O’Dowd’s Gastrobar

How this place gets such a good review is a major surprise. I had chicken tenders and the size of the chicken is about the thickness of a bacon strip. Food quality was mediocre at best. Finally another server came and tried to be more attentive and gave $20 comp for a group of 10 people.

Scott and Kelsi made me feel like family! I’m so thankful that I stopped in this place, multiple times on my work/vacay in KC! If you want a great time, you should stop here and hang out!

Nice gluten free options on the menu, service was quite attentive. Singer with guitar enhanced the atmosphere.

I visited on a Friday night around 4pm and it was the worst, most unprofessional service I have ever received. It started off smooth at first. We were quickly greeted after sitting down, got our drinks, and ordered food. It was a bit of a wait on the food but not too terribly long. After our food came out we realized we were missing a dish and went to flag down the server, upon telling her that we’re missing some of our food she said that she would go check the kitchen for it. She came back shortly after to tell us that they were out of the dish that we requested. Not out of the norm, but we decided to ask to speak to the manager to see what could be done about this missing dish. She immediately goes to who appears to be the manager and he rolls his eyes and strolls over annoyed. He seemed a little inebriated but We tell him our situation and ask him what he can do and he rudely states “nothing”. Ouch. After he leaves we watch him scold our server probably for having him come over and speak with us, and walk back into the back. We finish our food which was okay at best and are waiting for the check when we see the manager walk out from the back, pour alcohol into a plastic cup, and walk back into the back. At this point we’re stunned, when our server comes back with the check, we ask her who the manager was and she tells us his name is Robert. We’re hoping something is done about the awful management here and will be contacting corporate tomorrow to try and get this fixed.

I usually don't go out of my way to write reviews, but last night was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. A Saturday night about 7pm. I don't know what was going on, but the service was terrible, no french fries available, no potatoes available, and what food was served (fish and chips...minus the real chips and substitute potato chips and the pot roast hoagie) was poor quality. You'd think an Irish place could get fish and chips right....nope....fish was poor quality. The hoagie was very small sized, very dry, and the side of steamed broccoli had maybe four broccoli pieces and it was under done. The time from ordering to food arriving was about an hour. We had an engagement to get to and almost walked out before the food got there. Waitress was missing in action, so couldn't get the bill and just had to leave cash on the table.....which was VERY generous of us. This was my first time here and I was really looking forward to it. Will never go back.

Very cool bar. The rooftop was awesome. The bar didn’t smell like the vomit the entire night but if you weren’t near the bar it smelled like a regular bar. If you like wiffs of vomit every now and then it is a dream. Would go again, just expect possible vomit

The bartender that served us at our table, she was meh. But the food and drinks were great. I loved the Reuben Eggs Rolls and the Crab Cakes. The lights on the table were in celebration of our team pulling off a successful event.

The music played late afternoon and dinner time is THE WORST!!! If you claim your an Irish type bar, embrace it. If i wanted raunchy hip hop I'd head to a club. I saw three older couples walk in and hear the shit playing, they then turned around and walk out. Whoever owns this place needs to take control. Freaking ridiculous. And it's sad because the interior is really good looking and clean and they serve a very good Guinness.

O'Dowd's knows how to pour a Guinness. Good happy hour crowd. A cut above on the standard pub food. Had chicken nachos and cheeseburger sliders. Prices very reasonable.

The food here could be improved upon, and that wasn't always the case, it used to be a good place to sit down and grub on an Irish meal with an Guinness (or any other pint). Recently, though it seems like the food quality is fading and the menu isn't what is used to be. The last time I went here for lunch, I met a colleague from out of town. I had given a few options for restaurants on the Plaza and they chose this, which upon instant I was disappointed I even offered it as an option, which is not a good sign. We sat down by the window in a hightop table, that's the first thing, the seating here is a bit odd. Even how the bar is situated isn't the most inviting and doesn't really replicate the feel of an Irish pub which, is what you would expect a bar and grille named "O'Dowd's" would be going for. There's very few booths and most of the tables are high tops with a lot of under utilized space, that from experience I know they utilize as a dance floor on some weekends when they charge a cover like a club (or at least used to a few years back). Anyways onto the food and the service, both which could use fine tuning. The service is notoriously slow in my opinion when the restaurant is nearly empty, we were left waiting for drinks, our check, boxes, pretty much everything that needs attending to while dining out. The corned beef sliders were fine. They didn't have an extra flavors, I don't even recall is they had kraut or not (and the menu doesn't say) and I think the only thing that saved them was grainy mustard which I adore. Other than that, for an Irish restaurant, it's a shame this sliders were so lackluster and forgettable. They have happy hour appetizers, none that looked like something I'd have to come back for. I'm not sure how this place survives, except for the patio and its alcohol sales.

Visited O'Dowd's today with friends for mid day drinks. Staff were friendly and welcoming. I ordered a couple of margaritas for friends, super affordable and tasty. The live music was a plus as well. This is a perfect place to grab drinks after work, during the day, or even a before starting the night type of place.

Had such a great time!! I would totally recommend. Danielle is freaking awesome. Wanted for nothing!! Service is amazing!

Loved the atmosphere you can seat yourself which I personally love. Our server was great even when we picked something off the menu that we didn't up liking! The food was delicious I got the nachos with ground beef and a Caesar salad and my boyfriend got the burger the fries were perfect and so was the mimosa!

Cool little spot in KC! Had some beers and no food. The view on the rooftop was lovely and there was a lot of people hanging out at the top. The bartenders were friendly, seemed very cozy and some regulars watching the Lakers play!

2 Stars---- for the online service. I submitted my order, online, at 9am, knowing that I will pick it by noon when I'm in the area, & paid for it via credit card. My bank account was charged immediately. No biggie. When I arrived, 11:59, to pick up my order, the cashier looked at her register computer and said they didn't have it. I showed her the email confirmation & the bank charged. She apologized and asked if I wanted them to reverse the charge or keep it as is and wait for the cook to prepare my 2 meals? I told her yes, go ahead and prepare the order. Well, it took about 10 minutes to prepare. I waited because it was just too late to go someplace else AND I REALLY DID HAVE A TASTE FOR O'DOWD's pot roast w) whiskey gravy, since this was my first visit to them. 5 Stars-------Excellent food. I ordered the Beef pot roast w) mashed taters & the whiskey blend gravy. The roast beef was excellent, tender & filling. Good size portions! I've never had whiskey blend gravy before, it was delicious. Also, I ordered the 'kiddie' fish n fries. I will eat that tomorrow. Anyhoo,I will certainly visit O'Dowd again, BUT ORDER IN PERSON INSTEAD OF ONLINE.

O'dowd's is great! Fun atmosphere and good food and drinks. I always enjoy the patio on the roof it has great vibes!

O'Dowd's? More like..... *O'donts *O'doubts you're coming back *O'definitely not getting any service *O'did you want your food to be as described in the menu? Terrible service. Asked for water 4 times. Never got it. Drank our beers in the first 5 minutes and never offered another drink. Got our food (didn't come with what the menu said) and no one checked on us until the waitress wanted us to pay. It was nice to see her having a good time at the bar hanging out with her friends. We could see she loves working here...well, not working here, but hanging out here. Oh and the food was actually terrible. Would not recommend.

I had the best experience because of my server, Mia, on my recent visit to O'Dowd's. It was my first time in Kansas City, so being able to experience football Sunday on the cozy rooftop with the heaters & TVs was incredible! Mia truly made my experience special and was kind, fast, and just had amazing energy. The cocktails & beer selection were great & I can't wait to come back to try the food! 12/10 recommend.

Food was delicious. We shared the potato skins and pub nachos. I got the Jameson Pot Roast Hoagie. Everything was so good. Love the atmosphere. The drinks were on point. I got a Lemon Drop Martini and it was perfectly balanced. Service was great. Our server was very attentive. Ended up going 2 times while I was in town. Looking toward coming back!

came here with some friends last night, the heated patio is nice! went basic and got some chicken tenders but they were good, fries pretty bland. service was good!

Went to visit as a suggested from my boss. Arrived for an early dinner and entered with a seat yourself sign. We sat and waited. And waited. We ordered the special of the day, Fish and Chips. The food was hot and overall it was an average fish and chips. The fries were seasoned well! It wasn't very crowded and the vibe was dead. Not a bad place but didn't bowl me over.

Really good food , very clean , staff professional and helpful Had the Hummus and Fish n Fries , fish was crispy and flaky , and not greasy ( cooked quite properly) Wife's Aperole spritz was her favorite so far

I've never heard of a crab cake sandwich but I'm glad I did! An interesting choice of flavors that blended magically! Will be going again! I would definitely go to ODowds early to mid day it's less crowded!

Poor food and service. The Bouncers are extremely aggressive. Never again. Live music is nice, but they had none the night I came in. It's marked down as the worst place i've ever been.

Arrived at the restaurant around 7:15 pm, and they close at 9 pm. Server took our drinks and brought them almost immediately. She then proceeded to disappear for over 30 minutes after we said we needed a minute to decide on food. She returned at about 7:55, and took our food order. 10 minutes later, she came back to the table and said they were closing, so she wouldn't be able to get us our food. When we pointed out that it was only 8:05, she pivoted to saying the kitchen closes early. First, it's ridiculous for a restaurant to stop taking orders an hour before they close. Second, had the server not gone AWOL for over a half hour, we could have been served properly. Overall, a very poor service experience, and would not recommend at all.

Came to spend some time with a few friends over drinks but the soonest we could gather was 8:15pm. Spent some time searching for a place that didn't close at 9pm on a Thursday. Not only was this spot open until after midnight, it also featured live music and a rooftop bar. Listened to the band downstairs for a while as everyone gathered but we could not hear each other talk so we moved upstairs and sat outside. The place was packed and we had a difficult time getting service. Drinks were cold and well priced I'd come again for sure.

We came here to celebrate St.Patrick's, what an experience! Danielle the server was an absolute rockstar she was so slammed and we wanted for nothing she is such a doll we hope to have her serve us next year and we will be back!!!

Stopped in for a quick drink and was lucky enough to be served by Danielle & Maddie--they absolutely nailed it. I ordered 2 x Old Fashioneds and they were hands-down the best I've had in "The Plaza". Perfectly balanced, smooth, and full of flavor without being too sweet or too strong--just dialed in. On top of that, it came out fast, with great presentation and even better service. Danielle & Maddie know their craft and it shows. I'll definitely be back!

So if you opened a can of Campbell Chucky Soup (Pot Roast) and then poured it over instant potatoes and served it in an oversized bowl them you would have the crap they served us at O'Dowd's. Sad because they once offered a great Irish Pub meal. Save your money a skip this place.

This is the third time I've been to O'Dowds and it did not disappoint. I wish their menu was a little bigger but the food is amazing. I really enjoyed the fish and chips and the breading on the chicken strips. Nachos are also amazing!

I had the Irish Pot Roast. The portion size was very small, the roast was a light brown and under seasoned. It advertises gravy, but there was virtually no liquid whatsoever. The service was terrible, in that we had to ask for silverware and napkins, as well as refills on drinks. They were out of the Reuben sandwich as well as fish and chips, which required that three of the five members of our party changed their order. I will not return.

This place continues to disappoint me because they never stay open during the hours posted. They advertise that they are open until 1:30 AM on Tuesday through Thursday but every time I come here during those times at 11 to midnight, they are closed. It's so frustrating because I actually have gone there multiple times based upon the hours they have posted and they are closed each time. It's not that hard. Just update your hours.

Megan was the worst server we have experienced. The food is very mediocre. The chicken wings were the smallest ever. Fries were luke warm. Not much on the menu. We eat out all over the county and have never had a worse server

Decided to try this place out and had a great time! The live music was my favorite! Maddie was my server and did an awesome job and even recommended some other spots to check out! Definitely will be coming back!

My experience at O'Dowds was no joke THE BEST restaurant experience I have had in MONTHS. It was just the right vibe, noisy but not too loud, and it was busy, but we got seats immediately. Right when we came in, we were greeted and when we found a seat, a waiter came over really fast. We all got our drinks and ordered, and the food came faster than some restaurants that I've gone to that have almost nobody inside. I got the Pub Nachos without jalapeños and with shredded chicken, as you can see in the picture. Oh. My. Goodness. AMAZING. I would recommend sharing with someone, because even with everybody at my table eating at them the whole time, I could barely finish them. I also tried one of their burgers, and it was also AMAZING. I do not understand the one star reviews here, it was amazing. Thank you so much O'Dowds for my amazing experience!!

Absolutely the Worst server ever in a bar. We travel for work and go out all over the US. She greeted us with an attitude and it only got worse. There is a reason there are no patrons in this bar. We experienced it. Don't go!!

I was visiting Kansas City and staying at a hotel near the plaza. There were few late night restaurant options available and this is one that was recommended to me by the hotel desk. When I arrived I saw a sign at the door that said seat yourself and we will come take your order. It was very loud inside even though it was a Thursday night not the weekend. I sat down and waited, and waited, but no one came. I saw a waitress making the rounds but perhaps she was too overworked to get to me in a reasonable amount of time. So after a while I left. Therefore, I cannot comment on the food.

Scott (our bartender) let was super efficient and nice. He chatted with us about my step dad's band and was so quick with our drinks when asked. The place had good atmosphere and they gave us a 15 minute heads up when the bar would no longer be available for seating. Super cool and reasonable pricing 10/10 recommend when looking for a place to and out middle to late evening.

The ole Irish dive has been bought out, given a deep cleaning and refurbished to a more modern audience. I've only visited for brunch, which was perfectly a-ok. The menu, while not super large, features the normal suspects. It also includes a couple of takes on traditional Irish breakfast dishes and gives them a bit of a boutique twist. Bottomless mimosas are available too. Everything was perfectly acceptable. I have no complaints. I've sat in the normal restaurant seating and at the bar. Both my servers and bartenders did a good job checking on me and making sure my meal was okay. Of note, I haven't been since the restaurant has been remodeled, however the venue used to have a cool rooftop patio that was a place to see and be seen back in the day. I hope it's still here and if it is, it's a cool place to hang when the weather is right.

Fish and chips was tasty. It tasted like real fish, not deep fried tilapia with no flavor. Slaw was spicy and a nice take on traditional. Fries were common; nothing special. Good service. Bartender was helpful and attentive bit not pushy. Ambiance was somewhere close to after you graduate from the frat house, you need somewhere to hang with the guys. Testosterone friendly. Live music was good. Very nice! Going back to Kansas City!

Limited menu, food was subpar at best (smallest wings have ever seen and came out room temperature - see photo, notice the fork tongs were larger than the biggest wing), worst of all was the service. Megan was our server, she very much did not want to be there, didn't see one smile the whole time, she spent all of her time sitting at the bar (yes, literally sitting on a stool at the bar) talking to the bartender, we had to call her over to take our order, then to get more drinks, our water glasses were empty and we had to ask for refills, we even had to call her over to pay the bill. We are very big tippers (routinely 25-30%) but we only tipped 7% and that was only because we felt very guilty leaving nothing. Don't waste your time going here! SO MANY BETTER OPTIONS!!!

So the wife and I decided to get brunch this morning. Parking was good and the plaza on a Sunday morning was a little empty. We got there just before 11 am. The wait staff was nice and attentive, I decided on the breakfast sandwich while the wife got the eggs benedict w/a coffee. My sandwich was really good, the sausage has a great flavor and the bread was sooo soft. The eggs benedict per my wife were tasty and coffee was flavorful. I would definitely come back for the brunch and would like to try dinner as well.

A fun late night spot to hang out on the plaza! I often come by here at nights on weekends, and it's always been a blast! The lights turn down, some of the tables and chairs are removed to create a dance floor, and the party begins! I especially love the music - the DJ often plays a good mix of 2000s and newer songs to cater to both millennials and Gen Zs. They also have a nice rooftop patio area for chill conversations when you need a break from dancing. I absolutely love this place and will definitely be back!!

WOWZERS- where to start. Sat at the bar- took forever for someone to acknowledge us. Immediately ordered drinks and sliders. 40 mins later- the couple next to us, who had shown up about 20 mins after us- were given food. ODDLY- it was the same thing we had ordered- so we asked about ours. Bartender walks back in the kitchen and says- sorry- several tickets in front of you. Walks off- no offer to get us refills on our drinks. Another 20 mins go by- ask nicely again if our our is coming (it was an appetizer!). Disappeared into the kitchen again- told they are sorry- no clue where it is- OR IF THEY CAN DO IT?!?! What?! Would not recommend photo taken at 8:52- almost an HOUR after ordering. Place wasn't incredibly busy that time of night. Now I know why.

Place is a hit or miss. Some nights are great and some nights feel like you're living in the early 2000s. Real terrible DJs, not kidding some of the worse I've seen. They will play early 2000s music, while you get surrounded by men in the 50s dressed like they're on Jersey shore. They have great crowds some nights too; Actual people who don't look like Pauly D. Never had their food.

I had the rudest waitress I have ever had in my entire life. The service was terrible. So bad we got up and left before we ordered anything. Vibes overall were bad. There was no music playing and maybe had three other people there. Don't go here.

They have the best taquitos, believe it or not. They also have very good fish and chips. Nice atmosphere. Look for them at the Irish Festival in KC. The owner/ manager is a real standup guy. At the festival food stand, there were 4 cops in line behind me. I tried to pay for their meals, but the owner liked the gesture and decided to pay me back and pick up the tab himself.

Welp, I gave this place two tries and both times they missed the mark. I gotta say, a few of the drinks and dishes are decent but both times they just struck out on some key components. Our waitress left and never came back. Food was brought out fairly quickly (but the restaurant was empty as it had just opened). French toast was suuuuper soggy (like, we couldn't eat it). Waters were never refilled. When we asked for the check (which, in my opinion, you should never have to do), the hostess looked at us like we had asked for her to bring us a real life unicorn. The service was just super lacking, but the time before it was decent, so pretty hit or miss there. Same with the food - one thing might be great while another dish misses the mark. Unfortunately, it's a bit like playing roulette coming here, so I'll spend my money somewhere that I know I can get good service and good food no matter what day I go.

I love this place!! I'm in town for work and was just looking for a place to sit and eat on Sunday. I walked in shortly after they opened. Ordered a drink and Nachos. I have literally been craving them since. The bartender was extremely friendly. I'm already planning to go back tonight.

I got to enjoy this wonderfully decorated place with the yelp elite group. I sat with a group of lovely ladies in a section off to the left of the restaurant, surrounded by windows that viewed some of the other plaza stores. I liked the spot, makes for a nice private set up for brunch with friends or family. The section also included a couple of flat screens. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Drinks were served promptly as we were served with bottomless mimosas ($15) and bloody marys ($5). I honestly did not care for the bloody marys. I felt they were lacking spice and were pretty watered down but I suppose that could've just been that one drink because others seemed to enjoy them. Three of us decided to order three different things so we could try more options. We ordered the eggs benedict, chicken & waffles, and french toast. I enjoyed the chicken which was more tender than they appeared, the waffles were pretty flat compared to another's who had ordered the same. The jalapeno syrup wasn't as spicy as I thought it would have been either-I couldn't really taste the jalapeño flavor. The eggs benedict was good but I felt what was supposed to be an English muffin sort of overpowered the flavors and the sausage patty tasted that of one that had been frozen to me. The French toast was the best option of the three; with the cream cheese and berry flavors. I would definitely go back and give this place another try. I hear they have a nice patio with a great view of the plaza so I would love to get to experience that also.

Great location and roof top is nice. Poor, unfriendly service. Not really an Irish pub - serve Guinness in plastic cups and food is marginal. If service was decent - would give it higher stars.

This place was okay. The big draws are the friendly service and the atmosphere. The prices aren't bad for the area either. Our waitress was great. She was friendly and attentive. She made a mistake and rectified it immediately. That's all you can ask for in a server. The prices were pretty good. I wish they had a more diverse list of mixed drinks, but the mule was fine. My issue is with the food. It was just average. It didn't have a ton of flavor. Just okay. That's important to me though. I don't think I will go back, but appreciate the environment.

Meg was the best bartender!!! She gave great drink recommendations & kept us great company. Would come back here for any social hour!

My boyfriend and I came here for a late Valentine's Day dinner and were really pleased with our choice of restaurant! The restaurant itself was so nice and clean and the atmosphere of the place was a perfect fit for our date night. Our waitress was friendly and attentive throughout our experience. I choose the calamari as my choice of food for the night, while my boyfriend had the 700 degrees Chile-Chrispy Lime Chicken. Both our entrees were delicious and did not disappoint. Overall a good experience and we will be returning soon!

I honestly don't know what a lot of the other reviewers are talking about with bad service and food. We loved both! My fish & chips were the best I've had anywhere outside of Dublin & London- perfectly flaky fish not dripping with oil, and precisely done fries- right amount of salt and crunch. My daughter ordered the Mac & cheese entrée (it's also available as a side) and she devoured every last bite. I hadn't been to O'Dowd's in probably at least a decade, and now I'm wondering why it took me so long to get back. I'll definitely stop in more often. It's quite affordable too- especially considering it's on the Plaza where a not-as-delicious meal can run $100 or more. Our 2 entrees plus tip were under $30.

Great food but if you were hoping to eat without weed choking you out from idiots on the balcony you are at the wrong place. No hate towards weed but for a public place to allow a blunt is insane. Basically don't bring your family.

Awesome customer service ! Collins and Kylee always make you feel at home ! Amazing Brunch, Lunch, and Social Hour!!! My fave is their asparagus corn dip, smash onion burger, and Shepard's pie!!! Sweater weather will be the death of me , I'm a foodie ! Nothing on the menu will not disappoint you