(by 10 people)
Best of Kansas City's Unique Casual Eateries
Travelling to Kansas City and wondering where to eat? Living in Kansas City and looking for a new place to go? Tired of the McTaste, that bland sameness of Anytown USA, INC.?
Here's a look at some Kansas City Metropolitan area one-of-a-kind places to eat on both sides of the state line (Missouri & Kansas).
Casual, affordable home-grown "Mom & Pop" eateries.
This is a work in progress. Come back and watch it grow!)
Photo: JC Nichols Memorial Fountain, JC Nichols Parkway on the Country Club Plaza. Kansas City is known as the "City of Fountains".
Where is Kansas City?
The Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area
This map plots a number of the cities and areas where the eateries listed here may be found.
Cream of the Crop
Tienda Casa Paloma
Mediterranean Market
Read on for more...
That Something Special
These places are very special little spots to grab a bite
Both of these Market/Cafe combos get high marks for "overall wonderful experience". Mini get-aways to Veracruz, Mexico or Turkey without even leaving the city!
- Tienda Casa Paloma - Mexican Food
- Overland Park, Kansas
A Taste of Veracruz
Made from scratch Mexican, Veracruz Style. Order at the counter.
This little gem on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area was founded by Lisa & Bernardino Lara. It first opened in Union Station in Kansas City, MO, and then moved to Overland Park, KS in 2005. I remember seeing the sign go up and anxiously awaiting the re-opening in the new spot.
Like an authentic south-of-the-border Tienda ("little market") with bare concrete floors, dried spices hanging from the ceiling, fresh plantains, blessing candles and cooking & cleaning products from Mexico and family-friendly environment, this place just oozes charm. Real Mexican sodas, beer and frozen treats. Fresh Salsa bar, cakes and pastries from a local Mexican bakery and house-made flan and the most divine rice pudding round out the dining experience.
Best Tamales and Fish Tacos anywhere, but get them while you can- they never last all day.
Try a Tamale Veracruzan- unlike any tamale you've ever had- corn masa filled with seasoned chicken and steamed in a banana leaf to leave it melt-in-your-mouth moist with a beautiful green patina. Excellente! Did I mention that they serve BREAKFAST ALL DAY? French Toast made with real Mexcian Vanilla and Huevos Rancheros that can't be beat!
Try the spectacular Fish Tacos - (Fridays only- best get there before 7:00, or you may well be out of luck- these go fast!). Seasoned baked (not fried!) tilapia heaped into soft corn tortillas and served with rice, red cabbage and a tangy Chipotle aoli. Light and satisfying!
It's fun to come in and always see something changing. Works from local artists decorate the walls and photos of family and friends grace the the walls and table tops too. This place is never static, but it still maintains the same spirit.
Here you can taste the most important ingredient of all - the love with which it is cooked and served!
WINNNER AOL Cityguide:
"City's Best Mexican Food"
2006
2007
Update:
Casa Paloma South
In the fall of 2007 the Laras sold Casa Paloma and will move to Mexico before the end of the year to live their dream of opening a Bed & Breakfast on the white sand beaches of the Pacific coast of southwestern Mexico: Casa Paloma South! I'll keep you posted...
March of 2008-
Casa Paloma South is open for business! Watch for the website launch and reviews from their very first guests at www.casapaloma.com
Meanwhile-
Tienda Casa Paloma of Overland Park remains OPEN under new ownership in the same location. Please come and visit Armando and support him in continuing this wonderful tradition! - Mediterranean Market
- Overland Park, Kansas
A Turkish Delight
Two brothers from Turkey, "John" and "Sean" run this little gem. Lovely people, wonderful food. Order-at-the-counter cafe and Mediterranean grocer all in one: gyros, babaganoosh, hummous, dolmas and more. Great vegetarian platter. The "Eggplant Special" truly is just that. Try it on a little pita with a bit of feta- divine! Turkish Tea served.
The grocery market carries many unusual food and gift items. A supplier of many local restaurants makes this a great place to buy Halal/Kosher meats, bulk spices, beans and pastas. John and Sean are charming and hospitable. Just be sure to take your time here, for the full experience, go when you're not in a rush!
No website here, just a map.
Best Frozen Dessert: Dinky & Coco's Gelato (Italian Ice Cream)
Overland Park, Kansas
Something for everyone!Imagine the smooth texture of frozen custard, but a fraction of the fat. Imagine a frozed dessert that doesn't leave you thirsty like ice cream often does, and imagine it looks like buttercream icing in a rainbow of colors and flavors.
That's because Gelato is made with milk rather than cream. Most of the fruit flavors are actually dairy-free, so it offers an option for the lactose-intolerant/ dairy allergic crowd as well. (Always be sure to ask on each flavor!)
Oh, yeah, they do have some baked goods and sandwiches too!
There are several places around the greater KC area that offer Gelato. I've been to most of them. Thus far none have compared to Dinky and Coco's as far as being the smoothest and the creamiest.
Links to Faboo Frozen Desserts in KC
Other great places throughout the KC Metropolitain area for Frozen Treats!
- Best Frozen Desert: Gelato at Dinky & Coco's Cafe
- Gelato is Ice Cream Italian style.
- Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard
- Frozen Custard.
Kansas City's oldest original custard
2 Locations:
Brookside, Kansas City, MO
Leawood, KS (coming fall 2006)
Kansas City's oldest original custard
Great custard in the heart of Brookside (Kansas City, MO- just south of the Country Club Plaza) and coming soon to Leawood, KS. A tiny no-frills place with a great selection of fresh-made custards & combos at a great mom & pop shop.
No preservatives, no fillers!
Selected as one of the 550 best ice cream parlors in the USA by Shannon Jackson Arnold in her book "Everybody Loves Ice Cream". - Murray's Ice Cream & Cookies
- Westport (Kansas City, MO)
Well, all you get is a map for this one- no web site. These guys just stick with what they do well: Ice cream, hand churned daily. Oh, and cookies too (Actually Murray is a woman.)
Be aware this little mom & pop hangs the "gone fishin'" sign on the door for a couple of months in the off-season (January-February), so call first if you're heading that way that time of year. - Balsano's Gelato Cafe
- Country Club Plaza
Kansas City, MO
More than Gelato: smoothies, scones, coffe and sanwiches too. A quaint, tiny shop that overlooks brush creek.
The Pumpkin & Egg Nog gelatos (or is that gelati?) are excellent! - Angie's Italian Ice Cream
- 39th Street West
Kansas City, MO
Cute walk-up window in the funky 39th Street West district near the KU Med Center.
Italian Ices, fresh Frozen Custard, Ice cream treats, hot dogs and polish sausages.
Link goes to the 39th Street West Community page.
Here's Your Chance to Vote for Your Favorite Place!
Try them all!
Vote for your favorite Mom & Pop Frozen Dessert Shop in the Kansas City area or, if you don't see your favorite here, add it!
Click the arrows to vote up or down.
Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard
0 points
Murray's Ice Cream
Just a map here.0 points
Angie's Italian Ice Cream
Only a map.0 points
Balsano's Gelato Cafe
Not as smooth as Dinky & Coco's, but the flavo more...0 points
Ice Cream Guides & Manuals
Everybody Loves Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop on America's Favorite Treat
A comprehensive guide to 550 of the Best Ice Cream Parlors in north America. Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard in KCMO made the cut!
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Best Pies: Pie Lady Coffeehouse
Lenexa, Kansas
Whether its fruit pie, pecan pie, lemon meringue or coconut cream, everything is made from scratch here. Only seasonal fresh fruits are used. They peel their own apples, squeeze the lemons and scoop out real pumpkins for these very special pies. If you've never tasted a fresh pumpkin pie, you're in for a real treat! Pecan is full of large, sweet pecans and very little of that sticky "goo" that you normally find in cheap top-dressed varieties.Now, I'll have to be honest here, their regular Apple Pie has not impressed me- consistently a little too tart and a little too dry (haven't tried the "Dutch Apple" with the crumb top yet). Apple Pies are fairly easy to come by anyway, so I'd say steer away from that one and try something else, like a fabulous fresh meringue, because everything else has been excellent.
Pies come in large and small. They also offer muffins and cookies but, with all those great pies, I just never make it that far...
Baker's Hours:
Mon. noon-6PM
Tue.-Fri. 7AM-6PM
Sat. 8AM-3PM (so cruel- this always throws me. That 3:00 low-blood sugar hits and they've just closed!)
Chacko's Bakery & Catering / Mission, KS
Bakery, Sandwiches, Soups
Soups, Salads, the occasional baby quiche and sandwiches on freshly baked bread. Big delicious cinnamon rolls and the best bread pudding I've ever had (made with day-old cinnamon rolls, pears and apricots)! Only available seasonally.
Look for the green & white striped awning on the south side of Johnson Drive.
Best Pet Treats: Three Dog Bakery
Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO
Country Club PlazaKansas City, MO
The ORIGINAL Bakery for Dogs.
All-natural Dog Treats.
And They Called it Puppy Love...
Named for Gracie, Dottie and Sarah- a great dane, a dalmation and a black lab.
Formerly KC K-9, this Kansas City based business started off with one tiny store-front on the Plaza and has gone international with stores all over the USA and now in Canada, Japan and South Korea!
Not just "for the dogs" Three Dog Bakery also offers "We Pity the Kitties" cat treats.
You can really tell a community is affluent, and just a wee bit frivolous, when they have a bakery just for pets.
Visit the cute storefront or order from the "Dogalogue".
Three Dog Story & Cookbooks
Shop with confidence at Amazon.com
Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale
"Equal parts love story, salvation tale, and rags-to-riches saga. You don't have to be obsessed with dogs to love this story."
-Philadelphia Enquirer
"Tears will stain the pages as you read about Gracie."
-USA Today
"It's funny how the smallest things can change a life. Gracie was that thing. If you're short on inspiration, read Amazing Gracie."
-Chicago Tribune
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Short Tails And Treats From Three Dog Bakery
This frothy narrative, though not an essential acquisition, should appeal to dog lovers and readers hopeful that if you "do what you love, the money will follow." Think of Dye and Beckloff as a canine Ben & Jerry, identifying a market niche and, by trial and error, finding formulas to meet and exceed expectations. With the assistance of three Official Taste Testers (eight-year-old Black Lab mix Sarah, seven-year-old Dottie the Dalmatian, and gigantic puppy Gracie Marie, a Great Dane, who together star in the book's illustrations and many "anecdogs"), the founders of KC-K9 Bakery developed recipes, opened a retail outlet, and were adopted by Kansas City's dog owners. With a mail-order catalog and their products now branded "Three Dog Bakery" and featured in some West Coast PetSmart stores, they may soon offer franchises. The authors share more than a dozen doggy recipes with readers--from Fiesta Bones to Pek-a-Poo Pretzels--and enough doggy puns to give even Sarah, Dottie, and Gracie paws. (Sorry, folks, it's contagious!) Mary Carroll
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $11.66 (as of 07/25/2008)
Three Dog Bakery Cookbook: Over 50 Recipes for All-Natural Treats for Your Dog
The book that dogs everywhere have been salivating for has arrived. The Three Dog Bakery Cookbook unleashes some of the never before published recipes for the famous bakery's delicious treats made from all-natural, healthy ingredients for your pooch. The six chapters include treats for all good doggie occasions including tasty appetizers, luscious entrees, sweet treats, savory snacks, and special goodies for holidays and celebrations.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/25/2008)
Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way
From the celebrated creators of the ever pupular Three Dog Bakery, the world's first bakery for dogs, comes a fun-filled collection of easy-to-make gourmutt meals and treats designed to keep dogs healthy, happy, and drooling from ear to ear. It's the cookbook that gives "baked-from-scratch" a whole new meaning!
"Looking for all-natural, wholesome, healthy dog biscuits and treats that your pooch will howl over? Seeking a treat that your pooch'll be head over paws for? It's time for a stroll to the bakery loved by dogs the world over--Three Dog Bakery."-- Pampered Puppy
"At Three Dog Bakery, it's all Bone Appetit!" - Wall Street Journal
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/25/2008)
Don't live near a Three Dog Bakery?
Amazon will giftwrap and deliver to your door
Three Dog Bakery Lick 'n Crunch, All-Natural Sandwich Cookie Treats for Dogs (13 Ounces)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Three Dog Bakery - Bakery Blend Food for Dogs - Chicken Puppy 5 Lb. NEWLY REFORMULATED FOR YOUR DOG'S HEALTH
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Three Dog Bakery Entree for Dogs - Smoked Chicken, Vegetables, and Rice, Human-quality Ingredients - 12 Oz. Package -- WHEAT FREE -- NO ADDED GLUTENS
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Three Dog Bakery We Pity the Kitties Salmon Cat Treats (1 Ounce)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Bakery Links
- Pie Lady Coffeehouse
- Lenexa, Kansas
Pies, Cookies, Muffins
Sorry, no website here yet. Just a map link. - Chacko's Bakery & Catering
- Mission, Kansas
Cakes, Breads, Cookies, Sandwiches, Soups, Quiches, Killer Cinnamon Rolls
I guess these bakery folks really aren't much into the "internet thing".
Another map link- no website...yet! - The Upper Crust (Pies)
- Westport
Kansas City, MO
Pies
In the lower level of Pryde's Old Westport, an amazing gourmet housewares store, and another unique Kansas City business.
Have yet to try them out- but it looks like they're up to some good stuff!
They don't have their own website, so the link is to Pryde's Old Westport's website. - Three Dog Bakery
- Country Club Plaza
Kansas City, MO
A bakery just for dogs!
Alright, "We Pity the Kitties" is their feline division.
Best Coffee House (south): Black Dog Coffee House
Overland Park, KS
This is a real Coffee House folks (well as "real" as it gets in the 'burbs, all right. So its in a strip mall, don't let that fool you! Imagine the best parts of a real Coffee house, plus all the "perks" -ha, ha- of clean & tidy suburbia)FAIR TRADE COFFEES
ART dappled walls from local artists
LIVE MUSIC Thurs. - Sat. night: a wide variety of genres. (From Folk to Alternative to Bossa Nova and more)
FRESH Baked goods, sandwiches, soups and salads
NON-SMOKING environment
OUTDOOR tables on the Patio
Open
6:00 AM - 10:00 PM Mon. - Thurs.
6:00 AM - 11: PM Fri.
7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Sat.
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM Sun.
8:00 AM - Noon on Holidays
Alright, so the logo looks like a bra or bikini top-- gives me a giggle every time!
Cutest Coffee House: Hi Hat Coffee
Westwood Hills, KS
Westwood Hills, KS(Just west of the Country Club Plaza)
Located in the quiet microcity of Westwood Hills, this is the cutest, tiniest free-standing coffehouse I've ever seen- anywhere.
Lots of beverage choices and, as they say, "No Sandwiches!!"
Recipients of the Golden Cup Certification, a national award, for their in-shop brewing of their own Hi Hat Custom Blend.
This is a very prestigious honor given to "brewmasters" who follow stringent brewing guidelines using the very best filtering process for their water, and the proper amount of freshly roasted coffee in the best brewing equipment available.
So not only are they quaint, but they make a mean cuppa Java!
Check it out!
Best Tea: Teadrops
Westport, Kansas City, MO
WestportKansas City, MO
Ultimate place for Tea-Freaks.
Huge selection of Teas, Herbal Tisanes, Chai, Bubble Tea, Tonics and Hot Cocoa. Nice selection of baked goods (try the carrot cake) to compliment your beverage of choice.
Unique Teapots from around the world.
NO COFFEE HERE!
If you want Coffee drinks go around the block to Westport Coffee House or Broadway Coffee House and sit back and enjoy the freakshow- oh, I mean people-watching!
Java Jive
Coffee Houses & Tea Rooms
Vote for your favorite! (Click the "up" arrow.)
I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive and it loves me.
Coffee and Tea and the Java and me,
a cuppa, cuppa, cuppa, cuppa Java- ah!
Caveat- many of these places close at crazy times, like 3:00 PM or 5:00 PM, about the time you'd really like something refreshing to drink. That's an odd nonsensical Kansas City way to do things.
Hi Hat Coffee Hi Hat Coffee
See "Cutest Coffeehouse" Module1 point
Black Dog Coffeehouse
See "Best Coffeehouse (south)" Module1 point
The Roasterie Cafe
The Roasterie Cafe in Brookside0 points
Broadway Cafe and Roasterie
Broadway Cafe in Westport0 points
Coffee Girls
Coffee Girls, in the Crossroads District0 points
Beanology Coffeehouse and Cafe
South Overland Park0 points
Best Comfort Food & Down Home Vittles
Riverside, MO & Liberty, MO
Corner CafeTake a little trip to the Ozarks without even leaving the Kansas City area.
There are only 2 reasons to go to Riverside, MO:
To stock up on cheap provisions at the Red X (mostly smokes & liquor and a really odd assortment of food and dry goods. Really, you have to experience it to believe it!) or to hunker down for some serious grub at the Corner Cafe.
Tucked away in the tiny community of Riverside (north of the river), the original Corner Cafe location has been serving up a HUGE SELECTION of Traditional Home Cookin' Favorites since 1983.
Pork Tenderloin, Pot Roast and Chicken and Dumplings (while they last!), Fried Catfish and more. They just recently added a second location in Liberty (east end of town).
Wonderful breakfasts- buttermilk biscuits & gravy (3 sizes), omlettes, waffles, pancakes...
Excellent desserts, all baked in-house: Cinnamon rolls, bread pudding, pies, cakes and cobblers. The Blackberry Cobbler is a MUST!
Bring a BIG appetite!
Open 5:00 AM- 10:00 PM
2 Locations
Check out the menu at the website in the American Fare Links.
American Fare
Down Home Goodness!
- Corner Cafe
- In Riverside and now Liberty, MO
Great Home-cooked food with an Ozarks influence.
5:00 AM- 10:00 PM - Santa Fe Cafe
- Overland Park, KS
Great Breakfast
Have your biscuits GRILLED! Good family spot.
Open Breakfast & Lunch Only
No website, just a MAP. - Bell Street Mama's
- 39th Street West
Kansas City, MO (Midtown/Westport)
Great Breakfast, Pan-fried chicken (always fresh, never frozen!) at a funky little hole-in-the-wall.
BEST BUTTERMILK BISCUITS IN TOWN!
Over 50 different omlette options. One of the few places in town to find grits.
Come prepared to eat without breathing, though- a tiny place with no smoke-eaters and the non-smoking section is a joke- a single 2-top table by the front door! Well, you can see how they feel about that. Ostracize the "breathers"!
So much about this place is wonderful, but this one thing just really can make it difficult for a lot of folks to enjoy. Breathing and eating are essential to live, while smoking is entirely optional and clearly damaging to life.
I've worked in the foodservice industry, and unless you're in the "healthfood" domain, you are in a tiny minority if you do NOT smoke. After working for 4 years in a restaurant (also a high-turnover industry), I could count the number of non-smoking employees that came through on ONE HAND.
No website, just a MAP.
Kansas City Photo Gallery
at Flickr.com
Click on the thumbnails for a larger view!
summertime and the l...
help me
MO; Union Volunteers...
MO; Union Volunteers...
MO; Volunteers at th...
MO; Volunteers at th...
MO; Volunteer Union...
chophouse salad
white bean hummus w/...
2 great signs, 1 fun...
Mexican Flag
In the Mood for Mexican
Great Casual Mexican Dining
- Tienda Casa Paloma
- Overland Park, KS
See the "That 'Something Special'" section at the top!
If you've not already discovered it, Tienda Casa Paloma right here in OP has some of the most fantastic authentic Mexican food- Veracruz style. At the salsa bar you can top of your food with all the fresh trimmings- including fresh cilantro, which is fabulous with the Salsa Verde on the Tamales Veracruzans. Friday night Fish tacos are fantastic with it too. Of course the most important ingredient is one you can always taste, but never buy- it is the love with which it is all prepared by Bernardo (one of the owners) who grew up cooking on a wood-fired stove in Veracruz. Lisa, his wife, the lovely lady at the counter with the jeweled eyes and warm smile switches from midwestern english to spanish in a single breath. She makes the place a home. Lovely people, fabulous food. - Kokopelli Mexican Cantina
- Prairie Village, KS
Great tastes of the Southwest. Fun large metal cut-out art and great photos of the region there. Nifty small private dining room- a little rotunda with a hand-painted mural. A really cozy place to dine.
The Beef nachos are enough for a meal for 3 people. - Coyoacan (Coyote)
- Merriam, KS
Old downtown Merriam, next to the Farmer's Market.
True south-of-the-border taste and feel. Once a carry-out only tamale stand, they have added a dining room of sorts- about 4 tables. The first time I went, I ordered guacamole to go and they said they were out of chips, but if I wanted to wait 5 minutes they could make some. Heck, yeah, you bet I'll wait for fresh chips! You know they're not sitting under some heat lamp somewhere all day. Go to the walk-up window and see the ladies making food from scratch. Good food, great value, but not the place to go if you're in a hurry.
Just a Map here. We're lucky to have that! - Tarahumara Mexican Restaurant
- Overland Park, KS
They started off in the tamale stand where Coyoacan now is and now have a full-service restaurant.
Great salsa & chips- fresh, cruchy and the salsa is a blend of tomato & tomatillo. Good old-fashioned Mexian food at a reasonable price.
Glowing orange-gold interior with minimal decor adn chunky wooden furniture is quaint and inviting. - Manny's Mexican Restaurant
- Crossroads
Kansas City, MO
Near Union Station
An old KC establishment, it has been through a lot. It was once closed for a year following a fire. Great food, funky-shaped old corner building. Always busy.
I'm still a little miffed that they took my 2 favorite itmes off of the menu: Sopes & Gorditas. Hello, people, not something you find just anywhere! Oh, well. - Rudy's Tenampa Taqueria
- Westport
Kansas City, MO
BE PREPARED for the LOUD Mariachi MUSIC when you go to the WEBSITE or to the restaurant on a Friday night! (You can turn it off at the top of the page.)
Cousin of Manny from Manny's Mexican Restaurant.
Unusual Item: Fideo- pasta in mild tomato sauce available as a side item option instead of rice.
Chicken tacos are fried in a flour tortilla- so greasy, but oh-so-good! - Torreon
- Overland Park, KS
A cute little building with nice patio dining in the summer. Established in 1960, I believe this may be the oldest existing Mexican restaurant in Johnson County, and possibly the whole Kansas City Metropolitain area. Good authentic Mexican fare.
Claim to fame: Home of the Fishbowl Margarita.
Vote Here For YOUR Favorite Mexican Eatery in Kansas City
Vote here, or add one I missed to the list.
Tienda Casa Paloma
"That Something Special"<br />
Ove more...3 points
Tarahumara
Overland Park, KS1 point
Kokipelli Mexican Cantina
Prairie Village, KS0 points
Manny's Mexican Restaurant of Kansas City
Crossroads District<br />
Kansas City, MO more...0 points
Torreon Cantina
Overland Park, KS0 points
Rudy's Tenampa Taqueria
Westport<br />
Kansas City, MO0 points
Italian Flag
Italian Eats
- Spin! Neopolitan Pizza
- Overland Park, KS
Excellent pizza- red & bianca. Fantastic salads, made-from-scratch soups, pannini, home-made gelato and wine on the menu. Everything is fresh- from the salad greens to the hand-tossed crust and oven roasted veggies.
Watch the cooks toss the dough in the air in front of the authentic Italian oven. Ambiance is a bit on the loud side for indoor dining- the high ceiling and all hard surfaces and a high ceiling amplifies the clatter of dinnerware. Would recommend some decorative textiles to improve and soften the acoustics.
A large pizza and a large salad is plenty for 2-3 people.
The outdoor covered patio for warm-weather dining is great. - Cupini's
- Kansas City, MO:
Westport (original)
Downtown
Lees Summit, MO
Liberty, MO
Italian Deli & Market
Rapidly expanding, now has 4 locations in the metro area.
Order at the counter. A wide variety of pasta dishes and beautiful bakery items (check out the cakes!) In-house made fresh pastas & sauces you can buy to cook at home too.
Best Dim Sum: Pine & Bamboo Garden (Chinese)
Shawnee, KS
Shawnee, KSDim Sum means "Touch the Heart" in the Cantonese dialect, but has come to refer to a morsel or snack. Chinese Dim Sum includes a wide variety of dumplings and small dishes served with tea and eaten for brunch or a light meal.
Unless there is some hidden place or new place I don't know about, there are really only 2 serious choices for Dim Sum. Several places offer a sampling on the regular menu, but the two places I have in mind are the only ones that offer a Saturday/ Sunday 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM full-scale Dim Sum brunch.
In my opinion, Pine & Bamboo Garden Chinese Restaurant does the better job. Dim Sum carts crowd the small pathways between the tables filled with people. Great selection, reasonable prices. The "greens" are delightful, but I just have to have a chat with them about the "Pig's Blood Soup". Something really gets lost in translation there- like the appetite of the average American!
Pine & Bamboo Garden is a quiet, modest place tucked away in an old strip mall. Recent remodeling has given the inside a major upgrade from its humble, simple original decor.
Great Asian Eateries in the KC Area
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mayalsian, Thai, Vietmanese, and Pan-Asian
VOTE for your favorites!
ADD a favorite you don't see here!
Blue Koi Noodles & Dumplings
West 39th Street Neighborhood - BEST BUBBLE TEA IN more...3 points
Pine and Bamboo Garden
Best Dim Sum
Shawnee, KS2 points
New Bao Shing / Savor
Asian Fusion (Pan-Asian)- Overland Park, KS -
Gre more...1 point
LuLu's Noodles
Crossroads District- Kansas City, MO -
Thai Noodl more...0 points
Fortune Wok
2 locations - Overland Park, KS - Olathe, KS: Pan- more...0 points
