Burnt ends rule @ reopened KC BBQ

My first visit to the Kansas City Barbeque was shortly after it was featured in the piano bar scene in the movie "Top Gun." My memory of it was a gritty watering hole surrounded by train tracks and waterfront warehouses.

So, when I was in San Diego on business last October, I was surprised to look out the window of my room at the Manchester Hyatt and see the burned remains of the Kansas City Barbeque.

I vowed to return for baseball and barbeque in the spring of 2009.

My April visit began with a stop at the renovated barbeque haunt now sandwiched between the trolley/train track and multi-millon dollar condos. The Friday night pre-game crowd shared typical barroom banter. I cozied up to the bar and enjoyed some flavorful burnt ends.

Jerry the bartender proclaimed that the happy hour was the "best in town." Establishment regulars seemed to agree. They ordered pitchers of beer, no glass. Their quaffing techniques were a fitting tribute to the legacy of this resurrected ruin.