Joe’s is the gold standard of local barbecue, and it’s just five minutes away in Kansas City, Kansas from Midtown. When you pull up to this functioning gas station/restaurant and see the wait, you might consider going back to Missouri. Don’t. Get in line, make some friends, and enjoy the convenience store-meets-busy dining room vibes. Here’s your order: burnt ends, ribs, and the Z-Man Sandwich that’s loaded with brisket, provolone, onion rings, and barbecue sauce, all on a kaiser roll.

If you’re looking for a spot where you won’t find a crowd of people wearing plastic bibs covered in sauce, go to Q39 right off 39th Street in Midtown. This is cloth-napkin BBQ, with a modern farmhouse-style dining room that proudly displays all the trophies they’ve won for their meats. Their sauces are standouts: pick between their original sauce—sweet and apricot molasses-based—and their zesty sauce with apple cider vinegar for some tang.

LC’s is unmatched in smoke and seasoning. While there are bars on the window, we like to think they’re there to protect the best-seasoned ribs in Kansas City. The smell of meat hits you the moment you walk into this roadside joint—it’s all coming from the hickory smoker that’s right behind the counter, and there’s a sign reminding you not to lean on the counter while ogling the beautiful smoker. You’ll get a styrofoam plate filled with their tender burnt ends and crispy fries.

With its red and white checkered tablecloths and jugs of iced tea, Danny’s is exactly what you might picture when you think of a classic barbecue spot in Kansas City. Come here for the Danny’s Special where you can get any meat and two sides for $12.50, or split the combo plate which comes with ribs, burnt ends, and brisket. For a side, we’d recommend getting an order of the smoky baked beans—they come with generous chunks of pork that may well fill you up on their own.

Slap’s, like Joe’s, is another KCK barbecue spot with long lines and counter service, but what really makes it stand out is its two sauces. Their spicy sauce is traditional barbecue with a kick, while the sweet one tastes overwhelmingly like honey. We have indeed seen people drinking the sauces like they’re cocktails, but we prefer dipping hush puppies or fries in them instead. Order the Mike Johnson sandwich that combines brisket, jalapeño sausage, and white sauce on a pretzel bun.

If you can only go to one restaurant (that’s not serving BBQ) while you’re in Kansas City, make it The Antler Room. This restaurant inspired by East-West trade routes is covered in art of rabbits with antlers (it’s cute, we promise) and has a rotating menu of dishes like duck with fried sunchokes and spinach, beef heart ragu over malloreddus, or local mushrooms paired with homemade cocoa campanelle. Because the menu rotates seasonally, you’ll want to go back again no matter the season.

Even though you’re still in the Midwest, this busy seafood bar will do its best to make you feel like you’re on the shores of Martha’s Vineyard. Start with their rotating crudo (hope for the scallops with radish and cucumber) and a frozen gin and tonic before moving on to shrimp cocktail and some of the best oysters in town. The narrow restaurant has a long bar where you can watch the staff shuck oysters, and a decor that gives big seaside vibes.

Ever since this spot arrived on the scene, its generous portions of northern Thai cuisine and great service has people making the 15-minute drive south of downtown to the Waldo neighborhood. With a rotating menu of laab and curries, there’s always something new to try, so opt for the Traditional Lanna Experience sampler which comes with six starters and sticky rice. They have a daily Happy Hour and they do a new small plate menu every Wednesday.

Kansas City has seen an exciting new batch of amazing Middle Eastern restaurants—the Palestinian-American lunch deli Baba’s Pantry being a standout. When you’re craving hummus and flatbreads for dinner, though, this is the place to go. Everything in this cozy, wood-paneled restaurant is wood-fired, like their C&F grandma pizza and the trabzon pide with sujuk (essentially the Middle Eastern cousins of a cheese and pepperoni pizza).

If you happen to be in KC during the summer and it’s a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, stop what you’re doing and head to Panther’s Place. This bar feels like hanging out in your best friend’s backyard (if your friend is an incredible gardener and also collects vintage vans, that is). It’s possible to just stay here all night: you may arrive to have just one Aperol spritz, some pizza, or a sandwich, and then suddenly it’s closing time.