LC Richardson
“I don't do interviews. I smoke meat.”
LC Richardson has been smoking meat on Blue Parkway on the East Side of Kansas City since 1986, and in the four decades since, he has become something of a legend among serious KC BBQ eaters — the kind of pitmaster that food writers make pilgrimages to, that other pitmasters cite influence, and that operates with a complete indifference to trends or recognition. LC's is cash only, has no website, no social media presence, and no interest in any of that. The burnt ends are produced in limited quantities and frequently sell out before noon. Richardson's technique is rooted in the old KC tradition: long wood smokes, a proprietary sauce recipe that has never been shared, and a consistency that comes from doing the same thing the same way for 40 years.
Philosophy
I don't have a philosophy. I just smoke meat the way I was taught. If it's good, people come back. If it's not, they don't. That's the whole thing.
Technique
Long hickory smoke, 18+ hours. Burnt ends are cut from the point of the brisket after the first smoke, then returned to the pit with sauce for a second cook. Quantities are limited and non-negotiable.
Recognition
- Consistently cited in national 'best BBQ' lists
- Featured in multiple food documentaries