From shady trails to dog treats, these KC spots have exactly what we’re looking for
Sometimes, the thing that we love most about our favorite haunts — the great time you’ve had there with friends, the dessert deals or the friendly staff — isn’t something you’ll find advertised on a business’s website or touted in its Yelp reviews.
But you know who does know and love those little things? Locals like us — and you.
That’s why The Star has started sharing KC Best Bets, short lists of the things we like to do and the places we like to go around town that fulfill a need each of us has.
The former co-leader of a KC walking group tells you where to take a hike — an easy, shaded one that’s good for chatting with friends. A matcha connoisseur picks out the best shops for the latte version of the green, Japanese-inspired drink.
A dog lover highlights her favorite places to take your furry friend for a fun time for them and you. An aspirational trivia buff shares where he has tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to win a round of bar trivia.
But we want these recommendations to be a group effort, so please weigh in. Tell us your go-to for any of the categories, or any other local needs we should write about. Send it all to the service journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
Walking trails
If you brave the Kansas City summer heat, you can actually have a nice time on one of the city’s walking trails.
I love to get outside by taking a stroll. Not only is it free, but also you can bring your dogs, friends or kids along.
As a former leader of a Midtown-based walking group, I have tried out many of Kansas City’s paths.
When picking a place for the group to explore, I had some priorities. I prefer trails that are easy to navigate, not too physically intense and covered in trees — for the shade and natural beauty.
While they don’t all check every single box, these four trails have kept me coming back.
Before you go, check some trails’ conditions on the Urban Trail Co. website to make sure they are not too slippery or washed out from rain.
If you like flat, shaded walking, Line Creek Trail is the spot for you. Cyclists love this wide, paved trail, located north of the river. The 8-mile path follows Line Creek, and you’ll encounter waterfalls on your trip.
Bonus: I like starting my walk near the Kansas City Northern Railroad, where a miniature train takes kids on rides during the weekends in the warmer months.
You can find hiking trails in the center of Midtown at Roanoke Park.
Step off the sidewalks in this 37-acre park and take to the dirt trails that hug the hills of the Volker and Roanoke neighborhoods. With limestone outcroppings and thick woods, you’ll forget you’re in the city. But the cries of children might bring you back.
While you’re in Roanoke Park, admire the impressive rope playground and catch a game of pickleball or dodgeball at the tennis courts.
Bonus: Look at the historic houses nearby, and get some sustenance at the many restaurants on nearby 39th Street.
Charming names are only the start of the fun at Hidden Valley Park Trail. Located near Worlds of Fun, the three unpaved paths are named Cool Ranch, Bleu Cheese and Zesty.
With 4 miles of trails, you can hike for a while or opt for a shorter loop. The Kansas City Parks Department said the trail has a “remote feel,” and I agree.
While not technically a walking trail, the Nelson-Atkins Museum’s Donald J. Hall Sculpture Garden offers many alcoves to explore.
Climb to the plant-covered roof of the Bloch Building, get lost in the Glass Labyrinth and count the wedding photographers in the beautifully shaded southwest promenade.
Bonus: Check out art at the free museum or walk to the nearby Plaza.
— Eleanor Nash
Matcha lattes
From the Japanese Garden in Loose Park to the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival, Japanese cultural influences are ubiquitous in Kansas City.
But one of my favorite Japanese imports is a delicious drink that’s had a meteoric rise in the metro: the matcha latte.
Once an obscure ingredient in the U.S, matcha has become a coffee shop staple in recent years. The bright green powder, made from finely ground green tea leaves, has a slightly bitter flavor on its own. But when paired with a milk and sweetener of your choice, it creates a delicious drink with just enough caffeine to get you moving.
You can find matcha lattes on the menu in almost every coffee shop in Kansas City — and we want to know where you get your favorite one.
Here are just a few I’ve enjoyed around the city:
Served in a glass jar with plenty of ice, this matcha latte fits in perfectly with the beautiful surroundings and delicious crepes at Seven Swans Creperie on the West Side.
The honey lavender syrup adds some floral sweetness, but you can also try the drink with another of the creperie’s homemade syrups.
Head to Billie’s Grocery, a gluten-free brunch spot and bakery in Midtown, to enjoy a glorious selection of pastries and desserts to enjoy alongside with your matcha latte.
This matcha latte, served with pebble ice in a curve-lipped glass, isn’t very sweet — giving you the perfect excuse to grab a treat to go with the drink.
Dairy lovers, be warned: Billie’s defaults to almond milk in this drink, so be sure to specify whole milk when you order.
I got a lavender matcha at PH Coffee a few months ago while out on assignment, and I was impressed by how both flavors shone through without being overpowering.
The barista was kind enough to add the toppings from another seasonal specialty drink: their light purple homemade lavender whipped cream with golden sugar sprinkles.
Part of the fun of getting a matcha latte at Messenger Coffee Co. in the Crossroads is watching the baristas at work.
Matcha lovers will recognize the small bamboo whisk, called a chasen, that’s used to break up tiny clumps of the fine powder and dissolve it evenly into water. This solution is then combined with milk, syrup and ice to make a matcha latte.
While this traditional whisking technique is used in most high-quality establishments to prepare matcha, Messenger’s open barista station gives customers a glimpse of the process.
The Roasterie in Brookside is the first place in Kansas City where I had a matcha sweetened with vanilla syrup — a recommendation from one of the cafe’s friendly baristas. Creamy and flavorful, this matcha hits the spot on a hot summer day.
Hear me out: a matcha latte sweetened with caramel syrup. I was skeptical too, but this barista recommendation at Anchor Island Coffee didn’t disappoint. While you’re there, you can also grab some food from the cafe’s extensive menu — the choripapa burrito is a fan favorite.
— Natalie Wallington
Trivia nights
Who doesn’t love trivia?
A few years ago, my group of friends made it a habit to go to a different bar hosting trivia every week. We lost nearly every time, but it was always fun to see how much knowledge of sports, science, geography, history, technology and pop culture we all shared.
While our trivia nights have slowed down, bars around Kansas City keep it going with weekly prizes and themes to keep visitors coming in and spending the evening with their trivia masters.
Check out a few of our favorites, and let us know where you like to go:
Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., International Tap House in the Crossroads hosts general knowledge trivia, covering all sorts of topics.
At iTap, the “first” round of questions is handed to you on a sheet of paper, which you and your team can work on throughout the night. Teams that finish in first through third place win free prizes.
Dogs and trivia: what else could you ask for? Dog park, bar and restaurant Bar-K hosts a trivia night at 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday at the indoor-outdoor space near the Berkley Riverfront.
Entry is free for humans and Bar-K members, and $15 for visiting dogs.
Each time brings a different theme, testing how much you and your friends know in all things Kansas City, music, movies, video games and more. Gift cards and more are awarded to the top teams.
Vignettes, the pop-up bar space in North Kansas City that has put on themed events for SpongeBob SquarePants, Taylor Swift (twice), Barbie and Schitt’s Creek also hosts trivia nights at 7 p.m. every Wednesday based on its current theme.
Where else can you display your knowledge on all things Taylor Swift or Halloween and win prizes for it?
You do have to book a reservation to enter the pop-up bar on any day, and it costs $5.75 per person.
Big 5 Trivia takes over Chicken N Pickle’s two locations in the Kansas City metro on two separate nights as a part of their weekly rotation. Trivia is offered at the North Kansas City hangout at 7 p.m. Mondays and in Overland Park at 7 p.m. Tuesdays.
The themes are different every time, so you could be tested on ‘80s television shows, female artists, baseball, alcohol, famous mustaches and more.
Trivia host Kevin keeps it exciting throughout the night as you battle against other teams to win prizes.
— Joseph Hernandez
Dog-friendly hangs
If you’re a pet owner, you probably know that guilty feeling of wanting to go out somewhere, but also wanting to hang out with your pet.
It’s a frequent feeling for me as the owner of a dog who has separation anxiety. So some of my favorite places to frequent around Kansas City are spots where my dog, Dexter, can come along.
And we’ve found it’s not just patios for a limited range of restaurants where dogs are welcome. They can come along for coffee, beer, barbecue, pizza and lots more.
My go-to dog-friendly hangs are mostly in Kansas City. But we definitely haven’t hit them all, so let us know where you like to take your furry friend in the KC area.
Cafe Cà Phê in Columbus Park is awesome, especially for remote work. There’s almost always space to set up shop with a laptop or a book, whether it’s just you and your puppy or you’re meeting friends.
The staff and the other customers of the Vietnamese coffee shop are really welcoming to the pups, offering water bowls and all the pets. Even if we come alone, Dexter usually makes some new friends.
You don’t find drinks like the ones at Cafe Cà Phê anywhere else in KC, and it’s easy to try something new pretty much every time you come in. But the drink I’ll never get over is the latte served to me one winter with milk foam in the shape of a dog.
Head to the River Market over for another coffee shop with longer hours and cocktails available at night: Thou Mayest.
The dog-friendly coffee shop and roaster has a sizable space that’s usually fairly crowded, but you should usually be able to find a comfy chair for you and a furry friend.
The coffee is good, and I love to take home a bag of beans to make more at home (plus, each bean purchase comes with a token for a free drink). And someone usually has a biscuit handy for a visiting pup.
The Wi-Fi usually holds up to remote work, but I think I prefer Thou Mayest for a chill hangout, because it is so cozy.
One thing I never thought I’d be able to take my dog along to is an after-work trivia night, but iTap has proven me wrong.
The Crossroad taproom welcomes dogs inside, including for its trivia nights every Wednesday. There’s also patio seating if that works better for your dog.
ITap serves beer, cider and cocktails, and you can grab food from Mission Taco next door if you can find a friend to watch your dog. Between the trivia, the dogs, the drinks and the tacos, it’s one of my favorite after-work outings.
The easiest way to bring your dog along to a night out is to head to a restaurant with a patio. There are tons of places with dog-friendly outdoor dining options around KC, but Char Bar is a personal favorite for me.
The Westport patio is big, very social and varied in the kinds of seating that are offered (picnic table or chairs, sunny or shady, cool or warm). The food is super tasty, and the drinks are good, too.
Other patios I’ve enjoyed include Grinders and Brewery Emperial in the Crossroads.
– Chandler Boese
Your turn
Contact the service journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com to tell us what you’re looking for in things to do in the KC area or tell us about your favorite spot.
This story was originally published September 15, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
