Barbecue beat: LC's serves up smoke-tastic chicken
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With white bread and a side of spicy fried green beans. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Old-school barbecue is alive at LC's, where the only thing thicker than the sauce is the smoke pouring out from behind the counter.
The big picture: Kansas City's barbecue scene runs deeper than the big names, and we're highlighting the single-store pits that deserve a bite.
Cue the 'cue: LC's Bar-B-Q at 5800 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Kansas City.
Dig in: L.C. Richardson was a longtime KC chef from Mississippi who opened his own barbecue joint in 1986, establishing a loyal fanbase and rave reviews.
- When Richardson died in 2021, the restaurant was taken up by his granddaughter, Tausha Hammett.
The vibe: It's the kind of no-frills pit KC is known for, where each table comes with a roll of paper towels and the food is served on Styrofoam.
- The dining room is small and hard to maneuver, especially with a nearly full house — which was the case an hour after opening on a Tuesday.
- Patrons are greeted with peeks inside the three-tiered smoker, which is stocked with mouthwatering hunks of glistening meat.
What to try: I got the mixed plate ($26), which comes with ribs, two more choices of meat and a side.
- The chicken had the smokiest flavor of any barbecued bird I've had, making it an instant winner in my book.
- And the sauce, while a little sweeter than others around town, paired well with the rich, intense meat.
What to skip: Some folks swear the ribs and burnt ends are the best in the city, but neither lived up to the hype. I found them both a little tough.
- Note: I got the pork burnt ends, not the beef, which are a $5 upcharge.
- What am I missing? Email me and tell me.
Stop by: It's open Monday–Saturday, 11am–9pm, and closed on Sunday.