Since my birthday was on October 8, I decided to take a trip to Kansas City as my post birthday weekend trip. Every time I tell someone I am going to Kansas City they ask me “Why Kansas? What is in Kansas besides Dorothy?” In reality, there is a lot more than you think. Also, every time I make a trip there I visit Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. I had such a great time in Kansas City and I truly enjoyed my vacation.
Every time I go to Kansas City, I must eat barbecue because it is one of the things they are known for. After research, I found out that the number one barbecue restaurant was Oklahoma Joe’s. Therefore, I decided to go and try it myself. The restaurant is small and it is attached to a gas station. Firstly, parking was completely full and it was so hard to find a spot. Secondly, the line was out the door and I literally stood in line for 45 minutes. Let me just tell you that the food was good but it was not worth standing in line for 45 minutes. The barbecue sauce was decent; I personally didn’t think it was special. The ribs, the smoked turkey, and the red beans and rice were delicious. The burnt end sandwich on the other hand, was not even good. It was literally just chopped beef and not the actual burnt end. I must say that we were highly disappointed. The french fries tasted pretty good but not for a barbecue side. They were literally like Cajun fries and we did not think it was a good combination.
Every time I go to Kansas City, I must eat barbecue because it is one of the things they are known for. After research, I found out that the number one barbecue restaurant was Oklahoma Joe’s. Therefore, I decided to go and try it myself. The restaurant is small and it is attached to a gas station. Firstly, parking was completely full and it was so hard to find a spot. Secondly, the line was out the door and I literally stood in line for 45 minutes. Let me just tell you that the food was good but it was not worth standing in line for 45 minutes. The barbecue sauce was decent; I personally didn’t think it was special. The ribs, the smoked turkey, and the red beans and rice were delicious. The burnt end sandwich on the other hand, was not even good. It was literally just chopped beef and not the actual burnt end. I must say that we were highly disappointed. The french fries tasted pretty good but not for a barbecue side. They were literally like Cajun fries and we did not think it was a good combination.
The second barbecue restaurant that we went to was Gates Bar-B-Q. We always visit Gates when we go to Kansas City and their food is constantly exquisite and it never lets us down. Their barbeque sauce is so delicious, but my favorite sauce is the Sweet and Mild. Their smoked turkey sandwich is really good but, Oklahoma Joe’s smoked turkey definitely tastes better. The Bar-B-Que Beans have such a wonderful taste and makes them truly delightful. The burnt end sandwich at Gates is beyond delicious. Their meat is so tender it’s cooked with their sauce and it is just so tasty. Overall, I will always pick Gates Bar-B-Q over Oklahoma Joe’s.
I love going to the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri because they have a wonderful atmosphere. They have a variety of restaurants and some great shopping as well. The restaurants/bars we visited this past weekend at the Plaza where: Kona Grill, Morton’s Grille, and McCormick & Schmick’s. I love going to Kona Grill for Happy Hour. My favorite thing about Kona Grill is the frozen margaritas because they are so strong. We went to Morton’s Grille for some appetizers and for some drinks. Morton’s Grille just opened in Kansas City about two weeks ago and it still smelled like new. There is a Morton’s Grille in The Woodlands, Texas and that is the reason we are familiar with this spectacular restaurant. Morton’s Grille is just a less formal Morton’s Steakhouse. They are both part of the Landry’s family. Finally, we went to McCormick & Schmick’s for some drinks at the bar. The staff was helpful, friendly and the environment was very pleasant.
Saturday night, we went to a restaurant called The Majestic. The Majestic is an upscale steakhouse and jazz club. This restaurant looks very insignificant and small on the outside. However, it was an enjoyable and unforgettable night. Our table was located on the basement floor, where the jazz club is. The jazz band was absolutely superb and the music was magnificent. It was a very relaxing and romantic type of restaurant. The food was mouthwatering and exquisite. If you are ever in Kansas City, make sure you stop by for a wonderful night.
On Saturday night, we also went to the Edge of Hell which is a Haunted House attraction in Kansas City. Supposedly, it is rank top 5 in the United States. The attraction was super expensive and all the lines were ridiculously long. The attraction did take about 30 minutes so it was pretty long for a Haunted House. However, it was mainly fears and electric machines that actually scared you. I think I only saw about 6 people that actually scared you inside the attraction. The part I loved the most was the slide you had to take to get down to the bottom of the building. I also liked the fact that you had to crawl to get to the other side. It made the attraction a lot different than others. The attraction overall was okay. It was designed very nice but it wasn't scary at all.
We also went to Worlds of Fun which is an amusement park. The park was open until midnight and it was literally like an entire haunted house. The entire amusement park had smoke machines to make it seem like fog. Their staff was dressed in Halloween customs and they had spider webs and skulls everywhere. The way the park was set up made the entire experience Halloween creepy and thrilling. On top of that, their roller coasters are super fun. The lines were very short and we were able to ride all the roller coasters twice.
We also went to Worlds of Fun which is an amusement park. The park was open until midnight and it was literally like an entire haunted house. The entire amusement park had smoke machines to make it seem like fog. Their staff was dressed in Halloween customs and they had spider webs and skulls everywhere. The way the park was set up made the entire experience Halloween creepy and thrilling. On top of that, their roller coasters are super fun. The lines were very short and we were able to ride all the roller coasters twice.
Note: The hotel we stayed at was the Harrah’s North Kansas City Hotel & Casino. It was approximately 10 minutes from downtown. It wasn’t my favorite Caesars Entertainment Property, but it was the only Total Rewards Casino in town. However, the employees and dealers at that casino were extremely nice and attentive. Plus being a member gave us a really good deal for our stay. In the past, we’ve stayed at The Westin at Crown Plaza and it was 100 times better. The Westin is also a perfect location!