As one of the most affluent cities in the USA, Overland Park in North Eastern Kansas has a huge variety of restaurants for locals and tourists to choose between. From take-away joints offering healthy, organic picnic dishes perfect for enjoying in the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, to pricier restaurants offering beautifully presented dishes accompanied with fine wines; here are 10 of the best places to eat out in town.
Named after the internationally acclaimed 20th century artist Frida Kahlo, Frida’s is a contemporary Mexican restaurant serving only the most authentic and delicious dishes. Open seven days a week, stop by for a light lunch, three course dinner or to enjoy one of their renowned margaritas. Frida’s is a colourful, welcoming restaurant with a beautifully mosaic backdrop to the bar and deep red walls. The food is all exquisitely presented and tastes just as divine as it looks. Start with the ceviche and follow with either the sautéed shrimp or sirloin tacos and finish with the signature dessert: especiales de atole.
With a beer menu more extensive than the food list, Burg & Barrel is the perfect choice for stopping by for a pint with friends as well as for a full family dinner. Located in the historic downtown, Burg & Barrel specialises in mouth-wateringly good gourmet burgers. Choose the smoke house burger: certified angus beef, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, house-made bbq sauce, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a beer battered onion ring; or the chicken caprese: grilled chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, tomato, pesto and balsamic reduction. Guests can enjoy their burgers out on the heated patio or tucked away inside whilst playing a game of shuffleboard or watching the game on TV.
A great choice for fans of spicy food, Hot Basil Thai Cuisine allows diners to choose just how spicy they fancy their dishes but it’s wise to remember that if they say something is hot, it really is! Try the hot basil ribs or coconut shrimps for appetizer and then go for the pad Thai, spicy ginger stir fry or Panang curry for main course. All of the main courses can be made with a choice of chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or tofu and can be spiced up even more with a dash of the hot pepper condiments available. Hot Basil serves up hearty portions to be enjoyed inside or alfresco and is open every day except Mondays, for both lunch and dinner. Tables fill up fast so customers are advised to get there early on peak days to avoid having to wait for a table.
Using only the finest, traditional ingredients imported from Greece, Mr Gyros Greek Food & Pastry serves an array of authentic recipes that have been passed down through generations of the Jovaras family. The hard to pronounce menu items are incredibly delicious. Go for the Gyro Sandwich: Gyro meat wrapped in pitta and topped with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce or the Souvlaki dinner plate of marinated beef, chicken or shrimps on a bed of rice and served with a Greek salad. Mr Gyros also has a take-away menu so diners who wish to take their Mediterranean olive hummus, pitta breads and stuffed grape leaves to the park for a scrumptious picnic in the sun are more than welcome to do so.
J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood Kansas City, Overland Park | Courtesy of Kyoto Sushi and Steak Japanese Restaurant
J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks
Priding itself on serving up true Midwestern cuisine, J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks offers diners a menu packed full of tempting steak and seafood dishes to be enjoyed at a table or at the bar and they even have a gluten free menu too. All of the beef used in the dishes is certified Angus and will have been cooked over an open fire grill to give it that unparalleled smoky taste. There are two different set menus for those looking to keep their bill to a minimum but still wishing to enjoy delectable cuisine. But for those wishing to go all out, start with the iced shellfish platter or a serving of oysters in their shells and follow with a hearty lump of porterhouse steak or a grilled bone-in veal chop served with a choice of two sides. To finish, order the seven layer coconut cake with a bottle of accompanying dessert wine.
Kyoto Sushi & Steak, Overland | Courtesy Kyoto Sushi and Steak Japanese Restaurant
Kyoto Sushi & Steak Japanese Restaurant
Boasting the longest sushi bar in town, Kyoto Sushi & Steak Japanese Restaurant provides guests with a variety of dining options. There are tables and booths for low-key dinners, the bar for dedicated sushi fans and traditional tatami rooms for diners after the full, traditional Japanese dinner experience. Enjoy the 20 different varieties of fish available in the main dining room or choose to sit around a large grill and watch your own personal chef whip up delicious stir fry and teppanyaki dishes in an instant, right in front of you. It’s impossible to get faster kitchen to table service than that.
Said to be the best donut shop in Kansas, John’s Space Age Donuts have been serving freshly made donuts every day since 1967. John’s is a family run establishment which provides counter seating for customers wishing to hang around to breathe in that sweet sugary smell and take out bags for those in a rush. Go for the caramel cinnamon roll or the raised glazed donut, perfect every time. For customers with less of a sweet tooth, John’s also serves freshly made bagels. Arrive early to get them fresh from the fryer. Cash only.
For fast, good value Mexican dishes head to Dos Reales Mexican in Overland Park. Serving up the usual fare of fajitas, quesadillas, nachos and chimichangas, guests are guaranteed tasty meals full of their favourite Mexican flavours. At Dos Reales it’s as much about the margaritas as the food; pick between a strawberry, raspberry, passion fruit, peach or mango margarita for a real treat. A great lunch or dinner stop for large groups and big families, Dos Reales is always busy but the speed of service and the quality of dishes never falters.
Giving Overland Park’s citizens the option to have healthy fast food, Sheridan’s Unforked is both a dine-in speedy Mexican restaurant and a drive-thru. Whenever possible the ingredients used in the tacos, quesadillas, burgers and salads are organic and Unforked supports over 100 local farmers in the sourcing of their fresh ingredients. All meals are cooked fresh to order and there are plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free menu options available too. This is street food style dishes at fast food prices but as healthy as a home cooked meal.
Serving dry rub smoked meats that diners can dress up how they like, Brobecks Barbecue is both a restaurant and a take away with a small bar where you can enjoy a beer whilst waiting for a table. Here meats are rubbed with seasonings whilst they are raw, they are then smoked for hours and served dry. Brobecks chefs reckon their meat is good enough to eat without a splash of sauce but there are plenty provided for those who couldn’t imagine tucking into a smoked sausage without a condiment or two. There is a daily lunch special served until 3pm to satisfy the bargain hunters but it’s the smoked pork ribs and smoked brisket that makes it really worth stopping by here. Closed Sunday and Monday.
