Inducted April 16, 2007
Our first inductee into the KANSASCITYBARBECUE.COM Barbecue Hall of Fame is of course Arthur Bryant. What can we say that hasn’t already been said. He not only made some of the best barbecue in town, but he also put Kansas City’s unique barbecue style on the map.
Born in 1900 in Branchville, Texas. He attended Prairie View A & M College, graduating in 1931 with a degree in Agriculture. After his graduation, Bryant visited his brother Charliein Kansas City, who at the time was working for Henry Perry. It was during this visit Mr. Perry offered Bryant a job, which he accepted. Mr. Perry passed away in 1940 and Charlie Bryant was handed control of the business. Charlie retired in 1946 and Arthur Bryant became owner of the restaurant. He changed the name of the restaurant to Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, modified the original sauce recipe and in 1958 he relocated the restaurant to 1727 Brooklyn where it sits today.
As the owner of Arthur Bryant’s at 18th and Brooklyn in Kansas City, MO he was a pioneer who never deviated from his style, even as he, his sauce and restaurant became legendary.
To many, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque is considered the best restaurant in the world. Arthur Bryant is and always will be the King of Kansas City Barbeque, and it was Arthur Bryant who made Kansas City the epicenter of the barbecue world.
We salute Arthur Bryant and the legacy he has bestowed upon Kansas City and the World of Barbecue!
