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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Burnt ends, whole hogs, smoked brisket or dry-rub ribs? Few foods stir more debate than barbecue, and a new museum opening next year aims to look at all aspects of beloved barbecue culture.
"With big flavors and big personalities, you're going to have an opinion about barbecue. And once you've been to two barbecue restaurants, you'll definitely be ready to debate which is the better one," Museum of BBQ founder Jonathan Bender told CNN Travel.
Billed as the "world's first museum of barbecue," its location in Kansas City, Missouri, will no doubt kick off the great regional barbecue rivalries with arguments from some corners that such an institution dedicated to expertly cooked meat might be better suited to Texas or the Carolinas or Memphis, Tennessee.
The Museum of BBQ's interactive exhibits will get into the different regions and styles of barbecue after it gives visitors an education about barbecue's elements: meat, rub/spice, wood, fire, smoke and sauce. And of course, the gift shop will feature sauces, rubs and other barbecue-themed items. Set to open in spring 2025, the museum will occupy a 4,223-square-foot space at Crown Center shopping center in Kansas City.
Bender, the museum's founder, is a writer who has covered barbecue for more than 15 years and has served as a judge at Kansas City's American Royal World Series of Barbecue and created the documentary "Burnt Legend," about the city's signature burnt ends. Alex Pope, a chef and owner of the whole animal butcher shop Local Pig, is a partner in the museum.
Barbecue is about "sharing and coming together," Bender said.
"And butchers and pitmasters are among the very best storytellers I've met. Barbecue isn't just food. It's culture," he said.
Visitors who work up a powerful hunger for meat are in luck. There's a barbecue restaurant, Burnt End BBQ, on the first floor of Crown Center. There you can sample the namesake burnt ends, once notably described as "burned edges of the brisket."
And Bender's got more recommendations for visitors with an appetite for meat.
"LC's Bar-B-Q sells out of burnt ends regularly for a reason (do a double dip and stop by nearby Big T's too), and Arthur Bryant's (a restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri) may very well be where burnt ends were invented," he said.
"The crispy, tender bites at Slap's — I won't judge you if you get the Cattleman's plate with brisket, burnt ends and Polish sausage — and Joe's Kansas City would make for a fine stop across the state line in Kansas," Bender said.
Or you can get the burnt ends on a hoagie at Gate's "with a strawberry soda," he said. Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ serves "a burnt ends plate with smoky bits of brisket," and you'll want the sweet potato fries on the side.
Kansas City is home to more than 100 local barbecue restaurants and many competitions, including the World Series of Barbecue, which kicks off at the end of October.
The culture around barbecue can't be denied.
"Barbecue is authentic and delicious. It can't be rushed," said Bender. "It's also been a part of American culture for centuries, bringing people together for meals and serving as a way to mark or celebrate big moments for a community."
