It summer! And summer in KC means getting out in the sun, pick your own farms, food trucks and activities galore. I never feel I can do everything I want to in the KC metro in the summer, even when our homeschool allows for field trips and extended summer options. Summer is also a great time for visitors to come in town, and I was recently inspired to represent well when visitors not only come from out of town, but out of country!
Just a few days ago, I was talking about taking one such outing to the arboretum. Some friends of ours had visitors here from Brazil, and they were wanting to go to brunch before taking in an afternoon of peaceful walks (or rigorous hiking, depending on one's preference and motivation). They were going to take them to IHOP....
No offense to IHOP. If I'm going out for late-night dinner with friends (lasting into the morning hours), there's very few to no options I would prefer to IHOP. But if you're wanting a good, homestyle kind of breakfast (or brunch), I told them they could certainly do better than IHOP! Now, this post may be redone and edited as I explore more options and avenues. There are several places I've never been! I've heard great things about places like Big Biscuit, Pegah's and some of the diner-type restaurants that are more local. I'll gladly try some of those options and add them to my list, if so warranted. That said, below are some amazing brunch options in the KC area:
1. My favorite to date is FIRST WATCH
First Watch has several restaurants in the KC metro. Their restaurants are always very clean, and I love their style! But you didn't come here for style. You came for yummy food. And that is something they have in abundance. One of the things that sets First Watch apart (besides amazing customer service) is the creativity of their menus. They have your classic favorites and plenty that the kids will love. But if you're an adventurous or creative eater like myself, you'll certainly appreciate some of their elevated classics or seasonal dishes and drinks. My favorite dish so far is the Elevated Egg Sandwich. The only thing that could hamper this place in your decisions are the prices, and that can really be up for debate. According to online prices, all the suggestions I am making are about the same pricing as an IHOP. In fact, some of First Watch's prices are lower (again, according to online menu pricing). Next time I go to a First Watch, I will take a better look. Perhaps my check has a tendency to be larger there because I tend to want more of their food. haha.
2. The SHACK is a place fairly new to our family, but so far we really like it. The decor is very unique and interactive, and everything about this place says a bit of novelty. When my daughter went and decided to order an adult sized pancake and some scrambled eggs, our waitress told her with quite a bit of confidence that she'd give her $10 if she finished it all. The pancakes are HUGE! My nine-year-old growing daughter, who loved this pancake so much and has in recent days eaten her weight in many things, could not finish that pancake. She barely even touched her eggs. The food was very good, and the flavors are a variety of traditional and not-so-traditional. One of the quirks of the restaurant is that there are sharpies at the front that they allow you to use to sign or write on the floor or wall. Again, online price comparison puts the average price of a plate at around $10, with some great build your own options of $4, kids menus, and everything and everywhere in between. One of these days I will have to get the same plate at each of these places and do a price and taste comparison on a single similar meal. However, my favorite dishes vary according to the restaurant.
3. CLOCK TOWER BAKERY is a great place to go any day of the week, but we especially love visiting this place for brunch on Wednesdays when the Overland Park farmer's market is open. The local activity and shopping is enough to hold its own, but we often finish our shopping and play with brunch or tea at the Clock Tower Bakery. Clock Tower is a British-style bakery, offering classics like cornish pasty, cottage pie, and tea time services. My daughter's favorite is the ham and cheese croissant or their delicious pizzas. We also have ordered her birthday cake from Clock Tower for the past five years. The ownership has changed in that time, which made us sad because we had built a great relationship with the previous owner, but our favorites are all still there and the new ownership has maintained most of the cultural touches and tastes.
4. In the West Bottoms area? CHEZ ELLE is one of our favorites for any time of day. Their very generously-sized crepes make for a perfectly delicious breakfast, lunch, dessert (when shared), etc. This restaurant has both sweet and savory crepes, and we love taking our out of town visitors here on a larger tour of the downtown area. Looking for a delicious cultural experience before heading to the vintage shops or with the kids to Science City? This is the place to go. Spend a Sunday afternoon here eating and playing board games (that they have on site) with friends and family. This restaurant has the taste AND the atmosphere, with a charming European-style store front. While there, go to the bakery across the street, the KC souvenir shop next door or take a walk to see some art at Maddie Rodes!
5. Doughnuts. Well, that doesn't seem like a restaurant at all. This is because KC has a LOT of doughnut options throughout the city. Everything from the chain Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme, to Lamar's ginormously delicious doughnuts, to creative selections like those found at Donutology and farm-style apple cider doughnuts at Louisburg Cidermill, all joining together for a delicious selection of options for a doughnut (and more) breakfast or brunch. Some of the pick your own farms even do their own fruity version of the doughnuts in combination with the day's activities. When it comes to doughnuts, I may have to branch out into a separate experiment and post. Yet, it is my opinion that it's hard to go wrong with a yummy doughnut. It's enough to want to ask for a variety doughnut cake for my birthday. Then I could accurately rate for you all the options in the area. We accept donations! haha.
Speaking of donations, I believe all of the above have ties to both the local community and the community at large. Many of the KC specific doughnut shops use local resources and also donate doughnuts and resources to charities. Clock Tower Bakery has offered some classes in the past, and participates in the local farmer's market community. First Watch and Shack also have great missions statements and are well worth the trip!
So take some time to think through your plans for the day or for the weekend. Going to the market? Out and about? Are you up for some summer kids activities or pick your owns? There's something interesting for every activity, schedule and location in the KC metro. As I get out and about this summer, I'll make sure to take pictures of our favs at these amazing KC restaurants. What are your KC favs?