Summer BBQ battles, good eats, and now BBQ ramen noodles?

If you’re talking about barbecue you might as well talk about barbecue battles, so it makes sense Nissin’s latest Limited Edition surprise flavor combination is going to feature not just one but two barbecue flavors for its ramen Cup Noodles. Pay no attention to the yellow noodles flowing out of the top of the Cup Noodles cups in the ads–this creation is saucy like barbecue should be. This may be the most impressive feat yet by the experimental mastermind chefs behind these annual surprise releases. In the one corner you have Kansas City BBQ and in the other Texas BBQ. Each is an improvement over last year’s Thanksgiving themed Turkey Dinner and Pumpkin Pie features, and probably an improvement over the previous year’s Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese (it’s unlikely anything soon will top the Maple Syrup, Pancakes, Sausage, and Egg Breakfast version). The BBQ battle of ramen is on right now in WalMart stores, just as the most celebrated annual big American BBQ battle tradition is held this weekend. Which BBQ ramen is the best? Let’s pick a winner and then run down the best BBQ restaurants since summer has finally arrived.

Should it be no surprise the prize goes to the Barbecue Capitol of the World? The winner of the ramen noodles BBQ battle is Kansas City BBQ. The sauce mimics well Kansas City’s sweet and tangy sauces, the flavor you’ll find across the 100+ KC restaurants and local pit masters. It has the flare and vibe of a smoked brisket dipped in a thick sauce. That said, the Texas BBQ ramen noodle cup is good, too–it offers something for fans of dry rubs and pork flavor. It’s very peppery. The Kansas City BBQ had a great aroma and the only detractor of the Texas BBQ was a less appetizing scent before it was microwaved. But both varieties of these limited offerings should make it to Nissin’s permanent product line. In fact all of their limited run products surpass their standard store varieties with surprisingly good, if unexpected, flavors. Both noodle products mixed with barbecue sauces are reminiscent of a spaghetti dish I used to order at the old Country Kitchen and Fitz’s Kansas City at Union Station. The pasta and BBQ flavors work together.

Where should you go for the best barbecue? Old timers gravitated to Kansas City staples like Arthur Bryant’s, which has a dry, dry rub akin to Texas style and served with plain white bread. But over the past 25 years these next four restaurants have risen to cream of the crop status. First up is Woodyard BBQ, located in the KC suburb of Merriam, Kansas. Frank Schlegel and his family took what looks like someone’s grandparents’ house and turned it into a wood business. With a giant brick smoker out front the result became the choice for smoked meats in the Kansas City metro, featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and Anthony Bourdain’s Without Reservations. But the best plate may come as a surprise: the salmon sandwich Friday special can’t be beat, and you’ll return for the baked beans and burnt end chili and rest of the menu. Next in line is Slap’s BBQ, located in a tiny venue in Kansas City, Kansas. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. but it frequently sells out in a few hours. Each of our listed picks have top line burnt ends, ribs, brisket, you name it from the expected fare, but you really won’t want to miss the Slap’s guys’ mom’s recipe for German-style potato salad. Next up is Q39. Like Slap’s this is a more recent 21st century restaurant. Q39 has multiple locations, and a big menu with an upscale venue. The menu is great end to end–it’s the kind of place for professionals who aren’t after an earthy KC vibe. Try one of their sandwiches and you’ll be back. I keep mentioning “burnt ends,” which are exactly as they sound. You won’t be able to say you’ve had KC BBQ unless you’ve tried the burnt ends at Fiorella’s Jack Stack. Also with multiple locations, known as simply Jack Stack by locals, it also features Kansas City’s signature side dish: cheesy corn. You can’t go wrong with Woodyard and Jack Stack’s sauces, sold in stores across the metro. And Slap’s sauce was the recipe behind Heinz’s Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, sold nationwide. If you’re looking for a fifth pick or honorable mention, try the Z-Man at Kansas City Joe’s, formerly called Oklahoma Joe’s, known for the cole slaw and onion ring-topped sandwich and its KC location with a gas station slot.

For anyone who’s ever been on a budget, and who isn’t in 2026, you’ve probably found your way to microwavable ramen noodles one time or another. A cup o’ noodles? Why not? Who says you can’t get lunch for a little more than a dollar? I’ve been a fan of the idea of lunch in a cup since seeing Steve Martin in 1979 dining on the old stock of Cup o’ Pizza from the back of a truck in the movie The Jerk. Nissin, the company behind Cup Noodles, continues the tradition.