You do know next weekend is when they're holding The American Royal BBQ Cook-Off, the biggest 'Que contest in the world, right? There are more than 500 competing teams over three days of cooking and massive partying, all on the grounds of The American Royal complex.
On the plus side, for $15 you can walk the entire grounds, watching world class, champion pitmasters plying their trade. On the down side, that fifteen bucks won't get you a bite to eat. KC public health rules forbid teams from selling their wares, although you'll occasionally find someone who will be handing out free samples. There's plenty to eat, of course, but most of it is state fair food court quality items. Don't get me wrong, there are some past American Royal winners who have created food carts and sell 'Que to the public, but most of what's available is "food on a stick" and lemon shake-ups.
I'll be at The Royal on Friday and Saturday, operating the Sauce Store as part of the BBQ Expo in the Governor's Building. Contestants in the Sauce Contest donate cases of their products to be sold at the store which supports local charities. Most items are $5 each, and you can find hundreds of regional sauces from all over the country. Stop over and say, "Howdy," if you decide to come to The Royal.
As for your original question about where to get good 'Que in KC, not to be snarky, but, have you done any kind of a search yet on this site for that information? There must be
at least a half dozen separate threads here on that exact subject. But to answer your question, LC's is best overall with an emphasis on Burnt Ends. Oklahoma Joe's is a close second, as far as most people are concerned. Smokin' Guns up in North Kansas City is a crowd fave, although, they're only open for lunch. Jack's Stack in Overland Park, KS is a favorite for folks who like safe, white tablecloth BBQ. They're especially well known for their lamb ribs.
My personal favorites include LC's, Brobeck's BBQ, B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ, RJ's Bobbicue, and Snead's. On a recent visit to KC we made a long awaited return trip to Roseland BBQ. I have plans for visiting Danny Edwards when we're there over the holidays.
I'm sure others will weigh in with their thoughts; some might even tell you I don't know what I'm talking about. That's okay. Frequently, I don't.
Buddy