Day 6 – Coffee Victory, Wrong Turns and Kansas City Blues
- Alan Tainton
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
Day 6 was our designated Kansas City exploration day.
After several days of driving, eating and drinking our way across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, it was finally time to slow down and actually see a city.
The day began with a fairly underwhelming hotel breakfast. Nobody will be writing home about it.
What we were writing home about was coffee.
After days of disappointment, weak brews and dashed hopes, we were directed to a coffee shop called Messenger Coffee in the Crossroads Arts District.
At last.
Real cappuccinos. Real milk. Real coffee.
For the first time since landing in America, we felt understood.
The coffee was magnificent and morale immediately improved.
Suitably caffeinated, we set off for a walk through the Crossroads Arts District. Liddy had identified a shop she wanted to visit and confidently announced that it was only 400 metres away.
Off we marched.
Ten minutes later she checked her phone again and discovered it was now nearly a kilometre away.
Somehow we’d managed to walk enthusiastically in entirely the wrong direction.
After a brief consultation with Google Maps and several accusations, we turned around and eventually found the shop.
The Crossroads district itself was well worth exploring. Once an old warehouse and industrial area, it’s now one of Kansas City’s creative hubs, packed with galleries, murals, coffee shops, breweries and converted industrial buildings. The streets are full of colourful public art, and almost every second building seems to house either an artist, a café or a craft brewery.
Nearby, the magnificent Hotel Kansas City and a number of beautifully restored historic buildings added to the atmosphere, making it one of the more interesting parts of the city we’ve visited so far.
As lunchtime approached, we headed off in search of the famous Turkey Legg Man.
Unfortunately, Alan had once again demonstrated that planning and reading opening hours are not always the same thing. Convinced it opened at midday, he marched the group across town only to discover it didn’t open until 1pm.
Faced with a one-hour wait and a growing level of hunger-related hostility, we quickly pivoted and headed instead to Wolfepack BBQ.
Thankfully, the barbecue was good enough to prevent a mutiny.
It wasn’t spectacular and probably won’t make the podium at the end of the trip, but it was solid, tasty barbecue and very welcome given the circumstances.
After lunch we headed to the rooftop bar at the Crossroads Hotel where the serious business of the afternoon commenced.
Canasta.
Cocktails were ordered. Cards were shuffled. Accusations of cheating were made.
After a fiercely contested round, Rowena and Al emerged victorious and immediately became unbearable winners.
Several margaritas later, we wandered around the corner to Jack Stack Barbecue.
Now this may be controversial, but after all the hype, we were underwhelmed.
The food wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t in the same league as some of the independent barbecue joints we’d been visiting. When you’ve spent the past week eating world-class brisket and ribs, expectations get pretty high. The chicken in particular failed to inspire much enthusiasm and overall it felt more like a restaurant chain than a barbecue destination.
The search for Kansas City’s best barbecue still firmly belongs to Joe’s.
The final stop of the evening turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire day.
The Phoenix Jazz Club.
We wandered in looking for live music and struck gold.
A fantastic blues and jazz band was playing, featuring an exceptional guitarist who immediately caught Mikey’s attention. We stayed for a couple of hours enjoying the music, a few beers and the atmosphere.
It was one of those completely unplanned discoveries that often become the most memorable parts of a trip.
Eventually we wandered back to the hotel, called it a night and prepared for the next stage of the adventure.
Tomorrow marks Day 7 and the halfway point of the Barbecue Road Trip.
Six days down.
Countless pounds of smoked meat consumed.
Coffee finally located.
And somehow we’re all still speaking to each other. Just.
See y’all tomorrow 👋
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