Gordon Biersch

[DaveKCMO]

from the P+L "scoop" email:

Gordon Biersch celebrates summer with a Keg Tapping party on Tuesday, June 24, at 6 p.m. SOMERGOLD is a refreshing summer Kolsch-style beer with a light, fruity flavor, just perfect for summer. The luau-themed Tapping Party will feature live music by Daine Estes, a sampling of the delicious, new summer menu items, giveaways and prizes every 45 minutes.

New summer menu items include: a shrimp and crab tower; Asian chicken salad; macadamia nut crusted Mahi-Mahi; and delectable mini dessert tasters, which allow customers to choose from five tiny tasters.


Event: Gordon Biersch Tapping Party
Date:  Tuesday, June 24
Time:  6 p.m.
Location: 100 E 14th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
Price: FREE admission; drink & food specials
Live Music:  Daine Estes

[AJoD]

At the Maibock tapping party, they passed free wings, cheese and crackers, little sandwiches, and stuff.  It was decent.

[chrizow]

GB for lunch today:

the place was pretty busy.  i don't know what it is like in the evenings, but it was pretty full. 

our server was really nice and efficient, but the fake enthusiasm and multiple spiels regarding the specials, his favorite items, what we should order if we're REALLY HUNGRY, the dessert "tasters" (which looked disgusting, like jello pudding cup desserts), etc. was annoying.  he was just doing his job i guess, but for me it just emphasized the fact that we were nothing but a "ticket" for the restaurant.  (push the desserts!  push a beer or cocktail!  tell them things they don't want to know about at least five things on the menu!)

i ordered the mahi mahi sandwich w/garlic fries and a schwarzbier.  the beer was ok and $5.  the sandwich was barely average - bun was dry on the outside, soggy and saturated with nasty "remoulade" sauce on the inside.  there were two pieces of fish on the sandwich for some reason, and they were soft, soggy, and tasted like fish from Wendy's or something.  the sandwich also came equipped with wet nasty greens and a single, paper-thin, pathetic slice of tomato that had actually slid off the sandwich onto the plate in transit.  the fries were decent, but they would have been much better without the half-assed "garlic" preparation.  sandwich + beer = $16+.

the atmosphere in the center part of this restaurant (up the stairs) is very much akin to a shoneys or something. 

i thought GB was ok when it first opened and i went there a couple of times to sit in the bar area for decent-enough beers and maybe some appetizers, but as a restaurant it is completely average and devoid of any personality or interest whatsoever.  it felt like an eating factory.

i give it a C.

[Tosspot]

I've eaten there three times I believe, having the Cajun Pasta each time. Although it tastes great, it is grossly overpriced and culinarily it is outclassed by a similar dish at McCoy's in Westport for far less money.

[chrizow]

my sandwich seemed like it was pre-chewed by a st. bernard for my convenience. 

[KCPowercat]

Its a good safe choice for a variety of places. Obviously nothing first class. Its a brew pub, so I don't really expect Bluestem level food. Everybody I have taken there seems to enjoy it.

[chrizow]

i don't expect Bluestem-level, but it seems like a $12 fish sandwich should not taste like it was stored for six days in a KC bus driver's crotch in july. 

i feel like the Sysco-truck bar/grill/pub food from mccoy's, fric and frac, foundry, 75th st, etc. is much better than GB's, and costs 30% less.  to each their own though.  i'm glad people like GB's, i just don't want to go back personally.

[DaveKCMO]

having eaten here many times, it's a good default choice if you must eat in the district: lots of menu items, relatively inexpensive, decent beer, average service, two outdoor patios... AND you can escape TV screens and the noise of the Live block, if you desire. food-wise, it far exceeds the river market brewing company and the rest of the sports bars downtown (quaff, peanut, and the now-dead p. ott's/tanner's/13th street triumvirate).

[chrizow]

food-wise, it far exceeds the river market brewing company and the rest of the sports bars downtown (quaff, peanut, and the now-dead p. ott's/tanner's/13th street triumvirate).

i'll give it that. 

i think the McCoy's folks should have opened The Foundry downtown...

[KCPowercat]

Oh I am no G-B defender, I just think its a good safe choice. 

Personally I just avoid fish in any restaurant of that type. Seems none of them can do it right

[chrizow]

Personally I just avoid fish in any restaurant of that type. Seems none of them can do it right

that is a very good point.  both Bice and GB were awful with fish.  i'm sure their pizzas, pastas, etc. are fine.

[mean]

I've gone back to GB a few times since my initial review, and it has more or less sucked every time. I keep hoping it will get better, but it never does. The food is mostly unpleasant (seriously, learn to trim a flat iron!) and overpriced. That said, the Kobe sliders are pretty great. Definitely the best thing I've had on the menu; unfortunately, it would take 3 orders to make a meal, and at $11 a pop it's kind of ridiculous.

The two things I haven't tried that I will probably go back for are the reuben (got to try every one I find) and the marzen ribs, but I'm not particularly hopeful that either will be worthwhile. It's really too bad, too, because they have a few quite decent beers.

[loftguy]

That said, the Kobe sliders are pretty great. Definitely the best thing I've had on the menu; unfortunately, it would take 3 orders to make a meal, and at $11 a pop it's kind of ridiculous.

Go three blocks to Czar Bar.  $8 for un-be-lie-va-ble sliders.

[mean]

Sold. I may, in fact, do that tonight. Been meaning to check out Czar anyway.

[bobbyhawks]

food-wise, it far exceeds the river market brewing company and the rest of the sports bars downtown (quaff, peanut, and the now-dead p. ott's/tanner's/13th street triumvirate).

I'll take an order of wings or a BLT from the Peanut any day.  I don't want to know anything about how it was made, though.

[rxlexi]

I tend to agree with the opinion that GB has proven to be a good 'safe' choice when eating in the 'dist.  I've taken a variety of folks there (often suburban family) and we've come away satisfied every time.  To be fair, the only thing I've eaten there is the Mahi-Mahi wrap, 4 or 5 times, and I think it's quite good, with garlic fries or the somewhat sad, tiny asparagus side, washed down with a Schwarzbier.  Yeah, the beers are five bucks, but they're large, 24oz if I recall, and they knock off a dollar at happy hour.  Not to mention the north side bar patio is a prime people watching spot to take in the riff-raff downtown .

[PumpkinStalker]

When I go, I too always sit outside on the north patio.  I, however, have not seen DaveKCMO nor his riff-raff.

[Jess]

food-wise, it far exceeds the river market brewing company...

For the love of God, I hope so, there are nursing home cafeterias that outclass that joint.

I ordinarily like brewpubs, but I've gotta say, this fish sandwich horror story isn't selling me.

[bbqboy]

For the love of God, I hope so, there are nursing home cafeterias that outclass that joint.

I ordinarily like brewpubs, but I've gotta say, this fish sandwich horror story isn't selling me.

brewpubs in retirement homes. You may have just hit on the hot business trend of the coming teens.

[Thaine]

I've eaten there three times I believe, having the Cajun Pasta each time. Although it tastes great, it is grossly overpriced and culinarily it is outclassed by a similar dish at McCoy's in Westport for far less money.

May be time to move on to another selection. 

Had a burger there the other day that was pretty good.  They were full.