Brew Pubs, Kansas City

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The overall food is bland and tasteless for the most part. The pizza has been there for many years, and is purchased because people get hungry when they drink. They have some other small bar food type items, even a burger; all are average at best. The price is right, though at $5-7.
The real reason you go in here is to see some of the locals that have patronized until they literally froze at the stool. There are heavy drinkers coming daily for a lot of sampling. The ambiance is the wood floors, and the bathrooms when not overflowing. This building is from aroun 1840's and once was an inn for way station. Wagon trains and stagecoaches came through here, and stopped off provisions and camaraderie.

Favorite Dish: French Fries is all I could say was okay

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The specials are basically upgrade of burgers and some other millenium era culture foods. They offer nearly everything-burgers, pizza, wraps, steaks, seafood, and continues.

Favorite Dish: The burger is good, and fish and chips is another item to eat for the better.

This is a very inviting restaurant within the Ameristar Casino complex. They brew their own beer and the atmosphere is nice. The food is mediocre, the service is poor and the prices are high. My suggestion is to go down a little ways and eat at Arthur Bryants.

They have a number of their own microbrews in house and if you like them enough, you can buy a few bottles to take with you. The atmosphere is casual and friendly and everytime I have been there I have had exceptional service not to mention pleasant conversation. And of course there is outdoor seating with an outdoor bar for the summer months.

Favorite Dish: Lobster Eggrolls--though t is probably better thought of as a bar, the extensive and creative menu at McCoy's make it a great place to meet with friends and enjoy a few brews with some great food. Try the Rasberry Ale--it is not as sweet as one would think--goes down smoothly with a refreshing aftertaste.

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Gordon Biersch is a popular and efficient brewpub concept that operates in a number of major American cities. They opened a new restaurant in the Kansas City "Power & Light" District in late 2007, and it's been getting very good reviews. The good news is that the beer is brewed locally by a brewmaster who knows and cares about the product. I ordered a Czech style lager that was a pretty good example of its genre. Interestingly, my server told me "you must be a real beerlover - that's the one that the serious drinkers get." Indeed, most of the beers do fall into the lighter (and blander) category, but that is indeed what most Kansas Citians prefer to drink.

I came here with my family: mother, brother, sister, and a young nephew for lunch - and there was something for everyone on the diverse menu. I'm happy to see a lot of salad choices and a lot of Asian-influenced entrees. (My cashew chicken was little too heavy with the cashews, but maybe that's just me.) Yes, it's rather "corporate" - but certainly efficient - it's a good place to have a meal with a diverse group of people, because everyone in the party is likely to find something interesting to choose.

And it's good to see activity and people in downtown Kansas City! If this is what it takes to bring people back to the center of town, then so be it.

Gordon Biersch is an upscale brewery/restaurant located in the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Since my office is just up the street, I decided to try it for lunch. My first impression is that it is not a typical brew pub experience, on account of the more expensive looking decor. And unlike a lot of breweries, the atmosphere is fairly bland. The second thing I noticed was the prices. Yikes! Even a burger and fries is about $13, which is just plain silly.

As for the food, it was just fine. My friend and I both had good meals, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy about either of them. Neither meal was worth the high price in my opinion. So, if you feel like spending more than necessary for a good meal, you might like this place. Personally, I prefer a better value when I go out to eat, so I will not be going back.

The restaurant is midsize, and it's crowded (even on weeknights), but once you get your food, you'll understand why! I ordered the steak dinner, a martini, and some kind of garlic-cheesy bread. It was great, came quickly, and was reasonably priced. The real suprise was the dessert! haha! It literally was "over the top" (of a toy dump truck), and was insanely better than any dessert should be!

Favorite Dish: I ordered a "dirty dump truck", thinking of a big chocolate messy dessert. The dessert was humoungous! Choc full of brownies, and ice cream, topped with oreo's and whipped cream! The price was $6.99, and where I live is the average (if not cheap) price for a dessert for one person. This dessert could easily be shared with 3-4 people! What a great deal!

O'Dowd's Little Dublin is a true and authentic Irish Pub located in the heart of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. One reason for their success is the authentic feel and unique atmosphere pub-goers experience once they step through the double doors of handcrafted wood and stained glass. Above the restaurant is a balcony overlooking the Plaza complete with a rooftop bar.

Favorite Dish: For dinner, I had the Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich (grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, Swiss cheese and honey mustard drizzled on toasted wheatberry bread served with lettuce, tomato, onion a pickle and side of chips/french fries), while LJ had the Salmon Seared Boxty (grilled salmon seared with tomatoes and onions covered with basil cream sauce in an Irish potato pancake with Colcannon potatoes & vegetables).