One time, I even encountered a self-described "barbaque hunter" who was on a pilgrimage to the top ten meat joints in America -- this was what he did with his 10-days-a-year vacation, and he said Bryant's alone was worth the trip.

On this particular visit to Bryant's, however, we walked through the door and entered the line which was conveniently backed through the entire restaurant, so we didn't have to go very far. The air conditioner was also down, and it was a particularly hot day, so everyone was wedged next to one another and dripping with sweat. Now, while this at first might not seem like an ideal, once we had ordered our food and were able to sit down with an ice-cold pitcher of Boulevard Pale Ale, and I was finally able to dig in to my burnt ends and follow it up with a mug of Boulevard while sitting next to strangers at a table in the back room, because the place was too packed... it was heaven. It was hot. It was musty. Sweat was dripping everywhere you looked, and everyone was loving it!

Bryant's, by far, has the best burnt ends of anyone, and I mean anyone! They're slathered in their own home-made sauce, and are just the right size for one or two chunks of meat per bite. The sauce is so good, you'll even want to eat the Wonder Bread underneath it all, but you'll probably be too full by the time you get down that far.

The food on my own plate was getting more scarce, and I rolled back in my seat to relish the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction that only fine barbecue can provide. Through the large windows in the back room, I was able to look out over the setting sun and a distant Kansas City skyline, growing darker before a dim-pink sky. And in that one moment, it was reaffirmed for me why I love the Midwest: good food, good beer, and good people.

Thank you Arthur Bryant's.