Spring Break
Sunny spots in KC: Your summer patio guide
Tyler Allen, Kelley Kates
Issue date: 6/1/09 Section: Culture
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4057 Pennsylvania Ave. (816) 960-0866
Oh McCoy's. The patio sits right on the hustle and bustle corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. It's a very busy corner where you can be entertained by all the different walks of life around Westport.
If you are looking for somewhere with some peace and quiet, you can forget about that here. The patio is very serene with nice tables for dining, trees that provide plenty of shade and a cool tiki-style bar. The service is great and so is the food.
If you don't mind a lot of traffic passing by, the sounds of sirens and masses of people on foot and bicycle surrounding your patio spot (and perhaps a run-in with the neighborhood schizophrenic), then McCoy's is a great place to go, especially before a night out.
Price: $$$
The Foundry at McCoy's - Westport
4057 Pennsylvania Ave. (816) 423-3241
Chances are you've landed on McCoy's large patio down in the heart of Westport. But you may have missed The Foundry, McCoy's new annex.
Like McCoy's, The Foundry sports a patio with a great view of Westport. Voted the best new bar in 2008 by The Pitch readers, The Foundry is open seven nights a week from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m.
The Foundry offers a wide selection of beers and typical bar foods. It's possible to hit the patio for food and a drink for around $10.
This isn't the place to go for live music, but they do have various DJs on the weekends and hold trivia nights most Tuesdays.
The atmosphere at The Foundry is a little more relaxed, so if you're sick of the shoulder-to-shoulder hot spots, head to the patio at The Foundry.
Price: $
Harpo's - Westport
4109 Pennsylvania Ave. (816) 753-3434
Yes, Harpo's has a patio, a really cool one at that.
You might not know that by just glancing at the place, but hidden out back is a large wooden deck with its own built-in bar. This is one of my favorite places to chill and drink a frozen margarita. You almost wouldn't know that you are smack dab in the middle of Westport. The patio is closed in by a wooden fence and trees.
A great place for college students, sports is their forte and they are a hardcore Mizzou bar.
Harpo's runs great specials throughout the week. The best one is Tuesday night when you can get quarter draws from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. On Mondays, pints are only a couple bucks and, Wednesday and Sundays, burgers are 1/2 price all day. Their Happy Hour runs from 3-7 p.m., while domestic bottles and wells are only $2 and appetizers are 1/2 price.
Harpo's is a really great place to relax day or night.
Price: $
Harry's Bar and Tables - Westport
501 Westport Rd. (816) 561-3950
Flanked by an old British phone booth on one side and a caboose-styled bar on the other is the patio at Harry's Bar and Tables.
This old, brick patio boasts a great view of Westport. The building itself has been there since the late 1800s and became Harry's in 1994.
The patio is large enough to accommodate a large dinner and drinks crowd. It also has shade trees growing through the brick, making this patio truly unique.
There isn't a large selection of food. But the chef is from New Orleans, so order some jambalaya or blackened fish strips to get an authentic Cajun meal.
There is no lunch crowd because the kitchen doesn't open until 4 p.m. But happy hour starts at 3 p.m. and last until 7 p.m. with half-priced wine and champagne, $1 off drafts and half-price selected food items.
You won't find much live music on this patio. They do have some jazz-type performances on select nights throughout the summer.
But for the atmosphere and reasonable prices, Harry's Bar and Tables is the best patio in Westport.
Price: $
Fuel - American Made Bar & Grill - Overland Park, Kan.
7300 W. 119th St. (913) 451-0444
If you are into motorcycles, sports, rock-n-roll and hot women wearing skimpy clothing, Fuel is the place for you.
Oh yeah, I shouldn't forget the food because it is fantastic. Their theme is everything American: food, bikes, liquor and beer. Speaking of which, if you plan on drinking imports here, you'll be paying twice as much due to their import tax.
Fuel's patio is the single largest patio, and in my opinion, the most fun in the K.C. metro. The patio is a party spot that is filled with several wrought-iron tables and chairs for seating, which are topped with disc-brake ashtrays for smokers. What's unique is the patio can still allow for plenty of standing room. It's also equipped with heaters and fire pits for those cool summer evenings.
Fuel also offers great specials like the legendary $1 American Icon burger on Friday's from 3-6 p.m. and a bike night on Thursday nights where you can spot a tremendous amount of Harley's and choppers lined up right outside the patio.
Fuel's patio is also a favorite hangout for sport-bike riders, generally on Wednesday nights. If you're not enticed by all of this grit then maybe the Fuel girl's hourly dancing and sexy monthly theme parties will be enough to convince you that this is K.C.'s hottest patio.
Price: $
John's Upper Deck - Downtown
928 Wyandotte St. (816) 474-6558
The three-story building that houses this fantastic bar tops it off with a rooftop deck and bar. A lively crowd fills the deck where live entertainment is offered every night. The deck has a small stage where bands, DJs and karaoke artists entertain the crowd for the evening. It also has a small bar so you don't have to travel down the steep stairs to the first or second floor for a drink.
The best thing about John's is definitely the view. The Kansas City skyline is amazing from the rooftop both day and night. This patio is one of the most fun places to kickback and have a great time.
John's runs a great Tuesday special called Tacos, Trivia and Tequila where tacos are three for $1.29 and margaritas are super cheap. John's even runs weekend specials on flavored vodkas and rums for $3 and shots for a buck fifty.
I absolutely love John's big deck!
Price: $
Winslow's BBQ - City Market
20 E. 5th St. (816) 471-7427
The patio at Winslow's BBQ in the City Market is one of the best places to hangout on the weekends.
First of all, it's great for people-watching during the farmer's market. Secondly, their barbeque is spectacular. And third, they have live music every weekend on the patio unless it rains.
The patio is large and faces the inside of the City Market. Bikers as well as families and couples love to ride in and spend the day hanging out there. The live entertainment makes for a really kicked back atmosphere where you can just relax and eat some delicious barbecue and slam down some ice-cold brews. The patio seating allows for basking in the sun and also has an overhang for those who'd rather have some shade during those hot summer days.
Appetizers are available while sitting on the patio, but if you want to order a meal, you must go inside to grab it. Everything on the menu is under $20 (including a slab of ribs) and Winslow's runs specials daily. This is definitely one of my favorite spots to chill outside.
Price: $$
Harry's Country Club - City Market
112 E. Missouri Ave. (816) 421-3505
To find the best patio in the River Market, head over to 112 E. Missouri Ave. and look for the green, neon sign.
That is Harry's Country Club - but don't let the name fool you. The restaurant opened in 2003, and it is decked out with mostly 1940s décor, a far cry from some posh country club.
The patio is big enough to accommodate live music every week, and provides a scenic view of downtown. There are also multiple tables so you can sit down and take advantage of the great food Harry's has to offer.
You can get an entrée for under $10, but come during happy hour for the real deals. Monday through Friday from 3-6:30 p.m., Harry's offers meals from $4 to $6. They also have great prices on their selection of more than 50 beers.
The only downside is that Harry's is closed on Sundays.
But to take advantage of a beautiful view and reasonable prices, hit Harry's Country Club patio this summer.
Price: $
Trezo Mare
4105 N. Mulberry Dr. (816) 505-3200
If you're tired of all the Plaza patio spots, head north to Trezo Mare in Briarcliff Village.
A good place for a date or dinner with friends, Trezo Mare offers an extensive menu. But you may want to keep your visits to a minimum in the interest of not busting your student budget.
They do offer some deals during happy hour Monday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to midnight and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 2-6 p.m. There are discounts on select food and drink items.
The patio itself offers little seating. There is plenty of space to stand if you're there for the drinks, and its location on a hill offers great views of Kansas City.
Trezo Mare's patio probably isn't a place for your late night enjoyment, but if you're looking to treat yourself to a nicer meal, visit this spot for some good pasta.
Price: $$$$
Grand St. Café
4740 Grand Ave. (816) 561-8000
Residing on the ground floor of an office building on the east side of the Plaza, Grand St. Café is easy to miss.
This shady patio has a great view of both Brush Creek and the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain. For an upscale dining experience, Grand St. Café's patio is worth checking out.
The menu consists of American favorites and great martinis. If you're looking for a deal, come for Monday Martini Night where you get every martini for $5.
They also offer happy hour Monday through Friday from 3-7 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close.
But they are probably best known for their Sunday brunch. Grand St. Café offers all of your favorite breakfast dishes for around $15 dollars per person.
They're open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 p.m. on weekdays. So hit up the patio for some dinner before heading for a night out.
Price: $$$
O'Dowd's Little Dublin on the Plaza
4742 Pennsylvania Ave. (816) 561-2700
To get some sun on the Plaza, try the rooftop patio at O'Dowd's Little Dublin.
If you feel like you've walked into a pub in Ireland, then you're in the right place. Most of the woodwork is imported from Ireland and makes the bar feel as authentic as possible.
But the patio is where you'll want to spend those summer days and nights.
The deck is small and doesn't have any live music, but the crowd is always big. There's also a full bar and a few tables to sit and enjoy the weather.
The menu reflects the bar's theme, boasting traditional Irish food like sheppard's pie and bangers and mash.
On average, an entrée will cost upward of $15, but they have good happy hour deals.
Happy Hour runs Monday thru Friday from 4-7 p.m., offering half-price small plates and some select drink specials. Every night O'Dowd's offers power hour from 9-10 p.m. with specials on well drinks and domestic bottles.
Make sure and get to the patio early to find a seat. This rooftop patio could become one of your favorite summer spots.
Price: $$
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