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Two of the most famous Kansas City barbecue restaurants Gates and Arthur Bryant’s trace their style of barbecue directly back to Henry Perry, Kansas City s original barbecue king.
One of the first things you should know about Henry Perry is that he was equal parts pitmaster and entrepreneur.
To many, the reason for his success was simple: He knew how to smoke barbecue better than
anybody. His food had an aroma that stayed with you. And that s what made them want to come back to him, historian Sonny Gibson says. They traveled from as far as Leavenworth, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska. They would come down just to eat his food.