United States

15 Best Restaurants in 18th & Vine, Kansas City

Travel Lens

Aug 13, 2022 • 12 min read

Drazen Zigic / iStock.com

18th & Vine is a buzzing jazz district in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the American Jazz Museum and music clubs.

It is globally acknowledged as the birthplace of jazz music and a historical center of African-American businesses.

The district also has many well-known eateries including BBQ joints, steak houses, and specialty restaurants.

This article lists the best restaurants in 18th & Vine, Kansas City.

Find the best spot in the district where you can enjoy your favorite food or pick up a new favorite!

Soiree Steak & Oyster House

Soiree Steak & Oyster House offers a lively ambiance, striking feature bar, swanky bourbon lounge, stage for musical acts, and open display kitchen.

The restaurant opened in 2019.

It’s also the first establishment you’ll notice if you enter the district from the west side.

If you like to enjoy music while eating delicious Southern food and drinks in a cozy environment, then this restaurant might be your next favorite.

Start your meal with some of the best appetizers that Soiree Steak & Oyster House has to offer including BBQ shrimp and crab cakes.

Then you can move to big plates such as Hawaiian ribeye, bourbon-glazed salmon, and honey garlic chicken and waffles.

The restaurant’s menu also features signature dishes such as lobster mash, and there are also options for kids.

Arthur Bryant's Barbeque

Arthur Bryant's Barbeque is one of the most famous BBQ restaurants not only in Kansas City but also in the entire United States.

In 1908, Henry Perry started the restaurant when Charlie, his brother, started serving meat cuts.

Later on, Arthur Bryant, the legendary king of ribs, joined the restaurant and created a unique sauce that made it the most popular BBQ joint in the city.

The restaurant now carries the name Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, offering slow-smoked and succulent meat cooked with a combination of oak and hickory woods.

The menu offers sandwiches, specialty items, kid’s specials, side orders, meats by the pound, and party packs.

Make your dining experience even better with the restaurant’s special sauces and rubs.

Taco Bell

If you want to experience the best tacos in town, you can go to Taco Bell.

Established in 1962, Taco Bell is a fast-food chain specializing in Mexican-inspired fare.

It offers a menu that serves made-to-order nachos, quesadillas, burritos, and tacos along with desserts, fountain drinks, and many vegetarian options.

The most popular items on the menu are the chalupa supreme, cheesy roll-up, and crunchy taco supreme.

The best thing about this restaurant is you can customize your order and reinvent your favorite food items using different add-ons and sauces.

If you’re a vegetarian, you can explore the restaurant’s AVA (American Vegetarian Association) certified menu.

To help you complete your meals, Taco Bell also features a long list of drinks along with several sides and sweets.

The Kansas City Juke House

The Kansas City Juke House is a lively restaurant that offers a laid-back venue with comfortable seating.

You can enjoy live blues and jazz and offers delicious food along with a bar.

Located on 18th Street, the restaurant uses fresh and high-quality ingredients to prepare American comfort food.

If you’re looking for a lively place for late-night dining at 18th and Vine, this restaurant is your top choice.

Some of the best features of the Kansas City Juke House include outdoor/patio dining, live entertainment, a cocktail bar, beer and wine, easy access, and vegetarian options.

The menu offers a long list of food items.

Its bestsellers are the chicken tender meal, blazing hot wings, masa breaded pickle fries, juke house burger, and catfish sandwich.

The Corner Bar & Grill

Located in the historic Lincoln Building, the Corner Bar & Grill makes for a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It offers a comfortable seating space, a relaxing atmosphere with live music, and great food and drinks.

Plus, you can sit here to unwind after a long working day.

Listen to live music while eating without feeling it in your bones, thanks to the restaurant’s carefully designed acoustics.

The menu offers familiar food combined with a modern flair that you can enjoy indoors or outdoors.

The best breakfast options that you can try include waffles and chicken, turkey bacon, French toast, and biscuits & gravy.

If you visit the Corner Bar & Grill for lunch, then you can try macho nachos, alfredo pasta, and smothered chicken platter paired with your choice of cocktail, mocktail, wine, or soft drink.

Other Restaurants Nearby

The Rockhill Grille

The Rockhill Grille is a sophisticated destination offering American comfort food along with inventive cocktails, beers, and other drinks.

Established in 2016, the Rockhill Grille offers a long menu featuring items for brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks.

There are two different dining areas in this restaurant including the upstairs dining room and the main one.

If you want to eat in the upstairs dining room, or the Rockhill Room, you’ll need to make a reservation.

This room offers intimate and quiet dining space, perfect for business meetings or date nights.

Some of the best food options at the Rockhill Grille are Scottish salmon, crab cakes, tater tots, and Rockhill salad.

You can pair your food with your favorite cocktail, beer, or wine to complete your meal and have a satisfying experience.

Taqueria Silvas

Taqueria Silvas is a popular food truck that specializes in Mexican foods, especially tacos.

The restaurant has served Kansas City since 2006 with its impressive menu and authentic Mexican taste.

You can customize your food with your choice of meat at this restaurant.

The available meat options are steak, pastor, chicken, Cabeza, ground beef, and buche.

Likewise, this food truck’s bestsellers are the tortas sandwiches, super nachos, fish tacos, and wet burritos.

Taqueria Silvas also offers daily specials.

Grab the four tacos and drinks on Mondays, special tacos on Tuesdays, and burritos and drinks on Wednesdays.

Then, order nachos and drinks on Thursdays, and quesadillas and drinks on Fridays.

Italian Gardens Pizza - Dicapo Foods

Established in 1933 during the Great Depression, the Italian Gardens Pizza - Dicapo Foods is one of the oldest restaurants in Kansas City.

It attracts famous politicians, athletes, and celebrities because of its unique environment and delicious meals.

The restaurant’s menu features a range of pizzas, Italian sandwiches, meatballs, and spaghetti dishes.

Order their Italian Beef sandwich, stuffer sausage, chicken parmesan, extra meatball, and red spaghetti if you want to try the bestsellers.

Italian Gardens Pizza - Dicapo Foods also offers many drinks and a long list of cookies to provide you with an outstanding dining experience.

Parlor

Parlor is a modern food hall offering a variety of creative and casual dining options along with two bars.

With its eclectic atmosphere, cozy seating, and quick service, the restaurant lets you socialize and relax while enjoying phenomenal food and great drinks.

You can start your meal with the rice cake, a mouthwatering appetizer.

Then you can move to the restaurant’s classic bowls such as rice bowl (served with vegetables of your choice), or kimchi fried rice (served with tofu, spicy pork, or beef).

Otherwise, try the spicy chicken stir-fried (served with rice cake and veggies).

The Parlor menu also features some delicious extras that you can add to your order along with soft drinks.

Mission Taco Joint - East Crossroads

Mission Taco Joint - East Crossroads is a taco restaurant located on 18th Street in Crossroads.

Established in 2013, the restaurant has become a favorite place for families, young professionals, and students alike.

The menu offers different types of tacos, burritos, and tortas along with desserts and special entrees for kids.

Its bestsellers are the Mexican street corn fritters, chicken quesadilla, Baja fish taco, chipotle chicken tortas, and beef Tinga taco.

You’ll also find many drinks including margaritas, beer-tails, beers, and tequila & mezcal.

Grinders Pizza

Established in 2004, Grinders Pizza is a popular restaurant in Crossroads serving American comfort food.

The menu of this restaurant features sandwiches, wraps, burgers, wings, pizzas, and salads along with a long beer list.

The restaurant features the highly popular death wings, which are extremely hot and served with carrots, celery, and ranch/bleu sauce.

Other popular items on the menu include chicken "Charlies" fajita, crispy fried mushrooms, Big Ass Triple Smash'd Burger, West Clubber Sandwich, Margherita pizza, and the Levitt pizza.

Don’t forget to order your favorite beer or wine to enjoy your meal at Grinders Pizza!

Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House

Located in Downtown Kansas City, Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House is a location chain popular for its vast BBQ menu.

It’s one of the first family-owned BBQ joints in the city that offers a lively atmosphere with a rich menu.

The menu features award-winning lamb ribs, fresh seafood, and certified Angus beef steaks.

You’ll also find some mouthwatering side dishes, such as cheesy corn bake and hickory pit beans, and an extensive list of beers, wines, and handcrafted cocktails.

If you like to enjoy a delicious barbeque in a warm and welcoming environment, then Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House will suit you best.

You can come here with your family or a bunch of friends to relax and enjoy lunch or dinner.

KC Burgers

KC Burgers is a popular restaurant in Forgotten Homes that specializes in East African cuisine.

While the name of the restaurant includes “Burgers”, the major portion of their menu offers Somali and East African dishes.

Start your meal with one of the side dishes, called Sambusa, a deep-fried flaky pastry filled with ground beef, parsley, and diced onions.

The best entrees on the menu are beef kebab with salad, big fish only, cheeseburger only, and goat meat with rice.

KC Burgers also features tea, coffee, canned drinks, bottled drinks, and of course water.

Church's Chicken

Church's Chicken started its journey in 1952 and now has become one of the most popular fast-food chains in the United States.

The Kansas City branch is near Independence Plaza and offers fried chicken, wings, sandwiches, and Southern-inspired side dishes.

It’s a great place for a happy family dinner or hanging out with your colleagues or friends on a weekend.

Church’s Chicken’s bestsellers are the original smokehouse chicken combo, Texas tenders, chicken leg pieces, and jalapeno cheese bombers.

Don’t forget to go through the drinks list featuring different soft drinks, lemonades, and fruit punches.

Affäre

Affäre is a stylish, luxurious, contemporary, and locally-owned restaurant that specializes in German cuisine.

Located on Main Street in Crossroads, the restaurant has served the city since 2012 with its seasonally rotating menu.

The restaurant works on farm-to-table philosophy and prepares food using locally sourced fresh ingredients to ensure quality.

You’ll find a range of seafood dishes on the menu along with platters, steaks, and desserts.

Affäre also features a big section for cocktails, beers, and wine-by-glass options that you can add to your order.

Final Thoughts

18th & Vine, Kansas City is a historic district and has become a hub of the African American community.

It has plenty of restaurants and most of them focus on BBQ and American comfort food.

Find a perfect spot in the district that matches your taste and style using this list of the best restaurants in 18th & Vine!