We start with BBQ, of course. And our KC fans want to start with the one that’s also a gas station - Joe’s. The most recommended of the KC BBQ masterpieces has been at its iconic gas station location on the Kansas side of the city since 1996. Yes, the gas station is operational, but that’s not why you’re going. You go for the brisket, slow-cooked using Missouri white oak for a signature smoke flavor. You go for that brisket on a kaiser roll with smoked provolone and crispy onion rings -  the famous Z-Man sandwich. You go for the burnt ends, the sides, the ribs…the full BBQ experience. Check out an icon while you’re in KC.

Fans Recommend: The Z-Man sandwich. Burnt ends. Ribs.

KC BBQ contains multitudes, and our fans’ second favorite multitude is the elevated experience of Q39. The sit-down, chef-driven counterpoint to your traditional wait-in-line, smoke-em-if-you-got-em BBQ. An open scratch kitchen, sliced-to-order brisket, wood-fired grill, craft cocktails, cloth napkins. It’s a completely different way to do BBQ, but the foundation remains the same - it is true Kansas City BBQ, and it is very special. They do the traditional stuff as good as anyone, but the menu also goes crazy deep: reubens, wings, chili, salmon, burnt-end burgers, a KC cheesesteak. All of it deadly. And they’re open til 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays - unusual for BBQ this good.

Fans Recommend: Burnt ends. Burnt-end burger. Onion straws. Wings.

We close out our KC BBQ treble with one of the OGs - Arthur Bryant’s. Our KC fans gave you the BBQ present, they gave you the BBQ future, and now they give you the vaunted BBQ past. The lineage here traces back to a fella selling meat from a trolley barn in 1908. Arthur Bryant took over in 1946, moved to the current location in 1958, and renamed it after himself. In 1974, Calvin Trillin wrote in Playboy that "the single best restaurant in the world is Arthur Bryant's." Multiple Presidents have eaten here. Legend has it that this is where burnt ends started. If you’re looking for "grease house" BBQ - Formica tables, paper plates, meat on Wonder Bread - this is your spot.

Fans Recommend: Burnt ends. Beef sandwich. The Rich & Spicy sauce.

We keep the KC icons rolling with a pivot to breakfast - Mildred’s. Our fans’ most recommended option for your most important meal of the day in KC. A “ma & pa” shop that decided to innovate on the classic breakfast sandwich and became a legend. They’ve been steaming their eggs with an espresso machine wand instead of a pan for over 30 years, producing eggs so light and a sandwich so good you’ll wonder why no one else does it. The Food Network named it the best in Missouri. The whole breakfast menu is elite, the coffee is some of the best in the city, the cinnamon rolls were mentioned specifically. Hit any of the three city locations.

Fans Recommend: The Standard breakfast sandwich on whatever bread you want.

You’ve got your breakfast move and now you’ve got your brunch move. Succotash. It’s KC’s eccentric take on hearty American brunch - From french toasts to massive pancakes to bronuts…which, yes, means brownie donuts. You’ve got traditional stuff and you’ve got weird off-the-wall stuff that combos for a uniquely delicious brunch experience. Locals are obsessed with the place. It’s been named one of the best coffee spots in the city, and they just opened a new location, so you’ll have a much easier time getting in. The most rec’d brunch in KC, and for very good reason.

Fans Recommend: Pancakes. Biscuits and gravy.

There is no higher endorsement for food, and especially food in KC, than the following…this is one of the Chiefs head coach (and noted food enthusiast) Andy Reid’s favorite places. Our fans also happen to love this little hamburger diner that opened in 1937 and hasn’t changed a whole lot since. Counter seats, griddled burgers with grilled onions on a steamed bun, hand-dipped malts, homemade chili, and lots of pie. Hits all the classic diner beats. The Broadway location in the Crossroads is open 24/7 — the only one in Kansas City that never closes. Your spot for late night, early morning, and everything in between.

Fans Recommend: Burgers. The Truck Stop.

When Austria comes to Kansas City for their match on June 27th, they’ll definitely have somewhere to eat. One of the best international restaurants in KC is its only Austrian one — Grünauer. Siblings Nicholas and Elisabeth Grünauer opened this spot in 2010 inside the historic Freight House, intro’ing KC to authentic Austrian family recipes from their father's 3rd-generation Gasthaus in Vienna. Wiener schnitzel, beef goulash, apple strudel, spaetzle, and of course an awesome biergarten. One of the cooler culinary connections in our entire survey, we’re sure Grünauer is going to be buzzing all summer.

Fans Recommend: Schnitzel.

Our fans stay international with one of their next favorites — the Palestinian-American deli and bakery Baba’s Pantry. What started as a family-run hummus operation in KC grocery stores in the early 2000s turned into a community-funded restaurant in 2021. A year later, it earned a spot on Bon Appétit Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the Country list. It’s that legit. The tiny shop on 63rd Street is stacked with Palestinian pantry goods, and, as you told us, “some of the most elite Palestinian food in the country”. Next door, Baba's Bakery serves baklava, knafeh, and authentic pastries on Saturdays.

Fans Recommend: Chicken shawarma wrap with torshi. Falafel. Fries.

Our KC’ers favorite tacos? Tacos Valentina in the Crossroads. A taqueria and molino operating out of Torn Label Brewing. The “molino” part means they make their own masa, which turns into - in our fans’ opinion - the best tortillas in KC. It’s milled fresh daily with imported Mexican heirloom corn from Oaxaca and Estado de Mexico. That sets up a no-skips menu that goes from botanas to churros. The best authentic Mexican in KC…and it just so happens to be surrounded by cervezas.

Fans Recommend: Suadero taco. Ribeye taco. Tortillas.

There was enough hype for the authentic Mexican in KC for our fans to include two spots - the other being the Westside corner grocer turned restaurant Los Alamos. Piñatas hanging from the ceiling and Jarritos in the fridge, this is an abuela’s-kitchen Mexican joint. It’s counter-style, with 14 slow-cooked authentic dishes made fresh daily - barbacoa, chile relleno, carnitas, pozole, tamales. It also got named as the best place for breakfast in KC by multiple fans. An authentic KC hidden gem. Jogo bonito.

Fans Recommend: Green pork. Spicy red pork. Barbacoa.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, KC food can kind of do it all. Enter some of the best classic pan-fried chicken in the country to the mix - Stroud’s. Started in 1933 as a BBQ shack on the county line in North KC, they switched to 35-cent pan-fried chicken during World War II and never looked back. In 1977 two bartenders bought the place and inherited the recipes, and in 1983 they bought an old 1840s log cabin to put it in: the Oak Ridge Manor. Everything is served family-style - cast-iron skillets of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans with ham, chicken gravy. Everything you’d want from comfort food in a log cabin. A James Beard American Classic for a reason.

Fans Recommend: Fried chicken dinner.

We’re adding an extra to our KC XI that either belongs in every category on our list or in a category of its own - the legend known simply as the Peanut. It got rec’d as the best dive bar in KC. It got rec’d as the best place to pregame in KC. It got rec’d as the best soccer bar in KC. It got rec’d as the best place to eat in KC. They call themselves “KC’s oldest bar and grill” - the original on Main Street near the Plaza opened in 1933, and they’ve also got a second location downtown. This was one of our KC fans most recommended places in general. And we buried the lede slightly — they probably have the best wings in the city. As you’ll see from our chosen quote, that may be an undersell.

Fans Recommend: Buffalo wings. BLT.

There are a slew of great watering holes in KC, and our fans started with “the crown jewel of River Market” - Harry’s Country Club. A 1940s-style country roadhouse bar with a giant green awning - pretty much the perfect opposite of a country club. Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard on the jukebox, a long mahogany bar, walls covered in outlaw-country swag. One of the largest whiskey and beer selections in the city. Outdoor patio, live music, cheese curds. A classic Midwestern boozer.

Fans Recommend: Cheese curds.

The gem of the Crossroads, the bar with the unmarked door that has a Wolverine mural painted over it, one of our local’s most passionate recommendations - Jim’s Alley Bar. As the name quite literally describes, it’s located in Art Alley in the East Crossroads, one of our fans’ favorite neighborhoods in town (see below). The small, 36-seat spot has exposed brick and leather booths and parquet floors - the kind of intimate, classy, classic vibes you want in a hidden bar. Draft cocktails, yard beers served in a koozie, and throw in some of the best bar food in KC. Your literal hole in the wall.

Fans Recommend: Any of the sandwiches.

There is a top-tier craft brewery culture in KC. Of the three spots that made our fans’ list, we’re hitting the underrated favorite first - Alma Mader. A brewer-owned and operated KC original that started in 2019, they specialize in hop-forward ales and lagers rounded out with a couple serious barrel-aged stouts. The taproom, tasting room, and patio are on the Westside on Southwest Boulevard, open til 8pm. You’ll find Alma Mader brews at places throughout the city - some on this very list - but their best stuff is exclusively on location. If you’re as serious about your beer as they are, this is your under-the-radar KC brewery to hit.

Fans Recommend: Gravel Beach Czech pilsner. Barrel-aged releases.

Kansas City has some vibes, but maybe none more refined than Green Lady Lounge, a low-lit, red-accented 365-nights-a-year jazz club and cocktail lounge. It’s got the high-level cocktails and leather-backed booths and chairs you want in classy vintage lounge - but it still doesn’t take itself too seriously. Live music on two stages seven nights a week, with two Hammond organs, a baby grand piano, and exclusively original compositions by local musicians. It’s a great place to chill, it’s a great place to listen…and it’s also a great place to drink — the Lounge stays open until 3am. Charlie Parker would approve.

Fans Recommend: Espresso martini.

The fans made sure we got some KC coffee in the mix, especially since KC has an elite soccer/coffee crossover, Pitchside Coffee. Started as a mobile coffee trailer in 2024 by six KC Current players — Kristen Hamilton, Elizabeth Ball, Hailie Mace, Vanessa DiBernardo, Mallory Weber, and Desiree Scott — their first pop-up drew a line of 200 people…so a year later they opened a permanent 5,000 sq foot cafe on Grand Boulevard in the Crossroads. They roast their own coffee in-house, serve house-made syrups and custom espresso drinks, and regularly show soccer inside. It’s also the first player-owned vendor to be permanently featured inside an NWSL venue — they operate a trailer at CPKC Stadium on Current match days.

Fans Recommend: Game Day Grind latte. Breakfast burrito.

Not only one of the best breweries in KC, but also maybe the best soccer bar - Strange Days Brewing. Opened and run by self-proclaimed “soccer dorks” in 2018, Strange Days became KC's premier soccer taproom almost immediately. Our fans agree: it was our most recommended place to WATCH. It’s an all-clubs-welcome spot, but with one of the owners being a Tottenham fan, it's officially the home of the KC Spurs. Rotating, globally-inspired craft beers on tap, soccer scarves hanging above the bar, vintage TVs on the back wall, and a great outdoor space…this is THE spot for a summer of global football in KC.

A 70s-inspired neighborhood cocktail bar that also happens to be one of the best soccer bars in KC, the people were sure to put Varsity Club on the list. Opened in 2024 in the basement of a building in River Market, this place has tiered seating, cream-colored banquettes, craft cocktails, live music, and a genuine party all the time. It’s a club-themed vintage bar that just so happened to be built to watch sports - specifically soccer. Add in a signature drink called the Bangarang and the Disco Burger food truck parked on the patio out front and this place has a pretty good argument for being your go-to for the games this summer.

Boulevard has been Kansas City's hometown brewery since 1989. Across from the brewery on the Westside, their Tours & Rec Center Beer Hall has always been a hoot…and now the ante has been upped. Specifically for summer 2026, Boulevard is building Boulevard Yard, a new second-story outdoor deck and watch space that more than triples the existing patio footprint. Skyline views, large-screen TVs, an indoor/outdoor bar — all fully operational before the city’s first hosted match on June 16. A shrine to the gods of soccer and beer and freedom and justice, built just in time for all visitors to worship at during the greatest tournament sport has ever seen. Hallelujah. Amen.

KC’s official home of women’s sports and one of your favorite local spots is the Dub. Opened just last October, the Dub is Kansas City's first bar dedicated specifically to women's sports and a new entry into one of the best gameday vibes in the city. And of course it’s home to all KC Current supporters. Our fans love the space and the location - it’s got namechecked a bunch as a great place to pregame a match. It’s right on the KC streetcar line, which you can take to the official Fan Fest and then get a bus to the stadium.

“Every city has a place where the elite gather for witty conversation over trendy cocktails. In Kansas City that place is definitely not Kelly’s.” The humble satire of Kelly’s, a KC spot that could firmly be in DRINK, but for our purposes this summer it shall be a place to WATCH. This iconic dive is housed in the oldest building in the city - constructed in 1851 - and is one of its longest-running bars, with a liquor license dating to 1934. Randal Kelly, an Irish immigrant to KC, started tending bar here in 1947 and never left. His name went on the door in 1977. Now run by his grandchildren, Kelly’s has tons of screens, live music, a rooftop deck, cheap drinks, pizza by the slice, and a crowd that spans every age and walk of life. A great spot to pregame. A great spot to stay and watch the game. And probably THE spot to postgame.

Our fans overwhelming choice for the KC neighborhood to wander through. The Crossroads is a neighborhood that built itself around art. In the early 1990s, a Kansas City Art Institute professor moved his studio into a cluster of abandoned warehouses south of downtown, and others soon followed. Today the Crossroads is Kansas City's cultural heartbeat: 20 walkable blocks of galleries, murals, chef-driven restaurants, breweries, speakeasies, live music venues, and design studios housed in converted industrial buildings. We’ve already talked about seven of the neighborhood’s hotspots in our list. Two KC Streetcar stops serve the area.

The single most mentioned KC attraction in our entire survey - more than any restaurant, bar, or neighborhood. Designated by Congress as America's official WWI Museum and Memorial, this Midtown icon opened in 1926 atop a hill overlooking Union Station after 83,000 KC natives raised $2.5 million in under two weeks to make it happen. You enter the museum across a glass bridge above a field of 9,000 red poppies, each representing 1,000 combatant deaths. The museum’s collection is the largest and most diverse in the world. Climb the Liberty Memorial Tower for one of the best unobstructed views of the Kansas City skyline - tickets are $6, or $3 if added to a museum combo. Open Wednesday through Monday, 10am–5pm.

Founded in 1990 in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, the hub of Kansas City's African American cultural life during the first half of the 20th century. The only museum in the world dedicated to preserving the history of Black baseball and its role in the broader story of civil rights in America. The centerpiece is the Field of Legends: a mock baseball diamond with ten life-sized bronze sculptures of Negro Leagues greats, positioned mid-game - Satchel Paige on the mound, Martín Dihigo at the plate, Josh Gibson at catcher. Jackie Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs before breaking baseball's color barrier in 1947 - this is where that story begins. Admission is $10. Closed Mondays. Shares a building with the American Jazz Museum next door.

One bookstore stood out amongst our fans’ suggestions, and that’s the 39th Street independent legend Prospero’s Books. It’s been here since 1997, opening on the same day as the iconic anniversary of Paris’ famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore’s opening. That’s intentional, as is the moniker - Propsero is the name Shakespeare gave to the magician from “The Tempest” who derived his powers from books. And that is the service they provide. Three floors, 70 categories of 50,000 books, vinyls, CDs, and film, in an OG Kansas City building built in 1890. The kind of bookstore with books left outside 24 hours a day for after-hours passersby.

The other independent KC shop locals overwhelmingly championed was Mills Records in the heart of Westport. Your classic, neighborhood record shop, with good vibes, a great staff, and all the music you could possibly want. Vinyl is the specialty here - the selection is famous, from new releases to must-have reissues, rarities, box sets, and bargain gems in their $3/$4/$5 section. It’s been voted best record store in Kansas City ten years running. They pride themselves on being just as great for first-timers as for lifelong crate-diggers. Regular in-store listening parties, local artist releases, and a shop dog named Conway Twitty who naps under the stacks.