Kansas City Barbecue Goes Up In Smoke

It will forever be known for its setting in "Top Gun" where Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards sing "Great Balls of Fire" and in the most ironic sense, the Kansas City Barbecue did just that when the rib joint in downtown's Marina District caught fire yesterday and went up in smoke. According to fire fighters, the fire started in an open cooking pit and spread to the rest of the small restaurant, destroying it. It took crews about 20 minutes to knock down the flames. Many in the area initially thought the restaurant was just doing some heavy duty smoking until they saw the presence of fire crews.

Kansas City Barbecue was celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and its landmark status was cemented in its inclusion in the 1986 Cruise movie, which was shot in and around San Diego. For details about the Kansas City Barbecue Fire, read the article in the San Diego Union Tribune.