Buffalo fans headed to Kansas City can find barbecue, Bills backers and chicken wings

As they watched the Chiefs play Sunday night, it became clear the Chiefs would win and the Bills would be heading to Arrowhead Stadium.

"We were joking we should go to Kansas City," Rachel Panepinto said.

Julia checked and tickets were available. Rachel found lots of options for flights. And the rest of the family – younger sister, Natasha, and parents, Marc Panepinto, a former state senator, and State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto – were also on board.

So with the Chiefs' game still in the third quarter but the outcome looking certain, they made their travel arrangements.

They'll be among the legions of Bills fans headed to the Midwestern home of barbecue. That means, for the weekend, saying goodbye to Duff's and the Anchor Bar and hello to Arthur Bryant's, home to smoked meats served with Wonder bread and fries, and Jack Stack Barbecue, featuring hickory-flavored ribs and brisket. 

Bills fans may also want to pay a visit to Al's Bar & Grill in Parkville, south of Kansas City International Airport.

The bar is home to the Bills Backers of Kansas City and was begun by Al Burns, who grew up in South Buffalo and Hamburg. The bar was voted – no surprise here – "Best Buffalo Wings" by the Kansas City Star.  

Bar manager Tim Burns, Al's son, was born in Western New York and raised in Kansas City.

"I'm still a Bills fan," Burns said. "Die-hard."

For the week leading up to last year's Bills game in Kansas City for the AFC championship, around 2,000 Bills fans came by, Burns said.

"We're a small hole-in-the-wall place, too," Burns said.

Al's Bar & Grill will host a "tailgate party" from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday with raffles and Bills memorabilia on sale. Because the Bills crowd is expected to be so big, there will be a second party also taking place downtown at Taps on Main, an independently owned craft beer bar also started by a Buffalonian.

Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson, a tailgating fixture outside Highmark Stadium, has felt right at home at Al's Bar & Grill on several of his 13 previous excursions to Kansas City to see Bills games. This time he's never been higher on the team's chances. 

"I'm really looking forward to this one," Johnson said. "Usually having to play Kansas City in Kansas City would be our worst nightmare. But for the last five or six weeks we have a different team right now than we did. I think we're going to take them down."

Tickets for the game were available Sunday on Ticketmaster Monday starting at $135.

Multiple travel options also exist, said Elizabeth Carey, a spokeswoman for AAA Western and Central New York.   

There isn't enough time to book group travel or charter flights, but flights are plentiful, she said.

"Flights are going to cost you about $450 and up," Carey said. "People are scooping up the seats, but there are definitely flights available."

There are no direct flights from Buffalo to Kansas City, but plenty of options. For instance, Delta flights to Kansas City go through Detroit or Atlanta, Southwest flights stop in Baltimore or Chicago and American and United flights also go through the Windy City.

Some fans will be behind the wheel for the 971-mile drive from Highmark Stadium to Arrowhead Stadium.

"It's going to take you over 14 hours, but you might find a van-ful of Mafia fans ready to go," Carey said. "We definitely see people who will drive because the cost of gas will cost much less than even for a one-way plane ticket."

Ariana Rodriguez and three Buffalo friends are among those who are making the drive. 

The four went to the Bills game against the Patriots Saturday, and joked at breakfast the following morning about actually going.

Then the idea gained traction.

"The four of us looked for tickets and they weren't horrible," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, 22, said this will be her first road trip since she was a young girl.

Amtrak is another option for Bills fans. The route calls for a several-hour stay in Chicago, making the trip each way over 20 hours at a cost of just under $300 round-trip.