Henry Perry is widely regarded as the "Father of Kansas City BBQ," and this was the location of the last restaurant he operated. Given the long and storied tradition of barbecue in this city, the fact that leading restaurants from Gates to Arthur Bryant's draw their roots to Perry's shop here at 19th and Highland is a tribute not only to Perry's craft, but his influence on the next generation of cooks and restaurant operators. The practice of barbequing meats in the city can be traced all the way back to the era after the Civil War when Southern migrants came to the city looking for work. The massive Kansas City Stockyards provided huge quantities of affordable meat to the area’s residents. Henry Perry began selling barbecue wrapped in a newspaper from a cart in 1907. A few years later, he opened Perry’s Barbecue, the city’s first barbecue restaurant. Encouraged by his success, more entrepreneurs opened their own restaurants, which were frequently concentrated around the African-American community of the 18th and Vine District. Perry operated a restaurant at 17th and Lydia, about three blocks northwest before moving to 1514 East 19th Street and operating his final restaurant at 1900 Highland Avenue. Today, Kansas City is well-known for its delicious barbecue from about 100 different vendors, including Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque and Gates Bar-B-Q, who both trace their methods to Perry. The city also hosts the American Royal, the largest annual barbecue competition in the world.
In 1933, the old Eblon Theater was remodeled into a nightclub and opened as The Cherry Blossom Club. Located at 1822 Vine Street this club was one of Kansas City's most popular destinations for Jazz. The club was also where many influential jazz musicians made a name for themselves, including the great Count Basie and Bennie Moten.
Though the building itself is no longer there, the legacy of 18th and Vine's Street Hotel is one of the most enduring parts of the district. Opening in the early 1920s, the Street Hotel began life in 1903, as a restaurant opened by Reuben and Della Street at 18th and Troost. After several successful years of business, the couple decided to expand. They moved the restaurant to a building at the corner of 18th and the Paseo, which they first leased before purchasing the building for $67,000. The Streets ran the Hotel, which included the Blue Room Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant, for several decades, hosting numerous musicians and public figures, including Jackie Robinson, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs at the time. The Streets also became important figures in Kansas City at this time, playing host to numerous African-American action groups and participating in the overall growth of the 18th and Vine area. Unfortunately, the 1953 death of Della Street prompted her husband to sell the hotel the following year. The hotel would be sold again when the new owner defaulted on the mortgage, prompting the building to be sold at auction in 1960. Though it has since been razed to make room for new development, the legacy of the Street Hotel has left an indelible mark on 18th and Vine, as well as the greater Kansas City area.
A modern landmark within the historic 18th & Vine district, The Blue Room Jazz Club is connected to the American Jazz Museum and showcases some of the most significant jazz musicians. A museum by day and hopping jazz club at night, the Blue Room blends music and entertainment with history and is a favorite for many residents of the Kansas City metro area. Established by Reuben and Ella Street as part of the Street Hotel (or "Street's," as it was known) in the early 1920s, the Blue Room became one of the most important venues in the geography of Kansas City jazz. The original Blue Room and the hotel that housed it were located just a few steps west of the current Blue Room. That historic building was razed in the 1980s and is now home to Soiree and several other businesses.
The history of Arthur Bryant's is closely connected to the larger history of Kansas City. One of the oldest and most influential restaurants in establishing the unique flavor of Kansas City barbeque, Arthur Bryant’s dates back to 1908 when Henry Perry began serving barbecued meats from a cart in Kansas City's Garment District. In the decades that followed, Charlie and Arthur Bryant learned the craft while working for Perry. In 1949, Arthur Bryant established this restaurant which quickly established a strong reputation among diverse groups of Kansas City residents. The restaurant's fame spread following a 1972 article by food critic Calvin Trillin that declared Arthur Bryant's "the single best restaurant in the world." In the decades that followed, American Presidents, politicians, civil rights leaders, actors, and athletes from all around the United States and the world have made a pilgrimage to experience what some consider to be the best BBQ ribs in the world.
Founded in 1946 by George W. Gates as "Gates' Famous Old Kentucky Bar-B-Q," Gates' Bar-B-Q is widely regarded as a Kansas City institution. The restaurant's original location was within what is now the 18th and Vine neighborhood. With the growing popularity of their food and barbeque sauce, the company acquired this location which is located near the company's headquarters. This location features a statue of the company's "Struttin' Man" logo, and similar to all Gates locations, guests should expect an enthusiastic "HI, MAY I HELP YOU" greeting from staff when they enter the service line. Gates has seen many iterations over its nearly 70-year history. The first location was opened at 19th and Vine, before moving several times and opening numerous other locations. Now boasting five restaurants across the Kansas City metro area, Gates' Bar-B-Q is a pillar of the culinary and social fabric of Kansas City.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
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This brief driving tour includes some of the past and present food spots of 18th and Vine. The tour begins on the spot where Henry Perry, the self-proclaimed "King of Kansas City Barbeque", had his store. The route passes the Cherry Blossom Club in the old Eblon Theater, the location of the Street Hotel, the Blue Room, and Arthur Bryant's BBQ, before ending at the Gates Bar-B-Q location at 12th and Brooklyn.
