Beer, food and shuffleboard: It’s game on at Boulevard Brewing Co.’s new Rec Deck

Three years after launching a visitor center and Beer Hall, Boulevard Brewing Co. has opened another floor to the public at its Kansas City home — but only for people 21 or older.

The new Rec Deck, which previewed last week and is only open on weekends, features full 40-foot shuffleboard courts with 6-foot shooting areas on either end, as well as tabletop shuffleboard and board and card games.

“It’s an extension of the Beer Hall with more of a lounge vibe,” said Kaleigh Rangel, the Rec Deck’s manager.

The deck serves charcuterie boards and three flatbread pizzas, which Josh Eans of Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout and Columbus Park Ramen Shop helped create: creamy cheesy artichoke; chorizo and fig; and KC AF with Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue’s burnt ends, Rufus Teague’s Can-O-Que sauce (which is infused with Boulevard beer), KC Canning Co. hoppy pickles, cheese and roasted red onions all on a Boulevard Wheat-infused focaccia, developed with Farm to Market Bread Co.

The Rec Deck will focus more on Boulevard’s seasonal and core beers; the beer hall includes experimental offerings.

Hours are 2 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. It will only be open to customers 21 and older, while the Beer Hall is open to families.

Boulevard, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, opened the 25,034-square-foot center in a four-story building at 2534 Madison Ave., next to its brewery at 2501 Southwest Blvd., in July 2016. The brewery’s beer tours had become so popular that thousands of visitors were being turned away each year, so the center was a welcome addition to greet the crowds.

The first floor has exhibits on the history of beer and area breweries, as well as one of Boulevard’s first kegs. It also has a gift shop with Boulevard-branded merchandise, including T-shirts, squeaky pet toys and barware. There’s also a tasting room for end-of-tour samples.

The second floor is the Beer Hall with Boulevard beers on tap, as well as pretzel dogs, charcuterie and other snacks.

The building will now be known as the Boulevard Tours & Rec Center.

This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 5:00 AM.