Gates Bar-B-Q

Midtown's stop for short ends and the famous call
Gates Bar-B-Q is a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, MO. Listed categories include fast food, restaurant.
The Main Street Gates runs the same script that turned a Kansas City counter into an institution: the shouted 'Hi, may I help you?', the guarded sweet-and-peppery sauce, and a line that moves fast. Sitting on Main in Midtown, its parking-lot smoke announces the place a full block before you reach the door, and the greeting takes over from there.
Order the bark-forward short-end beef ribs and the sliced brisket ladled with that bright, peppery house sauce, and don't skip the burnt ends when the batch is running. The ham-and-beef combo is the classic two-meat plate off this counter, and the mixed Chef's Special samples the whole board. The sauce is the constant—bright, peppery, and unmistakably Gates—poured over a dark smoke that hasn't changed course in decades. It's the neighborhood face of a chain that made a greeting into a Kansas City reflex.
- Style: Kansas City Style
- Price: $$
What to order
- Short-End Beef Ribs
- Sliced Brisket
- Burnt Ends
- Ham & Beef Combo
- Chef's Special (Mixed)
Visiting
- Address: 3205 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64111-1902
- Phone: +18167530828
- Website: https://gatesbbq.com/?y_source=1_Mzg3Mjk4ODItNTU5LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D
Hours: Daily 11am–9:30pm
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