Eat Sheet: Our Tips on Where to Dine in Kansas City
An explanation for our dining guide, Eat Sheet, can be found here.
Kansas City may be more nationally recognized for the number of fountains and the distinct style of barbecue that bears its name, but these days it gets just as much recognition for its fine dining scene and its focus on farm-to-table cuisine. Downtown there are James Beard Award-winning chefs preparing finely plated meals alongside more casual pop-up spots and food trucks serving up everything from quesabirria tacos to pizzas with cloud crust. Our suburbs in every direction are host to Mom-and-Pop shops proudly serving international cuisine from far away homelands in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. As a Midwestern town, Kansas City also prides itself on having never met a stranger, and that shows up in their overall hospitality.
Hold the Meat
A mission of kindness to others and to the planet, is what drives Chef Philip and Jonelle Jones 100 percent plant-based restaurant, serving a selection of craveable vegan dishes that goes far beyond the salad bowl. Located within walking distance of one of Kansas City’s most popular barbecue restaurants, Kind Food offers alternatives to meat using the highest quality substitutes and fresh vegetables to re-create delicious canteen favorites like Buffalo Chick’n Nachos, Rooben, a take on a Reuben sandwich made with Dr. Goldfarb’s Unreal vegan deli corned “beef” and a worthy jackfruit and sweet potato BBQ sandwich topped with crunchy coleslaw and pickles on a local Farm to Market brioche bun.
If it Ain’t Broke
With over 100 barbecue restaurants operating in Kansas City, everyone has a different favorite to recommend. Almost all of them are worthy (or they wouldn’t stay in business in this competitive barbecue town) and serve the city’s signature dish, beef brisket burnt ends, and LC’s Bar-B-Q is no exception. Located off the beaten path, but on the way to the sports stadiums in Kansas City, (so plan your meals accordingly) LC’s granddaughter is the one keeping the three-tiered pit smoker full of racks of ribs, whole briskets, pork butts and ham these days, and she’s ready to chop off some rib tips and burnt ends or slice up some of that smoky meat onto sandwiches piled high on a plastic tray lined with paper. Order fries, coleslaw, baked beans and an ice-cold beer and you’ll see why Kansas City has its own regional style of barbecue to its name.
Make it Quick
With the goal of offering the Kansas City community healthy food hacks, Ruby Jean’s, named after the late grandmother of owner, Chris Goode, has now grown to three locations covering Kansas City suburbs to its urban core. Knowing they are competing with fast food drive-thrus, Ruby Jean’s was built to feed your body good food fast. This is the place to pick up fresh vegetable and fruit cold-pressed juices, smoothies, protein performance shakes and wellness shots in rotating seasonal flavors along with açai bowls, avocado toast, egg scrambles, blackened chicken sandwich, salmon sliders and quinoa and veggie salad. Use their 11-minute grab n’ go parking spots for the fastest way to get a quick meal and get gone.
See & Be Seen
Corvino Supperclub & Tasting Room
Two unique food experiences under one roof are what make Chef Michael and Christina Corvino’s stylish Crossroads restaurant a place where local dignitaries mingle with elite sports stars and off-duty chefs chat up local musicians. The supperclub is built for those ready to party and the tasting room is for those ready to partake. With live music performed nightly on the supperclub side, guests can enjoy a cool craft cocktail or bottle of wine with a smattering of small plates like their signature seaweed donuts with trout roe and cream, red snapper tostada or shrimp fried rice. The smaller, quieter and more intimate tasting room is a show stopping culinary commitment offering a 10-course tasting menu with views of the open kitchen for only a handful of people nightly.
Munchies
For over 85 years, Town Topic on Broadway Boulevard with its famous neon sign is the spot where night owls, alcohol-soaked partiers and early risers alike all line-up to snag a seat on a tiny chrome bar stool at the counter for smash burgers or breakfast platters. Open 24/7, Town Topic is happy to package yours to-go, but you won’t get further than your car before you sneak a fry, onion ring, or tater tot from your grease-stained white paper bag.. A little-known secret is that Town Topic serves both shakes and Golden Boy pies, ask for a “pie shake” and they’ll blend a slice of pie into chocolate or vanilla ice cream for a treat so good, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner.
Start Me Up
Columbus Park is a spot that most visitors to Kansas City might never get a chance to see, and that is a shame as it is conveniently minutes from downtown and home to Happy Gillis serving a fresh take on farm-to-table breakfast and lunch dishes in an ever-rotating selection inspired by whatever is in season. Their sausage or mushroom biscuits and gravy with a cup of coffee can’t be beat, along with their chorizo, egg, cheese and bean breakfast burrito, overnight oats, smoked salmon toast and classic breakfast plate featuring two Campo Lindo farm fresh eggs (cooked any style), 2 pieces of Webster City bacon and two pieces of toast or a biscuit with butter and house made jam. This is where the locals start their day, and you should not hesitate to do so, too.
The Hot Spot
When two Kansas City food and drink veterans come together to open a teeny tiny seafood bar with a large outdoor patio in the heart of Kansas City’s family friendly Brookside neighborhood, it is worth noting. The brainchild of Todd Schulte and Cory Dannehl, Earl’s Premier opened to rave reviews as soon as it hit open waters for a frozen gin and tonic, oyster or shrimp Po’ Boy sandwiches, spicy chorizo and tomato steamed mussels and frites, and a fantastic cheeseburger for those landlubbers for whom fresh shucked oysters leaves them cold. It is the best of highbrow meets lowbrow in a casual and friendly spot, so small that reservations are almost impossible to get on the weekends unless you book ahead.
Under the Radar
Tucked away in the Waldo neighborhood, sitting at the end of a strip mall, is Waldo Thai, a jewel of restaurant and bar where Chef Pam Liberda and her team are making unique Northern Thai dishes. Known as Lanna food, they feature deeply satisfying flavor-packed platters like the sharable Khao Tod Nam Sod, a crispy seasoned rice salad with cured pork sausage that you eat like lettuce wraps. For your entrée do not hesitate to try Gaem Moo Phad Phed, a spicy red curry dish with stir fried pork cheeks, onion, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, scallion served with sticky jasmine rice. The bar program here is outstanding, created by bar manager, Darrell Loo, who is matching the light and sweet, salty and funky flavors found in Chef Pam’s food in wild and wonderful cocktails he creates using traditional Thai flavors and ingredients.
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