The parking lot at Fritz's Smoked Meats (10326 State Line Road, Leawood) is rich with the smells and sounds of tailgaiting -- the sharp sting of smoke, the light crackle of sizzling fat. The black smoker sits chugging on the concrete only feet from the front door. While your instinct is to simply grab a sausage off the grill, you'll have to head inside to buy your lunch.
Once you walk in, you'll find the land-locked version of a lobster tank. Rows of sausages sit inside a deli case waiting for you to point and pick one for lunch. Most can barely be contained by the small white hot-dog buns on which they're served. A sausage will run you $2.50 (the Wednesday special is two for $4).
I opted for two (although one would have been plenty), a jalapeno cheddarwurst and a hot polish. Both had a pleasant snap and a nice, smoky finish. The hot polish is a shirt ruiner. The smoke seals in the juices, which come running out like tiny tributaries when you bite into the sausage casing.
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