Right off the 169 at the Englewood exit and a few blocks east towards N Oak Trafficway, you will find this local BBQ chain of Kansas City. Valpak had a 20% coupon and after passing this place time and time again on our way home from work for the past few months, we finally decided to give it a shot. Parking is no problem since it is in a strip mall which was great since it is starting to get cold here. Many spots are close to the front door.
Upon walking in, I was blasted with some sort of smell, and not the good kind. I am not sure what it was, but it reminded me of the NYC subway system. Fortunately my wife couldn't smell it as she was battling a cold. She was starving as was I, so we decided to stay. The place was very busy and the bar was crowded so I guess the smell could not have been that bad. Perhaps my olfactory senses were on high alert.
My wife started off with the chicken tortilla soup and it did the trick as far as clearing out the sinuses. She enjoyed it and the little baby in the belly was kicking and was wondering what this new spice was! It was funny. I started with the Ceaser salad and it was typical. For the entrees, my wife had the Chicken Quesadillas. She like how they were not smothered in pico de gallo or any other sauce and that the pico was mixed into the stuffing of the quesadilla itself. For such a simple dish, I had never seen her so happy over a quesadilla.
I had the "pick two combo," that allowed me to have a 6 oz. sirloin, a rack of ribs and the loaded baked potato. I ordered this stuff knowing I would be able to have more for lunch the next day. The steak was cooked to order and juicy and the rib meat was just sliding off the bone. But the potato was the star. Not salty, not overly buttery but just right full of chives, sour cream and bacon. Who doesn't love bacon???
Our server Jennifer was great. Personable and helpful and did her job splendidly. So if you head to this location, ask for Jennifer.
We will be back if we ever get the urge for some decent BBQ on a budget.
Although they have expanded and have several locations, I will always call 54th Street a local restaurant. They're food and service over the years has always been consistent, consistent, consistent...This location is the closest to my home and my heart (pssst.....it's the original).
The burgers haunt my dreams and the Gringo dip and waffle fries taunt me. I have tried virtually everything on the menu....seriously. My favorites are the Southerwestern Wrap, the new Vegetable soup (yeah, a new favorite), any burger with cheese, and Lt. Dan's Shimp Monstrosity - all topped off with a big ol' serving of waffle fries and Gringo dip.
We came here for a late night happy hour (9pm to close) on a Sunday. The restaurant was pretty empty and we were able to grab a booth right away. We ordered their appetizers which are on special for $4.99 and some beers (a $2 drink order is necessary per appetizer order). I was happy that they had Boulevard Pilsner on draft, as well as some other domestic brews.
The appetizers we had were:
Fry Me To The Moon (my favorite app):
Home cut french fries and waffle fries topped with Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, bacon (on the side for us) and scallions (served with chipotle ranch dressing).
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (meh, I've had better):
Your typical mozzarella sticks, breaded with Italian seasoned crumbs and fried (served with marinara sauce).
Shrooms (I've had and made better):
Fresh jumbo mushroom caps filled with herb and garlic cream cheese,
beer battered and fried (served with creamy horseradish dip).
Bottom line, 54th Street is a good option for late night happy hour, their huge menu is sure to please everyone in your group!
I can count on one hand the number of chain restaurants I would recommend to people. Â Now if 54th Street were just a bar, they would have gotten a 5 star rating as they make a damn good Top Shelf Long Island Tea. Â That was where the romance started to fade.
I ordered off the Pick Two combo menu and went for Fried Shrimp and a 6 oz. Sirloin. Â Our salads came to the table and were huge and they had a pretty good Bleu Cheese dressing. Â This impressed me for a chain, but then the entrees came and it was the same old same old. Â I was presented a huge dish with 6 small (30-40 count size) shrimp and a square of steak. Â The shrimp were very juicy, but the batter was a tad heavy on the pepper and over powered the shrimp. Â The steak was not only tiny, it was rare ( I ordered medium). Â Our server was awesome, very friendly, fun, attentive, and fast. Â Too bad the same couldn't be said for his co-worker who stops to ask if we need anything, we ask for steak sauce and she never comes back.
The decor of the place was akin to a Chili's with a smattering of T.G.I.Fridays thrown in. Â They had a very nice bar area with plenty of screens to watch your favorite sports. Â
54th Street fails as a restaurant, but works as a sports bar. Â Go for the drinks and appetizers, but head elsewhere for lunch or dinner.
Landed in Kansas City, MO, to pick up our mother-in-law and this was the first place she took us. Â Thank God they have a great bar! Â They were out of a few specialty beers so I had wine instead. Â They atmosphere is a lot like other chains such as this - Chili's, Applebees, etc. Â They do have a nice outdoor patio and huge booths.
Knowing that our cross-country trip had just started and I was going to be in a bikini soon, I opted for the soup and salad.  The caesar salad was good but the croutons had a weird BBQ flavor - I used them to build a salad fort.  Cool.  The potato soup was just OK.  It was supposedly homemade but it seemed canned and only had 3 chunks of potatoes in it.  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7gwJaYGA86hwqTX2G8vqtQ?select=0CS1oCcjXfmfR-ZdBtKs-Q">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Honey went for the Cajun Chicken Sandwich with grilled onion and red and green peppers.  He ate the whole thing and then passed out at the hotel.  I highly recommend this menu item for travelers.  LOL  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7gwJaYGA86hwqTX2G8vqtQ?select=uoS0ThQ5RZeHtIx8HhI9QA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
The appetizer menu looked really good and I would have liked to try the Gringo Dip. Â This seems like a good place for happy hour.
Polite service, good prices, large portions - thumbs up!
So what if 54th Street Grill & Bar is a chain? I don't get why that's bad. Like I love to quote from Steel Magnolia's "An ounce of pretension's worth a pound of manure."
They have good, reliable food and service. If that spells "c-h-a-i-n" then I am in.
They have a great pina colada that tastes just like the ones I had in Cozumel. The cherry limeades are huge and when you leave, they make you an entire new drink to go! The aps are great. I had the 'shrooms and chips and salsa tonight. The salsa isn't the best but it's decent.
I often order an appetizer as a meal i.e. the Baja Biggie Basket. I can't get through a whole ap by myself but that's cool with me because I get leftovers.
You can take the kids even though it's a bar because it's a good atmosphere for noise and the bar area is sectioned off. . If you have little children or obnoxiously loud friends, you know what I mean.
They have added a few new items: A Memphis burger that's topped with pulled pork, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce, a 3 crown burger that has a fried egg on it, and a couple of new aps. They changed their spicy ranch to chipotle ranch and I thought it was gross.
We had a fun time with the kids, everyone got food they liked, and left happy (with 32 ounce cherry limeades!)
Gringo dip is bad bad for you. Â The only thing worse for you than Gringo dip, is not having any gringo dip. Â
I heart this place.  54th Street is a great alternative to Chili's or Applebees, it's a lot more real.  The previous poster pointed out that the decor is similar.  Yes, similar, but she clearly hasn't  studied the nuances of said decor.  Check out the Pegasus as well as many strategically placed tongue in cheek items everywhere else. Â
A few things to keep in mind. Â The portions are huge, the happy hour is a GREAT deal (the apps and drinks are $4.50) and the flavors have evolved. Â They make the sauces and dressings in house as well as touting made from scratch food. Â There are only three things I have not tried on this expansive menu, the Gyro, the steak(s) and the chicken fried steak. Â I just have too many favorites. Â
Ah, Â the bad stuff. Â 54th street is a well known restaurant in the area, we see our neighbors there often. Â The one. Â Most common. Â Unfortunate complaint, is how bad the service can be. Â It kills me to say this because we ALWAYS sit at the bar where the service is above superb. Â I can say the two times I have sat at a regular table I knew the menu better than the waitress (she insisted they didn't have something when I had had it the week before and it was on the menu) and I once waited 15 minutes to get a menu. Â Neighbors mimic similar stories so, if that bar has any seats available, do it.
I am not trying to trash the wait staff because the place is always packed so something must be going right. Â Just be ready for it.
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