Just got back from Kansas City. Thanks to all of the folks with their recommendations for places to eat there. Didn't get to try too many, but did go to Arthur Bryant's (out of this world), Gates (great ribs) and Bristol Bar and Grill (awesome steak and seafood plus the "Red Onion Jazz Babies" on Sunday night were excellent).
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City
Roberta L. wrote: > hi > any advice on good places to eat in Kansas City > > thanks > bert Kansas City is my home town, so I consider it my civic duty to keep a restaurant list for anyone lucky enough to visit. I moved away about 5 years ago so I'm probably not aware of a lot of good places. The first part of the list was compiled by me, the second part I snitched off the net. Have a great time. Myra 1) Here goes (all moderately priced unless noted): -Tasso's--Good Greek--Waldo area=~75th East of Wornall -Good Bar-be-que (gotta mention bar-be-que in KC doncha know): Arthur Bryants--~18th and Brooklyn (BAD neighborhood, but the place is a deserving KC legend) -- bizarre vinegary sauce you'll have to adjust to then you'll get addicted-- cheap. Smokestack--~135th and Holmes in Martin City (Southern suburb)--sweet (not *too* sweet though) sauce and good variety for a bbq place, have blackened fish and other stuff-- well managed place. Gates & Sons--Various locations--peppery sauce, kind of fast food atmosphere. -Herford House--20th & Main--Great steaks -Jess & Jims--~135th St West of Holmes (Both steak places I'm really mentioning due to they're reputations rather than personal visits. I've probably been to each of them once in my life or something.) -Nabils on the Plaza--Mediteranean -Princess Garden--Best Chinese--~89th & Wornall -Also, I'm pretty sure Crown Center has a very nice brunch on or near the top floor. Can't recall the name of the restaurant, and it may not be cheap. You notice a LOT of above is meat. You may not eat meat, but if you do I gotta mention these places because KC's specialities are BBQ and steaks, and I like to try the regional foods when I travel. Wish I could be a little more help but like I said, I've been gone a while and lots of my favorites are out of business. Interlude: You should see the Plaza; it's KC's jewel. Westport and Crown Center are other shopping areas. 2)From Wed May 27 16:32:22 1992
Adam F. wrote: >Someone wrote: >> >>Are there any hip restaurants in Kansas City? >>I'll be there for one night next week. >> >I might be off, but doesn't Calvin Trillin RAVE about Arthur Bryant's >Barbecue rib rest. in KC? >Adam >> > >> Fantastic BBQ but you have to stretch a little to call it a restaurant :) For great BBQ in a little more touristy surroundings try K.C. Masterpiece on the plaza... Or for the best fried chicken in the WORLD try STROUD's over on Holmes in South KC... Duncan
Adam F. wrote: >Someone wrote: >> >>Are there any hip restaurants in Kansas City? >>I'll be there for one night next week. >> >I might be off, but doesn't Calvin Trillin RAVE about Arthur Bryant's >Barbecue rib rest. in KC? >Adam >> I'm not sure abut Trillin's attitude towards Arthur Bryant's, but I do know he *has* raved about Winstead's hamburgers and shakes, and for good reason, IMHO. However, it seems whenever a U.S. President is in town, they make a point of stopping at Bryant's for a BBQ sandwich. KC is well-known for its barbecue, and places like Bryant's, Gates, KC Masterpiece (the sauce people), Hayward's (my personal favorite) and a host of others make some might fine eatin'. Bill Tucker Informix Software, Inc. ([email removed])
Someone wrote: |> Anyone eaten recently at Jennies in Kansas City? Any |> other recommendations for good Italian restaurants there? _____________________________________________________________________________ Strange that you should ask, I just ate there a month ago; I had fond memories of meals there with my parents 25 yrs ago. Alas, Jennies is a restaurant whose time has passed it by. They've moved to a new building several blocks away. The decor is formica/fakey w/ the standard Chianti flasks hanging from the ceiling. The food was dreadfully ordinary, of Pizza Hut standards, barely above Chef Boyardee fare. The Lasagna tasted of tomatoe sauce from a can, very heavy handed. The wines were barely drinkable. But the price was right: CHEAP. It's not a place to waste your time with. I did try a fairly new Italian restaurant out in Overland Park on Metcalf, I believe, by the name of Il Trullo. Wood-fired pizzas and other Italian fare from Calabria region. It was very,very good; pretty authentic, not SF (either San Francisco or Santa Fe) standards, but pretty good. Reasonably priced. If you'll settle something beyond Italian, I would strongly suggest Cafe Allegro. Eclectic/Calif/fresh cusine w/ some Italian & Oriental influences. Expensive, with a killer wine list, but very innovative, exciting, impeccably prepared food. Tom Hill [email removed]
In re: wcwertz Anyone eaten recently at Jennies in Kansas City? Any other recommendations for good Italian restaurants there? ------------ Try Cafe Italia, Mission, KS, not far from Plaza area. A mixture of regional Italian dishes. Intimate setting with good wine selection and excellent service.
Peppercorn Duck Club is great but my favorites are the Grand Street Cafe - just east of the Plaza on 47th. A tad trendy with excellent lite menu. Cafe Allagro on 39th has the best food overall - only about $30 a head. Jazz on 39th has the best Cajun... better like it hot. Juns on 76th and State Line is the best Japanese. Ganghas Khan on 39th and Bell - best Chinese. Fountain Cafe on the Plaza - best new restaurant. Classic Cup Cafe on the Plaza - best atmosphere.
ITS GOTTA BE STROUDS or Black Angus
Someone wrote: >Any suggestions for good restaurants in KC? Any type of cuisine ok, price not >a problem, though prefer moderate pricing. I've had this "listing" prepared for a while. It's probably more choices than you want to deal with but it has my recommendations at the end. ___________ In KCMO, The Plaza, West 39th and Southwest Blvd districts particularly standout. There are also a few good places in Downtown, Crown Center and City Market. And then there is the Southern Johnson County scene if you're in South KC. The Plaza (around West 47th) is a notable district for upscale restaurants. Grand St Cafe is very comfortable - one of the best American Bistros according to mags. Houstons(steak), Jules (seafood), Plaza III (great steakhouse, semi-formal), Hibachi (japanese), Eden Alley (funky, vege friendly), Starkers Reserve (exceptional, formal, best wine list), Classic Cup (mediterranean, nice sidewalk patio), Parkway 600 (upscale, great patio), Fountain Cafe (french quarter/cajun, patio), O'Dowds (irish, patio), JJ's (upscale, great wine/scotch selection), Winsteads (great burger diner), Andre's Confiserie (swiss tearoom) are all very good Plaza area restaurants. Upscale chain restaurants include Cheesecake Factory, Canyon Cafe (southwestern) and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. BBQ! Most suggest Arthur Bryants but its only for those who like fatty meat. Many suggest KC Masterpiece for BBQ but the quality has been poor lately - however the baby back ribs are excellent. Gates BBQ on Main in Midtown is good but is considered salty. Winslows BBQ in City Market is good and unpretentious. Smokestack in Martin City and on Wornall is a personal favorite (most lean). Jakes BBQ off of the Plaza and Lil' Jakes Downtown (small dive) are good. Zarda in Lenexa is consistently very good. Good BBQ seems to be individually subjective in KC - there are so many varieties of sauces that you must try many to understand KC BBQ. Ones favorite is anothers disgust - there are over 100 BBQ restaurants and the "best" are out in the boonies. West 39th has a variety of eclectic, funky and upscale restaurants. Cafe Allegro (upscale to formal, considered one of KC's best), Veco (upscale), d'Bronx (excellent deli), Genghis Khan (mongolian), Blue Nile (ethiopian), Tribal Grill (humus fix), Pyramid Cafe on Broadway (middle eastern), Jazz (cajun), Fric&Frac (massively trippey biker chick diner/bar), Macaluso's (pseudo-italian - overpriced but good), Otto's Malt Shop (used to be a service garage) are all great places on W.39th - there are trippey coffee houses and funky stores too. Southwest Blvd (southwest of Downtown) has many good authentic Mexican and Spanish restaurants. Check out Margaritas, Blvd Cafe, Cafe Barcelona and Manny's. Ponaks, Red Headed Mexican are also good. There are many good ones on the Kansas side as well. Downtown is going through major renovations (over $2B) in the next few years and is not much of a destination point yet at night. Midtown (30th to 50th) is where the night time action is. Nevertheless, Downtown/Crown Center/City Market has several places that stand out. Savoy Grill (formal lobster/steak), American Restaurant (4 star traditional), Winslows (BBQ), Club 427 (pastas, jazz), BlueBird (vegetarian), Garazzos (italian), LaSalla's (italian deli dive), Le Fou Frog (excellent french), Peppercorn Duck Club (traditional) are all worth a visit. Johnson County (Kansas) standouts are Yia Yias (upscale eclectic), Bristol (upscale seafood), La Mediterranee (french), Tatsu's (french), India Palace (indian), Bo Ling's (hunan) and too many others I've heard about but have yet to visit. The Plaza (around 47th) is a good place for tourists to go for daytime activity. But the WESTPORT district (just north of Plaza) is at its best after 11PM and has many great bars, live music, coffeehouses, and a few good restaurants (Californo's, Metropolis, Mill Creek Brewery). In Westport, definitely check out Harry's and Kelly's (bars). Also try KC's best ice cream at Murray's. If you're into gambling, there are 5 large casinos along the river. Nelson Atkins Museum is a top 10 US art museum. Nearby Kemper Museum is a respected modern museum. A new major ($27M) jazz museum and Negro League Baseball museum is at 18th & Vine just east of Downtown and the JAZZ scene is thriving. There are over 50 art galleries in Midtown/Downtown area. KC is considered to have the 3rd most active theatre scene in the Midwest. Personal favorites: Steak - JJ's, Houstons, Plaza III BBQ - Smokestack, Jakes, Winslows Mexican - Margarita's, Manny's Upscale - Grand St. Cafe, Cafe Allegro, Yia Yia's, Bristol Upperscale - Savoy Grill, American Restaurant, Starkers Cheap - d'Bronx, LaSalla's, Fric&Frac Breakfast - Corner Restaurant (Broadway and Westport) For KC goings ons see: http://www.experiencekc.com http://www.kansascity.com http://kansascity.miningco.com http://www.kansascity.com/kcjazz http://www.pitch.com (altie paper) http://www.kcstar.com (daily paper)
Someone wrote: >Any suggestions for good restaurants in KC? Any type of cuisine ok, price not >a problem, though prefer moderate pricing. I've had this "listing" prepared for a while. It's probably more choices than you want to deal with but it has my recommendations at the end. ___________ In KCMO, The Plaza, West 39th and Southwest Blvd districts particularly standout. There are also a few good places in Downtown, Crown Center and City Market. And then there is the Southern Johnson County scene if you're in South KC. The Plaza (around West 47th) is a notable district for upscale restaurants. Grand St Cafe is very comfortable - one of the best American Bistros according to mags. Houstons(steak), Jules (seafood), Plaza III (great steakhouse, semi-formal), Hibachi (japanese), Eden Alley (funky, vege friendly), Starkers Reserve (exceptional, formal, best wine list), Classic Cup (mediterranean, nice sidewalk patio), Parkway 600 (upscale, great patio), Fountain Cafe (french quarter/cajun, patio), O'Dowds (irish, patio), JJ's (upscale, great wine/scotch selection), Winsteads (great burger diner), Andre's Confiserie (swiss tearoom) are all very good Plaza area restaurants. Upscale chain restaurants include Cheesecake Factory, Canyon Cafe (southwestern) and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. BBQ! Most suggest Arthur Bryants but its only for those who like fatty meat. Many suggest KC Masterpiece for BBQ but the quality has been poor lately - however the baby back ribs are excellent. Gates BBQ on Main in Midtown is good but is considered salty. Winslows BBQ in City Market is good and unpretentious. Smokestack in Martin City and on Wornall is a personal favorite (most lean). Jakes BBQ off of the Plaza and Lil' Jakes Downtown (small dive) are good. Zarda in Lenexa is consistently very good. Good BBQ seems to be individually subjective in KC - there are so many varieties of sauces that you must try many to understand KC BBQ. Ones favorite is anothers disgust - there are over 100 BBQ restaurants and the "best" are out in the boonies. West 39th has a variety of eclectic, funky and upscale restaurants. Cafe Allegro (upscale to formal, considered one of KC's best), Veco (upscale), d'Bronx (excellent deli), Genghis Khan (mongolian), Blue Nile (ethiopian), Tribal Grill (humus fix), Pyramid Cafe on Broadway (middle eastern), Jazz (cajun), Fric&Frac (massively trippey biker chick diner/bar), Macaluso's (pseudo-italian - overpriced but good), Otto's Malt Shop (used to be a service garage) are all great places on W.39th - there are trippey coffee houses and funky stores too. Southwest Blvd (southwest of Downtown) has many good authentic Mexican and Spanish restaurants. Check out Margaritas, Blvd Cafe, Cafe Barcelona and Manny's. Ponaks, Red Headed Mexican are also good. There are many good ones on the Kansas side as well. Downtown is going through major renovations (over $2B) in the next few years and is not much of a destination point yet at night. Midtown (30th to 50th) is where the night time action is. Nevertheless, Downtown/Crown Center/City Market has several places that stand out. Savoy Grill (formal lobster/steak), American Restaurant (4 star traditional), Winslows (BBQ), Club 427 (pastas, jazz), BlueBird (vegetarian), Garazzos (italian), LaSalla's (italian deli dive), Le Fou Frog (excellent french), Peppercorn Duck Club (traditional) are all worth a visit. Johnson County (Kansas) standouts are Yia Yias (upscale eclectic), Bristol (upscale seafood), La Mediterranee (french), Tatsu's (french), India Palace (indian), Bo Ling's (hunan) and too many others I've heard about but have yet to visit. The Plaza (around 47th) is a good place for tourists to go for daytime activity. But the WESTPORT district (just north of Plaza) is at its best after 11PM and has many great bars, live music, coffeehouses, and a few good restaurants (Californo's, Metropolis, Mill Creek Brewery). In Westport, definitely check out Harry's and Kelly's (bars). Also try KC's best ice cream at Murray's. If you're into gambling, there are 5 large casinos along the river. Nelson Atkins Museum is a top 10 US art museum. Nearby Kemper Museum is a respected modern museum. A new major ($27M) jazz museum and Negro League Baseball museum is at 18th & Vine just east of Downtown and the JAZZ scene is thriving. There are over 50 art galleries in Midtown/Downtown area. KC is considered to have the 3rd most active theatre scene in the Midwest. Personal favorites: Steak - JJ's, Houstons, Plaza III BBQ - Smokestack, Jakes, Winslows Mexican - Margarita's, Manny's Upscale - Grand St. Cafe, Cafe Allegro, Yia Yia's, Bristol Upperscale - Savoy Grill, American Restaurant, Starkers Cheap - d'Bronx, LaSalla's, Fric&Frac Breakfast - Corner Restaurant (Broadway and Westport) For KC goings ons see: http://www.experiencekc.com http://www.kansascity.com http://kansascity.miningco.com http://www.kansascity.com/kcjazz http://www.pitch.com (altie paper) http://www.kcstar.com (daily paper)