Posted by Michael Stern on April 01, 2007
LC's is a no-frills barbecue parlor where all dishware and utensils are disposable. A television set is always on in one corner of the room and a few dusty game-animal trophies adorn the walls. Place your order and pay for it at the counter, where you have a great view (and sniff) of the pit, and it will be delivered to your table posthaste.
It is a good thing that sandwiches come in trays, because they are so messy that no flat plate could contain them. You get a heap of sauce-sopped meat piled onto a puny slice of white bread and the meat is topped with another slice. The bread underneath has disintegrated before it arrives at your table, so this sandwich cannot be lifted by hand from its Styrofoam tray. You either use plastic utensils or pick at it by hand. (All tables are outfitted with rolls of paper towels.)
Beef, ham, turkey, pork, sausage, and ribs are all pit-cooked; and among the "specialty meats" listed on the menu is burnt ends. These are crisp, chewy, extra-luscious nuggets of meat cut from the outside edges of smoked brisket. Many pieces are laced with an obscenely delicious amount of fat; there are chewy pieces and crunchy pieces; and while the ends might be dry all by themselves, LC's excellent sauce makes them sing.
Overall: Worth driving from anyplace
13 out of 13 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
Reviewers "Must Eats" List
Burnt Ends
($9.00)
"LC's burnt ends actually are cut to order from the outside and edges of the brisket. A sandwich made from them is impossible to pick up by hand."
Michael Stern
"A close-up shows the variety of texture in burnt ends."
Michael Stern
"A burnt ends sandwich is an amazing plate of food."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"LC's cuts its own potatoes for fries."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"LC's smoked beef is as good as we've had anywhere."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"The aroma of these smoking meats is nearly overpowering."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"Note the 'LC' embossed on the doors of LC's pit."
Michael Stern
"The extremely humble dining room includes a TV that is always on in the corner. Note the roll of paper towels on the table: you will need them!"
Michael Stern
"An outside view of one of Kansas City's best barbecue parlors"
Michael Stern
"You'll smell LC's long before you see it."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"Look for LC's at the fork with the oddly named Sni-A-Bar Road."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
