Popular Kansas City burger joint is closing one location, opening a new, bigger one
Since debuting in 2020, Cosmo Burger has occupied a reliable spot on many locals’ short lists of the best burgers in town.
But it’s never had a place to call its own, sharing space at its first location with Dodson’s Bar and Commons (7438 Wornall Road) and later alongside other vendors at its stand inside Lenexa Public Market (8750 Penrose Lane).
That’ll change this spring, when owner Jacob Kruger opens a standalone joint in the Crossroads at 1813 Locust St.
“We’re keeping the Dodson’s location open but closing in Lenexa April 19,” Kruger said. “It was always the goal for Cosmo to eventually be in the Crossroads. I always kind of circled it as the area I’d like to grow into.”
Kruger expects to open the new spot sometime in May, though no date has been set. The space, currently being renovated from light industrial, is around the corner from Grinders, near the east exit of its music venue. 916 Hospitality, the local restaurant group behind Cosmo Burger, Dodson’s, and Goat & Rabbit, purchased the building last year.
The new location will feature a menu that expands modestly from its current slate of smash burgers and tater tots.
“We’ll have milkshakes — boozy and regular,” Kruger said. “And a lot of people have given us grief over the years for not having fries: I’m going to add fries.”
The setup will be bar-like, with a “little bit of table service from bartenders,” he said. The bar program is still coming together. “Cocktails, beers — a little bit like Dodson’s, but less grandiose. We don’t want to overcomplicate things.”
Kruger said the Crossroads Cosmo will continue to offer limited-time-only items like the Goober Burger, a smash burger topped with peanut butter and jalapeno jam.
“We’ll have specials on a variety of unique styles of burgers, and maybe some secret menu items where you can use a code word to add something to a burger,” he said.
Operating hours are tentatively set for seven days a week, with extended hours on weekends. The restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
