Gordon Biersch

[DaveKCMO]

stopped in for a quick bite last night (chefburger was closed for easter). decent crowd for a sunday night. we ordered two pints of martzen and two apps: potstickers and egg rolls. both were pretty good. this place is one of my favorites for food in P+L. has anyone had their seasonal brew yet? it wasn't offered on my first visit and i forgot to ask last night.

can we move this thread to KC Scene?

[mean]

They still don't have the seasonal on. Should be a maibock when it comes around, I believe.

After several visits, my conclusion is that the beers are pretty good. I wish they weren't all lagers, or that they at least offered one "hop bomb" (India Pale Lager, anyone?) but the beers they do offer are not bad.

The food pretty much sucks, though. Outside of the garlic fries and cheese soup, everything I've had has been mediocre to slightly bad, and every group I have gone with has been underwhelmed by the food. It looks great on the menu, and then just isn't that great when it shows up. I don't know if they're just working out kinks in the kitchen or what, but I'm pretty sure that their claim to everything is "hand crafted" (both food and beer) is a marketing fib, since they're clearly implying that they make everything in-house, but the crab cake my wife got was either a Phillips 3.5 oz foodservice crab cake or GB is hand-making crab cakes that are identical to them.

Of course, I believe the cases the Phillips cakes come in say "hand made" on the side...

[ignatius]

I did the sampler and liked the Marzen the most, Czech pilsner was good too.  Have been a few times and liked the mahi mahi wrap and rare ahi tuna salad with baby greens.  Crab cake sandwich was below avg.  The tenderloin/shrimp plate was pretty tough even though not overcooked.  Overall, a better than avg place in the district so far.

[Cheffreygo]

My wife and I almost decided to eat here on Friday night.  After reading your review, I am a little relieved we didn't.  I hope the kinks get worked out in the coming weeks as I still want to try Gordon Biersch.

[KCPowercat]

I have been there twice and everybody that was with me really liked their food...

[KCBoom]

The wife and I went Friday night.  I had the Czech Lager and a pizza, which I thought both were pretty tasty.  The pizza was not greasy and had a hot doughy center just to my liking.  My wife had some asian pear salad which she thought was pretty good.

I thought the place was well above average.  I would classify the general atomsphere and food quality in the same category as a Yard House.  We will go back.

[MightyKC]

stopped in for a quick bite last night (chefburger was closed for easter). decent crowd for a sunday night. we ordered two pints of martzen and two apps: potstickers and egg rolls. both were pretty good. this place is one of my favorites for food in P+L. has anyone had their seasonal brew yet? it wasn't offered on my first visit and i forgot to ask last night.

can we move this thread to KC Scene?

There is already a thread in the KC Scene if one of the mods wants to lock this link. 

[mean]

I have been there twice and everybody that was with me really liked their food...

When did you go? Was it busy? Aside from the bad cut of steak I got (which could have been a fluke) most of my problems with the food--me personally anyway--could be explained by an overwhelmed staff. It's usually been fairly busy when I've been in there. Including myself, the parties I've been with have collectively had problems with the margherita pizza, the crab cake, several burgers, the ravioli, meatloaf & mashed potatoes, and a steak. The things that got a passing grade were the chips, garlic fries, potstickers, and cheese soup.

The worst is probably the dry, burnt, well-done burgers I have seen served 3 times now--after all were requested as medium. Either the cooks need some training on what constitutes medium, or they've been instructed to ignore customer requests in favor of minimizing liability.

[KCPowercat]

Friday and Saturday of the tournament actually...I mean it wasn't awesome but it was above average and I thought their plate presentation was really good.  I didn't have beef either time so maybe that's what they need to work on???

[mean]

Entirely possible. I will try a non-beef dish next time. I really want this place to be good, so I'm going to keep going back until it is. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

I have not been to the one in KC but I have been to one in California and I would have classified the food as above average beer-bar food - pretty much on par with what you would expect at one of the KC Hopps joints. 

[mean]

As far as the menu goes, I would agree. In theory the food should be pretty good. It just hasn't been.

[LindseyLohan]

It was good, but not good enough to make me choose it again for a $15-20 lunch.

I did not like the garlic fries though. Neither did anyone else that went with me. Soggy and way to much garlic. There were huge cloves, they were about quarter cloves. I think the fries killed some taste buds...

[AllThingsKC]

Yeah, their garlic fries suck! I still have nightmares!

[PumpkinStalker]

Agree on the fries.  Others here have said they loved them but I had the same experience with whole cloves and soggyness.  Not well executed.  The garlic was an afterthought and just dumped on.

[KCPowercat]

I LOVE those fries just like that....kind of soggy from all the garlic. 

[bahua]

I am annoyed that a thread about a brewery is chiefly about its food.

[KCPowercat]

Everytime I've went in there for a beer I have already been altered by something else, so personally, I haven't had a chance to judge their beer yet.

Now back to those fries

[AllThingsKC]

I am annoyed that a thread about a brewery is chiefly about its food.

  This thread might turn into another Kansas/Missouri battle.

And yes, they put way to much garlic on those fries!!!  All you can taste is garlic.

[ignatius]

As one who loves garlic, I agree.... too much garlic on dem fries.