Are you looking for the best restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri? You are in the right place.
In this article, I’ll walk you through some of the best places to eat in Kansas City, MO.
Kansas City, Missouri sits close to the state border and is a vibrant Midwest city known for its barbecue, jazz, heritage, and famous fountains. It has a food scene all of its own, with everything from legendary barbecue joints to Italian, Thai, Ethiopian, Caribbean, and plant-based restaurants. There are also plenty of things to do in Kansas City when you’re not working your way through its food scene.
Kansas City is world-famous for barbecue, and its barbecue tradition can be traced back to Henry Perry, who began selling smoked meat in the early 1900s. Today, there are more than 100 barbecue restaurants across the Kansas City area.
But barbecue is only part of the story. Whether you are looking for fine dining, international flavors, comforting classics, or something completely different, there are plenty of restaurants in KCMO to choose from.
So, make sure your belly is empty and let me take you through 15 of the best restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri!
If you’re planning a wider trip, there are plenty of other things to do in Missouri beyond Kansas City too.
Best Kansas City Restaurants at a Glance
| Restaurant | Best For | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Q39 Midtown | Kansas City BBQ | Midtown |
| Gram & Dun | Patio dining | Country Club Plaza |
| Town Company | Wood-fired fine dining | Downtown |
| Clay & Fire | Near Eastern food | West Side |
| Lazia | Modern Italian | Crossroads |
| Baramee Thai Bistro | Thai food | Crossroads |
| Black Garlic | Ethiopian & Caribbean | Midtown |
| Waldo Pizza | Casual pizza | Waldo |
| The Antler Room | Small plates & date night | Hospital Hill |
| Anjin | Special-occasion dining | Crossroads |
| Novel | Contemporary American | East Crossroads |
| Farina | Handmade pasta & Italian | Crossroads |
| PotPie | Comfort food | Westport |
| The Fix | Vegan food | Midtown |
| Mattie’s Foods | Vegan comfort food | Brookside/Waldo area |
15 Best Restaurants In Kansas City MO You Must Try
Q39 Midtown
Looking for some of the best Kansas City BBQ? Then head to Q39 Midtown.
Located on 39th Street in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, Q39 combines competition-style barbecue with wood-fired cooking and a more modern restaurant setting.
The menu includes Kansas City favorites such as brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, ribs, smoked chicken, and house-made sausage, along with sandwiches, salads, and wood-fired entrées.
If you want to try a little of everything, the Competition BBQ Plate or Q Champion Meat Platter are great options.
Q39 Midtown is a strong choice if you want classic Kansas City barbecue with a slightly more polished, chef-driven feel.
Gram & Drum
For something very different, Gram & Dun is a beautiful classic restaurant. It’s sophisticated and soulful with some interesting food pairings.
In an ideal Plaza location with one of the best patios in town, eating here is a relaxed affair. The modern twist on traditional dishes creates a truly delicious combination.
The menu changes, but you can expect dishes such as Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas, Wagyu Steak Tartare, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, and a range of salads, sandwiches, and entrées.
If you are looking for an impressive atmospheric spot to eat, then this is it. One of the restaurants in Kansas City where you can sit and watch time go by
Town Company
If you like your Restaurants in KC more on the elegant and charming side then this is for you. It’s a stylish restaurant situated in the Hotel Kansas City.
The menu is small and changes regularly according to what is locally available. The whole place is built around the open kitchen’s wood-fired hearth where each dish at some point enters the flames.
It’s an innovative place taking the concept of cooking open fire to a whole other level. Carrots are roasted all day over the fire to turn into a dip for example.
And the deserts do not escape the fire. Toasted coriander is folded into the meringue and chocolate desserts with smoked acorn dust.
It’s very hard to describe how truly unique this restaurant in Kansas City is.
A brave move perhaps to have a restaurant like this in the barbeque capital but perhaps this is a glimpse at what the future of barbeque could look like.
Clay and Fire
Located in the West Side neighborhood, Clay & Fire serves dishes inspired by the Near East, prepared with local produce and spices imported from the region.
The restaurant makes good use of its clay oven and wood-fired cooking, giving many of the dishes a smoky edge.
The menu includes mezze, kebabs, Turkish-style pide, hummus, and dishes such as smoked beef short rib and Khachapuri. There are also several vegetarian and vegan options.
This is a restaurant in Kansas City that provides great dishes with an interesting twist.
Lazia Is One of the Best Italian Restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri
Lazia is a modern Italian restaurant in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood.
The restaurant combines traditional Italian cooking with a modern Kansas City feel, serving scratch-made pasta, fresh mozzarella, and seasonal dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
The menu includes dishes such as focaccia, burrata, handmade pasta, chicken parmesan, and other Italian-inspired mains, along with an all-Italian wine list.
If you love Italian food and want somewhere stylish for dinner, Lazia is a great choice.
One of the best restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri for Italian lovers.
Baramee Thai Bistro for KCMO Thai Options
If you love Thai food, Baramee Thai Bistro is a great option in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood.
The menu covers a wide range of Thai favorites, including Pad Thai, Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups, curries, fried rice, and noodle dishes.
You can also choose from dishes such as Papaya Salad, Labb Salad, Pad See Ew, and Panang Curry, with vegetarian and vegan options available too.
One of the best places to eat in Kansas City if you love Thai food.
One Of The Best Restaurants In Kansas City MO Is Black Garlic
If you love bold flavors, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere, then Black Garlic is the place for you.
Formerly known as Mesob, this Kansas City restaurant serves a unique mix of Ethiopian and Caribbean cuisine.
The menu is diverse and innovative, with dishes such as fried plantains with spicy coleslaw, jerk chicken bao, Ethiopian vegetarian platters, seafood, and Caribbean-inspired meat dishes.
There are also plenty of vegetarian options, including traditional Ethiopian lentil and vegetable dishes.
If you are after something a little different on your travels, then this is it. Food in Kansas City doesn’t get much more varied than this.
Waldo Pizza
Waldo Pizza is a relaxed neighborhood restaurant serving pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and beer in Kansas City’s Waldo area.
It has been a local favorite for more than 30 years and offers several different crust styles, including traditional hand-tossed, St. Louis-style thin crust, honey wheat, and cauliflower crust.
There is a huge choice of toppings, along with specialty pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
If you are looking for an easy-going pizza restaurant in Kansas City, Waldo Pizza is a great choice for lunch or dinner
The Antler Room
The Antler Room is an intimate neighborhood restaurant serving a rotating menu of small plates paired with international wines, beers, and cocktails.
The food draws inspiration from a wide range of cuisines and changes frequently depending on seasonal ingredients and the chefs’ travels.
It’s relaxed but refined, making it a great choice whether you want a few small plates and a glass of wine or a full dinner.
The menu shifts a lot here with the seasons, but it is always interesting and unusual.
One of the restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri to come for a delightful and delicious experience.
Anjin
you are looking for somewhere a little different for a special night out, Anjin is well worth considering.
Tucked away in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood, this intimate Japanese-inspired restaurant takes its influence from the relaxed style of an izakaya.
The menu is designed around beautifully prepared dishes and shared plates, with seasonal specials and a carefully chosen selection of sake and other drinks.
With only a small number of seats, the experience feels intimate and gives diners a close-up view of the kitchen.
Anjin is one of the most interesting restaurants in Kansas City if you are looking for something a little more memorable than the usual dinner out.
This is the place to come if you want a special night out. It’s more expensive than most but a real treat. Perhaps this could be added to your things to do in Missouri list!
Novel
Featuring contemporary American cuisine, Novel is a stylish restaurant in Kansas City’s East Crossroads Arts District.
Chef Ryan Brazeal and Pastry Chef Jessica Armstrong focus on locally sourced ingredients and contemporary cooking techniques, with a menu that changes with the seasons.
The dining room is warm and modern, with an open kitchen, a long tile mosaic, and an outdoor patio planted with native trees and grasses.
If you are looking for a more refined dinner in Kansas City, Novel is a great place to add to your list.
Farin Is One Of The Best Italian Restaurants In Kansas City Missouri
Farina is a modern Italian restaurant run by one of Kansas City’s top chefs, Michael Smith. The food is delicious and handcrafted.
The restaurant itself is a bit of a masterpiece, all slate and grey tones with pops of color. It’s beautiful inside and the decor matches the food perfectly.
The Italian-style dishes are simple, influenced by local produce, and pulling in Italian influences to suit that season. All the food here is elevated and elegant.
They pride themselves on their pasta and it really is delicious always with a little added extra. This is Italian food but not quite as you know it.
One of the best restaurants in Kansas City, MO to put on your list.
Pot Pie Is One Of The Best Homestyle Restaurants In Kansas City
If you are after something hearty, satisfying, and delicious then head to PotPie. This is homestyle food at its best.
It’s a snug, well-loved kind of place with a cosy bare-brick dining room and a menu built around comforting American and French-inspired dishes.
There is obviously more served than pot pie, but that is still the star of the show here, with Chicken Pot Pie and Beef and Mushroom Pot Pie among the favourites.
The ethos of this restaurant is to “Put a little come-back into everything we do”. And people do come back again and again.
The Fix
If you love vegan food then this is the place for you. Their tagline is ‘Pushing plants in a former midtown drugstore’, which is honestly genius.
The space is light and airy and the menu is laid back and plant-based, with burgers, sandwiches, brunch dishes, salads, snacks, and desserts.
It is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 am to 8 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, this is one of the best plant-based restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri. And even if you are not!
Mattie’s Foods
Mattie’s Foods is a plant-based café in Kansas City serving vegan comfort food inspired by the founders’ grandmother, Mattie.
The menu focuses on hearty, familiar dishes with a vegan twist, including breakfast favorites, sandwiches, wraps, desserts, and dishes made with ingredients such as tofu brisket and cashew queso.
You can dine in, order takeout, or catch some of Mattie’s food through local partner cafés around Kansas City.
If you love vegan food or are simply curious about plant-based comfort food, Mattie’s Foods is a great place to try.
As you can see, when it comes to restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri, the city offers much more than just barbecue.
I’ve shared 15 of the best places to eat in Kansas City, from classic BBQ and Italian food to Thai, vegan, and more unusual dining experiences.
When it comes to food in Kansas City, MO, the options are endless. I can’t wait for you to try one, or two.
Please come back and tell me about your experience at one of these restaurants in KCMO!
And while you’re here, there are so many cool museums and other things to do in Kansas City to explore too.
If you want to explore more of the state, one of these Missouri road trips is a great place to start.
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