Address:
5800 Blue Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64129
Phone Number:
816 923 4484
Out of the five barbecue meals I ate in Kansas City over the course of three days, LC’s probably rated fourth. The vibe was also probably the least inviting. Still, once I started eating my multiple mountains of sauce-slathered meat, I couldn’t stop, and there were enough positives and intangibles to warrant inclusion on Food GPS.
L.C. Richardson founded this plain-looking hickory-fueled barbecue joint in 1986, on a fairly desolate stretch of Blue Parkway. He was nowhere in sight on my visit, which could have accounted for the good but not great quality of my meal.
LC’s Bar-B-Q featured a plain-looking exterior.
As with many good barbecue parlors, there were a variety of taxidermied animals on the walls. I was especially intrigued by the pheasant and the large-mouth catfish. That catfish sure was shiny for a dead fish, but I guess it may have swam fresh waters at some point. Hmm.
The well-worn metal smoker was embossed twice with the owner’s name: “LC”
A young pitman was nice enough to open the smoker doors and reveal this tantalizing view of the racks of meat. According to the pitman, they cook the meats for about an hour-and-a-half to two hours, uniformly. I was surprised the brisket didn’t receive extra attention.
The mixed plate ($15.99) featured “long end” pork ribs, sliced pork and sliced beef.
Here’s a close-up of sliced pork and beef. They were tough to differentiate, considering how much sauce graced the meat. The pork spare ribs were overcooked and too chewy, relegating them to a third-place finish for the Styrofoam platter. To say the meats were slathered with sauce would be an understatement. Thankfully, the paste-like sauce tasted good, with a spicy zing that built with each bite.
The Burnt ends “special” ($4.99) featured a heap of crusty chunks of brisket exterior, served over white bread. And of course sauced liberally. It was ridiculous how much food I ordered, but for some strange reason, the staff didn’t allow any substitutions, so there was no way to limit my order and still get just what I wanted. Which was a shame, since I may have eaten two pounds of food, and still had to trash at least that much.
I ordered a side of baked beans ($1.99), which were mixed with hacks of beef.
LC’s was the kind of barbecue restaurant I wish existed in my neighborhood, but wouldn’t be my first recommendation to a diner visiting Kansas City. Still, if you have a few days, schedule a stop for the end of your trip.
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11 AM – 9 PM
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