By Darren Mark

Oh, how only the sadly misguided would think eating on the cheap is like waiving the white flag! Anyone can eat well on a bottomless budget. But culinary spelunking on limited funds: that’s a challenge, the mastery of which constitutes high art.

If you’re bored, you’re in luck: Kansas City, no slouch when it comes to killer cheap eats, is a treasure trove for food-loving Jack Sparrow types. And fortunately for you, you’re about to unfurl the ultimate map, full of Xs, and short on compromise.

BARBECUE
The ultimate X is burned into the bricks of Kansas City’s world-class barbecue pits. “Ultimate” because it’s the city’s most economical cuisine, as well as some of its best. KC ’cue is a destination for epicureans around the world. The fact that it’s cheap is just an added bonus.

Arthur Bryant’s

• Highly seasoned pit at original location (1727 Brooklyn) produces chain’s best meat.
• Bryant’s burnt ends (a KC delicacy) are some of the city’s best barbecue items.
• Vinegar-based President’s Choice sauce (named for sitting President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Bryant’s) carries the reputation as KC’s most distinctive barbecue sauce.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue

• Four locations including one on Country Club Plaza and one near Power & Light District.
• Torchbearer of KC’s modern barbecue movement.
• Famous for baked beans and Flintstone-sized crown prime beef short ribs.

STREET FOOD
Street food—call it road food, bar food, whatever—is that style of cheap, casual cuisine that’s come to define its own genre of American comfort food. And Kansas City has plenty of offerings, each of which are worthy of worship.

The Peanut
Kansas City isn’t known as a wing town, but this former western New Yorker would pit the hot wings from The Peanut against any representation of Buffalo’s best.

• Original location on 50th and Main oozes with “lived-in” charm.
• Wings served with a side of unique, house-made blue cheese dressing, notable for its prominent garlic component.
• The Peanut is also famous for its triple BLT.

Grinders
This Crossroads Arts District road food joint is the creation of the artist, Stretch, the Philadelphia-born sculptor with a passion for Cheesesteaks. And the kind of food that’s easy on the eyes and deadly for the diet. (But do we care?)

• Featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”.
• Don’t miss: KC’s best Crab Rangoon, city’s most unusual pizza varieties and Philadelphia-style cheese steak—Whiz and all.
• City’s best offering of artisan beers.
• Stretch's custom-built interior adds unique personality that makes for an unforgettable experience.

GOURMET DONE CHEAP
So you want to experience Kansas City’s high-end cuisine at low-end pricing? No problem. You may have to adjust your seating, or your dining hours, but not your standards.

Bluestem
Recognized by the James Beard Foundation, Food and Wine magazine, and the New York Times, Bluestem is one of the city’s best restaurants. So it’s no surprise that its bar menu, featuring a diverse range of items, is also among the city’s best. To save on your visit, head to the bar instead of the dining room.

• Rotating menu items include Kobe beef burger, frites with flight of 5 aolis, and shrimp and Parmesan grits fricassee.
• Prices range from $5 to $18 per item.
• All bar items are half price between 5 and 7 p.m.

Webster House
This high-end antique shop and restaurant is a magnet for savvy Kansas Citians with notable levels of class and taste. But its happy hour menu is a magnet for savvy Kansas Citians with a passion for economic self-preservation.

• Only high-end happy hour menu available on Saturday.
• Happy hour runs Wednesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
• Includes seven items available for the unbelievable price of $4 each!

The list continues, of course, down that winding road filled with burgers, pizza, fried chicken and dozens of other fabulous offerings. But this is a worthy start. So happy eating. And happy saving.