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[Gallbaro]

So, I have just been told by my Fiancee that I am taking her to Kansas City this Thursday, nice of her to tell me...

So onto the last minute planning. I am looking at Hotel Phillips, do locals think it is shit, if you ever go to NYC and go to an older hotel like that it is almost always shit so I am iffy.

Also, what is the best district for nightlife? What is the best way to get drunk and get back to our hotel room?

And the most important thing, BBQ and other local cuisine.

 

[MrPliskin]

You can head to the Power and Light district for Night Life, they've got a nice set up with bars and clubs with plenty of dance space, plus you can head over to PBR after you're both smashed to ride the mechanical bull.

There's a lot of decent eating around, I'd say try out some KC BBQ, maybe head over to Jack Stack and get a nice rack of ribs. Another good BBQ place is Gates, but I personally think Jack Stack is better (plus it's super close to PNL).

There are other area's you can go that are a bit more relaxed and chill, like the Downtown Plaza, but it kind of depends on what you're looking for.

 

[devilhawk]

Can go drinking, shopping, and eating at the Plaza, then hit up Westport for more drinking, then hit up P&L. Or do whatever you like. You can't have more than a 10-30 dollar cab ride between the three.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I was hoping this was like, some kind of roll call thread.

I've heard nothing but good things about Hotel Phillips.

The things Pliskin is saying about Jack Stack are true. I might go to Arthur Bryant's or Gates instead if it were me, but Jack Stack is a nicer, sit down place if you want a nice and/or romantic dinner. And Jack Stack is just as good as anywhere for KC Barbecue. There was some more analysis of this subject in the recent "driving cross country" thread the other day, but I can't find it now.

 

[Tedesco!]

I like Jack Stacks. I also like the Maker's Mark restaurant. Wesport is a great place to grab a drink, though if you have the time, drive the extra 25 minutes or so to Weston and visit O'Malley's pub.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I was told to go to Hayward's for BBQ. It was good, but I felt that there has to be better out there. How mislead was I, or was it actually a good recommendation?

 

[StoOgE]

I was told to go to Hayward's for BBQ. It was good, but I felt that there has to be better out there. How mislead was I, or was it actually a good recommendation?

Well KC, Memphis and Southern BBQ is crap, so that is about right.

Spoiler

BBQ isn't supposed to be bathed in Sauce

/runs.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Well KC, Memphis and Southern BBQ is crap, so that is about right.

Spoiler

BBQ isn't supposed to be bathed in Sauce

/runs.

There's a place for both* I think. I like dry rub for steaks and such, but for ribs I really dig the sauce.



*my belly

 

[Staccat0]

Man, I ran away from KC as fast as my feet would carry me, but I'm trying to think of something useful to add...

The above BBQ reccomendations are good. Gates probably has the most brand recognition and is the one to see if you are just doing it to say you did it. Its like the Disney World of BBQ as opposed to a Six Flags or Bush Gardens.

Maybe go somewhere for a "kansas city strip" steak too?

Also, I guess I'll just leave this here and hope its useful:
http://atlasobscura.com/globe/north-america/united-states/missouri/kansas-city

 

[StoOgE]

There's a place for both* I think. I like dry rub for steaks and such, but for ribs I really dig the sauce.



*my belly

Ribs are the only thing I can take covered in Sauce.

Everything else should be smoked with dry rub and a vinegar based marinade at most.

even then, I prefer dry rubbed ribs.

Look at those... nom nom nom.

 

[EYEL1NER]

Another good BBQ place is Gates

Does not compute.

 

[Klotera]

You need to go to Oklahoma Joes if you want barbecue. Best pulled pork there. It's in a gas station, too, which is awesome.

 

[devilhawk]

I was told to go to Hayward's for BBQ. It was good, but I felt that there has to be better out there. How mislead was I, or was it actually a good recommendation?

It used to be a lot better, but I believe the old owner passed it on to his kids, they moved locations and never were really the same. Never was my favorite, and isn't now.

Which the exception of burnt ends, KC is all about pork, really. Texans can cry about sauce all they want, and eat their chunk of brisket by themselves.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

To me, it's

Tier 1:
Bryant's (old school gritty, the king of KC, my personal favorite)
Gates (all around epitome of KC BBQ, probably more so than Bryant's)
OK Joe's (best of the new school, getting very touristy)
Jack Fiorella's "Jack's Stack" BBQ (nice sit down dinner restaurant)

Tier 2:
LC's (great food, too filthy, though)
Zarda (best sides, especially beans)
Heyward's Pit (good food, just not the best of the best)
Earl Quick's
Smokehouse (sit down type place like Jack Stack)
Danny Edwards' Eat It & Beat It (although I think they're now)
RJ's Bob E Cue

Then everybody else.

Also, I've heard good things about a place called Woodyard. It's literally a wood yard where they sell different kinds of wood, and they have a restaurant there too that serves all wood stove cooked BBQ. Some of it cooked in cherry wood, some in hickory, some in cedar, etc.

Rosedale BBQ is a local favorite that I've never liked much and have always been disappointed with. Same story with Wyandotte BBQ.

KC Masterpiece sucked when they were still around.

Wherever you go, order burnt ends. They're THE Kansas City delicacy that nobody from out of town knows about. And any of the top four restaurants I listed do them wonderfully.

Oh, and OP, there's a Famous Dave's in Power & Light close to where you'll be staying. Don't go there. They're a national chain based out of Minnesota, and they're pretty shitty.

 

[devilhawk]

Oh, and OP, there's a Famous Dave's in Power & Light close to where you'll be staying. Don't go there. They're a national chain based out of Minnesota, and they're pretty shitty.

Your list is pretty solid. The Famous Dave's closed down fairly quickly. No one in KC was fooled.

 

[ultim8p00]

To me, it's

Tier 1:
Bryant's (old school gritty, the king of KC, my personal favorite)
Gates (all around epitome of KC BBQ, probably more so than Bryant's)
OK Joe's (best of the new school, getting very touristy)
Jack Fiorella's "Jack's Stack" BBQ (nice sit down dinner restaurant)

Tier 2:
LC's (great food, too filthy, though)
Zarda (best sides, especially beans)
Heyward's Pit (good food, just not the best of the best)
Earl Quick's
Smokehouse (sit down type place like Jack Stack)
Danny Edwards' Eat It & Beat It (although I think they're now)
RJ's Bob E Cue

Then everybody else.

Also, I've heard good things about a place called Woodyard. It's literally a wood yard where they sell different kinds of wood, and they have a restaurant there too that serves all wood stove cooked BBQ. Some of it cooked in cherry wood, some in hickory, some in cedar, etc.

Rosedale BBQ is a local favorite that I've never liked much and have always been disappointed with. Same story with Wyandotte BBQ.

KC Masterpiece sucked when they were still around.

Wherever you go, order burnt ends. They're THE Kansas City delicacy that nobody from out of town knows about. And any of the top four restaurants I listed do them wonderfully.

Oh, and OP, there's a Famous Dave's in Power & Light close to where you'll be staying. Don't go there. They're a national chain based out of Minnesota, and they're pretty shitty.

This man knows his shit. Burnt ends are the best.

 

[Staccat0]

To me, it's

Tier 1:
Bryant's (old school gritty, the king of KC, my personal favorite)
Gates (all around epitome of KC BBQ, probably more so than Bryant's)
OK Joe's (best of the new school, getting very touristy)
Jack Fiorella's "Jack's Stack" BBQ (nice sit down dinner restaurant)

Tier 2:
LC's (great food, too filthy, though)
Zarda (best sides, especially beans)
Heyward's Pit (good food, just not the best of the best)
Earl Quick's
Smokehouse (sit down type place like Jack Stack)
Danny Edwards' Eat It & Beat It (although I think they're now)
RJ's Bob E Cue

Then everybody else.

Also, I've heard good things about a place called Woodyard. It's literally a wood yard where they sell different kinds of wood, and they have a restaurant there too that serves all wood stove cooked BBQ. Some of it cooked in cherry wood, some in hickory, some in cedar, etc.

Rosedale BBQ is a local favorite that I've never liked much and have always been disappointed with. Same story with Wyandotte BBQ.

KC Masterpiece sucked when they were still around.

Wherever you go, order burnt ends. They're THE Kansas City delicacy that nobody from out of town knows about. And any of the top four restaurants I listed do them wonderfully.

Oh, and OP, there's a Famous Dave's in Power & Light close to where you'll be staying. Don't go there. They're a national chain based out of Minnesota, and they're pretty shitty.

best post

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I did order the burnt ends from Heyward's. We smoke a lot of BBQ at home and there's always a fight for the ends. :lol

 

[Duane Cunningham]

You need to go to Oklahoma Joes if you want barbecue. Best pulled pork there. It's in a gas station, too, which is awesome.

I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with OK Joe's. Their pork is good. Like, I agree, it's probably the best in town. I'm not crazy about most of their sides, though. Their fries, which a lot of people go ape shit over, are so over-seasoned you can feel the MSG jack-hammering holes into your tongue. They also serve some wacky things like the Z-Man sandwich; a pork sandwich with cheese on it, which is 100% unheard of anywhere else. But it's pretty good. I'm not crazy about their sauce, with the exception of their "Night of the Living Sauce" spicy sauce, which is fantastic, and just about the only spicy sauce I'd buy a bottle of at the store.

I hate their name, though. They've been around since the mid 90's (Bryant's and Gates both split off from a downtown stand that started in 1908, by contrast), and they've already become one of the most popular of all the KC BBQ places. Yet their name is Oklahoma Joe's. Thanks, guys! Now if they become the undisputed top of the heap (which seems possible), everyone can associate BBQ with Oklahoma instead of KC. It'd be like opening a pizza place in Chicago called "Detroit Pizza", then having it become the #1 Chicago pizzaria. Also, all their sauce is called "Cowtown" this and that. Which is also completely lame, and not unique... cities from San Francisco to Houston to Chicago have called themselves "Cowtown". We have a rich, urban history filled with mobsters and the film industry and jazz, and these a-holes want to accentuate a rural image and reinforce the rest of the world seeing us as a bunch of hicks and rednecks. To be honest, Kansas City Barbecue is, to quote Wikipedia, a "specific inner city style of slow smoked meat", and OK Joes is suburban, business casual barbecue.

/rant

BUT... I guess that whole second paragraph is beside the point. Their food is what's important. It's damn good, I eat there fairly regularly, and I stand by my placement of it in the top tier.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

Your list is pretty solid. The Famous Dave's closed down fairly quickly. No one in KC was fooled.

Oh, it did? :lol Well, there you go.

It used to be a lot better, but I believe the old owner passed it on to his kids, they moved locations and never were really the same. Never was my favorite, and isn't now.

I didn't know this, either. The new location is actually pretty close to my house, but I haven't been yet. That building had a short lived place called Adam's Rib in it a year or two ago, and I thought they actually were pretty good, but they didn't last long.

 

[UltimaPooh]

1. Westport is awesome for drinking. I recommend going to Jerusalem for some hook and delicious mid eastern food.

2 Power and light is an expensive drinking place but worth a visit.

3 Go to Arthur Brryants for tHe best bbq'd scar!u

 

[jstevenson]

Try the local brew Boulevard Wheat while in town. Maybe even see if you can get a brewery tour. Cheap and delicious, I drank tons of that in college.

There's also a pretty sweet coffee roaster that you can tour. Can't remember the name but they air roast coffee and it's pretty great too.

The farmer's market and Plaza are both great areas to hang out as well.

 

[Askani]

BBQ has already been discussed and discussed well.

For where you're staying, if you don't want to get too far away from your hotel while drinking, you might as well just stay in the Power and Light District. They have a movie theater and bars and some shopping and tons of restaurants.

Crown Center Mall is just a few blocks south, as well as Union Station and the Liberty Memorial.

Also, do you play Disc Golf? One of the better ranked course in the US is a few miles north. Water Works Park.

Try the local brew Boulevard Wheat while in town. Maybe even see if you can get a brewery tour. Cheap and delicious, I drank tons of that in college.

I work across the street from them. Makes me want to go there everyday. :lol You have to schedule a tour in advance so call early and see if they have any spots available before just showing up.

There's also a pretty sweet coffee roaster that you can tour. Can't remember the name but they air roast coffee and it's pretty great too.

That would be the Roasterie. About two blocks down the street from the Boulevard Brewing Company. I don't know about their tours. I think they only have one on the weekends.

The farmer's market and Plaza are both great areas to hang out as well.

Yes.

 

[UltimaPooh]

I second the notion of buying some Boulevard Wheat while in town. Easily my favorite beer.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I agree. Drink Boulevard beer while you're here (and anywhere else that has it). Boulevard Wheat is my favorite, too, but if you prefer an ale, every place in town has Pale Ale on tap too, and many have Single Wide IPA.

By the way... UltimaPooh and ultim8p00 are two different Gaffers, but you're both from KC?

 

[Cipherr]

Can go drinking, shopping, and eating at the Plaza, then hit up Westport for more drinking, then hit up P&L. Or do whatever you like. You can't have more than a 10-30 dollar cab ride between the three.

This is accurate, and about as good of a time as you will get here. P&L is really nice.

Does not compute.

This. Gates has a lot of name recognition but its shit. That and the fucking waitresses have some sort of 'tradition' of fucking screaming 'CAN I HELP YOU' in your general direction the second your left foot touches the pavement while exiting your recently parked car in the parking lot.

BITCH I CANT EVEN SEE THE FUCKING MENU FROM HERE. Jesus fuck I hate gates.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I've seen people call in their order while still in line at Gates, then say they have a call in order when they get to the front. That's cheating!

 

[MajorB0ner]

We have over 200 fountains, we are kind of known for them.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Jack Stack has amazing meat, but the sauce is more like tomato sauce than typical BBQ sauce,if that is a little off-putting. It gets pricey too.

 

[biggyfries]

Heh, I remember a few years ago, we went to KC. Took the interstate to downtown, we saw a billboard for Famous Daves that said "Voted Best BBQ in KC".

I wish I got a pic of that; no one believes me to this day. :lol

 

[JetBlackPanda]

I spent a night in Kansas City about a month ago for work and the locals had me eat at this place:

Jack Stack BBQ

SOOO GOOOD

Edit: The overland park location has this cute girl that works the entrance, she keeps a little book on her and when strange people come in she sketches them out, true story.

 

[Jayge]

I'm flying to Kansas City tomorrow morning. Staying outside the city but what a weird coincidence.

 

[Gallbaro]

Well I am here trip was pushed back a week,

Spoiler

actually overland park

.

So far I have to say Kansas City proper is pleasant surprise, not nearly as shitty as the typical non-coastal city. It would get a Gallbaro, NYC elitist, stamp of approval if it had proper public transportation, some of these areas could definitely sustain a trolley. Also, why the hell is there a razorback in Country Club Plaza, that same statue is at one of the frat house on UARK campus.

-Country club area was a really nice and I could imagine living there. But fucking hipster, and these hipsters looked even more ridiculous than the ones I left behind in Woodside, Queens. This area looked a lot like parts of Queens, such as Flushing accept it has white people.

-Union Station was awesome, definitely beats anything NYC.

Spoiler

Penn Station would have blown it away had it not been for the fucking garden

-Downtown was what I expected it to be, largely empty of any life.

-Quality hill as pretty neat.

-No KC BBQ yet.

-May actually drive the 4 hours again during winter break to take Amtrak to NYC would be fun with my son

 

[tirminyl]

Welcome to KC

Spoiler

or Overland Park

.

I would definitely like more transportation here but living in OP puts me out of some of the stops and I refuse to drive a mile to a bus stop just to take the bus to work. I've thought about moving Downtown closer to work. Would save me a ton on gas.

Where in Downtown were you? You have the Power & Light District which has shopping areas and food restaurants. It is pretty popular during the week and weekends for hanging out, concerts, etc. As far as the older districts, they have been renovating them, trying to bring the life back.