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18TH & VINE

Barbecue & a Night at the Gem

Kansas City barbecue, then a show at a restored 1912 movie palace. The barbecue rotates by date.

About $60–$190 for two3 hrs 6 minLimited verified information
Plan this date
Map of the stops for Barbecue & a Night at the GemA map of a few blocks, not to scale, north at the top, with straight lines between stops. Stop 1, Gates Bar-B.Q. (Brooklyn Ave), the start. Stop 2, Gem Theater, 0.6 miles from stop 1, 6 min drive. The route is about 0.6 miles end to end. Neighborhoods shown: 18th & Vine.18TH & VINETHE PASEO12TH ST18TH STThe ParadeI-706 min driveSTART Gates Bar-B.Q.Gem Theater12N0.1 miBarbecue & a Night at the GemFoodMusicDriveStraight lines between stops, not driving directions.Not to scale, north up. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The route is about 0.6 miles end to end. © OpenStreetMap

Whole route inGoogle Maps Apple Maps

Also close by
  • The Corner Bar & Grill, food, 1 min walk from stop 2
  • American Jazz Museum, museum, 1 min walk from stop 2
  • Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, museum, 1 min walk from stop 2
  • Mutual Musicians Foundation, music, 1 min walk from stop 2
  • The KC Juke House, food, 1 min walk from stop 2
  • Charlie Parker Statue, art, 2 min walk from stop 2

The stops

  1. Gates Bar-B.Q. (Brooklyn Ave)Order within your own budget.about 60 min · 1221 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, MO 64127 · hours checked recently · then 6 min driveWebsite Google Maps Apple Maps Rotates by date and hours. Also possible: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.
  2. Gem TheaterBuy tickets for a show that is running.about 120 min · 1615 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108Website Google Maps Apple Maps Rotates by date and hours. Also possible: The Blue Room.
The Gem Theater's brick front and red GEM sign at 18th and Vine
Photo: TexasExplorer98 · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr

How the night flows

Check the Gem's calendar for a show, then eat first and drive a few minutes to 18th and Vine.

Good to know

Reservations
Recommended
Parking
Confirm parking at each stop.
Getting around
Driving
Setting
Indoors
Alcohol
Optional
What to wear
Comfortable shoes for short walks between stops.

Before you go

Hours, prices and reservations change. Anything we haven't recently source-checked is marked “Confirm today” in the planner rather than presented as fact. Check the venue's own page before you head out.

We last looked over this date on September 17, 2026. That is a review of the plan, not a promise that every detail is current.

Spot something closed, moved or wrong? Tell us so it can be fixed.

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