Of all the things that surprise first-time visitors to Kansas City—from our cosmopolitan ambience to our far-from-flat topography—nothing seems to floor them more than our food. Not just how good it is, mind you, but how diverse it is.
Tourists already know about the superiority of our beef thanks to Calvin Trillin’s 1974 book, American Fried, which begins, “The best restaurants in the world are, of course, in Kansas City. Not all of them; only the top four or five.”
But you don’t have to be a card-carrying carnivore to eat well here. Foodies can have a world tour of authentic cuisine from Mexico to Mongolia and cooking styles from Cajun to Catalan. Vegetarians can get their five-a-day at a number of excellent eateries in town, and fish lovers will get along swimmingly. Wine aficionados will want to raise a toast to this city. Wine Spectator hands out awards around here like party favors. Two of our restaurants have received the magazine’s Grand Award, a distinction only 100 in the world can claim. But sometimes it’s not what’s on the menu that makes it worth your trip. Lots of dining rooms serve a side of blues or jazz with their burgers or beefsteaks. You’ll find just about every national chain restaurant here, including the Capital Grille, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Cheesecake Factory, and Houston’s. These are all fine dining experiences, to be sure, but this book focuses on independent restaurants to introduce you to our regional cooking and original recipes.
All restaurants are in Kansas City, Missouri, unless otherwise noted.