Kansas City is known for its famous barbeque, but we found a few new culinary spots you won’t want to miss if you’re visiting, including an Austrian pub, a great brewery, and new bakery known for milling its own flour.
There are tons of great Kansas City barbeque restaurants, like Jack Stack, but our favorite would be the original Joe’s BBQ location. It’s an unassuming former gas station turned famous BBQ joint and convenience shop. With paper towel rolls on the tables, this spot is nothing fancy but it’s good. Eat at the restaurant or take it to go. Thankfully the line moves fast. We recommend trying the ribs, pulled pork, and the burnt ends (if they have any left).
Go to Ibis bakery for refined pastries, bread, and coffee. This is a multi-level space where they’re milling their own flours and serving everything from croissants and financiers to sandwiches, biscuits, and freshly baked bread. Watch the bakers work their magic up front with the giant ovens and don’t miss Messenger Coffee’s roasting facility upstairs.
Stop into Grünauer for an Austrian dinner. Housed in a historic freight house, this Kansas City staple serves up Austrian beer along with sausages, a variety of schnitzel, and a full menu of traditional Austrian dishes.
For more local beers, head to Boulevard Brewery’s Beer Hall, a vibrant space with tasting flights, pints, and bites like pretzel dogs and snacks. We stuck to the flights, but you can also take a tour of the brewery if you have more time. They’re also slated to launch a new line of canned cocktails soon.
For a true cocktail bar, head to The Monarch Cocktail Bar and Lounge for innovative and classic cocktails. This is the place (nominated this year for a James Beard Award for outstanding bar program) where people in Kansas City are going to see and be seen, with a large rectangle bar inside and patio outside lined with heaters. It’s the place to be on a Friday night.
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