Best Barbecue 2008 — East

Lee's Summit doesn't have a long tradition of barbecue greatness, but Joe Beauchamp and Brian Donigan's Beauchamp's on the Rail (the restaurant is close to railroad tracks) is putting suburban smoked meats on the map. A little more upscale than most area barbecue pits, the restaurant is both casual and kind of snappy. What other barbecue joint offers hickory-grilled salmon with capers, onion, remoulade sauce and toast points as an appetizer? Or grilled-veggie sandwiches and Hawaiian burgers? Creativity practically boils over in this kitchen — you haven't lived until you've eaten a burnt-ends quesadilla or chicken salad made with smoked chicken. For purists, however, the barbecue here is a contender, from sumptuously meaty ribs (beef, lamb, pork spare ribs, baby backs) to heaping combo platters.
Starts: Jan. 16. Daily, 2009