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You know I’m all about the food when I visit a city and Kansas City, Missouri definitely didn’t disappointment.
SEE ALSO: 11 Top Things To Do In Kansas City
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Best spots for barbecue, ramen, coffee, ice cream, happy hour, brunch, and drinks – here are the best restaurants in Kansas City.
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Best Restaurants In Kansas City: SLAPS BBQ
There are over 100 barbecue restaurants in the Kansas City area! I had the barbecue at Slaps BBQ and the ribs, burnt ends, and fried jalapeno caps were so good. Don’t miss the onion rings either.
Popular Kansas City barbecue spots:
- Joe’s (older bbq spot) in a gas station
- Q39
- Slaps BBQ – this is where I ate on my visit and it was so good!
- there are over 100 barbecue restaurants in Kansas City and Visit KC launched their own app to help you navigate them on the KC BBQ Experience app
553 Central Ave, Kansas City, KS, slapsbbqkc.com
RYE
One of my favorite Kansas City restaurants that we went to was Rye in the Country Club Plaza. We went for weekend brunch and had the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a slice of banana cream pie.
If you are looking for a steakhouse, Rye has a steller reserve wood-fired steak program. USDA Prime KC strip, USDA choice filet mignon, USDA prime ribeye, and double-cut compart duroc pork chop.
4646 J C Nichols Pkwy, Kansas City, MO, ryekc.com
Komatsu Ramen
It got pretty chilly at night so we were craving a hot bowl of noodles and discovered Komatsu Ramen. The beef tonkatsu ramen was the perfect bowl of comfort food!
3951 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO, komatsuramen.co
Parlor KC FOOD HALL
Parlor KC is Kansas City’s very first food hall with seven-restaurants in an 18,000 square foot playground in the East Crossroads neighborhood. I loved how there was plenty of comfortable seating to dine and linger.
- Providence Pizza – the Detroit pizza is really, really good.
- Sura Eats – I had the beef bibimbap and was also impressed
- Karbon – Yucatan and Middle Eastern-inspired kitchen with tacos, empanadas, mole wings, and bowls
- Yaki-ya – Japanese grill
- Mother Clucker – chicken wings with different sauces
- Farm to Market – deli with salads and sandwiches with freshly baked bread
- Parlor – cocktails, beer, cider, and glasses of wine at this wine bar
1707 Locust St, Kansas City, MO, parlorkcmo.com
Covino Supper Club & Tasting Room
If you’re with friends, Covino is a popular supper club fine dining/special occasion concept in the Crossroads Arts District that features a menu with shareable small plates based on seasonality and an extensive wine list. Covino was also a finalist for a James Beard Award!
We started with the seaweed doughnuts with fish roe for an appetizer and then the burger and fries were really good. Happy hour is every day from 4-6pm.
1830 Walnut St, Kansas City, MO, corvino.com
Betty Rae’s Ice Cream
I always visit at least one ice cream shop in any city that I visit so I went to Betty Rae’s for a couple of scoops. If you’re in KC during the summer, ask for the barbecue ice cream made with Joe’s KC Burnt Ends & Sauce.
412 Delaware St ste d, Kansas City, MO, bettyraes.com
Percheron Rooftop at Crossroads Hotel
For drinks with a view, go up to the Percheron Rooftop at the Crossroads Hotel.
2101 Central St, Kansas City, MO, crossroadshotelkc.com/food-and-drink/percheron-rooftop-bar/
Made in KC Café
Kansas City is filled with really great coffee shops and I stopped into Made In KC Café for a latte made with Lucky Charms cereal milk.
Popular coffee shops in Kansas City:
- Mildred’s
- Goat Hill Coffee & Soda
- Banksia
- Coffee at Pirate’s Bone
1114 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, MO, mikccafe.com
THE SAVOY AT 21C
Located inside 21c is The Savoy, a mid-century modern, American classic restaurant. The Savoy Grill was founded in 1903 and was Kansas City’s oldest operating restaurant until it closed in 2014. The building gained historic landmark status from the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for its importance in Kansas City’s social and economic history.
I had Sunday brunch The Savoy and the banana brulee French toast entree was so good!
219 W 9th St, Kansas City, MO, thesavoykc.com
The Campground
If you’re wanting steller drinks with snacks, go to The Campground in the historic Stockyards District of Kansas City. The Campground is an aperitivo cocktail bar and restaurant with chill vibes.
1531 Genessee St, Kansas City, MO, thecampgroundkc.com
The Hey! Hey! Club
They Hey! Hey! Club is the secret underground lounge at J. Rieger & Co. I recommend having a drink upstairs, taking the slide down, and then hanging out at Hey! Hey!
2700 Guinotte Ave, Kansas City, MO, jriegerco.com/heyheyclub
RELATED: 7 Things To Do In Chapel Hill And Orange County, NC
OTHER BEST RESTAURANTS IN KANSAS CITY
- Vietnam Cafe – located in River Market, this Vietnamese cafe supposedly has the best Vietnamese food in Kansas City
- Lidia’s – this Italian restaurant has been open since September 1998
- Blue Koi Noodles & Dumplings – Northern Chinese comfort food like noodles and dumplings in Midtown
- Q39 – this barbecue restaurant is nestled between the historic Westport neighborhood and the vibrant Crossroads arts district
- Jack Stack Barbecue – rated the #1 barbecue restaurant in Kansas City that’s set in a historic converted Freight House
- Grünauer – Austrian-German cooking & European beer in the historic dark-wood-&-brick Freight House space
- Bluestem – American restaurant with a tasting menu
