KC Royals Fans: Pre-Game Meal near Kauffman Stadium? (California, Dixon: hotels, home)

[echo7tango]

Hello,

Where is a good place for a pre-game meal near Kauffman Stadium? I'll be in town for Monday night's game (10/1) against the Tigers - one more stadium checked off the list!

I'm looking for a place that has a good Royals "baseball feel" to it; ideally, it's very close to the stadium and is a KC BBQ place.

Thanks!

[kcmo]

Huge Royals fans here, been to hundreds of games at Kauffman.

First off, too bad you are going on a Monday night. There might be 12k there and with a small crowd, the atmosphere just won't be the best. But it should still be fun.

There is not much near the stadiums, just a few hotels. I would say the best place bbq place would be LC's on blue parkway. It's a real hole in the wall type place in a pretty run down area of town, but they have great BBQ and it's very close to the stadiums. It's a safe place to go too.



Lots of other places too though. Downtown is only ten minutes from the ballpark so I would really think about hanging out in the city and then heading out to the stadium. If you do that, then you have many bbq places. I would say Jack Stack in downtown would be the best place myself. It's a nice higher end (yet casual) sit down restaurant.

Jack Stack in the Freighthouse District of the Crossroads just south of Downtown

[echo7tango]

Thanks for those. Looking at the map, yeah, there's very little near the stadium. I'll probably head to LC's and try their BBQ. This will be my third time there and I have been to Jack Stacks, it's pretty good. I've also tried Gates BBQ and we really liked the food, even if it's a chain.

[echo7tango]

Are there places where Royals fans gather before a game to eat, on their way to the stadium?

For example, Candlestick Park in San Francisco isn't close to good eats, and it's in a pretty bad neighborhood. Fans go to a sandwich place called Piccolo Pete's, whichhas the best-valued sandwiches in San Francisco.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Are there places where Royals fans gather before a game to eat, on their way to the stadium?

For example, Candlestick Park in San Francisco isn't close to good eats, and it's in a pretty bad neighborhood. Fans go to a sandwich place called Piccolo Pete's, whichhas the best-valued sandwiches in San Francisco.

Well, again, with it being Monday, the crowd will be smaller and you won't have as much spinn off fans at a lot of local places before the game. If it were a fri or sat game and they were expecting 30k plus, you get more of that. The Royals have really hit pretty close to bottom and it's the end of the season, they are like 14 games out and the Chiefs have started. So KC just won't shine as a baseball town right now. The city deserves a better team I think nearly three decades of terrible baseball has really taken its toll. But with as bad as the Royals have been, I'm not sure there is another city that would still be supporting the Royals as well as KC actually does and there is always 12-20k pretty die hard fans that show up even in late season weeknight games.

Having said that, you will see Royals fans in many local places before a game. I mentioned LC's. Also the original Arther Bryants bbq near downtown. Willies bar and grill downtown, johnys tavern downtown, da bronx on west 39th, Harpos in Westport, Grinders in the Crossroads, Chappells bar and grill in NKC just north of Downtown even local places near the stadium like Dixon's Chili (great local chili dive place very close to park, there will be royals fans there probably).

[northbound74]

Oh yeah, Dixon's Chili. Now there's something unique and different. Their chili is a bit different, but it's one of my favorite places in KC.

[echo7tango]

I'm back home in California now. I went to LC's before the game. No other fans there, like you said, but I went very early. It was before 4pm when I got to Kauffman Stadium for a 7:10pm game.

The food at LC's was excellent! Great ribs, and burnt ends. Very tasty. They knew I was from out of town (SF Giants hat, and all) and they treated me well. Even "the old man" himself, LC, was there. He told me he opened the place 26 years ago, back in 1986.

Kauffman Stadium is very nice. The 2009 renovation did wonders for the place. I got there early, did the Early Bird Special, and walked all about. The kids entertainment areas are great. I like the kids fountain play area, where water shoots out of the ground.

The Tigers clinched the AL Central Division that night, Monday. Congratulations to Detroit.

When I was in town I tried BBQ at Gates, Big T's, and LC's. LC's was the best. Thanks for all the tips, and like I said, I'm all BBQ'd out!