For five seasons in a row, the road to the Super Bowl in the American Football Conference has gone right through Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. In three of those seasons, the Chiefs have emerged victorious from the AFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl and twice, including last February, they’ve hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Only a three-hour flight from either coast, Missouri’s Paris of the Plains has morphed into Footballtown, USA, and will only bolster that metamorphosis when KC hosts the NFL Draft from April 27-29.
Arguably the only marquee event on the NFL calendar that rivals the Super Bowl, the Draft is always a good time and should be better than ever this year following stops in Cleveland (’21) and Las Vegas (’22) after being held remotely via commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement in 2020 due to the pandemic. If you’re considering a trip to Kansas City to join the 25.2 million visitors who travel to the region each year, here’s what should be on your agenda besides watching the Draft (which is free to attend).
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BBQ: Q39
A favorite of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid, who went directly to the restaurant when his team returned to Kansas City after winning Super Bowl LIV and has a meal featuring burnt ends onion straws and mac ‘n’ cheese named after him, Q39 serves elevated Kansas City barbeque that’ll stick to your fingers and stick to your ribs. The brainchild of classically trained chef Rob Magee, Q39 is a relative newcomer to the KC’s BBQ scene, which boasts more than 100 restaurants serving up the city’s signature cuisine, and has won many people over with meats that are butchered, smoked and prepared fresh each day in a family-friendly atmosphere. There are plenty of other options including Jack Stack Barbecue, Arthur Bryant’s and Gates Bar-B-Q. For the legendary Z-Man sandwich (slow-smoked beef brisket and provolone cheese, topped with two crispy onion rings) head to the iconic gas station that Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que calls home.
LISTEN: Green Lady Lounge
Open 365 days a year with a standard cover charge of just $5, the dimly lit Green Lady Lounge has a stage on each of its two floors and is home to a rotating cast of top-notch musicians. A retro cocktail bar offering stiff drinks at good prices, the Green Lady is a television-free zone that encourages patrons to enjoy the music, the atmosphere and their conversations. For a less jazzy vibe, Nighthawk is a basement bar located below the ballroom of the Hotel Kansas City that offers various types of live music, comfort food and a selection of craft beverages.
STAY: Crossroads Hotel
Housed in two reimagined buildings that were originally built in 1911 by Pabst Blue Ribbon and used as a bottling distribution center before behind taken over by Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergrast as office space and a hub for bootlegging liquor during prohibition, the Crossroads is intended to be the intersection of Kansas City’s past and present. Boasting 131 rooms and 2,000 square feet of space devoted to public art and local creators, the property is somewhat of a hotspot for evening activities and has a vibrant lobby bar as well as a scenic rooftop stocked with plenty of food and drink. Featuring exposed brick and plenty of room to breathe, the hotel is close to Union Station and also steps away from the KC Streetcar Route.
VISIT: The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
Take a huge still down memory lane at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, a 40-year institution that is home to the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and a gigantic collection of historic toys and board games. For history buffs interested in the Great War, the National WWI Museum has a number of immersive exhibits, including a recreation of No Man’s Land and a walk-in shell crater. Other cultural opinions include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum.
EAT: Lazia
An upscale Italian concept with a dinner-only menu that boasts fresh pasta as well as seafood, small plates, shareable entrées and out-the-oven pizzas, Lazia is now operating under the watchful eyes of chef Aaron Wells-Morgan. Lazia’s dishes nod to their traditional roots but are spruced up with Missouri-grown ingredients and plenty of care. The mozzarella is pulled tableside in an Instagram-worthy experience that tastes even better than it looks. If high-end Italian isn’t your thing, Town-Topic Hamburgers is a short walk away and serves up patty melts, pork tenderloin and loaded Coney hot dogs 24 hours a day. It gets busy, even late, so call and order ahead if you can.
DRINK: Boulevard Brewing Co.
The largest craft brewer in the Midwest, Boulevard Brewing Co. is fully stocked with all manner of flavorful brews and offers two floors of activities including a massive beer hall, shuffleboard and a gift shop. A little bit further out of town in the East Bottoms, is J. Rieger & Co., a distillery offering tours and a number of areas to enjoy a drink including the Tasting Room, Monogram Lounge and the outdoor Electric Park Garden Bar. For a complete change of pace, the Westport Flea Market is a funky watering hole with more than 40 beers on tap and a full cocktail menu. Boasting a large selection of made-to-order eats including a five-patty burger, the Flea also has pool, shuffleboard and a good selection of vintage video games.
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