6 Places I Loved in Kansas City, Missouri
- Kristi Dao
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
Right now, a lot of my writing friends are in Los Angeles, California for AWP, a writing conference that I first started attending while I was in graduate school. Both times that I went, it felt like I was able to experience an uplifting version of a writer's Christmas weekend. Imagine how sad I feel to miss Christmas this year.
Since I can't be in LA to enjoy the festivities, I thought I would reflect on some of my favorite places when I went last year. It was in Kansas City, Missouri, and I actually got to be there the night that the Kansas City Chiefs won the Superbowl against the San Francisco 49ers, 25 to 22. It was a unique experience, so even if I don't ever get to go back to AWP again, I can say that I went out on a high one.
Anyway, here are 6 places I loved visiting during my stay in Kansas City, Missouri.
There are two locations, so I have just linked the website here for you to find the best one for your travels.
This is one of the very first places I visited in Kansas City. It was between panels, and I was getting hungry. While I normally come prepared with snacks to muscle through the day so I can attend as many panels as I can, I wasn't properly prepared on this day and was probably suffering through jetlag. So, I was in this panel session, and it was one of the less engaging ones that I had been to.
Long story short, I left in the middle of it and met up with some of my friends so we could get lunch. Within walking distance of the convention center was BRGR, and we were so lucky that we walked in, and a table opened right up. And I say lucky, because the whole meal was perfect from the first bite of my burger to the side of fries, down to the espresso martini I had to try and pep myself up for the rest of the day. It set the bar for the food I was expecting for the rest of the trip, which was set at being so delicious that it was heavenly.
Address: 101 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Website: Kansas City – Up-Down Arcade Bar
I'm not your typical bar girl, mostly because I would rather be in bed by like, 9:30 and would like to enjoy a buzz from the comfort of my home. However, I wasn't home anymore, so I ended up letting myself go out with friends. Up-Down KC was within walking distance of our hotel, so it was one of the places we were easily able to stop at.
Up-Down KC is a bar that is full of games. Two-stories on the inside with a wide assortment of video games, and lawn games are outside with the outdoor seating. What I remember is one of my friends telling the bartender what her tastes are like, and he mixed her a drink that she said was good. This led to me saying I would have the same, and then wanting to drink whatever I had for the rest of the night. So not only was there plenty of fun to be had, but I think that proves that they have masterful mixologists on deck.
Address: 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Website: American Jazz Museum
While jazz music is something I have always admired, I never knew much about it and I wasn't expecting to until one of my friends suggested we spend some time at this museum. I also wasn't expecting for half of it to be a baseball museum, so it serves people who are interested in the arts as well as athletics.
There's a lot to be learned here whether you're an adult or a child. What kept the information so engaging is that a lot of the museum is interactive, from sounds you can manipulate with a button to records that you can flip through.
Afterword Tavern and Shelves
Address: 1834 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Website: Afterword Tavern & Shelves
A bar that is also full of books you can purchase? With a convention full of writers, I cannot think of a place that would be more profitable. And honestly, the place was packed. We showed up on a winter night, and liked the atmosphere of the place so much, we chose to sit outside until a few seats opened up where it was warmer.
This is probably the place I would go back to so that I could figure out how much I would like this place, beyond just being with people I enjoyed. I don't think any of the books they had at the time really caught my eye, but the saying is that you should never judge a book by its cover.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Address: 4525 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64111
Website: Home | Nelson Atkins
So the day we visited the Jazz Museum ended up being the day we were going to tour around town, because all the other days were days that we had conference things. To wrap up our day, we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art before retiring for the evening.
What stood out to me about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is how diverse the exhibits are. Sometimes I go to a museum, and I feel like a lot of the exhibits will blend together in my mind, but these exhibits were distinct enough to be able to separate them. The exhibit that appealed to me the most was the pop culture one that the museum had curated, because that is an interest of mine.
Sau's Favorite in Kansas City: Q39 BBQ
Another place so delicious that it also has multiple locations! Be sure to check the website so you find the best location for you.
Whenever I talk about the best BBQ I've had in my life, I am talking about Q39 BBQ. And maybe it seemed extra special because I wasn't expecting it to be so, but now Kansas City, Missouri is synonymous for me with the best BBQ I've ever had in my life. It was so good that I bought bottles of sauces and spices for me to have in my own home and share with my sister Jasmine.
And it wasn't just that the burnt ends were so good tender and flavorful that I used them to mop my plate (the brisket and sausage ended up being leftovers, like a jackpot), but the sides were just as good as the mains. That isn't often the case with BBQ places; in my experience, the sides will be more subtle in flavor to support the mains, or vice versa. Not Q39 though: everything was top-tier and worth the 45 minutes we spent waiting outside to get a table.
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