50 Best Dog Friendly Restaurants Kansas City

“Hands down my favorite ice cream ever. Staff are warm and welcoming, ice cream is phenomenal, all around a delightful experience! Thank you, High Hopes, for all you do!!! 🍦 🍨 🎉🥰❣️“

“The trains going back and forth were so cool to watch!“

“You know how food always seems to taste better at grandma’s house? Others may prepare the same recipe, but somehow their dishes just won’t taste the same. There’s an important ingredient missing, and that ingredient…family.

That’s the feeling I got when recently dining at Dear Donna. The eatery opened earlier this year in the Columbus Park space formerly occupied by Happy Gillis. And let me tell you, its modest dimensions belie the excellence of its food...and the size of its heart.

Many reviews have rightfully lauded the chef/owners, Johnny and Helen Jo Leach, both 2025 and 2026 James Beard Award semi-finalists. Fortunately for us all, their exquisite culinary gifts have truly “come home” at Dear Donna, finding a niche where their unique personalities, talents and values can genuinely shine. At its heart is a real live “Dear Donna,” the mom and yes, “grand” who has nurtured her family over the years…perhaps not with her cooking, but by providing the emotional anchor that supports everything else.

The food alone will justify your visit. Everything I sampled (pimento kim cheese, white anchovy toasts, roasted salmon, half chicken with fries, bone-in pork chop) easily fell into the “best I’ve ever had” category. But to me, the thing that made it extraordinary is the sense of belonging that permeates Dear Donna’s walls and bursts into the surrounding neighborhood.

There’s no pretense…just warmth and comfort. Several of us came on a Friday night to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday and by the time we left, the entire place had joined us in celebration. Camaraderie spread throughout the place. Strangers started conversations across tables. Slices of Helen Jo’s incomparable birthday cake were shared with every guest compliments of the chefs. Oh what a night!

You may occasionally spot Donna (the restaurant's real-life namesake) on-site, but she does not cook there. But what Dear Donna offered me (and will to you) was a sense of being appreciated and cared for in measure equal to the quality of its food and service. And the chefs will be there, ready to welcome you.

So come as you are. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. Have you eaten?“

“our 2nd time here from South Dakota the smoked turkey was incredible burnt ends you don't even have to chew. and the slaw is unbelievable we ate so much, then got the sampler to bring home a must stop every time we make the 5 hour drive to KC“

“Meddy’s is always great food and equally awesome service. It feels like it should cost way more than what it does. 10/10.“

“My friends and I went to the Hey, Hey Club to do some celebrating!! Our waitress was phenomenal! Thank you for a great night!“

“Excellent tacos“

“Wonderful atmosphere yummy food truck outside. The energy from Iowa State was intoxicating wonderful place.“

“Great Tea! I loved the purple Palmer and the rose Palmer !“

“I never expected to find such a gem scrolling for breakfast on google. Their breakfast menu brings a beautiful blend of culinary fine dining with home style comfort food. The owners are so kind and genuine quick to strike up a conversation. And their house made chai tea is absolutely to die for, I will definitely be back time and time again for that alone. I can’t wait to come back and try their specials!“

“This Cafe has a great vibe. It's a wonderful place to dine in. Today I had the jalapeño Ruben and honey lavender macha. Delicious 🔥💯“

“Great service and delicious healthy food.Thanks Saphyre and Alexa!“

“I stumbled upon this little shop after begging the GPS to find the closest coffee shop on my way to work. Being greeted by a calm, sweet, warm eyed pup and great coffee was just what I needed. I will definitely be making this a regular stop. The coffee is great (I had an iced mud pit) and the biscuits and gravy were the perfect comfy breakfast! Highly recommend checking this place out!“

“Best trivia night ever! Go on Wednesdays“

“Thanks Ian for the great vanilla and caramel latte. The reviews on-line convinced me to try your coffee shop. Now I know why Blip Roasters have so many positive reviews. Your hospitality and lattes are amazing. Next time I’m in town, I’m definitely coming back. Thanks again for everything.“

“Mark Robinson and his team are conclusive and their ability to direct you into which area you can develop is key. They have a keen intuition for where the market is headed and when to makes profits. they are worth listening to. Try the consultation! And never go low in your portfolio even when the Market is in dip or pump.“

“Toasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks , Italian Sausage grinder & meatball grinder all were delicious!!

Enjoy answering trivia questions from the trivia cards they have on the tables, or play a game of tic-tac-toe. Neat little small wooden tic tac toe game set also on the table. And just in case you have a dire life question, ask the 8-ball. It's also on the table.“

“I tried the salted butterscotch. It was delicious.“

“what's not to love??? great atmosphere, amazing food and central location! you MUST check it out:)“

“Our favorite Kansas City Brewery BY FAR. Both the workers, and owner go out of their ways to make it an enjoyable experience for customers. Our favorite bartender is Eric Geanes for so many reasons, but most importantly his humor and willingness to be a good ear to talk to. Can’t wait to go back soon!!:)“

“We ate here last week and the food and service was phenomenal! The food had the best flavor & was so fresh! Very clean restaurant! We will be regulars!“

“Amazing coffee! Will certainly have to return!“

“Tonight we came to Thai Orchid for my birthday and sat in Dylan’s section and he was outstanding! So friendly and attentive. He gave us just enough time without being pushy. Our food was wonderful and fresh. I cannot recommend this location enough. We ordered the soft spring rolls, steamed dumplings, shrimp yellow curry and the shrimp pad Thai. Delicious!“

“McLain's is the best! We use them for catering at my office often and they are always quick to respond, reliable, and work well with our needs! And their food is the best! Highly recommend 😊“

“I have nothing but positive things to say about Taco Rico. Food is fresh and oh so good. Reminds me of being in my grandmas' kitchen. When I say everything is good, I mean EVERYTHING is good. Don't even get me started on the staff!!! They will always have my vote. Yes, sometimes they are closed during their normal business hours, they (family & staff) run business and life happens. Always 5 stars in my book.“

“Great place! Great Beer!“

“I loved all the art and cool decor. I ordered a turkey and ham sandwich ( the wide or something) with fries and a drink. I will be coming back again to try out the breakfast.“

“The food was amazing! We got the meat platter and several different kinds of empanadas and it was ALL delicious! Our waitress was great and even recommended deserts to take home! The deserts were on display and I probably would haven taken one of each but we filled up on our dinner! The atmosphere was fun and we will definitely be going back!!“

“Crows is my favorite coffee house in KC. Live music and all!“

“YUM! Love, love, love the new turkey Swiss croissant sandwich!!!!“

“The BIG CHRISTMAS at the Blue Parkway location was fantastic! Super cute and over the top! Food was great, atmosphere was better and our server, MIA, was the best! Our first time, but we will be back!“

“The owner is the nicest man I've ever met. Other tea just isn't the same anymore, and whenever I run out I make a long drive all the way out just to buy their tea. You can tell how much love and passion he puts into his business. A very kind and caring man who talks with me every time I come in, and remembers his customers. They stopped selling the tangerine blossom tea but he had a little bit left and sold it to me. Made my entire year already, I will treat it like gold and cherish every cup. Couldn't recommend a store more.“

“The guys who took our order and who handed us our coffees were incredibly sweet. Were from out of town and had never had Dutch bros because we dont have one close to us. They gave us our coffees for free since it was our first time!

The coffees are all great we got the Golden Eagle and a mocha with an extra shot of espresso. The eagle was perfectly sweet, and the mocha appropriately bitter (in a good way).

Highly recommend this location. The guys were awesome and helped us find the closest location to our home in case we love it and they were very quick with our order while being incredibly friendly!“

“We had a great experience today with a work group. The service was fantastic and the food was phenomenal.“

“Staff, dinner, wine, and ambiance were all amazing. Great NYE dinner! The scallops were cooked perfectly! Highly recommend to all!“

“Perfectly and freshly prepared menu items that just called on Spain! Absolutely delicious, charming surroundings and immaculate service. Luke and Megan made La Bodega totally memorable with their charm and polite kindness⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“They had a nice variety of beers from different breweries. The service was good and the food was good. We spent a little over $50 on food and beer for 2 people, they’d not bad at all. There was no parking available in their side and back parking lot. We ended up parking on the street. However they do validate your parking spot if you find a spot to park in their parking lot. They have a ramp which is handicap accessible.“

“I had the greek salad here, and it was one of the best salads I've ever had, like, in my LIFE! You get a ton of food, and it's got fresh klamata olives, cucumbers, feta, everything popped! And the pita chips are actually fresh pita bread that's toasted in-house, so you can make your own little gyros if you want.

An additional staff member that wasn't even our server also brought me the greatest hot sauce to try out on the side! Everyone is super nice here and the food is always awesome. Definitely coming back and recommending.“

“Absolutely Delicious! Accommodated our whole party of 10, the food and drinks were fabulous!“

“I'm a home brewer, and we travel alot. One of the things we do when we travel is check out the local breweries wherever we go, so we have been to ALOT. I would rank KC Bier Company among the best. Outstanding Beer.“

“Great prices, deals and friendly staff. Love the new vibes.“

“Excellent food, service and presentation Five stars!“

“Wow!! Such an incredible date night!! The warm sweet potato rolls were Perfection!! The old fashioned & the Strawberry bellini were delicious!! We ordered the duck & steak! Both grilled perfectly!! The duck had heirloom carrots with hazelnuts. The steak was served with beef fat potatoes! Seriously Delicious!! We took home a piece of the chocolate ganache cake. Can't wait to enjoy it later!! Everyone was so genuinely friendly & welcoming!!! This place is impeccably decorated!! It's Gorgeous!! Beautiful flowers too!! It's a truly a delight for all your senses!! Highly recommend!! Thank you so much for an Outstanding experience!!!“

“Great food and service! You definitely need to try the stuffed French toast.“

“Did a tour with Chuck today and let me just tell you, she was AMAZING! She had so much knowledge not only about the coffee but all the fun history about where it originated. Chuck had fun facts and was able to answer every question that came to mind. Can’t wait to come back and visit again!“

“My daughter vegan and myself non vegan enjoyed this restaurant equally. Amazing food and service. I can’t wait to return 💞“

“This is seriously good pizza! The flavors, the crust, the ladies that run it. All amazing!“

“Good food, good price, great service“

“Amazing homemade ice cream and waffle cones! We were very impressed and will be back.“

“Our favorite! You won’t be disappointed!“