Late-night meals are hard to find in Kansas City. Here are 16 restaurants open after 10

It has begun to seem that people, even young people, are not staying out as late as they used to. The Wall Street Journal even wrote a trend piece about this last week: “America Is Becoming a Nation of Early Birds.”

Explanations vary. The Journal blames the pandemic, in part. People who now work from home all day are eager to get out and socialize as soon as they’re off the clock. Uber rides to restaurants in the 4 p.m. hour are up 10% since 2019, for example, while rides to restaurants after 8 p.m. are down about the same. I wouldn’t discount intermittent fasting, which demands that those practicing it eat within a six-hour window every day, as another contributing factor.

Well — isn’t that nice for all you early birds. I hope you enjoy your sunny morning walks and late-afternoon dinners. Some of us haven’t gone to bed before midnight in so long that our bodies won’t even allow it. Some of us don’t diet. Some of us are untroubled by the scientific consensus that eating a plate of carbs before bed is “bad for your health.” Some of us regularly look up from our laptops or bar stools at 9:30 p.m. and realize we are so hungry we might die.

And in those moments, Kansas City can be an inhospitable place.

Sure, there are some well-known local late-night options. Town Topic, Pancho’s, Winsteads. You could call in a late-night pizza (although even those are getting tougher to order after 10 p.m. lately). National fast-food chains like Taco Bell. A taquito at Quik Trip.

But those are not really proper meals. I’m talking here about places to eat an actual dinner after 10 p.m. Where you sit down and order from a server or a bartender and maybe have a beer or a martini or a glass of wine. A place to go after a play or concert, or after getting off work unusually late.

There are simply not enough options. But there are some, and these are the local ones I know about. If I missed a good one, email me: dhudnall@kcstar.com.

(Note: Because Google hours are imperfect, and because restaurants often don’t update their hours on their websites, I called to confirm these prior to publication. So they should be accurate as of July 2023, but beyond that, no guarantees. I recommend calling ahead.)

Tannin Wine Bar and Kitchen. The reliable Crossroads restaurant has a late-night menu available from 10 to about 11:30 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. to about 1 a.m. on weekends. (They close at 11 p.m. on Sundays). The Wagyu burger ($18) is the move, but fish and chips, a charcuterie board and other options are also available. Decadent night? Add a fudge-stuffed peanut butter cookie for $6. 1526 Walnut St., 816-842-2660.

El Pueblito. God bless this West Side taqueria, which serves food until midnight on weeknights and until the ungodly hour of 4:30 a.m. on weekends. El Pueblito boasts plentiful seating both inside and on its front patio on Southwest Boulevard, plus a bar with about six stools. In addition to the usual Mexican fare you’ll find elsewhere along the Boulevard, El Pueblito also serves breakfast all day. Go ahead and order chilaquiles for dinner with a margarita. No one here is judging you. 810 Southwest Blvd.; 816-471-5442.

Westport Cafe & Bar. A second happy hour starts at 10 p.m. at this lovely, low-key French restaurant in Westport, and the kitchen doesn’t close till about 11:30 p.m. The late-night happy hour menu is limited but you can still get mussels, steak frites or a house-made ravioli stuffed with chard, ricotta and spinach. Note: Closed on Mondays. 419 Westport Road, 816-931-4740.

Harry’s Bar and Tables. The Westport staple serves its full menu until 1:30 a.m. seven days a week. The pizza, which has a crackery crust, is popular. I like the red beans and rice with sausage, a dish I don’t see a whole lot around town. They have daily specials, too, including for dessert. 501 Westport Road, 816-561-3950.

The Peanut. The Peanuts in the suburbs are not open late. But the South Plaza (5000 Main St., 816-753-9499) and downtown (418 W. Ninth St., 816-221-7470) locations have different ownership, and they keep the grills firing deeper into the night. South Plaza serves food until midnight from Monday to Saturday and till 11 p.m. on Sundays. Downtown goes all the way to 1 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and till 11 p.m. on Sundays. You know what to order: the wings or the BLT, maybe both. Honestly, the tacos aren’t bad, either.

The Granfalloon. Every night of the week, this Plaza sports bar serves its full menu until 11 p.m. and then a late-night menu — burnt end nachos, a sausage-and-pepperoni pizza, chicken fingers — until 1 a.m. 608 Ward Parkway, 816-753-7850.

Lucky Boys. The West Bottoms bar keeps the kitchen open till midnight Monday through Saturday (they’re closed Sundays). Go with the Louisville hot chicken sandwich, perhaps some poutine. 1615 Genessee St., 816-442-8131.

Charlie Hooper’s. The longtime Brookside bar and grill serves food until 2 a.m. every night. Options include fried avocado shrimp tacos, a strip steak and a chopped chicken salad and much, much more. 12 W. 63rd St., 816-361-8841.

Lew’s Grill and Bar. Charlie Hooper’s sister bar in Waldo also serves food until 2 a.m. every night. Menu is similar. 7539 Wornall Road, 816-444-8080.

Walsh’s Corner Cocktails. Deeper south in Waldo, the kitchen at Corner Cocktails stays open until 10:30 every night except Sunday. The cheeseburger here is sometimes mentioned in “best burger in the city” conversations, and rightly so. 304 W. 85th St., 816-361-7099.

Moretina’s Caddy Shack. The Columbus Park bar serves until 1 a.m. every night. The menu skews Italian. The thin-crust, sweet-sauced pizzas are Caddy Shack’s calling card, but the meatball sandwich and toasted ravioli are worth looking into. 700 E. Third St., 816-421-4742.

Helen’s JAD Bar and Grill. The North Kansas City dive keeps the kitchen going until 1:30 a.m. Sunday and Monday and right up until its 3 a.m. close Tuesday through Saturday. Options include chicken wings (sweet and spicy, or Thai chili), burgers like the Northlander (chopped bacon, mushrooms, American cheese and green olive aioli) and a Greek salad. 2002 Armour Road, 816-471-4567.

Corvino Supper Club and Tasting Room. Not an option for late-night eats during the week, but the fine-dining destination in the Crossroads serves food until 11 p.m. on weekends. 1830 Walnut St., 816-832-4564.

Ca Va. You can typically get them to cook you something — french fries, shrimp cocktail, a croque madame — at this Westport champagne bar until about 10 or 10:30 p.m. on weeknights, and often as late as midnight on weekends. 4149 Pennsylvania Ave., 816-255-3934.

And a couple of recommendations from over in Johnson County, from my colleague Jenna Thompson (jthompson@kcstar.com) …

The Brew Top Pub & Patio. The Overland Park bar (6601 W. 135th St., 913-897-5500) serves burgers, wings, pizza and brews every night until 11 p.m. Its Northland location (8614 N. Boardwalk Ave., 816-584-9292) serves till 1 a.m. every night.

Talk of the Town Grill and Bar. The sports bar serves burgers, salads and sandwiches until 12:45 a.m. every night at its Leawood location (5201 W. 135th St., 913-851-7444) and until 11:45 p.m. every night at its Overland Park location (11922 W. 119th St., 913-661-9922).