Summer is here and it's time to enjoy the warm breeze with a cocktail in hand while sitting on a patio. Kansas City, Missouri has plenty of outdoor dining and drinking spots to choose from, ranging from chic spots with seasonal cocktails to bars with live music. Whether you're looking for a rooftop bar with views of the city or a cozy spot with bonfires, there's something for everyone. Here are sixteen of the city's best outdoor dining and drinking spots that you should check out.
Electric Park is Rieger's new outdoor bar in the back of the distillery. The modern patio features fire pits, cozy seats, pergolas and a table with swings where you can have snow cones to drink, crushing hamburgers, and mini lime and chocolate chips. Border Brewing moved just one block north of its former location in Crossroads last year, gaining a lot of space for production and more seats in the tavern. The biggest advantage of the new location is the large patio out back that is the size of a suburban backyard and has trees for shade, wood chips underfoot, and a mix of picnic tables and metal stools to sit on.
The Canary claims to be the tallest rooftop bar in Kansas City, and while we haven't taken a measuring tape to verify this show, you won't be skeptical about standing atop a skyscraper in the center of the city with views of the Plaza to the south and the city center to the north. Enjoy one of Canary's signature cocktails in the form of a slushish in hand under the evening lights. Brewery Emperial's outdoor space is popular when good weather arrives. It's spacious and full of picnic tables for large groups.
On cold nights, bonfires are lit to give a camping feel. The Mockingbird Lounge is a little KCK gem that will always be a good time, whether it's a karaoke night, a live band show, or some other event. Locals meet here regularly, making the place look like a friend's house. Their summer margaritas are a great way to cool off on a warm night.
The patio is small but cozy, a bit like being in someone's backyard. Built in the 1870s as one of the first local buildings made of brick after the devastation of the Great Chicago Fire, this place on the south end of the River Market District began as a slaughterhouse. Worn brick walls frame a large square courtyard that gets livelier as the night progresses, especially for those who started the night taking advantage of the four-hour happy hour. This fantastic Greek restaurant and its covered patio are located in the Mission Farms Shopping Center. With a comfortable patio already installed, they took their outdoor presence a step further by expanding their patio into the parking lot, doubling its size. When Ryan Brazeal and Jessica Armstrong opened Novel at their great location in Crossroads, they had space for an outdoor patio with a cool new outdoor wall mural and an art installation that really links it to the indoor dining room in a charming way.
The Iron District
is that unique colorful metal collage in northern Kansas City that comes to life during the summer months with drinks, dinner, or anything else you could want on its huge outdoor patio. Vivilore in Independence, Missouri is one of Kansas City's hidden gems when it comes to beautiful courtyards with outdoor gardens.You can try Detroit-style pizza, delicatessen sandwiches with farm-to-market bread, Japanese-style grilled skewers, Korean rice bowls, tacos and chicken wings plates and Yucatan-style mole chicken wings, hot fried chicken sandwiches from Nashville, and cheeseburgers all prepared by Kansas City chefs here. Pigwich also inherited a large indoor and outdoor seating area with this space where guests can lounge under a covered patio awning and enjoy lunch in the shade while watching the city's bustling market come to life. The large covered patio in front of this local Austrian restaurant in Crossroads is a lovely spot to take a breeze and enjoy a cold drink on a hot day. The outdoor tavern at Waldo Brewery gives Kansas City an opportunity to learn about Bavarian culture right on Trolley Track Trail. Chefs Michael and Nancy Smith have created an amazing outdoor patio right on Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District with Extra Virgin. Chef Jason Wiggins has created paradise in his restaurant The Suburban's backyard located in Leavenworth, Kansas where you can enjoy delicious dishes such as smoked rib tacos, shrimp with semolina, buffalo pork tenderloin sandwich and fried chicken covered in honey. Rockhill Grille has added patio seating in front of its restaurant located in East Crossroads which already had garage doors that opened for outside seating. Whether you're looking for an upscale rooftop bar or an intimate spot with bonfires, these sixteen outdoor dining and drinking spots will make your summer even more enjoyable!.
