Spanish-tiled shopping district built 1922. Rye Plaza, The Capital Grille and Winstead's anchor the dining. Plaza Art Fair takes the streets the last weekend of September.
Colby and Megan Garrelts opened Rye Plaza in 2017 as the Country Club Plaza outpost of their Midwestern cooking; fried chicken and biscuits headline.
Signature: Fried chicken, Cast-iron skillet biscuits, Butterscotch pie
Order: Fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and biscuits; finish with the butterscotch pie.
Tip: The Plaza room takes Tock reservations and runs a busy weekend brunch. Sister room in Leawood is the original.
The Capital Grille on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts to order, with a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.
Signature: Dry-aged porterhouse, Lobster mac and cheese, Crab cakes
Order: Dry-aged porterhouse for two with lobster mac and cheese, and a bottle from the cellar.
Tip: Mon to Fri from 11:00, Sat from 11:30, Sun 16:00 to 21:00. Bar lunch is the easier seat at noon.
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service citywide.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30 to 14:30. The Zona Rosa outpost runs the same menu without the lines.
The Capital Grille on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts to order, paired with a 3,500-bottle wine cellar in glass.
Tip: The Generous Pour Sunday wine programme is the value. Lunch service runs business-friendly weekdays.
Colby and Megan Garrelts' Rye Plaza on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City refined the Midwestern restaurant template. Fried chicken, biscuits, butterscotch pie anchor the menu.
Tip: Megan Garrelts is a multi-year James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist for her Rye work. Brunch on weekends; Tock for evening reservations.
Winstead's on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City opened in 1940 as the Streamline Moderne drive-in that defined the city's steakburger. The Plaza location is the original.
Signature: Steakburger, Frosty malt, Onion rings
Order: Double steakburger with cheese, a side of onion rings and a Frosty malt.
Tip: Curb service still runs in the parking lot. The Plaza counter is open lunch through late dinner daily.
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service and four metro locations.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, Steamed dumplings
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are the anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30 to 14:30. Zona Rosa outpost serves the same menu without lines.
Messenger Coffee's South Plaza cafe in Kansas City brings the Grand Boulevard flagship's roasts to the Plaza corridor, paired with Ibis Bakery's daily breads.
Signature drink: Espresso, drip filter
Tip: Smaller and quieter than the Crossroads flagship; the patio works on weekday mornings.
Winstead's on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza is the 1940 Streamline Moderne drive-in. The steakburger and Frosty malt at the counter are the canonical KC fast-food order.
Try: Steakburger, Frosty malt
Tip: Curb service still runs in the parking lot; the milkshakes are the move on a hot day.
Plaza Art Fair on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza runs the last weekend of September with 240 artists, three music stages and 20 featured restaurants serving across 9 blocks.
Tip: Free entry, free parking in Plaza garages. Friday 17:00 to 21:00, Saturday 10:00 to 21:00, Sunday 11:00 to 17:00.
Billie's Grocery in Kansas City runs a cooking school focused on organic whole eats, with hands-on workshops covering plant-based techniques and grocery shopping.
Tip: Smaller groups than the Culinary Center; Billie Hall's grocery sits next to the classroom.
Winstead's on Kansas City's Plaza is the 1940 Streamline Moderne drive-in. The double steakburger and Frosty malt under $14 are the canonical KC fast-food order.
Try: Steakburger and malt
Tip: Curb service still runs; the milkshake is the must-buy.
Rye Plaza in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza runs a Midwestern weekend brunch with the Garrelts' fried chicken, biscuits and butterscotch pie as the anchors.
Order: Fried chicken plate with biscuits and the butterscotch pie to share.
Tip: Tock reservations open weeks out for weekend brunch; the bar takes walk-ins.
Winstead's on the Plaza runs daily until 23:00 with curb-service from the 1940 drive-in. The steakburger and Frosty malt are the canonical late Kansas City order after the Plaza closes.
Try: Steakburger, Frosty malt
Tip: Curb service still operates in the parking lot; the kitchen keeps later hours on weekends.