Webster House

WEBSTER HOUSE
Address: 1644 Wyandotte St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Phone:(816) 221-4713

Prices:

$$

Reservations Accepted:  Yes (OpenTable - look for 1,000 point times)
KC Originals Restaurant
Website:  http://www.websterhousekc.com/

We've discussed Webster House before (since it is one of our favorites), but have not reviewed it from a dining experience.  So, here you go.

We lucked into some last-minute tickets to see Die Fledermaus performed by the KC Lyric Opera and knew we would have to dine out close to the Kauffman Center to enjoy the show on time after working all day.  Webster House couldn't be any closer unless it was located inside the Kauffman!  Parking was free due to our dinner reservation, which was only a nice added bonus to our experience. Before dining (or after, depending upon time you have) check out the Webster House Antiques & Store on the main level.  It's an eclectic mix of items from clothing to books, antiques to seasonal.  You really never know what you're going to find.  We love the lotions and shopping the clearance section.  If you time it correctly, you can really find some great deals!  But, on to the dining review...

Tim consistently orders a dirty martini, 3 blue cheese stuffed olives, up while Paul is a little more adventurous but does enjoy the Moscow mule at Webster House.  Drinks are well made, flavorful, spot on, & delivered quickly to the table.  Our server, Candy, has waited on us before and made our experience all the more delightful. Always enjoyable to dine in a restaurant and feel as if you're remembered and special to that server or establishment.  I will say, we have usually always felt like that at Webster House.  We walk in and we're taken care of. Concerns and cares are lifted away by the well-trained staff who take pride in what they put out on the table for you to enjoy.

Our dinner experience has consistently began with the trio of spreads.  This one was no different; french onion spread, all-night tomato ragout, and olive tapenade.  While Tim didn't care much for the tomato ragout (he felt like it was more like well-flavored tomato paste), Paul found it to be his favorite.  He's not a fan of the tapenade, but Tim finds that one to be his favorite.  And we both enjoyed the french onion spread, so it was all taken care of and enjoyed by both of us!  Don't worry about asking for more crostini bread if necessary - we often run out and need a restock to complete the appetizer.

The entrees are where we find Tim having the Grilled Black Angus Filet in Port Wine Jus (time and time again), but this one was special with Roquefort butter, walnuts, black pepper spaetzle, country ham, shitake mushrooms, & spring greens.  DELICIOUS!  One of the best places he's found to have a well prepared steak in KC.  Paul tends to (again) be the more adventurous type and went for the Pan Seared Diver Sea Scallops.  They were melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Exactly how a scallop should be prepared and simply fantastic. 

While we skipped dessert this time, any time we have gotten it, it has been delicious (and large, so save room).  Our recommendation is don't wait, go to Webster House - find a  reason and go!  But, be forewarned, this is more of a slow pace, enjoy your dinner type of establishment.  It can also add up and be fairly expensive so it might be more of a special occasion type of night, but you're paying for great food, service, and drinks in a very unique atmosphere unlike anything in Kansas City.

Trio of Spreads

Grilled Black Angus Filet in Port Wine Jus

Pan Seared Diver Sea Scallops

BRGR

BRGR - Power & Light
Address:  11 E 14th Street Kansas City MO 64105
Phone:  816-221-BRGR (2747)
Price: $
Reservations:  Yes (OpenTable)
Website:  http://brgrkitchen.com/pl.php 

Located in the KC Power & Light District across the street from the movie theatre, BRGR provides a great place to get a burger - and a gourmet one at that!  We've dined here multiple times and have enjoyed trying different burgers and tastes each time we dine. There's always something that catches our eyes.  We both enjoy their spicy burgers, but also like the salmon, chicken, and other options they provide.  The menu hasn't changed since we first went, but when something works, why try to fix it?!?

We typically dine at Bristol before a show at the KCREP in P&L, but this time was a new musical and didn't feel as "formal" of a theatre experience, so we toned down our dinner option and went to BRBR.  Tim arrived 10 minutes early for the reservation, but was seated immediately.  Our server stopped by to fill the water and didn't return until after Paul arrived (about 5 minutes after our reservation time).  It was a little odd to not check back for a drink or appetizer order, but we went with it.  For our appetizer, we started with the Chile Fondue.  It is served with pretzels and homemade tortilla chips which both were delicious (and could've better been served with a spicy mustard and salsa to dip into).  The fondue was thick, under seasoned, and left an odd aftertaste in our mouths.  Both of us were not impressed with this appetizer.  On a side note, we shouldn't have even gotten it because we forgot how large the serving sizes were of the rest of the food we were ordering!

Drinks were the Crosstown - absolutely delicious and flavorful.  Fresh cucumber and mint for a nice summery flavor.  However, it took well over 15 minutes to get a drink ordered and to the table, which was ridiculous.  The bar was getting busier, but it wasn't that busy! There was only 1 bartender & the female manager had to get behind the bar to make drinks for patrons in the restaurant, but still, it shouldn't be that hard to staff the restaurant to ensure drinks are ordered and delivered in a timely manner.  Case in point - Tim ordered a drink halfway through the meal.  It arrived when we were finishing our meals and getting ready to pack up the leftovers.  That's an issue.

Service was dismal.  Our server (as stated before) rarely came to the table to check on us, was hard to locate in the restaurant when we were wanting something, and we found ourselves simply waiting on him to figure out we were ready to speak to him.  Part of it was not his fault (time for drinks, since he's at the whim of the bar), but for our 1.5 hour dinner, we probably saw him a grand total of 5 times - filling water twice, take our order, deliver our food/drink, bring leftover supplies, & deliver our check.  You would think this would be okay, but we felt a bit abandoned and uncomfortable with him.  He did get it right when he noticed our dipping sauces were not all delivered and he brought those out, so kudos to him.  We've never had an issue with service before this experience, and actually have had some of the best service we've received at BRGR, so I would say this is not a normal thing for them.

For dinner, Tim had the C2 burger, chicken and chicken Andouille sausage - quite the spicy kick - while Paul had the Porchetta burger (pulled pork).  We shared the Combo of sides with truffle tator tots, sweet potato fries, and onion rings with all the dipping sauces.  The C2 burger was well prepared, spicy, and delicious while the Porchetta burger seemed to be lacking in size but Paul said it had a good flavor.  On a side note, since we're foodies, it is advertised to have arugula on the sandwich, but it was clearly not arugula - more like mixed greens (with arugula in them).  Not a big issue, but it wasn't as advertised.  Although we enjoyed these dinner options, we've had better meals from the menu.  The best part of the night's dining experience was the combo of sides.  It's the only way to go.  Absolutely delicious indulgence of wonderful childhood treats done up in a grown-up way.

So, our recommendation is to go to BRGR.  It's a unique little burger joint in the P&L district that serves some darn good food & drink.  We really don't think you'll be disappointed.

C2

Combo of Sides

Porchetta