Offering sauce and swag, Visit KC’s new BBQ Experience makes every bite count

LC’s Bar-B-Q // Photo by Chase Castor

Here in Kansas City, barbecue isn’t just a meal we go out and eat when we don’t feel like cooking; it’s a way of life. And now, thanks to a fresh upgrade from Visit KC, that devotion to burnt ends and brisket can earn diners some swag.

The newly relaunched KC BBQ Experience, a digital passport program first introduced in 2018, is back with a gamified twist. When visiting a participating location, you can check in, earn points, and redeem them for prizes like hats, aprons, and bottle openers. With more than 100 restaurants included across the metro, the program offers a guided, but self-paced tour through KC’s sauce-slathered BBQ scene.

Signing up is free at VisitKC.com, and once you’re enrolled, you’ll receive a mobile passport you can use to check in at barbecue joints. Restaurants are geo-fenced to verify that diners are actually on-site. Every check-in earns points, and visiting a restaurant that’s a Visit KC partner doubles the reward.

Barbacoa // Photo by Brooke Tramel

“Kansas City’s foundation is built on friendly people and great food, authentically and passionately presented from the heart,” says Traci Moon, Visit KC’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. “With over 100 barbecue restaurants on both sides of the state line, the revamped KC BBQ Experience makes it even easier to explore this historic local industry.”

The initiative is designed not only to promote the city’s culinary identity, but to drive up business for local restaurants, especially smaller or lesser-known spots. For diners, that means you could discover a new-to-you favorite and be rewarded in the process.

“Visit KC is constantly working to find new ways to showcase area businesses, and we hope the new and improved KC BBQ Experience does just that,” says Lauren Logan, Visit KC’s director of partnerships and events. “Diners now have a great resource to eat barbecue, support local, and earn rewards.”

For those racking up check-ins, the Museum of BBQ—a new attraction billing itself as the first barbecue museum in the world—serves as the main prize hub.

Not like we needed one before, but there’s never been a better excuse to eat more barbecue. For more information about KC BBQ, you can check out VisitKC.com.