·        A new study ranked a total of 199 American cities based on three sets of criteria, including access to barbecue, the quality of local barbecue, and the prevalence of barbecue-based events and festivals.

·        The top-ranked city, by a wide margin, was determined to be Kansas City for its highly rated barbecue and the number of awards and contest winners that hail from the area.

·        Chicago and Houston finished second and third.