We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but there are so many places to choose from. It can be a bit overwhelming, especially in a place like Kansas City. Whatever your taste buds desire, you will find several places you just can’t miss out on. From a distiller’s brunch to a daily coffee/bakery spot, if you’re looking for a great breakfast in Kansas City this list will have you covered.
1. Gram & Dun
When: Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am-3pm
Where: 600 Ward Parkway
As a cocktail blogger, I definitely love starting my day with a breakfast cocktail. Gram & Dun takes this up a level with their brunch cart that they wheel to your table to mix you up a drink.
The food is also very good, from their cinnamon rolls to the seasonal fresh fruit, which on my last visit was a berry bowl with freshly chopped mint and local honey.
I also love their patio and the wall that slides open so you can sit inside with a fresh breeze.
2. Rye
When: Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am-3:00pm; Breakfast served Monday-Friday starting at 9:30am
Where: 4646 Mill Creek Parkway and 10551 Mission Road in Leawood, Kan.
Megan and Colby Garrelts, the executive chefs & owners of Rye are award-winning chefs and it shows in their food. At Rye you’ll find upscale, comfort foods like steak & eggs and biscuits & gravy.
I particularly love the Cold Smoked Salmon served with a bagel, fennel, capers, and sour cream. The baked goods are also very hard to resist. Grab a decorated cookie to go!
3. The Classic Cup
When: Monday-Friday 8am-2pm; Weekends 9am-3pm
Where: 301 W. 47th St.
It was sitting on the sidewalk patio of The Classic Cup that I first felt part of the city. People rushed past while I enjoyed a mimosa and a Dutch Baby pancake covered in fresh fruits.
The longevity of the restaurant certainly gives it an established feel. People have been enjoying a real Kansas City breakfast here since 1976. You’ll see everyone from the business meeting crowd to baby showers flocking to The Classic Cup.
4. The Farmhouse
When: Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, 9am-2pm; Breakfast on Thursday and Friday, 8am-10am
Where: 300 Delaware St.
When people visit Kansas City, either from out of town or the suburbs, they usually include a visit to the City Market. Since the best time to go is during the weekend farmer’s market, many people flock to The Farmhouse for brunch.
You’ll always find delicious daily specials at this farm-to-table restaurant. Don’t miss their potato hash and house-made ketchup.
5. Succotash
When: Friday-Sunday 8am-3pm; Monday 8am-2pm
Where: 2601 Holmes St.
In the Longfellow Heights community you will find my favorite breakfast in Kansas City, Succotash. From the kind and welcoming staff, to the delicious food, you might feel more like you dropped into the kitchen of a friend than a restaurant.
Fresh and healthy dishes are offset by amazing baked goods and delicious breakfast sandwiches. I dream of their 8-layer rainbow cake, and yes, you can have it for breakfast.
6. Fox and Pearl
When: Brunch on Sundays, 10am-2pm
Where: 2143 Summit St.
The Fox and Pearl is a gem in the Westside neighborhood of Kansas City. You won’t find a traditional oven here as they cook everything on a smoker and live fire hearth. This creates a wonderful, woodsy smell and an entertaining open kitchen to watch.
The food is rustic and soulful and you’ll enjoy items you’ll recognize with a delicious twist. The French Toast comes with sorghum butter and orange chili maple syrup and the English Muffin Sandwich features pork belly, cheddar cheese, and apple butter.
7. Messenger Coffee Cafe (and Ibis Bakery)
When: Monday-Sunday, 7am-6pm
Where: 1624 Grand Boulevard
While Messenger Coffee and Ibis Bakery have been around for awhile, they only joined forces to open a gorgeous multi-floor space with a rooftop deck starting in 2019.
From the grab-and-go crowd to the co-workers who sip lattes all day, you will always find this place bustling with people and delicious scents. While you sit in this stylishly renovated space, you can watch hundreds of pounds of coffee roast and fresh bread and pastries be made.
They also have more than baked goods and offer an impressive menu of breakfast items packed with a range of flavors.
8. Monogram Lounge
When: Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm
Where: 2700 Guinotte Ave.
If you’re headed to one of the largest distilleries in Kansas City for a tour, you should start off with the Distillers Brunch. The Monogram Lounge is upstairs at the J. Reiger Co. distillery.
You’ll find a delicious mix of breakfast and lunch items to help line your stomach before a whiskey tasting or a cocktail. And, when you’re done, you can take a ride down the indoor slide back to the museum and the start of your tour.
Two of my other favorite places are currently closed for the winter. They are definitely worth adding to your list and will be open soon enough!
9. Char Bar
When: Opens seasonally
Where: 4050 Pennsylvania Avenue
You likely already fell in love with Char Bar when you read about the Best Vegetarian BBQ in Kansas City. But, meat-lovers, have no fear, there are still plenty of meats to be had at this BBQ restaurant. One of the best crowd-pleasers on the brunch menu is the Sticky Bun which is cinnamon loaf, burnt rum caramel, and salted pecans baked in a tiny square skillet.
You’ll also find all of your favorite Southern breakfast items on the menu like chicken and waffles, corn hoecakes, and burnt ends benedict. Wear your stretchy pants!
10. Beer Kitchen
When: Open seasonally
Where: 435 Westport Road
This corner restaurant in Westport is a big home-town favorite. I have personally waited an hour for brunch, which I rarely ever have the patience for. However, just thinking about Beer Kitchen‘s drunken donuts–small homemade donuts served with boozy chocolate sauce–and I need to get there.
I also love the dutch babies (both savory and sweet) and the benedicts (“bennies” as they like to call them). I love the veggie the best. It includes spinach, tomato, poached eggs, and avocado on english muffin. Yum!
About the Author
Jenn Beard is the founder of Cocktails Away—a collection of adventures in pursuit of a great drink, a quality spirit, a unique ingredient, and the places they come from. Check out her blog for mouthwatering recipes and insider tips on DIY bartending and cocktail culture or travel to bars around the world at @cocktailsaway.