Not all that clean, older furniture and decor, but this place knows what it is and doesn't back down from that. The menu reflects well the sort of place Grinders is. Just have a look at some of the names of their food. While they boast their pizza on the sigh out front, I was not in the mood for a pie, funky or otherwise. But the JAX Ruben got my attention. Went to order it and was told it came with chips, or I could upgrade to fries or tots. Given neither would pass my doctors 'sniff-test' I asked if there were other options. They offered up a side salad and thus, I don't have to do any Hail Mary's in my doctors waiting room. The Ruben was great: well marbled rye, lots of pastrami cut ice and thin, a great dressing and a jalapeno cole slaw that kicked things up nicely. If I ever found myself here with a group, I would push for a pizza because the place smelled great. But again, nothing fancy here at all. A dive in every, good sense.
Tracy F.
WoW. And not in a good way. Service still amazing food not like it used to be. Sad, this has always been our go to dive. It was fun while it lasted. Bye Grinders.
RussellBr54
We were in town for a concert at Grinders KC (Bluegrass in the Bottoms 2021) Grinders KC is an outdoor concert venue out the back door of Grinders pizza/pub and it only seemed logical to eat a Grinders pizza. The staff was friendly, helpful, and fun, pizza was yummy and came out fast. Lots of great local/craft beer choices and cocktails. If you are in the downtown KC area and are hungry for pizza or need to cool off with a yummy brew Grinders is the place to go.
Rachel H.
Food was pretty decent with an average wait time, but all of our 10 person party agreed that what was really lacking and tainting our experience was the service. Our server never forgot anything, and it wasn't an unreasonable wait between requests, but she never smiled and we consistently felt like an annoyance to her. It's too bad too, because Grinders has such character, history and a great back patio too - there is a lot to love! Definitely a potential fir a higher rating in the future!
794Liz
We didn't have pizza here. They have other interesting things on their menu. I got a Cali BLT with an egg on it. They have tater tots that are cooked perfectly. One interesting thing they have here is extremely hot, hot sauce. The server went and got a dollop of sauce for us to try. She put literal toothpicks in the sauce for us to try. I am not kidding you. It was beyond hot. Beware. I barely touched the toothpick to my tongue and it was on fire.
521chade
If you think Grinders is anything in the same world as NYC pizza, you're a farm raised, redneck, small town KC unknowledgeable wanna be. KC first of all is a basic little midwest town so, all y'all little small town little wannabes who come from KU, MU, KSU, etc thinking you're some big city now, y'all need a dose of reality. KC is nothing, period. Ya'll got a good NFL team but, that's it. And, this Grinders is a perfect example of a total wannabe pretender disgrace of reality. The pizza sucks! Isn't anything close to NY style. Waste of money!
Julia Near and Far
Great artistic atmosphere at Grinders West. The classic philly was great and the tots were crispy delicious.
pattie1113
After drinking beers, bourbon, gin and vodka.....this was a MUCH needed stop. We gobbled up the margarita pizza here. It’s was sooooo good. Highly recommend. Would love to stop again on our next trip.
Brenna P.
I have always loved almost everything at Grinder's. Whether it be pizza, sandwiches, or just drinks in general. I hadn't dined in there in awhile given the pandemic and all, but decided to eat there one Friday night. We had fast service and I decided to get the veggie Philly and tots. The Philly is always good and I loaded it up with jalapeños to make it spicy. The tots came out hot but super salty so they were just kinda meh. That being said, Grinder's west still has a great beer selection and it's worth a dine in if you're feeling up for it.
tportergolf
This is my favorite pizza place in KC. Authentic style and unique combinations. Personally I design my own pizza everytime and they are the best.
We have been going to Grinders for years. This location has gone down in quality each year. My pizza was not brought to me until the entire table was done eating their meal. We were over charged on two things. The sandwich was good but is much smaller than it used to be but also more expensive. My tiny margarita in small plastic cup was $7 and I do not think it had a drop of tequila. My husband's same small size beers were right at $6 each. At least at their Lenexa location their beers are a full pint. The pizza remains very good though. Overall a very disappointing visit.
Hutchison10
Had to check it out after seeing it on DDD. I got the stretch philly with cheese wiz, and my wife got a panini. Both were awesome, no need to reserve a spot they move fast and it’s more along the lines of a sandwich shop or taco shop style set up. Look at the menu, go up to the counter and order, they bring it out to you. Food was excellent, affordable and cool since it was on tv.
JaJo338
Pizza was good and the Jax Reuben was stellar!! Will def be a regular stop when I come through town. Atmosphere was fun as well.
ksufan88
I have wanted to eat here for several years since it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Inside seating is limited due to COVID-19, but there is a large amount of outdoor seating behind the restaurant (with some of it being shaded). There is even a window to order from while you are outside. My wife and I ordered a build your own (regular house size) pizza with Canadian bacon, beef, and mushrooms. We added the “bomb” feature of tater tots, chili, nacho cheese and green onions which is an extra $3.99. The pizza was just average with the best parts being the outside crispy section of the crust, the mushrooms and the tater tots. The crust for the center half of the pizza was soggy and unappetizing.
Not all that clean, older furniture and decor, but this place knows what it is and doesn't back down from that. The menu reflects well the sort of place Grinders is. Just have a look at some of the names of their food. While they boast their pizza on the sigh out front, I was not in the mood for a pie, funky or otherwise. But the JAX Ruben got my attention. Went to order it and was told it came with chips, or I could upgrade to fries or tots. Given neither would pass my doctors 'sniff-test' I asked if there were other options. They offered up a side salad and thus, I don't have to do any Hail Mary's in my doctors waiting room. The Ruben was great: well marbled rye, lots of pastrami cut ice and thin, a great dressing and a jalapeno cole slaw that kicked things up nicely. If I ever found myself here with a group, I would push for a pizza because the place smelled great. But again, nothing fancy here at all. A dive in every, good sense.
WoW. And not in a good way. Service still amazing food not like it used to be. Sad, this has always been our go to dive. It was fun while it lasted. Bye Grinders.
We were in town for a concert at Grinders KC (Bluegrass in the Bottoms 2021) Grinders KC is an outdoor concert venue out the back door of Grinders pizza/pub and it only seemed logical to eat a Grinders pizza. The staff was friendly, helpful, and fun, pizza was yummy and came out fast. Lots of great local/craft beer choices and cocktails. If you are in the downtown KC area and are hungry for pizza or need to cool off with a yummy brew Grinders is the place to go.
Food was pretty decent with an average wait time, but all of our 10 person party agreed that what was really lacking and tainting our experience was the service. Our server never forgot anything, and it wasn't an unreasonable wait between requests, but she never smiled and we consistently felt like an annoyance to her. It's too bad too, because Grinders has such character, history and a great back patio too - there is a lot to love! Definitely a potential fir a higher rating in the future!
We didn't have pizza here. They have other interesting things on their menu. I got a Cali BLT with an egg on it. They have tater tots that are cooked perfectly. One interesting thing they have here is extremely hot, hot sauce. The server went and got a dollop of sauce for us to try. She put literal toothpicks in the sauce for us to try. I am not kidding you. It was beyond hot. Beware. I barely touched the toothpick to my tongue and it was on fire.
If you think Grinders is anything in the same world as NYC pizza, you're a farm raised, redneck, small town KC unknowledgeable wanna be. KC first of all is a basic little midwest town so, all y'all little small town little wannabes who come from KU, MU, KSU, etc thinking you're some big city now, y'all need a dose of reality. KC is nothing, period. Ya'll got a good NFL team but, that's it. And, this Grinders is a perfect example of a total wannabe pretender disgrace of reality. The pizza sucks! Isn't anything close to NY style. Waste of money!
Great artistic atmosphere at Grinders West. The classic philly was great and the tots were crispy delicious.
After drinking beers, bourbon, gin and vodka.....this was a MUCH needed stop. We gobbled up the margarita pizza here. It’s was sooooo good. Highly recommend. Would love to stop again on our next trip.
I have always loved almost everything at Grinder's. Whether it be pizza, sandwiches, or just drinks in general. I hadn't dined in there in awhile given the pandemic and all, but decided to eat there one Friday night. We had fast service and I decided to get the veggie Philly and tots. The Philly is always good and I loaded it up with jalapeños to make it spicy. The tots came out hot but super salty so they were just kinda meh. That being said, Grinder's west still has a great beer selection and it's worth a dine in if you're feeling up for it.
This is my favorite pizza place in KC. Authentic style and unique combinations. Personally I design my own pizza everytime and they are the best.
Restaurantji Recommends
Super awesome food!!! Great location!!!
We have been going to Grinders for years. This location has gone down in quality each year. My pizza was not brought to me until the entire table was done eating their meal. We were over charged on two things. The sandwich was good but is much smaller than it used to be but also more expensive. My tiny margarita in small plastic cup was $7 and I do not think it had a drop of tequila. My husband's same small size beers were right at $6 each. At least at their Lenexa location their beers are a full pint. The pizza remains very good though. Overall a very disappointing visit.
Had to check it out after seeing it on DDD. I got the stretch philly with cheese wiz, and my wife got a panini. Both were awesome, no need to reserve a spot they move fast and it’s more along the lines of a sandwich shop or taco shop style set up. Look at the menu, go up to the counter and order, they bring it out to you. Food was excellent, affordable and cool since it was on tv.
Pizza was good and the Jax Reuben was stellar!! Will def be a regular stop when I come through town. Atmosphere was fun as well.
I have wanted to eat here for several years since it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Inside seating is limited due to COVID-19, but there is a large amount of outdoor seating behind the restaurant (with some of it being shaded). There is even a window to order from while you are outside. My wife and I ordered a build your own (regular house size) pizza with Canadian bacon, beef, and mushrooms. We added the “bomb” feature of tater tots, chili, nacho cheese and green onions which is an extra $3.99. The pizza was just average with the best parts being the outside crispy section of the crust, the mushrooms and the tater tots. The crust for the center half of the pizza was soggy and unappetizing.