Gates - Review - Midtown - Kansas City - The Infatuation

"Gates is an undisputed Kansas City legend, but nostalgia is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, sort of like a movie that you know is overrated but still defended to death (Cough, A Christmas Story, cough). Gates has a sweeter sauce, and the meats here are nothing to write home about. Their “burnt end sandwich” resembles a sloppy joe on a soggy bun, and the famously rude customer service isn’t over-the-top enough to be redeemable. They also have a feud with Arthur Bryant’s after a rivalry started between protégés of Henry Perry, the Father of Kansas City BBQ. Both establishments trace their roots to Perry’s 1908 barbecue cart, where hickory-smoked possum and raccoon were once on the menu. If you strip away the history, Gates fails to stand out in the BBQ capital. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Ryan Bernsten