Hello Fam and Friends! We are so excited to see you all in the city where we've made our home! Since we have so many family and friends coming from out of town, we wanted to make a BIG list of some of the best things to do in KC (in our opinion). We spent a lot of time picking out the places (and yes, the food orders) that we love the most. We hope this helps you plan your stay!
This list is broken into a few of the most popular areas that are nearby the hotel block: River Market, Downtown, Crossroads, Westport, and Plaza. We've labeled which ones you can access for free on the streetcar.
If you're looking for any more suggestions or information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time. We hope you love KC as much as we do!
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Better known as the River Market, this is a lovely outdoor market with many delicious local restaurants. Local vendors are out selling local goodies on Saturdays and Sundays. There is also a scenic river walk nearby.
-Mikaila's Pick: Napolitano with fresh mozzarella
-Roland's Pick: Siciliano
-Mikaila's Pick: S'mores or Creme Brûlée
-Roland's Pick: Cookies & Cream or Matcha
Other River Market Gems:
-Thou Mayest - coffee shop
-The Homesteader Cafe - brunch
-The Farmhouse - brunch
-Pigwich
-Taste of Brazil
-KC Taco Company
-Brown & Loe
-Harry's Country Club
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Better known as Kansas City's Power & Light District, this is an outdoor entertainment area with several restaurants, bars, and night clubs.
We love the throwback music they play here!
You couldn't tear us away from their mechanical bull if you tried.
We love all the fun games you can play here! Ping pong, pool, bowling, table shuffle board, you name it.
-Mikaila's Pick: Juicy Lucy and Pig Wings
-Roland's Pick: Steakhouse
-Mikaila's Pick: The Lion King
-Roland's Pick: The Tataki Maki
Other Downtown Gems:
-801 Chophouse - we celebrated our 4th anniversary here!
-Bristol Seafood Grill
-John's Big Deck
-Pizza Bar
-Howl at the Moon - piano bar
-McFadden's - Irish bar
-Sinker's Lounge - mini golf bar
-The College Basketball Experience
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Union Station is a classic KC landmark. It has several cool exhibits, including Mikaila's favorite model trains. It also houses several great restaurants. Harvey's has a great brunch, Parisi has delicious coffee, and Pierpont's Restaurant has delicious dinner options. We celebrated our 2nd anniversary here!
This is located right next to Union Station, so you can visit both at once. The WWI memorial is a great museum with the best views of downtown KC.
This is a brand new KC attraction where you can ride the ferris wheel for a lovely view of the city and play a little mini golf afterwards.
Boulevard is one of KC's most popular local breweries. They have a fabulous beer hall rec deck with games and delicious snacks. They also host daily brewery tours.
-Mikaila's Pick: Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat or any Quirk flavor
-Roland's Pick: Southwest BLVD
Percheron at the Crossroads Hotel is a gorgeous rooftop bar with great drinks and vibes.
Up-Down is our nerdy paradise. It's one of our favorite bars with tons of arcade and patio games. They have a great patio and balcony with city views. They also have good pizza.
Green Lady is a sophisticated spot with great live Jazz, delicious cocktails, and an unmatched ambience. Plus, they're one of the only bars open until 3am.
While there are many Jack Stack locations, this one is closest to the hotel block. They have a more upscale atmosphere but they're a KC barbecue staple nonetheless.
-Mikaila's Pick: brisket and cheesy corn
-Roland's Pick: lamb ribs and potato salad
The best 24 hour diner in the Crossroads. There's nothing like a Town Topic burger and tots after a long night out.
Parlor is a food court bar concept with lots of great restaurants. We especially love Mother Clucker. Some weekends, it transforms into a night club.
We celebrated our 1st anniversary here! We love their dinner and brunch menus. They are close by the hotel blocks.
Other Crossroads Gems:
-Casual Animal Brewery
-Brewery Emperial
-King G Bar and Delicatessen
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This is the original Joes Kansas City and our FAVORITE KC barbecue spot. It's located inside a gas station. If you don't want to wait in line, make sure to call ahead.
-Mikaila's Pick: The Z-Man and fries
-Roland's Pick: The Z-Man and potato salad
Char Bar has a great outdoor area with games and even better barbecue! We had our first date here.
-Mikaila's Pick: CBGB Burger
-Roland's Pick: CBGB Burger
This is the original Q39 location. One of the most popular KC barbecue locations for visitors with delicious barbecue options. It may require a reservation in advance.
-Mikaila's Pick: brisket poutine and Mr. Burns
-Roland's Pick: burnt end burger or combo plate
This is one of our favorite burger spots in Westport. They have great food and atmosphere, with trivia nights. They're cash only but have an ATM.
We had part 2 of our first date here. Andy's is a summer staple.
-Mikaila's Pick: Jack Hammer with cheesecake and cookie dough
-Roland's Pick: Boot Daddy
Other Westport Gems
-Jerusalem Cafe
-Beer Kitchen
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The Plaza is an outdoor shopping area with many delicious restaurants. We love the Made in KC store with lots of local KC goodies. They also have a Jack Stack location and Mill Creek Park nearby is a lovely walk on a fall day.
The Nelson Atkin's Museum is a KC staple. If you don't come for the museum, come for a photo op with the giant shuttlecock sculptures on the Nelson lawn.
Loose Park is a massive and beautiful park with a lovely rose garden. We've had a picnic or two here.
The original Peanut has the best traditional buffalo wings.
Other Plaza Gems:
-Cooper's Hawk
-Bo Lings
-Gram & Dun
-18th and Vine Jazz District
-Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
-Kansas City Zoo
-Royals and Chiefs stadiums
-KC Speedway
-Sporting KC stadium
-KC Current stadium
-Legends Outlet Mall
-Zona Rosa Mall
-Worlds of Fun