Hey All, I will be in KC for a couple of days next week and then road tripping up to Minneapolis and would love some suggestions for places to hit when in both cities and/or while traveling between the two. Bonus points for anyone that's got a place in KC that has both great beer and great BBQ. Appreciate your input! Thanks!!
While you won't have any issues with finding good examples of either, there's not a place in KC that really threads the needle at *both* serving very good beer and barbecue. Of the better-known places in the metro, you'll likely have the best luck with visiting either/both of Wolfepack BBQ or Q39. That being said, since you apparently will have a bit more time in KC, if you want just one or the other...Chef J has great barbecue (but no beer), Alma Mader and BKS are our two best local breweries, and Oak & Steel is our best beer bar; all three of the beer options don't have kitchens, but allow you to bring in your own food. On your drive north, Des Moines punches well above its weight for its beer scene. Lua is a fantastic brewpub and either of El Bait Shop and The Iowa Taproom would be the best beer bar in many metros much larger than Des Moines.
@swid hit pretty much exactly what I'd suggest, including the Des Moines locations. Char Bar is great for beer & BBQ. They keep a pretty impressive (especially for a BBQ place) tap list. Order a Whomp Platter (burnt ends, half slab ribs, pulled pork, ham, brisket, turkey, and sausage, plus three sides) and an Alma Mader beer or two. If we have visitors in from out of town and they want KC BBQ, that's usually our stop, as it generally feeds all four of us. Unless you're eating with Creed Humphrey or something. Westport Char Bar generally always has at least one Alma Mader beer on, and then some other location stuff. Parkville Char Bar (closer to the airport) is also steps away from Boho Brewery.
For Kansas City, BKS and Alma Mader are the top breweries, as someone else mentioned. I'd throw in Boulevard for their huge taproom and 2nd floor balcony. And their tap list is HUGE. Near BKS is KC Bier Co., if you like German style beers. They have a nice German-ish beer garden as well. For BBQ, I always find myself hitting Joe's KC BBQ at their gas station location in Kansas City Kansas. It's a short drive from downtown Kansas City Missouri. Closed on Sunday's. Slap's BBQ is another of my favorites.
This is amazing! Thank you, all! I've been checking out the websites for these places and I'm already kinda pissed I won't have enough time to hit them all.
I'll echo the Des Moines recommendations. But will add in Ames. Ames is just north of DSM 40 minutes or so and has a really good brewery in Alluvial. There's also a winery next door if that's more your scene. Great beer, and a very scenic location this time of year. There's a BBQ joint in Luther (kinda on the way to Ames) called Watcha Smokin that is really good. But you may not need that after being in KC. But they also don't yell at you and resent you for being there like some of the KC ones do . . . Also toss in a place called the Iowa Tap Room. Has mostly Iowa beers, surprisingly. But also has a pretty decent food menu to go along with it. Another place called Barn Town on the west side of town used to have really awesome beer, but are more interested in dessert beers and sours now. Excellent food though, especially their brunch menu.
Their terrible hours?! They are open every day. Sounds like a you problem, not a bks problem. Once upon a time they were open like Fridays and Saturday. That’s it.
Dude come on. Compared to most places that sell alcohol, their hours are not great. The weekday hours especially. And that's when I had the time to get there.
