Best Restaurants in Kansas City (2025)
Kansas City’s modern standard-bearer: moody supper club vibes, live jazz, and inventive Midwestern plates. James Beard–recognized and praised by KCUR and Kansas City Magazine. Snag the seaweed donuts, then linger over the tasting room’s seasonal set.
Husband-and-wife team Nick and Leslie Goellner pour global inspiration into soulful small plates and a natural-leaning wine list. Multiple James Beard nods and past Bon Appétit praise; locals call it essential. Ask about off-menu pastas and fermented touches.
Westside’s wood-fired heartbeat. Chef Vaughn Good’s hearth cooking celebrates regional farms—smoke-kissed vegetables, heritage meats, Sunday barbecue pop-ups. Recognized by the James Beard Foundation and Visit KC; a favorite patio when the weather’s kind.
A coastal daydream in East Brookside: an oyster list refreshed several times a week and throwback seafood classics. Lauded by The Pitch and featured by Feast; locals plan ahead for a bar seat and a frozen gin and tonic.
Chef J is living a double life. It’s a top-tier BBQ joint by day, while at night, they close and serve as the eerie exit of one of America’s best haunted houses. The scariest thing about Chef J is how quickly they sell out: if you’re coming for lunch, show up at 11:30am or get ready to hear blood-curdling screams when the people who traveled all the way from Argentina find out Chef J ran out of ribs. There’s a reason the meats here are so coveted—chefs carve perfectly rubbed briskets with an exceptional spice blend (we especially love their homemade sausages covered in mole sauce). The bacon and blue potato salad had us going full Math Lady on the secret ingredient (spoiler: it’s blue cheese). During Halloween, you will end your tour of The Beast Haunted House hurtling down a spiral slide and exiting safely through a darkened Chef J restaurant. Our biggest note is for Chef J to stay open so we can grab some brisket after escaping a labyrinth full of zombies. photo credit: Jack Kapple photo credit: Jack Kapple photo credit: Jack Kapple photo credit: Jack Kapple photo credit: Jack Kapple Pause Unmute
A molino-driven taqueria inside Torn Label where heirloom corn is nixtamalized and ground daily. Covered by Kansas City Magazine and Flatland; pair regional tacos and tetelas with house lager. Casual, vibrant, unmistakably Kansas City.
Farm-to-city from Green Dirt Farm: house cheeses, lamb, and seasonal shares in a soaring Crossroads space with a rooftop. Named Best New Restaurant by Kansas City Magazine; inventive, sustainable, and deeply local.
Downtown’s wood-fired showpiece in Hotel Kansas City. KCUR highlights its seasonal Midwestern menu, guided by chefs Johnny and Helen Jo Leach. Expect ember-kissed vegetables, heritage grains, and thoughtful desserts.
French-run bistro with late hours, craft cocktails, and stalwarts like steak frites and truffle risotto. Visit KC and local critics keep it in the conversation; a lively pre-show or late-night stop since the neighborhood’s renaissance.
Columbus Park’s institution for restorative pho, bún bò Huế, and rice plates. Readers and critics alike cite it among KC’s best bowls; lines move fast, and the broth is worth the wait.
A 39th Street original championing local farms from breakfast to dinner. KC Restaurant Week and loyal diners endorse its seasonal plates; half-price wine Mondays sweeten the deal.
