KCRag Forum

There seems to be a lot of threads dedicated to various cocktail joints but not a general one.

Food & Wine on recent KC cocktail joints...
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/kans ... tails-bars

My brother is coming into town from Brooklyn this weekend. Last visit he liked Manifesto and Green Lady. What's new to check out?

I really like Swordfish Tom's. Cash Only
Lifted Spirits is okay, I like there Jalapeno Vodka

Campground is a place I want to check out next, it looks promising

I’ll second the Swordfish Tom’s suggestion.

Monarch Bar isn’t cheap, but the cocktails are fantastic.

Go to Green Lady for the music, not the cocktails.

It sorta depends on what your friend is looking for. Manifesto and Swordfish Tom's are immersive -- innovative cocktails and no food. Lifted Spirits is a low-key distillery with no food, Tom's Town is basically a full lounge with food (and the Old Fashioned is outstanding). Most Crossroads restaurants have excellent bar programs (Affare, Corvino, Farina, Extra Virgin, XR, Blvd Tavern, Tannin, Grunauer, Novel, Parlor). Parlor in particular will be VERY active on Friday/Saturday night and impress your Brooklyn friend (it might be the best food hall anywhere right now).

I would add Savoy if you plan to hit downtown proper. I wouldn't bother with PS or any of the other hotel bars -- certainly not on par with anything else mentioned here.

Julep, Ca Va, and Port Fonda each have their own focus (whiskey, sparkling, and tequila, respectively). I would consider Westport Cafe for French-inspired cocktails. Everything else in Westport can probably be written off.

Monarch is great, but it's the Plaza crowd (and all that that entails). Plaza restaurants to consider would be Oliver, Gram & Dun, and Stock Hill.

I haven't tried Campground yet -- they just now started accepting reservations -- but Voltaire and Golden Ox would be two restaurants with very respectable bar programs.

Outside of KCMO, only 1900 comes to mind (again, a restaurant with a very good bar program). If you really want an adventure, I've heard the cocktail lounge in downtown Lee's Summit (The W) is good. Don't bother with Repeal on 18th in NKC.

SoT is another good one.

Obviously not the best cocktail joint in town, but I like the Old Fashioned they have on tap at Parlor. It's only $9 - which is relatively cheap in this day and age.

The drinks are really good at Swordfish Toms, but I think Manifesto has better drinks and atmosphere. Both are generally making things I can't do myself - unique syrups/tinctures/whatever the guy in the leather vest says they are.

Westport Cafe and Bar and Julep are both good for cocktails in Westport. Nothing off the charts great. Firefly used to have a good cocktail menu/bartenders, but I'm not sure they've kept up with it.

I think Tom's Town did a great job with their space too. Good cocktails - haven't tried the food.

Thanks all for pointing me out to some new places. I've been to most open over a year or so but haven't kept up with the recent ones. Dave, it's my younger brother coming from Brooklyn not friend but thanks for the comprehensive post - also plan to take him to Parlor, which he'll like (and I liked). Agree Green Lady not a high end cocktail place but was one of his favorite places in terms of lounge vibe. Ca Va is my favorite in Midtown/Westport, we'll pass on the Plaza. We'll check out Swordfish Toms and maybe the West Bottoms places.

agree on many of the places mentioned, and i'll add ANTLER ROOM. great cocktails (including the best $6 happy hour cocktails in KC), very nice wine list (by glass and bottle), and really good and interesting food. dining and drinking at the bar there is our go-to right now. their georgian dumplings and pastas are great, as is the hakuhachi (japanese fluffy bread) with foie gras or pate. also nice space that isn't too big like most KC restos.

also i like to plug potpie. less about innovation and more about cozy space and good vibes. popping in to the bar on a cold friday evening and having a great manhattan is never a bad thing.

chrizow wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 12:19 pm

also i like to plug potpie. less about innovation and more about cozy space and good vibes. popping in to the bar on a cold friday evening and having a great manhattan is never a bad thing.

Speaking of Coziness and Great Cocktails - Grunauer Wunderbar is great - I love that Der Schmutzige cocktail that comes with the pickles, beets and kraut juice

If you're going to make it down to the Bottoms (Voltaire/Golden Ox/Campground/Stockyards Brewing), gotta hit The Ship after cocktails.

And if you've not been to Campground yet, it's worth a stop. Fits in very well with the aesthetic down there, IMO.

Ugh, The Ship is last on my list for cocktails (compared to the other spots mentioned).

Ugh, The Ship is last on my list for cocktails (compared to the other spots mentioned).

After cocktails. Ship is obviously more of a yard beer and shot sort of place.

Yeah, the Ship should sink.

Too harsh. Aside from First Friday weekends, the food and drinks at the Ship are consistently good for their price point.

Popularity ruins everything.

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 3:53 pm Yeah, the Ship should sink.

Tuesday nights with Rex Hobart or Naughty Pines are awesome. Cheap drinks, good music and great atmosphere. It's great that you don't like it, but no need to cheer for the place to fail. It has been a good addition to the West Bottoms.

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 3:53 pm Yeah, the Ship should sink.

Wtf no

I’m friends with one of the guys who helped start it and was there before it had a name. It’s alright, the Ships not going anywhere. Money is good. I do wish it would spur new places in the same area. I guess you can only go someplace so many times before it loses its luster.

DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:20 pm Don't bother with Repeal on 18th in NKC.

Out of curiosity, what's wrong with Repeal? I haven't been in a while (and I'm not a cocktail person at all), but I've never heard anyone say anything bad about them.

I will pipe in with Afterword. Im typically a beer drinker but enjoy cocktail as well. Green Lady was slammed a couple Fridays ago so we relocated to Afterword and had a great time due to atmosphere and drinks.

I also enjoy SoT which I’m surprised got only one mention...

I made it to City Barrel this past weekend for dinner and drinks. I wasn't in a beer mood and was pleasantly surprised by their cocktail menu. I had a "Butter Beer" which had whiskey, vodka and beer in it. Normally something I wouldn't consider, but it was damn good.

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