KC Proper: (These are the restaurants with multiple locations around Kansas City.)
Fiorella’s Jack Stack: My personal favor BBQ in KC. Get the Jack’s Best with Cheesy Corn & Baked Beans. The Cheesy Potatoes are also a great choice but whatever you do, don’t skip the Smoked Chicken Wings!
Gate’s: Get a Double-Decker & a Half. Big ass sandwich but it’s probably the best BBQ Sandwich in KC!
Joe’s KC: KC’s top voted BBQ joint, Joe’s is a good middle ground for all seeking just good all around BBQ. I always get the Sampler with Burnt Ends, Turkey, Brisket, & Pulled Pork but the most popular menu item is definitely the Z Man.
The Roasterie Café: A KC Coffee staple! The Roasterie itself offers different tours & coffee based classes! Skip the Cold Brew though unless you get the Sporting Blend!
Sheridan’s Frozen Custard: Get you a Concrete, get it plain, you really can’t go wrong here!
Spin Pizza: KC’s take on Napoli Pizza! A lot of really interesting pizza options as well as salads! Several locations across KC!
Winstead’s: Very few Winstead’s left, an old Kansas City fast food staple. Burgers are incredible as are the Onion Rings.
Country Club Plaza:
The Capital Grille: Upscale Steakhouse. The Porcini Rubbed Ribeye is divine as is their French Onion Soup! Get the Au Gratin Potatoes & The Lobster Mac to share! Ask for Steve, he’s the greatest waiter!
McCormick & Schmick: A chain, I know, but go for Happy Hour & get the Calamari & a Chocolate Bag!
Osteria Il Centro: Always have incredible specials in addition to the staples on their menu! Some of the best Italian west of the Mississippi!
Downtown KC:
Boulevard Brewery: Book a tour in advance! Excellent Beer with a lot of variety!
Bristol: Get the Soup Sampler! No joke. That with Cheesy Biscuit is all you need!
Christopher Elbow: Kansas City’s own famous Chocolatier! His Truffles are immaculate!
The Peanut: Wings. The Peanut is a dive bar with The. Best. Wings! Only come in one style, Buffalo, but they’re incredible!
Martin City:
Martin City Brewery: Great Hang Spot! Really great food, really great beer!
Tropical Sno: Only open in the summer, Tro-Sno has a long list of flavors sure to please anyone! My go to is Guave, Pink Lemonade, & Pink Grapefruit!
Olathe:
Silas & Maddie’s: Incredible, incredible Ice Cream! I recommend the Blueberry!
Overland Park:
Desta’s: A little Ethiopian gem located in new at the Blue Valley Sports Complex. The food is incredible & extremely authentic! I recommend Chicken & Lamb Tibs!
Fat Bee: The OG OP Bobba Tea Bar! Tons of different flavors, I recommend the House Special as is!
Fortune Wok: Pretty standard Chinese fare with a Sushi Bar. I always go for the Sweet & Sour Soup & their Happy Family!
Hot Basil: One of my favorite Thai restaurants in the country. They have hands down the best Pad See Ew. Be wary of the heat levels, Thai hot means Thai hot! The Tom Kha is incredible too!
I Am Frozen Dessert Cafe: Thai Dessert Bar! They take block of ice cream & put them in an ice shaver. Totally worth the stop!
Jalapeños: An Overland Park staple, best Tamales in the area for sure.
Jersey Boys: Turkey Club, Turkey Club, Turkey Club!
Jose Peppers: Locals know it for their Espanaca Dip, but their Salsa & regular menu items are bangin too! I recommend the Fish Tacos.
K-Macho: All around pretty solid Mexican food! A little more on the big portion side, a crowd pleaser for sure!
Pad-Thai: A relatively new Thai restaurant, get the Crying Tiger Beef & ask the chef to surprise you with the main Entree!
Plaza III: Another upscale steakhouse on the plaza. Here I recommend the Ribeye & the Mac & Cheese & the Onion Straws
Robek’s: California smoothie chain, used to carry Guava Juice but have since stopped, but asked them to replicate a “Guava Lava” & they can still get it pretty close.
Ruchi: Go get their Indian Lunch Buffet, allows you to try all different kinds of Indian dishes without the pressure of being set with just one!
Sweet Caroline’s: Candy shop that serves Silas & Maddie’s Ice Cream!
Prairie Village:
Cafe Provence: Consecutively voted one of the top restaurants in the entire United States, French Fare. Don’t miss the Onion Soup or the Amish Chicken.
Dolce Bakery: Try all the cookies, all of them! Especially the Double Chocolate Espresso & the Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip!
Leawood:
Blue Koi: Featured a few times on the food network, Blue Koi is famous for their Chinese Pot Roast Soup & it does not disappoint! Great for a cold day when you need heating up! Don’t miss their assorted Bobba Teas as well, may sound strange but I recommend the Green Bean & Almond!
Pacuigo Gelato: Always outstanding Gelato, tons of different flavors. Try a few before you decide & be adventurous, it’s worth it!
Westport:
Room 39: Cute little Contemporary American/French place. Menu is always changing but they do everything very well!