Latest reviews from Kansas City
| 72 /100 2129 WASHINGTON ST. “I love that Kansas City has a place where you can get a flight at 6:00 AM. Beer here is fine, not too good or bad, good selection of low ABV styles in case you do want a morning pick me up that's not caffineated (or coffee at all). Wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but was a good stop while waiting for the WWI museum to open.“ |
| 42 /100 Cellar Rat Wine Merchants (Beer Store) 1701 BALTIMORE “They might have cared about beer at one time (based on their signage I certainly hope so), but I don't think they do any more. Just a kinda sad, nondescript beer corner.“ |
| 92 /100 Oak & Steel (Bar) 120 W 17TH ST. “Yeah, this is a fantastic beer bar. After BKS and Alma Mader, my favorite place to drink in KC, especially if visiting. They did a collab with Side Project which you have to drink on site but which is just fantastic.
Huge recommendation here. This place is terrific.“ |
| 46 /100 Cosentino’s Market - Downtown (Grocery Store) 10 EAST 13TH STREET “Better grocery store than beer store. Uninspired beer selection, but from a grocery perspective, like what Whole Foods used to be.“ |
| 80 /100 2534 MADISON AVE “Two of my favorite beers in my early days as a craft beer drinker in Iowa City in the early 2000s were Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat and Tank 7. They have other great stuff here, too - a double barreled coconut stout? A smoked lager? Really well done beer, I prefer Alma Mader around the corner, but you kinda have to stop here if you're a beer geek in KC. I'm glad I did. This is the kind of taproom a classic brewery puts together, it's almost an amusement park.“ |
| 88 /100 2635 SOUTHWEST BLVD. “Fantastic brewery, heavy on hazies but fantastic flavor, hits other styles very well. This would be my first stop in the Kansas City area. Only quibble would be wanting to see a barrel aged tap or two, but what they have is terrific.“ |
| 80 /100 310 W 79TH ST “Super inconvenient but this is a fantastic US take on German styles. They do flights, if you get an Eisbock you should go light on the others because there's no real way to get here without driving. Everything well done, fantastic Dortmunder. Like a US style beer hall. Didn't try the food but it looked great.“ |
| 76 /100 2129 WASHINGTON ST. “Visited on a Sunday afternoon. Parking is on the street out front and depending on when you visit could be a challenge. A handful of picnic tables out front, and inside is massive with bar seating up front for 8 people and tables in the front and large back rooms. On a Sunday afternoon, the majority of patrons were drinking coffee, and a few of us were on beers at the bar. Selection is 12 house beers and 2 house ciders on draft available as 4 oz tasters or full pour. Beer to go in the cooler, mix a 4 Pack of cans. Crowlers available. Friendly attentive service. More of a coffee house vibe, which worked for the place. Took me way too long to get down here. (Worth the visit, must for locals, and visitors with time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 64 /100 BBQ To Go (MCI) (Bar) 1 INTERNATIONAL SQUARE “Visited on a Monday prior to a flight. Just to the right of Stockyards in the B gate area. This is a basic BBQ to go, order at the counter spot that also has a you-pour system. You-pour system features 14 beers, half of which are unique locals. Tap to pay, full or taster draft in to-go plastic cups. There is no seating, which allows you to take your beer wherever you wish in the airport. I was able to grab a Vine Street Jazzman, which is a hard to find beer from a soon to be open local brewery. (Just ok) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 70 /100 1 INTERNATIONAL SQUARE “Visited prior to a flight on a Monday evening. Located in the B Gate Area, past the City Market shopping. Layout is a big oval bar, with tables around and big windows. 7 Stockyard beers listed, though 2 were out when I visited. Also had some macros. Full pours only, didn’t see tasters listed. Nice glassware. Typical airport service, the bartender was covering the entire giant bar. Food is bbq and smelled pretty good. Overall, a good option for an airport. If you request plastic, you can take your beer to your gate. $11 pint is pretty steep, even for an airport. Worth a visit if you are in the airport.“ |
| 76 /100 12 W 63RD ST “Visited for dinner and drinks on a Thursday. I have been to Hooper’s several times, and assumed I had rated already. Located in busy Brookside, the parking is tight, street in front, or parking lot behind the building. Interior is a long bar, with high top tables in the bar area and booths around the perimeter. Food menu is bar food, though they do it quite well. Their specialty is hot dogs. The beer selection is solid, with a huge can and bottle selection plus a bunch of local taps you generally don’t find elsewhere (BKS, Alma Mader, Pathlight, etc). Service is great, fun neighborhood vibe. (Worth the visit, must for locals, and visitors with time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 76 /100 King G (Bar) 500 E. 18TH ST. “Visited on a Tuesday evening. King G is located right in the middle of most of the beer action in the Crossroads, an easy place to hit. Parking is street or in lots throughout the area. King G is two parts, one part Deli, one part bar. The bar area is a big U shaped bar, with other seating around the outside. Very much a bar focus. The beer selection is very local focused, with beers that I have only seen at the respective breweries. All told, 20 beers on draft, as well as a reserve bottle and can list. Service was prompt, and knowledgeable about the beers. Fun, happy vibe. (Worth the visit, must for locals, and visitors with time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 84 /100 2534 MADISON AVE “Humungous place over 2 floors, with the tasting room on the 2nd floor. They have 20+ taps, with 5 oz pours of pretty much anything for a reasonable price. Many of these taps are their extreme styles, which they're pretty solid at.
The tasting room clearly had a ton of cash thrown into it -- it's extravagant, gargantuan and overwhelming in its different sections.
And of course, the beer is very good. Must-visit on any KC trip.“ |
| 54 /100 1708 CAMPBELL STREET “The downtown KC beer scene doesn't have good quality breweries in my opinion. This one is one of the better ones, and I still wasn't enthused. 5 oz pours of anything for $3++ or flights. Beer quality was average. Food was solid though, which included vegan options. If you're downtown, may as well check this place out.“ |
| 44 /100 412 E 18TH STREET “Located downtown, close to many other breweries, like many of them, this one just isn’t good. 4 oz pours available of anything, so I tried 3 of theirs — none were calibrated properly, and the doppelbock was particularly messed up. Perfectly nice tasting room and service, but the beer is very subpar. Skip this.“ |
| 46 /100 1829 OAK ST “Located downtown amidst many other breweries, this is an intimate little tasting room. They had just over half a dozen taps when I visited. No flights or smaller-than-8 oz pours, but they will do tastes at least. I tried 3 beers and wasn’t happy with any of them — they all seemed off-base in some way. Friendly service. Eugene, you led me astray. ;-)“ |
| 72 /100 2635 SOUTHWEST BLVD. “Very modern, hipster place, with a small but polished tasting room very close to Boulevard. They had about a dozen taps, with a lot of IPAs (mostly hazies, but a couple west coasts) and pilsners. No flights, just 7 or 14 oz pours, but staff will do sips. Beer quality was very good, but nothing mind-blowing. Worth a stop when in KC.“ |
| 80 /100 310 W 79TH ST “Legitimately some of the best German-style beer in the US. Recommended by beastiefan2k, I stopped in early Sunday afternoon. They were doing a trivia event, so I sat up at the bar and did my thing. I ordered a flight of 4 for $13.50 (tax inclusive) of all German styles and got sips of a couple more. The beer quality was very high, especially the doppelbocks I ended my flight with. Really, really well-made stuff. Friendly, competent and quick service. Not a hipster place by any means, but a must-stop on any KC beer trip.“ |
| 70 /100 Gomer’s 103rd and State Line (Beer Store) 1301 W 103RD ST “Visited on a Tuesday. Located in the old Royal Liquors building on State Line, just north of I-435. Plenty of parking. The entire is open with the beer in the coolers in back, with a couple of shelves that appeared to be over flow for the cold selection. Beer selection was solid, with all of the local, regional and national craft breweries you would expect to see. I did not see any single selection, though there were 8 draft lines (7 beers, 1 seltzer) offering beers to go as 32 oz or 64 oz. Service was nice enough, though I didn’t ask for any assistance. Prices average to the area. Both Hopslam and Surly Darkness were available, oh how times have changed. (Locals should check it out, visitors with extended time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 76 /100 1740 HOLMES STREET “Visited on a Tuesday evening. Parking is street, or in a lot just north of the Brewery. Converted parking space outdoor seating is plentiful as you walk in. Inside is a bigger room with plenty of high and low top tables to spread out, as well as plenty of seating at the bar. I saw stairs, not sure if there is a second level as well. Beer selection is 12 house beers available as full pours, 5 oz, tasters and beer to go. Efficient service. They have a food menu, though right now only doing drinks on Mondays and Tuesdays. Check ahead if you are looking to eat. I had meant to visit for quite some time, and enjoyed my time. (Worth the visit, must for locals, and visitors with time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 72 /100 412 E 18TH STREET “A very solid brewpub. Small and centrally located in the crossroads. Plenty of their own taps and has a nice amount of space. Visited with Evan in 2022.“ |
| 72 /100 Plaza Liquor (Beer Store) 4500 BELLEVIEW AVENUE “Standalone store with decent, but not great parking. Beer section is on the left. OK, but not great selection of singles, but good multipacks of local and national crafts. Decent selection of international beer.“ |
| 72 /100 Gomer’s Midtown (Beer Store) 3838 BROADWAY ST “Standalone store with ample parking. High ceiling venue with open concept. Focus is on liquor, but an large number of coolers devoted to beer. Not a great selection of singles. Good number of local and national beers.“ |
| 80 /100 1725 MCGEE ST “A gorgeous taproom and relaxed vibe reminded me more of a hipster coffee place, in a good way. Brewery is visible in the back, next to a small serving bar with just four stools. Soft muzak playing in the background. Beers were just OK, flights of five are possible. No food. Plenty of dogs and kids. Worth stopping for the atmosphere.“ |
| 78 /100 633 E. 63RD ST., SUITE 120 “Parking is a challenge here, I came early and got the last space in the lot. In an old industrial building shared with a couple other businesses, including a vegan restaurant with amazing food, great staff and friendly locals. But I digress. Small serving area and an unattended bar, plus a few bar tables, not a lot of room inside. Outside had some sidewalk seating. Beers were mainly NEIPAs with enough other styles to satisfy non-NEIPA fans like me. Tasty stuff overall. Worth the trek from downtown KC.“ |
| 74 /100 316 OAK STREET “Very close to the river, interesting place for a neighborhood stroll. Street parking can be tight, use Lyft. Handful of outdoor picnic tables in a former parking lot. Inside has a long serving bar with a long row of stools, and plenty of bar tables. Lots of weird non-beery styles, but they also had a couple of decent lagers. A bit off the Crossroads path means this place is mainly locals, but it can get as crowded as anyplace else. Worth the short detour.“ |
| 84 /100 1740 HOLMES STREET “Large place with lots of nooks and crannies. Handful of outdoor picnic tables on the sidewalk. Long bar, always crowded, surrounded by several rooms of restaurant tables. No flights but half pours are possible. They have a coolship, but their sour and funky beers were a bit too tart and tannic for me. Other styles were tasty. Food was very creative, the tastiest of any brewpub that I tried in the city. A mandatory stop on any Crossroads crawl.“ |
| 82 /100 1708 CAMPBELL STREET “One of my favorite stops on my Crossroads pub crawls. Small place in a large industrial building. Serving bar on one side, a handful of restaurant tables and a small deck with no shade, sadly. Nice taplist and cans included a Baltic Porter, and they have Chaos Magic in bottles, their raspberry sour. Food was outstanding and portions are large. Staff is knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. A must-stop while in the area.“ |
| 86 /100 403 E 18TH ST. “Went on a Monday night when it wasn't too crowded, service was friendly and helpful. They have a very good tap lineup that you can sample before you buy, and they also do half or full pours in glass styles specific to the beer your order. Their online bottle list was a bit out of date, but their tap board is regularly updated online. I enjoyed some Mission tacos from next door.“ |
| 88 /100 Oak & Steel (Bar) 120 W 17TH ST. “Great bar in downtown KC. Twenty some beers on tap, bottles to go, and even whiskey. Everyone here knows their beers. Prices are reasonable. Very clean. Probably the best beer bar in the area. Go visit!“ |
| 70 /100 412 E 18TH STREET “Medium size space, 11 beers on tap when I stopped by, no food but you can bring your own (tacos across the street are good), very decent beer, flights of 4 available“ |
| 70 /100 316 OAK STREET “Visited with friends on a late afternoon Friday for a few beers. Located in the River Market neighborhood, just east of the actual River Market. Decent amount of street parking on a Friday afternoon, though I am sure less available when the market is crowded. Half of the parking lot has been converted to patio seating, so plenty of outdoor space. Inside is an open room with high tops in front and tables around the edges, plenty of seats at the bar. Beer is ordered at the bar, and the selection was 9 house beers, in a variety of styles. I had a Pils, Smoked Helles and a Dry Hopped Saison - all were solid. Food is a couple of bar snacks, or you can bring food in. Service was friendly, the overall vibe was laid back and happy. I’ll certainly be back. (Locals should check it out, visitors with extended time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 88 /100 633 E. 63RD ST., SUITE 120 “Visited early evening on a Friday. Located east of the Brookside area of south Kansas City. Parking is in a dedicated lot on the back side of the building, I’d imagine this fills up, street parking in the neighborhood is also an option. The inside of the building is mostly the brewery, though seating at tables in the room to the right, and the ordering station with the to-go beer area to the left. Highlight is the large patio that runs along the entire front side of the building. Plenty of tables and areas to stand. Beer selection was 12 house beers, with a focus on hoppy beers. Pours available as both full and half pours, and each Thursday evening they release canned beers for sale. Both the service and the crowd were very friendly, and the overall vibe of the place was exactly what I am looking for in a neighborhood brewery. All 3 beers I had were excellent, while I was there, BKS won a silver at GABF! I’m not real sure why it took me so long to get to this place, but it immediately goes very close to the top of my local list. (best in area, a must for locals and visitors) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 74 /100 633 E. 63RD ST., SUITE 120 “Stopped in on a Friday afternoon. Nice building, plenty of seating in or outdoors. They had a few of their beers on tap, some to go, so we tried three while we were there. All were very good. Bought a four pack of beers not on tap for later. Well worth the stop. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, worth the stop.“ |
| 70 /100 Flying Horse Taproom (Bar) 600 E 63RD ST SUITE 100 “Visited early evening on a Saturday. Small taproom with a bar with seating, a few indoor tables and a nice patio outside. Food and beer are ordered at the bar. Food menu is a mix of bar snacks, appetizers and flatbreads. It also appears you are good with bringing in your own food. Beer selection is ~20 beers on draft, with an interesting mix of local beers, a couple of breweries you normally don’t see on draft, and more common local selections. Wine, drinks and macro bottles and cans also available. Service was very friendly, laid back place, I really liked hanging out. Locals should check it out, visitors with extended time. I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 88 /100 2635 SOUTHWEST BLVD. “Visited early afternoon on a Friday. Easy to find right on Southwest Boulevard, around the corner from Boulevard Brewing. Parking is in a smaller lot in front of the building, or on the street. The tasting room is clean and brightly and naturally lit. Seating at the bar, or tables around the room. The brewery itself is through a window on the back wall. Beer selection is 10 house beers available as half pours, full pours, crowlers (9 beers) and bottle (1 beer). The quality of all the beers I had was super high. All very fresh and clean. Service was super knowledgeable and welcoming. A couple of bar snacks available, or you can bring food in. Dog friendly. I really enjoyed my visit and will be back soon. (best in area, a must for locals and visitors) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“ |
| 80 /100 2129 WASHINGTON ST. “Early afternoon visit. This 4 month old brewery has a lot going for it. Nice interior. Roasts coffee also. 11 of their brews on tap. Tasters available for a reasonable price. Quality of beer was well above average. Parking may be an issue. Excellent addition to the local beer scene.“ |
| 84 /100 2635 SOUTHWEST BLVD. “New brewery in Kansas City. Nice interior, not a lot of seating. Parking somewhat limited. About 10 of their beers on tap, crowlers available for most. 2 beers bottled to go. Serves half pours and full pours only. Thought the quality of their beers was outstanding. An up and coming brewery.“ |
| 84 /100 2534 MADISON AVE “Pretty impressive facility - especially compared to the somewhat cramped space that they used to use for the same purpose at the brewery. I really like the layout with the levels and large tasting area and gift shop. Impressive.“ |
| 80 /100 1600 GENESSEE ST, SUITE #100 “Nice little brewpub by the Hy-Vee Arena a lot of wood in this place. A decent amount of people in here a lot of hipsters it seemed like, The bartender was nice and polite very friendly, decent amount of beers on tap, not bad pricing on growlers or flights will go back“ |
| 88 /100 2534 MADISON AVE “If you're in the KC area, this is obviously a must-visit. They have a nice variety of experimental, standard and seasonal beer on tap. The taproom is massive with lots of wood and beer memorabilia. Food is average. Service is very friendly.“ |
| 70 /100 412 E 18TH STREET “This is in an old stand alone brick building. Inside it is basically one big room with a high ceiling. There are plenty of tables and the atmosphere is chill. Servers were friendly and attentive. They had quite a few strange beers (which I like) and the ones I tried were tasty. Prices were average. If I lived downtown, I'd probably visit this place irregularly to check out any new beer they have. Recommended“ |
| 72 /100 Up-Down - Kansas City (Bar) 101 SOUTHWEST BLVD “Up-Down is on a 6-way intersection in the Crossroads neighborhood of KC. It's a two-level bar with arcade games (no free play; need tokens) and a lot of screens with 80s/90s movies, and a surprisingly good beer list. I got one local and one Funkwerks that came in a nice stemmed glass. Another pleasant surprise. I don't think they have food. Service was good for the crowd. We were there late night on a Saturday so it was wall-to-wall crowded and definitely a drunker, louder environment than I now seek out as a middle aged man, but it's not bad.“ |
| 80 /100 412 E 18TH STREET “Double Shift is in a stand-alone building back a little from the street, next to Border and across from iTap in the brewery-heavy Crossroads neighborhood of KC. It's a nice space, inviting and well appointed if not super unique for a brewery, with a bar and some tables in front and the operation in back, under a high ceiling. There were 10 beers on tap when I visited and they're pretty good, much better than Border's beer next door. Prices are slightly higher than there, but worth it. Service was friendly and attentive. There were 4 bottles available to go, but all were on tap at the time. No food available, but plenty of options nearby. Recommended while you're making the rounds in Crossroads or the broader KC area.“ |
| 70 /100 406 E 18 STREET “Border occupies a small storefront between Double Shift and a Latin restaurant, across the street from iTap. The place is cozy and inviting, and two bartenders were holding down the fort when I went shortly before closing on a Saturday. There are 10 taps, about half IPAs when I went. The beers were below average, but inexpensive. There was at least one bottle available to go, along with growlers and merch. It's okay, but if you don't have time to hit more than a few, I would make this your lowest priority of the cluster of breweries in the Crossroads.“ |
| 84 /100 403 E 18TH ST. “iTap - Kansas City is in the Crossroads neighborhood, just south of downtown and in walking distance from 5 breweries, 2 of which are directly across the street. The place is in the corner of a rehabbed building, with much the same vibe as the other locations (I've been to all except Columbia). There are 60 taps and behind the bar are also coolers with hundreds of bottles. The selection is excellent, and the glassware is proper. The service was good, too; it was a crowded Saturday night and I still managed to avoid waiting more than like 30 seconds before getting service. Prices are in line with other area bars/breweries. No food, but oddly enough, it has the same setup as iTap-Soulard, which is also linked to Mission Taco Joint via the bathroom hallway. Can't beat MTJ. If you've been to any iTap, you know what you're getting. If not, this is similar to a Brass Tap or World of Beer in its concept and execution. It might be a chain but it's a damn good one.“ |
| 86 /100 2534 MADISON AVE “Boulevard's new-ish Beer Hall is on the same general campus as its production facility and the tours now launch from the first floor here. The first floor has a mini museum near the tour launch site, plus a huge shop and a back bar (which is usually used for private events). Upstairs is a large bar with queues to handle the crowds and a secondary bar with Test stuff. Prices are fair, lower than most other bars in the area, and it's a good selection. Basically their whole regular lineup plus seasonals and some one-offs. I think there were 39 different beers available when I visited, not including the bottles and cans in the store. Service is fine, but it was so crowded the bartenders can only do so much. Another 1-2 wouldn't have hurt, though. Overall, you've gotta visit this place if you're in town. They're the original, the biggest, the standard for what's going on beer-wise in KC.“ |
| 80 /100 1829 OAK ST “Brewery Emperial is another Crossroads brewery, within a few blocks of several others. It's got a curved silver side if you're coming from the north and huge covered patio if you're on the south end. Between the two is a cozy brewpub, funky and eclectic, with about 10-12 taps and a huge wall of liquor bottles behind the bar. I didn't eat here but I hear the food is good. The IPA I had was good but I didn't care for the wheat wine. Service was good, a little weird because we just wanted to come in and have a beer but the bartender told us to wait for the server, who had the whole room. It's a cool place and I probably need to try more of their beers before passing too much judgment there but I'd definitely swing by if I'm in the area again.“ |
| 82 /100 1708 CAMPBELL STREET “Torn Label is at the northeastern edge of the Crossroads neighborhood, just south of downtown KC. It's tucked along Campbell Street, kind of out of the way and off the road a bit, enough to make it hard to find at night. The tasting room is small and cozy, but inviting. The patio is a covered wooden deck, larger than the tasting room. There were probably about 10 beers on tap when I visited, with several bottles and cans available. The quality of the beer is quite good, and prices are in line with the area. Flights and small pours are available. No food is made here, but food trucks are here from time to time. Overall, a great little brewery and worth a stop when you're in town. Plus, it's within walking distance to several other breweries.“ |
| 72 /100 1708 CAMPBELL STREET “Intentional hole in the wall ambiance. Server was too important to answer questions. Beer was very good and unique. Prices were not that great. Based on the quality of the beer I would recommend.“ |
