KC’s new ‘ghost kitchen’: Pit Boss burgers, mozzarella stick sandwiches, drunken tots

The culinary team at downtown’s MetropolitanKC and Bar Central in the Kansas City Marriott Downtown have added a new “ghost kitchen” called Epic Burgers.

The menu is available for to-go and delivery only through DoorDash.

While the hotel is catering some events and taking care of hotel guests, it said the new ghost kitchen will let the culinary team showcase their cuisine to the broader Kansas City community.

“Obviously 2020 has been especially hard on the hospitality industry, especially those who happen to be located in a convention hotel,” said Dustin Holcumbrink, director of sales and marketing for the hotel at 200 W. 12th St. “Our business has just been decimated. There’s no other word for it.”

Epic Burgers has its own menu with appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and desserts:

▪ Four appetizers. Hand-breaded mozzarella bites with a side of ranch dressing; chicken basket with four chicken tenders served with ranch, honey mustard or barbecue dressing; Drunken Tots (tater tots smothered in a Guinness-infused cheese sauce with pepper bacon, house-smoked pulled pork, sour cream); and a dozen wings — 72-hour herb-brined.

▪ Five burgers. Including The Burger Melt (with beer-braised onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeno jam and Havarti cheese served on toasted sourdough bread with a choice of side); and the Pitt Boss Burger (burger on top of barbecue slaw, smothered in Guinness cheese sauce, house-smoked pork and fried onion straws and drizzled with house-made barbecue sauce and served on a brioche bun).

▪ Three chicken dishes. An avocado chicken club, a Buffalo chicken quesadilla wrap, or chicken fried chicken with sausage gravy, hash browns and fried egg.

▪ Three specialty sandwiches. Including the Oktoberfest Burger (topped with Swiss cheese, Guinness beer cheese, grilled bratwurst, Guinness-braised corned beef, and crispy fried sauerkraut on a pretzel bun smeared with grain mustard), and the Over the Top Grilled Cheese with provolone and cheddar cheese, topped with four crispy mozzarella sticks.

▪ Two Desserts. Ooey Gooey Chocolate Brownie Cake and Salted Caramel Blondie.

Orders can be placed online for curbside pickup or delivered through DoorDash.

National and local restaurants have been rolling out ghost kitchens — pickup and delivery only operations — during the pandemic, including Michael Forbes Bar and Grille in Brookside with its Macho Taco, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar with The Post Chicken and Brinker International’s It’s Just Wings out of Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy.

This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 11:56 AM.