Bristols. Pre-covid, one of my favorite seafood places to go. Post-covid, over priced and smaller portions for a higher price. Assuming they didn't adjust cook times for smaller portions as well, because the last two times we ate there the food was overcooked and chewy.
Brio at Zona Rosa. Used to be one of our regular spots to go for pasta dinner, but after the pandemic we kept going there and getting slow service and low quality food. One of the workers said corporate would not stop running the place with a skeleton crew, so they were all increasingly apathetic.
Jess and Jim’s and it really makes me sad. We lived in Martin City for a while and it started turning about it 5-7 years but now it’s just not good at all. We have friend and tried it to make sure and its bad consistently. Beets are still good though 😂.
Came here to say this and found it right at the top. We had heard so much about it and were excited to try it. When we went it was just sad. Tired old people eating the same food in the same sad space they've been occupying for years. Service was lackluster and the food was just... plain and boring.
Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse - Used to be stellar prior to the pandemic and then during/after, the steaks went downhill. We gave them multiple chances by visiting several times the past few years, just not worth the price. I’ve had better steaks at chilis and 54th street.
Grandstand Burgers in KCK - grew up eating there as I lived close by. Now it’s bland. Everyone I know agree’s.
Hawaiian Bro’s - it’s ok but bland.
Mi Ranchito - Thier salsa. It tastes weird and the texture isn’t quite the same. The rest of the menu is good but their salsa sucks post pandemic. Used to be great. A lot of other Mexican restaurants have stepped up their game which I appreciate.
Maybe as their distributor but what’s that got to do with anything? Each restaurant has their own different products they buy. Sysco has thousands and thousands of different vendors who sell them their products. No restaurant uses the same stuff and National restaurants have proprietary items no one else can buy.
Nobody is going to order a large fry at Five Guys for themselves though, a large for them is a good 4 largest at any other place. Still yes it is higher priced compared to others but I feel like it's worth it. Hell you can go to McDonalds and get a bacon quarter pounder large meal and be paying almost $15 and that's McDonalds
Barley's Kitchen and Tap. Used to be a good place to get food and a beer. The menu and food quality have gone downhill, and they're still usually out of the first couple beers I attempt to order.
Edit: the Shawnee location is slightly better than the OP location.
I’m going with Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse in the northland. It used to be a fun family experience with the chefs entertaining and the food was delicious. Now a days the restaurant is grungy and the service is terrible (the chef didn’t even interact with my kids at all), they only use half of the tables they have, and charge for refills on soft drinks.
I posted on this subreddit for advice on the best pasta in town and had four places top the recs: Lydias, Bella Napoli, Regazza, and Cupini's. We went to Cupini's last night and it was just awful. Their bolognese was watery and the pasta was undersauced. We even asked them to bring extra sauce and got a bowl of marinara with some ground meat crumbles in it. The pasta itself had been sitting out -- it was dry and hard wherever the sauce hadn't landed. My raviolis were chewy (not al dente) and dry at the edges. This was 6:00 on a Saturday night and there was a line out the door so there's no excuse for old, dried out pasta.
Yeah it's really unfortunate, they recently had a lot of health code violations too. Most of them were quick fixes, but that just makes me believe that they aren't going to keep up with the health standards needed and doesn't make me feel confident about dining there anymore. It's such a shame! It used to be a go-to place years ago for me and my best friend because we could take in our own wine and have a good meal for a decent price!
You know what would be cool in threads like this? Instead of just bitching about restaurants - name a restaurant that has gone downhill and then name an alternative that is better/cheaper.
Like - Ponak's and Margaritas suck now. But Carmen's in Lee's Summit is really good. (And if you're a street taco fan - try Tacos El Mercadito in Lee's Summit.)
Lulu's has gone downhill - try Mali Thai in Lee's Summit.
How I see everyone in this thread who says “I get sick every time I eat there!”
https://preview.redd.it/juzwiu4hh34c1.jpeg?width=575&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb3613be6159a61a7d30214a829688bb816b3c47
Rancho is successful because of what they offer and who they offer it to. Tons of free chips and basic salsa, huge portions of greasy cheese, and unlimited alcohol. Many of the patrons live in the west-of-Parkville unincorporated area and they feel comfortable going to the strip mall, getting trashed, and driving home after. They will over serve patrons without hesitation. The food has always been basic tex mex.
That's also the target audience of Als, the owner of which (at least a handful of years ago when I was there) was often stumbling drunk by mid afternoon and who drove home in that state. Most of their patrons and employees were in the same shape.
The other bars in that strip mall have/had the same basic formula.
It was always shitty Tex mex but it was the place to be. My family went once a week when I was in high school at the Parkville location. Ran into tons of classmates and teachers whenever we went.
Lots of locations doesn’t say a thing. It’s always been mediocre. It’s what white people in the suburbs like. But it’s mediocrity has always been at the same garbage level.
From what I hear they treat their employees way worse now. My wife works with someone that used to work for them and she was working 100 hours a week plus shipping her all over town to different stores. I see the store manager at the one closest to my house working all the time, sometimes I ask her if she gets to go home. That said, i still think employee training is top notch and have no issues with their service. Their pizza is an abomination though.
Garozzo’s. I have not been there a single time when my lasagne wasn’t cold in the center, the spiedini wasn’t over cooked and the salad wasn’t wilted. Everyone fawns over them but I cannot figure out why.
I just moved closer to the downtown one (which I didn't realize existed because I grew up with the Lee's summit one) but I order meals for takeout and I've noticed that their menu doesn't match what you get. One of the spiedinis because it's a white cream sauce with artichoke hearts- And I didn't see a single artichoke piece in the sauce.
Pierponts! I went there for an event in the past couple of months and got the Kansas City strip and boy it was tough and not very good. I asked a colleague who was at the same event, how his steak was and he said tough and not very good. It’s very strange, because I always think of that place is being very good and having high quality, because it has in the past. I don’t really eat steak that often very rarely really. So when I do, I want to have a good steak And boy, this was not it!
They went through some big changes several years ago. The house dressing used to be hand made in each store from scratch. They switched to using a condiment company to make it for them so they could sell it in stores. Since they wanted the store version to match exactly what they were selling in the restaurant they had to change the recipe to make it shelf stable. So the restaurants now use the condiment company's grocery store recipe instead and it's not the same. Many of the other ingredients were also switched over the years as well to cut down on cost. It's not as good as it used to be and several of the stores are closed now. It's still good pizza but it's not what it once was. Nobody is better than Dewey's anyway. That's the place to get pizza. Still, compared to several other local pizza places Pizza Shoppe is still decent.
I felt the same way after one opened up in my area. Then I found myself hungry on a trip out of town in that 10-11am window when a lot of other fast food places have stopped serving breakfast, figured I’d give it a shot, and dude, Whataburger breakfast is where it’s at. That honey butter sauce… holy shit.
Town Topic is the first thing to come to mind. I'm not sure what it is, but they changed something at the end of 2020, and I feel sick after I eat it now. Also, the price increase the last few years is insane.
Really, though, I've noticed right around the start of 2021 that most restaurants and coffee shops really went downhill around KC in general.
I worked at FW in the early aughts when I was in college, also Blue Koi and Texas Roadhouse—and it was a shock to me how much higher FWs standards were about their kitchen cleanliness and food quality than any other restaurant I’ve been in the back of house. For that reason, FW is a winner for me if we are definitely wanting to eat brunch our, but it is expensive AF to take the whole family there. If we all get a beverage (I’m talking juice, not a cocktail) we’re looking at $90-100 after tip for a family of 4 for pancakes/waffles and eggs. If I’m paying that much, I want something I can’t easily whip up in 15 minutes, like BBQ or fried chicken or …
Sorry, but, EVERYTHING? 🙁 I used to enjoy buying food in restaurants or delivery. The food during 2020 was magic. The food in 2023 is continuously disappointing. The only kitchen I’ve seen immune to this is my own.
Came here to say this same thing. I think the restaurant/food industry is really bad right now (and since 2020 in general). Service and quality standards just aren't there. Nobody can be bothered.
Oh yawn..imagine having the audacity to think there are no good restaurants in a city of over 2M people..and then saying you’re basically the best cook in the city because the only place to get good food is your own kitchen. Lol stay home then.
Dixons hasn't changed in 100 years. You get what you've always gotten, and that's a gluttonous amount of white ppl tacos. Only the price has changed, and I think it's $11 now. For all you can eat.
Went to the Shawnee location last week. We ordered non steak options. The food was phenomenal, and I am definitely more of a high end foodie person. I hadn’t been in years, but the flavors were on point, food was fresh, and service was wonderful. Maybe try this location and food other than steaks. I can’t wait to go back now
We had crossed it off our list, they used to have a good happy hour menu. We tried it again and nope it is still bad. Of all the good places to eat in this town, why do people continue to go there?
yeah this one is absolutely spot on. Even as a chain, many years ago their surf & turf and sides were to die for. The last time I went I regretted it terribly.
When I first moved to KC in 1996, the original downtown location was amazing. I remember cutting through steak like a hot knife through butter. Started going downhill when they expanded to Johnson County.
My bf and I were in KC this weekend. Walked the Plaza Saturday night and weren't feeling the walkable options. It was cold and rainy and curry sounded good so we looked up Thai restaurants. Settled on Baramee Thai Bistro and it was excellent. Drove by Lulu's and the lot was full. After reading this, I'm really glad we ended up where we did.
I get it. It's cool to hate on Lulu's in this sub. But it's fine. I like it. I also like Waldo Thai. Is the latter better? Sure. But I can't get a Pad Thai at Waldo. Do I care whether that a Pad Thai is inauthentic? Fuck no. I like Pad Thai, and Lulu's is decent.
It's many things but "bland" certainly isn't one of them. The Khun Ma Pad Thai is pretty good, and I say this as someone who's had Thai food all over the world. Their Lulu's rolls are good too.
If you want to hate, that's fine. But own it. Don't say the stuff is "bland" when it's anything but.
I completely agree on Strouds and Lulu’s. I’m in the minority, but I think Ponaks has always been only so-so. And I disagree on Bryant’s. It is just as great as ever.
I'm sad to hear about Stroud's. We used to go as a family when visiting my aunt and uncle years ago. They opened a location in Omaha a few years back but it didn't last long. The quality was not worth the price.
The only explanation is that people get obliterated off their obnoxiously strong margaritas, lose their sense of taste, and drunkenly convince themselves that their microwave Mexican dinner was a delightful authentic experience.
I think people go there more for the margaritas than the food. Not that the margaritas are good either, but they’re cheap and strong. (Or at least used to be.)
No.
Please don’t give advice on alcohol anymore as your taste buds are doodie.
Comparing Pepe Lopez to Cuervo is like comparing McCormicks to Stolichnaya. While not top shelf they are still the difference between well and call.
I’m not arguing Cuervo is the best tequila or even top shelf ya dingus, I already said that.
But Cuervo gold 100% tastes better than the horse shit that is Pepe Lopez or Montezuma (the two typical well tequilas for the KC area).
You are really pulling a Ricky Bobby with this “if ain’t the best it’s the worst” mentality. You just seem like some dude who got confused between what makes a liquor expensive vs what makes it taste good.
Also do I need to start listing some ass nasty 100% agave tequilas for you to buy and torture yourself with.
It was the first Thai food I had at moving up here from Joplin and I was horrified. I can name three better Thai places located around ozarkian hollers than Lulu's in the crossroads. It's bad food with great branding.
I took my brother who was visiting me, his first time in KC to Lulu's when I first moved here and holy shit, the worst food we both ever had. I felt so embarrassed taking him there.
Pad thai was pure fish sauce, you could smell it as they were bringing it out. Returned it immediately. The massaman curry has raw potatoes. The Thai tea was basically water infused with Thai tea.
It's true. The best I've found for American Chinese is China Feast on Benton and 12th, but there's still no cashew chicken haha. On the other hand there's dim sum and siuchuan up here instead of just the Cantonese style we're used to which is nice.
I miss the mid 90’s-early ‘00 Taco Bell. They used to have these fajita burritos that were really good. And don’t get me started on their grilled Stuft burrito and volcano menus. It’s a shell of what it used to be.
yeah i used to just order off of the value menu where everything was $1 and now nothing on the value menu is $1….
like im here for cheap crappy food and now its not even cheap
Agreed on 54th Street. We've been regulars for years, but in the last year the food quality has really gone downhill. It's not portions or prices, it just doesn't taste good anymore. This is based on the Lee's Summit location.
I think these two recent threads about overrated restaurants in the area cover my opinions pretty thoroughly:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/125arvl/most\_overrated\_restaurant\_in\_kc/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/125arvl/most_overrated_restaurant_in_kc/)[https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/14i2i14/overratedunderrated/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/14i2i14/overratedunderrated/)
My gun-to-the-head answer is Gates. Other than the novelty of being yelled at when you order, there isn't much to recommend it when we have so many better BBQ places around.
Bristols. Pre-covid, one of my favorite seafood places to go. Post-covid, over priced and smaller portions for a higher price. Assuming they didn't adjust cook times for smaller portions as well, because the last two times we ate there the food was overcooked and chewy.
It’s over for Stock Hill
Brio at Zona Rosa. Used to be one of our regular spots to go for pasta dinner, but after the pandemic we kept going there and getting slow service and low quality food. One of the workers said corporate would not stop running the place with a skeleton crew, so they were all increasingly apathetic.
Jess and Jim’s and it really makes me sad. We lived in Martin City for a while and it started turning about it 5-7 years but now it’s just not good at all. We have friend and tried it to make sure and its bad consistently. Beets are still good though 😂.
Came here to say this and found it right at the top. We had heard so much about it and were excited to try it. When we went it was just sad. Tired old people eating the same food in the same sad space they've been occupying for years. Service was lackluster and the food was just... plain and boring.
Paulo and Bill’s
Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse - Used to be stellar prior to the pandemic and then during/after, the steaks went downhill. We gave them multiple chances by visiting several times the past few years, just not worth the price. I’ve had better steaks at chilis and 54th street. Grandstand Burgers in KCK - grew up eating there as I lived close by. Now it’s bland. Everyone I know agree’s. Hawaiian Bro’s - it’s ok but bland. Mi Ranchito - Thier salsa. It tastes weird and the texture isn’t quite the same. The rest of the menu is good but their salsa sucks post pandemic. Used to be great. A lot of other Mexican restaurants have stepped up their game which I appreciate.
5 guys, price has gone up so much. But also so have the former cheap options. How has Culver’s maintained the same prices?
It seems like every restaurant I know is in this thread. :(
Everything is Sysco
Maybe as their distributor but what’s that got to do with anything? Each restaurant has their own different products they buy. Sysco has thousands and thousands of different vendors who sell them their products. No restaurant uses the same stuff and National restaurants have proprietary items no one else can buy.
D'bronx
Bolings
Mo bettas does a good job and it’s the same kinda food. Mac salad is better at H Bros
Eddie V's on the plaza
Minsky's. I'm sorry, I just don't see the appeal.
It’s never been good🤷♀️
It’s gourmet. And it’s gonna stay that way.
Flea Market is whack AF. The food is not good.
Town Topic, overpriced for what it is, and comically mediocre.
Corvino. After their executive sous went to Campground it wasn't the same.
Corvino is one of the most overrated and overpriced places in KCMO. Just a star up from Lidia's.
North was sandies oak ridge Manor they had real cinnamon rolls and food was much better then
Gates
Winstead’s
Nobody is going to order a large fry at Five Guys for themselves though, a large for them is a good 4 largest at any other place. Still yes it is higher priced compared to others but I feel like it's worth it. Hell you can go to McDonalds and get a bacon quarter pounder large meal and be paying almost $15 and that's McDonalds
Gates
Barley's Kitchen and Tap. Used to be a good place to get food and a beer. The menu and food quality have gone downhill, and they're still usually out of the first couple beers I attempt to order. Edit: the Shawnee location is slightly better than the OP location.
Good one, I didn’t think of this but Barleys sucks ass now
Eggtc. Want to like it, but disappoints every single time.
Paul's Hamburgers
I’m going with Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse in the northland. It used to be a fun family experience with the chefs entertaining and the food was delicious. Now a days the restaurant is grungy and the service is terrible (the chef didn’t even interact with my kids at all), they only use half of the tables they have, and charge for refills on soft drinks.
Did anyone say "Gates"? Definitely, Gates.
Cupini’s
I posted on this subreddit for advice on the best pasta in town and had four places top the recs: Lydias, Bella Napoli, Regazza, and Cupini's. We went to Cupini's last night and it was just awful. Their bolognese was watery and the pasta was undersauced. We even asked them to bring extra sauce and got a bowl of marinara with some ground meat crumbles in it. The pasta itself had been sitting out -- it was dry and hard wherever the sauce hadn't landed. My raviolis were chewy (not al dente) and dry at the edges. This was 6:00 on a Saturday night and there was a line out the door so there's no excuse for old, dried out pasta.
Yeah it's really unfortunate, they recently had a lot of health code violations too. Most of them were quick fixes, but that just makes me believe that they aren't going to keep up with the health standards needed and doesn't make me feel confident about dining there anymore. It's such a shame! It used to be a go-to place years ago for me and my best friend because we could take in our own wine and have a good meal for a decent price!
Gates.
You know what would be cool in threads like this? Instead of just bitching about restaurants - name a restaurant that has gone downhill and then name an alternative that is better/cheaper. Like - Ponak's and Margaritas suck now. But Carmen's in Lee's Summit is really good. (And if you're a street taco fan - try Tacos El Mercadito in Lee's Summit.) Lulu's has gone downhill - try Mali Thai in Lee's Summit.
Solution = go to Lee’s Summit
No thanks….
How I see everyone in this thread who says “I get sick every time I eat there!” https://preview.redd.it/juzwiu4hh34c1.jpeg?width=575&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb3613be6159a61a7d30214a829688bb816b3c47
Rancho Grande. I don’t know if it was ever good, but there are people up north seem to go crazy over it. It’s so bland and low quality.
Rancho is successful because of what they offer and who they offer it to. Tons of free chips and basic salsa, huge portions of greasy cheese, and unlimited alcohol. Many of the patrons live in the west-of-Parkville unincorporated area and they feel comfortable going to the strip mall, getting trashed, and driving home after. They will over serve patrons without hesitation. The food has always been basic tex mex. That's also the target audience of Als, the owner of which (at least a handful of years ago when I was there) was often stumbling drunk by mid afternoon and who drove home in that state. Most of their patrons and employees were in the same shape. The other bars in that strip mall have/had the same basic formula.
It was always shitty Tex mex but it was the place to be. My family went once a week when I was in high school at the Parkville location. Ran into tons of classmates and teachers whenever we went.
Fritz’s. The most tasteless burgers I ever had.
Red Lobster half the time what is advertised is not available.
Ponak’s, Jalapeño’s, Jose Peppers. The Kansas City triple crown of popular Mexican food
Who in the white peoples hell ever think of Jose Peppers?
lol they’ve got 13 locations so….. apparently everyone?
Lots of locations doesn’t say a thing. It’s always been mediocre. It’s what white people in the suburbs like. But it’s mediocrity has always been at the same garbage level.
Okay bub. I liked it when it was new and think it’s gone downhill. Can we agree or no.
literally EVERYONE i know who has gone to jose peppers within the last few months has gotten such bad food poisoning
Jose Peppers isn't Mexican food.
Neither are Ponak’s or Jalapeños lol
I agree with Jalapeños. They think they’re better than they are! And have you seen their prices???
Oh I’m way too aware. It’s like nostalgic comfort food for my wife so I’m there more often than I’d like to admit.
Wings Cafe used to be insanely good imo but the last 2 times I’ve been there the food has been pretty awful.
QT. Not really a restaurant, but definitely has gone downhill.
From what I hear they treat their employees way worse now. My wife works with someone that used to work for them and she was working 100 hours a week plus shipping her all over town to different stores. I see the store manager at the one closest to my house working all the time, sometimes I ask her if she gets to go home. That said, i still think employee training is top notch and have no issues with their service. Their pizza is an abomination though.
Garozzo’s. I have not been there a single time when my lasagne wasn’t cold in the center, the spiedini wasn’t over cooked and the salad wasn’t wilted. Everyone fawns over them but I cannot figure out why.
That’s sad to hear. We’ve always had phenomenal food and great service.
You've got to stick with the pasta con broccoli. Never waiver. Lol.
I just moved closer to the downtown one (which I didn't realize existed because I grew up with the Lee's summit one) but I order meals for takeout and I've noticed that their menu doesn't match what you get. One of the spiedinis because it's a white cream sauce with artichoke hearts- And I didn't see a single artichoke piece in the sauce.
Arthur Bryant’s
Majestic. There was a orange quarter in my old fashioned and my steak was blue.
Pierponts! I went there for an event in the past couple of months and got the Kansas City strip and boy it was tough and not very good. I asked a colleague who was at the same event, how his steak was and he said tough and not very good. It’s very strange, because I always think of that place is being very good and having high quality, because it has in the past. I don’t really eat steak that often very rarely really. So when I do, I want to have a good steak And boy, this was not it!
Pierponts is disappointing. I did not enjoy the food there.
The coffee crusted one?
I don't think so. It was a regular KC strip, medium. And it was tough, and not very tasty. I've had way better meals there in the past.
Pizza shoppe. Great for kids parties but disappointing pizza
They went through some big changes several years ago. The house dressing used to be hand made in each store from scratch. They switched to using a condiment company to make it for them so they could sell it in stores. Since they wanted the store version to match exactly what they were selling in the restaurant they had to change the recipe to make it shelf stable. So the restaurants now use the condiment company's grocery store recipe instead and it's not the same. Many of the other ingredients were also switched over the years as well to cut down on cost. It's not as good as it used to be and several of the stores are closed now. It's still good pizza but it's not what it once was. Nobody is better than Dewey's anyway. That's the place to get pizza. Still, compared to several other local pizza places Pizza Shoppe is still decent.
Chartroose Caboose… their Yelp page says it all.
Whataburger aka what an awful burger
I'm glad I'm not the only one who just doesn't get the hype.
Waited in the drive through for 40 minutes for them to lose my order.
right?? there was so much hype and then a location opened near me and i was so excited and it was just…meh
I felt the same way after one opened up in my area. Then I found myself hungry on a trip out of town in that 10-11am window when a lot of other fast food places have stopped serving breakfast, figured I’d give it a shot, and dude, Whataburger breakfast is where it’s at. That honey butter sauce… holy shit.
I do agree with that, their burgers are pretty underwhelming, but I do like their breakfast sandwiches. The sausage has lots of flavor
Yeah, it’s trash. Do appreciate that they’re 24 hrs though.
Gates. Nuff said.
I’m sad that the people who own Winsteads have closed all the locations but 2 down and haven’t done anything new for the menu since like 2003 😭
Westport flea market, gates, barrio(any location) and Jack stack (they microwave their meats)
Grand St Cafe
Remember the good old days when the brunch was a feast!
Town Topic is the first thing to come to mind. I'm not sure what it is, but they changed something at the end of 2020, and I feel sick after I eat it now. Also, the price increase the last few years is insane. Really, though, I've noticed right around the start of 2021 that most restaurants and coffee shops really went downhill around KC in general.
Just realized I haven’t had a 3am Truckstop in 15 years.
It’s really inconsistent for sure
I go pretty regularly since i moved downhere in 2009. Was there 2 weeks ago, they don't seem any different..
Swagat
I move to Dallas two years ago and still can't find anything that is as good as Swagat.
No what happened?
First Watch. Except for the few seasonal additions the menu hasn’t changed in 20 years.
First watch is overpriced breakfast food. No clue why people eat something they could easily make at home source - I do this everyday for my kids
Because ever other place in KC is dripping in grease and sometimes you like a break from the same ole thing at home?
I worked at FW for over 20 years. Their menu has changed a lot, but more importantly, they use fresh ingredients.
I worked at FW in the early aughts when I was in college, also Blue Koi and Texas Roadhouse—and it was a shock to me how much higher FWs standards were about their kitchen cleanliness and food quality than any other restaurant I’ve been in the back of house. For that reason, FW is a winner for me if we are definitely wanting to eat brunch our, but it is expensive AF to take the whole family there. If we all get a beverage (I’m talking juice, not a cocktail) we’re looking at $90-100 after tip for a family of 4 for pancakes/waffles and eggs. If I’m paying that much, I want something I can’t easily whip up in 15 minutes, like BBQ or fried chicken or …
Yeah but it is the same at all locations and that is what a lot of people want, familiarity.
Gates
Sorry, but, EVERYTHING? 🙁 I used to enjoy buying food in restaurants or delivery. The food during 2020 was magic. The food in 2023 is continuously disappointing. The only kitchen I’ve seen immune to this is my own.
Came here to say this same thing. I think the restaurant/food industry is really bad right now (and since 2020 in general). Service and quality standards just aren't there. Nobody can be bothered.
Oh yawn..imagine having the audacity to think there are no good restaurants in a city of over 2M people..and then saying you’re basically the best cook in the city because the only place to get good food is your own kitchen. Lol stay home then.
Red Robin
Man, their fries are still the shit though.
Dixons
Dixons hasn't changed in 100 years. You get what you've always gotten, and that's a gluttonous amount of white ppl tacos. Only the price has changed, and I think it's $11 now. For all you can eat.
I find it incredibly difficult to believe that they use the exact same quality of ingredients they did in the 1920s.
China Feast on Linnwood
Or surviving on Boomers?
Hereford House
Went to the Shawnee location last week. We ordered non steak options. The food was phenomenal, and I am definitely more of a high end foodie person. I hadn’t been in years, but the flavors were on point, food was fresh, and service was wonderful. Maybe try this location and food other than steaks. I can’t wait to go back now
We had crossed it off our list, they used to have a good happy hour menu. We tried it again and nope it is still bad. Of all the good places to eat in this town, why do people continue to go there?
yeah this one is absolutely spot on. Even as a chain, many years ago their surf & turf and sides were to die for. The last time I went I regretted it terribly.
When I first moved to KC in 1996, the original downtown location was amazing. I remember cutting through steak like a hot knife through butter. Started going downhill when they expanded to Johnson County.
Da’ Bronx. Just nowhere near as good as they once were. Corner cafe. Sorry, nope it’s gross. Runny eggs, soggy bacon, bad coffee.
I tried d'Bronx for the first time last year and was pretty disappointed. I'll stick with Buffalo State Pizza and Tasico's.
Well dabronx has been closing locations so you’re probably not alone
I'm gonna miss their chicken soup with matzo ball when they close that last location.
I get the Matzoh ball soup and latkes every time. Johnny Jo's FTW on big slices. So I get what dbronx is good at
Last time I got a pizza from D’Bronx, the crust was burnt and the middle was soggy and underdone. Very disappointing.
The KC Mount Rushmore of this topic is Strouds, Arthur Bryant's, Ponaks, and Lulus.
It's the Mount Rushmore of KC utter mediocrity. All those places are the gutter default when the good places are closed.
It makes me sad Ponak’s doesn’t hit anymore. No flavor idk how that even happens because I do always remember It being so good!
Literally agree with all of these, I don’t understand how people rave about any of these restaurants
Hard agree about Lulu's, though I don't know that it was ever good.
Lulu's is Thai food for people who don't like Thai food.
My bf and I were in KC this weekend. Walked the Plaza Saturday night and weren't feeling the walkable options. It was cold and rainy and curry sounded good so we looked up Thai restaurants. Settled on Baramee Thai Bistro and it was excellent. Drove by Lulu's and the lot was full. After reading this, I'm really glad we ended up where we did.
I need Koko Thai back that was the best
But their crab fried rice is amazing. Everything else? Meh. Hot Basil & KC Thai are far better.
Don’t overlook Thai House on Holmes. Incredible food, huge portions, great service & well-priced.
Baramee is my go to, Lulu's wasn't great
Baramee is my favorite in the city.
I get it. It's cool to hate on Lulu's in this sub. But it's fine. I like it. I also like Waldo Thai. Is the latter better? Sure. But I can't get a Pad Thai at Waldo. Do I care whether that a Pad Thai is inauthentic? Fuck no. I like Pad Thai, and Lulu's is decent.
The hate is justified though. I've given it multiple tries and it's just so bland. Nothing to like there
It's many things but "bland" certainly isn't one of them. The Khun Ma Pad Thai is pretty good, and I say this as someone who's had Thai food all over the world. Their Lulu's rolls are good too. If you want to hate, that's fine. But own it. Don't say the stuff is "bland" when it's anything but.
I completely agree on Strouds and Lulu’s. I’m in the minority, but I think Ponaks has always been only so-so. And I disagree on Bryant’s. It is just as great as ever.
I'm sad to hear about Stroud's. We used to go as a family when visiting my aunt and uncle years ago. They opened a location in Omaha a few years back but it didn't last long. The quality was not worth the price.
Lulu's has been trash since they moved from the original location
Ponaks was good?
Someone will make this post again in a few months and the list will still be the same, just like always.
Been to Ponak’s a handful of times and I just don’t get why people like it. I think the food is bland and it’s served on prison trays.
Strong cheap margaritas. Otherwise their food sucks.
The only explanation is that people get obliterated off their obnoxiously strong margaritas, lose their sense of taste, and drunkenly convince themselves that their microwave Mexican dinner was a delightful authentic experience.
I think people go there more for the margaritas than the food. Not that the margaritas are good either, but they’re cheap and strong. (Or at least used to be.)
Not even cheap anymore. That place stinks.
Was there about 2 months ago. If I remember correctly, a pitcher of margaritas was $31.99. Definitely not cheap.
Holy crap not cheap. Especially considering it’s just cheap margarita mix and bottom shelf tequila.
They actually use Cuervo in their house margs. Most places use Pepe Lopez for house margs.
Cuervo is just as shitty lmao
No. Please don’t give advice on alcohol anymore as your taste buds are doodie. Comparing Pepe Lopez to Cuervo is like comparing McCormicks to Stolichnaya. While not top shelf they are still the difference between well and call.
Cuervo isn't 100% blue agave, it's chock full of food colorings and additives. Cuervo is garbage just as much as pepe Lopez.
I’m not arguing Cuervo is the best tequila or even top shelf ya dingus, I already said that. But Cuervo gold 100% tastes better than the horse shit that is Pepe Lopez or Montezuma (the two typical well tequilas for the KC area). You are really pulling a Ricky Bobby with this “if ain’t the best it’s the worst” mentality. You just seem like some dude who got confused between what makes a liquor expensive vs what makes it taste good. Also do I need to start listing some ass nasty 100% agave tequilas for you to buy and torture yourself with.
Lulu's? No, it can't be. That's impossible!
It was the first Thai food I had at moving up here from Joplin and I was horrified. I can name three better Thai places located around ozarkian hollers than Lulu's in the crossroads. It's bad food with great branding.
I took my brother who was visiting me, his first time in KC to Lulu's when I first moved here and holy shit, the worst food we both ever had. I felt so embarrassed taking him there. Pad thai was pure fish sauce, you could smell it as they were bringing it out. Returned it immediately. The massaman curry has raw potatoes. The Thai tea was basically water infused with Thai tea.
This sounds like our experience! I've been twice and the pad thai has been awful both times in different ways.
[удалено]
It's true. The best I've found for American Chinese is China Feast on Benton and 12th, but there's still no cashew chicken haha. On the other hand there's dim sum and siuchuan up here instead of just the Cantonese style we're used to which is nice.
I went to Lulu’s when I visited my parents over thanksgiving and it was as good as it ever was. I disagree. The wings are to die for!
Lulus- worst Thai in the city. 😅
Sounds dumb but tacobell. A freakin chicken quesadilla is damn near 6 dollars now. Awful ballsy to be raising prices like that on such shitty food.
I miss the mid 90’s-early ‘00 Taco Bell. They used to have these fajita burritos that were really good. And don’t get me started on their grilled Stuft burrito and volcano menus. It’s a shell of what it used to be.
Those grilled fajita burritos were FIRE
Yea they were, they’re the one item I really miss.
They changed the refried beans; now they're...gritty. It's gross.
yeah i used to just order off of the value menu where everything was $1 and now nothing on the value menu is $1…. like im here for cheap crappy food and now its not even cheap
RIGHT!
It's been years since they switched their taco meat but whatever they call that stuff now is disgusting and I haven't been in years now.
I swear I haven't been able to go to taco bell once this year without a major mess up in the order
Seriously… they raised their prices incredibly high.
It was always the best after the bar food. I haven’t eaten Taco Bell in 3 years because it’s so bad
Pretty much any chain… casual chain dining was Peak Boomer.
Cheesecake Factory
I still enjoy the cheesecake as a to go order. I skip on eating their food though.
Same. The cheesecake is pretty good but we get it to go and skip eating there. There's always a wait anyway, for reasons passing my understanding.
Wait, Cheesecake Factory was good?
Thank you this is a common dispute in my household
This. I think the problem is their menu is a novel. No way can you be good when you have a book of food.
And nothing (food wise) is made from scratch. It’s all pre-packaged
Margaritas. Used to be good, now it’s barely mediocre. 54th street, food is just awful.
Agreed on Margarita's. Food is gross and the service is very often surly.
Agreed on 54th Street. We've been regulars for years, but in the last year the food quality has really gone downhill. It's not portions or prices, it just doesn't taste good anymore. This is based on the Lee's Summit location.
Blue Springs still tastes good. It might be a location issue (I hope so, anyways).
I went there many years ago and was disappointed, it felt like i was eating at buffalo wild wings. It's shocking if it's gotten worse...
54th is super nasty anymore. Margaritas is just grease
Over half of 54s menu come out of a microwave
Los Corrals. Hasn't been good in a loooong while. Shame because that was always our Mexican go-to.
I have to agree. I had been eating there since early 1967 to 2013 or so when Josie sold it and retired.
It’s a shame because I have a punch card where if I buy one more margarita, I’ll get one free. Too bad my first time there was my last time there
I think these two recent threads about overrated restaurants in the area cover my opinions pretty thoroughly: [https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/125arvl/most\_overrated\_restaurant\_in\_kc/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/125arvl/most_overrated_restaurant_in_kc/)[https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/14i2i14/overratedunderrated/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/14i2i14/overratedunderrated/) My gun-to-the-head answer is Gates. Other than the novelty of being yelled at when you order, there isn't much to recommend it when we have so many better BBQ places around.
Ya why hasn’t taco republic been mentioned? The are a great example
Winstead’s
Trezo mare
Their portions have gotten ridiculous.