United States

15 Best Restaurants in Brookside, Kansas City

Blake Walsh

Aug 9, 2022 • 12 min read

StefaNikolic / iStock.com

The Brookside neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, features various restaurants where you can enjoy different cuisines.

Whether a visitor or a Kansas City resident, you’ll find a dining spot offering your favorite foods and beverages.

Brookside gives you a hearty and satisfying meal from Mexican and Italian to Japanese and Irish cuisines.

Here’s a list of the best restaurants in Brookside, Kansas City, where you can satisfy your taste buds in the best possible way.

Brookside Barrio

Brookside Barrio is a taqueria-inspired, laid-back restaurant that offers a range of specialty foods.

It’s a popular restaurant in Brookside Plaza that offers a sizeable Mexican-inspired menu and serves as a watering hole for tourists and locals alike.

The casual-coastal-influenced interior of the restaurant features an inviting, warm, and comfortable atmosphere.

You can have a perfect date or family dinner in the Brookside Barrio while appreciating the combination of authentic food and casual ambiance.

Some of the best food items you can order for lunch or dinner include seafood quesadilla, Barrio's famous chips & salsa, and any daily specials.

Plus, you can complete your meal with your favorite margarita, beer, cocktail, or wine.

Brookside Barrio also has unique offerings for kids, such as cheese quesadilla, mini smothered burrito, funny taco, and chicken breast.

Red Door Woodfired Grill

Established in 2013, Red Door Woodfired Grill is one of the best eateries in Brookside, Kansas City.

Currently, there are six different locations of this restaurant in the city, one of which is in Brookside Plaza.

At this restaurant, high-quality food and a welcoming ambiance come together, allowing you to enjoy delicious appetizers on the patio, dinner next to the grill, and cocktails in the bar.

The Red Door Woodfired Grill menu features weekly specials, cocktails, desserts, and a long list of brunch, lunch, and dinner items.

The weekly specials are some of the best food items on the restaurant’s menu, which include half of the bar, fried chicken, prime rib, and half-price wine.

HomeGrown Kansas City – Brookside

The HomeGrown Kansas City – Brookside is essentially a breakfast restaurant but also offers options for lunch.

This daytime eatery is in Brookside Shops on 63rd street and features an extensive menu of delicious foods and drinks.

The restaurant offers everything from breakfast options like French toast and omelets to salads and soups.

The best food items of the HomeGrown Kansas City – Brookside include HomeGrown house salad, house roasted turkey, and baked oatmeal.

You can complete your meal with freshly squeezed fruit juices, margaritas, and soft drinks.

The restaurant also offers unique options just for kids, including classic buttermilk pancakes, grilled cheese bread, and creamy peanut butter and grape jelly on white bread with chips.

Bella Napoli

If you like Italian cuisine, Bella Napoli, which opened in 2001, will be your next favorite restaurant in Brookside, Kansas City.

You can find it in the Brookside Shops.

It offers authentic and delicious Italian food and an excellent environment for lunch or dinner.

Enjoy the warm atmosphere and the ambiance of an authentic Italian ristorante, along with friendly service, in Bella Napoli.

Order their best dishes like the lasagna, ravioli di ricotta, pasta Bella Napoli, grilled salmon Panzanella, and Giovanni pizza.

The restaurant also offers unique options on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays to elevate your dining experience.

The extensive list of wines and cocktails helps each guest to find something that matches their style and taste.

Michael Forbes Bar & Grille

Michael Forbes Bar & Grille is a casual eatery specializing in American comfort food in the Brookside Shops.

It has served the Kansas City community since 1985, offering a space where you can make your special events/days memorable.

The restaurant offers food options for brunch, lunch, simple dinner, four-course dinner, and a long list of cocktails, beers, and wines.

Whether you want to enjoy a satisfying meal with your family, friends, or partner, Michael Forbes Bar & Grille is your coziest option.

Some of the best options at this watering hole include whole sizzling catfish, double diner cheeseburger, fried chicken, and steak grilled Romaine salad.

Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant

Located in Brookside shops, Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant started serving the city’s community in 1991.

As the name implies, it’s a Mexican restaurant that buzzes with mouthwatering food, irresistible aromas, and beautiful beverages.

The restaurant offers a safe, family-friendly, casual dining environment, professional service, and excellent food.

The best thing about this restaurant is it uses locally grown ingredients to ensure the food’s quality and freshness.

Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant offers everything from salads and tacos to seafood and burgers.

There are also unique happy hour offerings and an extensive wine, beer, and cocktail lists to help you order and enjoy a complete meal.

Charlie Hooper's Brookside Bar & Grille

Charlie Hooper's Brookside Bar & Grille is a low-key watering hole located in Brookside shops.

It specializes in American comfort food and in-house craft beers and makes for a perfect place to satisfy your late-night hunger.

If you’re looking for a spot to spend quality time with your friends at night, then Charlie Hooper's Brookside Bar & Grille can be your best option.

This bar has a comfortable seating area and a menu for kids, which means you can visit this place with your family.

The lengthy menu offers everything from salads, shrimp, and steaks to burgers and desserts, so it’s not difficult to find something that matches your taste.

Sayachi Sushi

Located in Brookside Shops, Sayachi Sushi is one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Brookside, Kansas City.

If you like Japanese food and are looking for a restaurant to unwind, Sayachi Sushi will be your next favorite spot.

You will find lunch and dinner menus at this restaurant that feature authentic Japanese food and various drinks.

The best dishes to try for lunch are Sayachi ceviche, Agedashi tofu, squid salad, and tebasaki wings.

If you visit Sayachi Sushi to enjoy dinner, you can order lobster moto yaki, tori karaage, and Ebisu ramen.

Don’t forget to try the restaurant’s special nigiri, sashimi, and special Sayachi rolls.

Aixois

Established in 2001, Aixois is the best French restaurant in Brookside, Kansas City.

The restaurant has a welcoming vibe where you can enjoy your favorite French dishes and sit for a while to relax.

The menu of Aixois features sections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you go for breakfast, the best items you can try are Omelet Florentine, ham and cheese croissant, and savory steel-cut oatmeal.

Some popular lunch items include plateau de Fromage, royale with cheese sandwich, and salmon salad.

You can try a smoked salmon plate, Aixois salmon burger, and duck leg confit de canard for dinner.

The menu also features a long list of cocktails, beers, wines, and coffees you can order to enjoy a hearty meal.

Earl's Premier

Earl's Premier is a popular restaurant in the heart of East Brookside.

The restaurant’s menu offers classic American fare, emphasizing crustaceans and shellfish.

Two of the most popular items on the menu of Earl's Premier are the shrimp cocktail (served with slow-roasted salsa) and the fresh herb guacamole (topped with blue crab, serrano, and yuzu).

The restaurant also features a rotating selection of oysters.

If you’re ordering one, ask for the mignonette sauce to enhance the flavor.

You will also find daily specials on the menu, including fish and chips on Thursdays, steak frites on Wednesdays, and tequila and tacos on Tuesdays.

Finally, Earl's Premier offers a lengthy wine list with different types of vodkas, gins, rums, whiskeys, and more.

Kabuki Sushi

Kabuki Sushi is a popular restaurant in Brookside that specializes in Japanese food.

The restaurant opened in 1985 in Crown Center but closed in 2013.

However, the owner Ted Hamada reopened it in Brookside in 2017.

It has earned renown for its friendly staff, excellent service, cozy seating space, and spectacular décor.

Kabuki Sushi offers a range of specialty sushi rolls and small plates with creative garnishing.

Likewise, the restaurant features a calming and welcoming atmosphere to enjoy your meal.

You can also find different soups, salads, noodles, rolls, desserts, and various beverages.

The restaurant also offers vegetarian dishes such as avocado, asparagus rolls, cucumber, and oshinko rolls.

Brady & Fox

Brady & Fox is a popular restaurant featuring a rustic theme and friendly atmosphere.

It’s a family-friendly, casual, gorgeous restaurant and lounge specializing in Irish-American foods.

The menu, although modest, features delicious dishes, including ever-popular fish and chips, meat pies, and a slow braised pot roast.

Don’t forget to try their specialties, such as lasagna and chips, meatloaf, crab stuffed salmon, and bangers and mash.

The main focus of Brady & Fox is on traditional Irish meals, but it should not stop you from entering the restaurant’s whiskey lounge.

It’s a perfect space to relax or have vibrant conversations with your friends while enjoying your favorite drink.

Brady & Fox is the best place in town to experience the best traditional and authentic Irish cuisine.

Plate Restaurant

Plate Restaurant first opened in 2014, but a fire destroyed the Plate Restaurant entirely in 2017.

The restaurant made its resilient return in 2019 and has become one of the best Italian restaurants in the neighborhood.

It offers a stylish, vibrant, and elevated dining experience with its modern Italian menu/

Their menu features freshly prepared seafood, other items, and house-made pasta.

The menu also offers a lengthy wine list boasting ice-cold draft craft beers, unique spirits, signature cocktails, and traditional Italian wines by the bottle or glass.

The versatile wine list will allow you to choose the best drink that suits your taste.

Some of the most popular dishes from Plate Restaurant are heritage pork chops, seared gnocchi (served with house meatballs, English peas, and brood), and grand river mushrooms.

Flying Horse Taproom

Established in 2018, Flying Horse Taproom is the first neighborhood taproom and flatbread kitchen in East Brookside.

The best food items you can enjoy here are chicken bacon ranch, Brookside brie, BBQ chicken, Korean beef, and jalapeno popper.

You can also order different salads, including chicken Caesar salad, Flying House salad, and Italian chop salad.

Flying Horse Taproom also serves more than 30 taps of local craft spirits, brews, and top-quality wines from across the globe.

One of the best things about Flying Horse Taproom is it offers a sculpture garden, patio, and dine-in seating to enhance your overall dining experience.

Reggae Kitchen

Reggae Kitchen is a Jamaican restaurant offering a casual dining experience.

The restaurant’s menu includes Jamaican and Caribbean foods, including soups, wings, seafood, and several drinks.

Some of the best dishes you can try at Reggae Kitchen are jerk chicken, oxtail, and curry shrimp.

The best drinks to order at this restaurant include homemade pineapple beer, coconut water, tropical rhythm, and homemade ginger beer.

Final Thoughts

Kansas City is famous for BBQ; its community loves food.

People everywhere in this bustling city, including Brookside, enjoy eating.

That’s why you can easily find many casual eateries and upscale restaurants in this collection of neighborhoods, offering plenty of cuisine variety.

This list of the best restaurants in Brookside, Kansas City, should help you find your next favorite dinner spot in the city.

💌

Spotted a mistake, have some feedback, or just want to chat with our editorial team? Click here to get in touch.

✍️

Find out more about Travel Lens and read our editorial guidelines here.