Fritz's Meats

Every once in a while, I stumble onto good deals that I should have known about all along. If you have never heard of Fritz's Meats, I'm not surprised. If you have heard of it, but had no idea they served food, then you're probably in the majority.

For most of my life, Fritz's was just a fancy place to buy better-than-average meat. To me, I would have told you it was the place that you went when you wanted to impress the people at your next cookout with super-hot sausages or even a whole pig. A few years ago, I stopped in to buy a brisket when I was in my "I live in KC, so I should know how to BBQ" phase, and I realized that not only did they sell uncooked meat, but they also offered complete meals.

I guess I wasn't hungry that day, because I didn't even think about the prices, but we happened to be cruising State Line today and decided to stop in for a bite.

Just like most of the cheap places I have found, it all comes down to ordering the right thing. Sure, they have BBQ sandwiches that probably rival some of the more famous joints in the city. Yeah, you can get a whole slab of ribs with fries and a Coke. But for my money, the best deal at Fritz's has to be their hot dogs and sausage.

$2.50 will buy you a hot dog or sausage of your choice, and another 50 cents gets you that honest-to-goodness can of Coke to go with it. If that isn't enough to fill the tank (and believe me, those sausages are bigger than they look), you can always tack on a potato salad for a buck or some fries for $1.50. No matter which way you go, it works out to one filling meal for under $5.

Fritz's Meats is located at 102nd and State Line right next to Gates BBQ....so close that you'll be able to laugh at the people who are still in line there after you've finished your meal.