This is a Brookside institution. For a dingy, dimly lit bar, Charlie Hooper's is the place to be in Brookside for good food, great drink specials (Wednesday import night), and good time.
I'm a little biased considering this was where I met my wife on a blind date nearly 10 years ago, but the Hooper's atmosphere hasn't changed since I started coming here in the 90s. Â Unlike it's neighborhood cousin, Hooper's isn't afraid to stay traditional and cater to patrons of all ages. A recent visit here on a Saturday for lunch reminded me how much I love this place. Families, single folks, kids, old people, middle aged couples, you name it.
One of my favorite spots in KC.
I have lived in Kansas City for the past 7 years, and Hoopers was one of my favorite bars to go to, day or night, for most of that time. Â Recently however, my friends and I have experienced multiple instances of poor customer service from several employees. Â After pointing this out to the manager or bartender, it was evident that they are not concerned about maintaining customer satisfaction. Â This is very disappointing to me, and I won't be heading back there anytime soon.
Review Source:This one will be short and sweet and to the point: Charlie Hooper's is great in the way that any time and every time I go, I am instantly reminded of college. Take from that what you will, but when I go to Charlie's, I have a pretty good time! The crowd is lively, the wait-staff is attentive and speedy and the food is consistently decent. We go to Charlie Hooper's on average about 2-3 times a month, most frequently on Wednesday nights for the pub quiz. I am so pleased at how well it's received and how accommodating the owner/wait staff is. Check out their daily drink specials throughout the week! Love the camaraderie, cheeseburgers and the low-key atmosphere! But seriously, what's not to like? No complaints here!
Review Source:I've been to Charlie Hooper's a few times now both during weeknights and weekends and feel like I can write a fair review. Â It is probably my favorite low key drinking spot in Brookside. Â There aren't any frills...the staff is friendly and the beer selection is good.
Despite being crowded on a Friday night, it's still not that hard to find a table to sit down at. Â Yes, you may have to go to the back area with the pool tables, but you can still sit and have a conversation with friends. Â The bartenders are extremely friendly and will suggest new beers to try based on your taste preferences. Â The selection of beer is ample....lots of different beers on tap and in bottles as well.
The crowd is very mixed. Â Young professionals, middle aged folks, older regulars....you name it and they're here, but that's not a bad thing. Â
The bar also has a variety of "bar games". Â I like Hooper's for it's laid back vibe, good beer, and friendly staff. Â One cool random fact about the place that my friend pointed out to me is that the back room with the pool tables looks just like the Van Gogh painting The Night Cafe.
This place has got to be the best value in KC. Check out their Happy Hour specials, as well as their daily specials and you'll definitely find something to savor.
Great beer selection, plenty of seating, trivia, pool table, foosball, patio for smokers, and ALWAYS great service. I've been here at least 10 times, and every time I am reminded of how much I want a Charlie Hooper's in my River Market neighborhood.
Nothing here will knock you off your feet, but the combination of a relaxed atmosphere and the things I highlighted above make for a great night out.
I like Hooper's. It's not my favorite place of all time to eat or drink, but it's definitely a solid option, especially on a lazy Sunday when all I want is to watch some football and eat some bar food. They have some excellent hot dogs, the fries are decent, and I've also really enjoyed the spinach salad with salmon. The menu isn't huge, but there are more than enough choices for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, and there are also daily food and drink specials, even on Sundays. (The margarita special on Sunday - all day - is a personal favorite!)
An organization that my husband volunteers with meets here monthly, and I enjoy coming with him, grabbing a seat to myself, and relaxing. I have brought my Kindle along many times, and while Hooper's is a sports bar, it's never so loud that I can't read. Plus, I like that I can actually be at a bar, read a book, and largely be left to my own devices without feeling like a weirdo (or like people just want me to stop taking up a seat).
The seats are not all terribly comfortable (I honestly dislike the "church pew" style booths - if you can get a high top table those are much better), but the service has always been friendly and good if not great. Basically, the servers  make sure you have whatever you need, but then they leave you alone until it looks like you might need a refill. Even when it has been insanely busy it has never been difficult to get a drink refill, so these folks know their stuff.
Open on Sundays, good food and drink specials, and friendly service - what's not to like? I'll see you again soon, Charlie Hooper's!
Charlie Hoopers is a great neighborhood bar. Â They have plenty of space, several TVs and...are you ready for it...a shuffle board! Â If you are in the right company, Hoops will not disappoint. Â The servers tend to have a bit of an attitude (there is one in particular I'm thinking of) so don't expect much small talk. Â And the food is just decent. Â But the beer selection is great and they offer 4-star worthy happy hour deals! Â All-in-all a solid bar.
Review Source:I LOVE this place! I'm interning in KC this summer and this place has become our group's go-to bar. We frequent it on Tuesday nights, when domestics are $1/glass or $5/pitcher (including Leinenkugel's Red - yum!).
There are so many positives - super friendly staff, varied crowd (from college kids to neighborhood parents enjoying a few), and great prices. They have pool and darts and tons of TVs, so it's a great place to catch a game.
Highly recommended.
What's not to like about Hooper's? Â This place has been around for what seems like forever. Â I mean, my grandma used to tell stories about how she used to drink here when she was younger. Â She also told me about making out with dudes here, we'll leave those details out. Â
Hooper's has a ton of beers on tap and by the bottle. Â Sure, you can get a cocktail here, but beer is the star of the show. Â The bartenders are friendly and fast, even if you aren't a regular, you'll feel like one because of them. Â The servers are knowledgeable about their vast beer selection and before your glass is empty, they are usually asking if you want another.
There is a main bar with high top tables, shuffleboard and arcade games. Â A decent amount of TV's are around, so you can usually catch any game you want. Â The back room has a pool table and additional seating. Â My favorite part is the covered deck out back. Â It's not the most glamorous view, but serves it's purpose well. Â There are additional TV's out here and it's heated during the winter.
A great anchor to the bar scene in Brookside.
i love charlie hoopers, i seriously love it. Â the newish happy hour menu makes me even more happy, they have some pretty tasty wings on there. Â what can i say, happy hour 4-7, cheep boulevard pints, tuesday night kc strip sandwich for 9 bucks, thursday night 3 dollar pints all night long, it's dark, lots of tvs for games, big comfy booths, stay away on a KU game night, because those asshats think brookside is in Kansas, but otherwise, an awesome place for a drink and some bar food. Â i highly recommend the mushrooms, very tasty tasty. Â if i lived closer to brookside i would walk here every day and have a drink. Â as it is, i live in hyde park and there are no bars to walk to, so i drive to the tower or to charlie hoopers or to the foundary. Â if i'm very brave, i'll drive to swagger. Â be warned, at times, it's hard to find a place to park, especially if the KU asshats are playing, but otherwise, this place is to borrow a term from a waitress at Haus, pretty chill.
Review Source:I manage to go here once and awhile although honestly have not tried their food but enjoy the nightlife and the crowd it brings in on a good weekend. The place had been going through some remodeling as it has a lot more openess to it with one side that has a lot of tables while the other side has a stage set up & dance floor and occasionally has bands that play.
I also like how they have a back patio and there is also a downstairs inside of the bar. If you are looking for a nice time to socialize with some of the locals within this area then I think there is a good crowd for it.
This is what a pub should really be. Â Charlie Hooper's would fit right in, if it were in London, Dublin, or Copenhagen. Â In addition, this wonderful pub is unusually vegetarian friendly. Â Unfortunately most of the KC restaurants that are strictly vegetarian or vegan have no wine or beer. Â I can't imagine why. Â They think that wine or beer are animal products? Â Vegetarian food with coffee or tea for lunch is fine. Â But vegetarian food without wine or beer for dinner? Â Impossible. Â No way.
The best seating is the booths, but there are only four of them, and they usually all are taken from about 4:30 pm. Â Also none of the seating in this pub has cushions. Â You will be sitting on wood. Â That's fine for an hour, but if you plan to spend more time here, bring a coat to bunch up and sit on. Â If there were cushions on some of the seats, I would have gone for five stars.
Parking in Brookside can be a problem, but since this is at the east end of the business district, you can park on the streets of the surrounding residential area, if you can't park closer to the pub. Â There is a lot behind the pub, but don't be surprised if it is full. Â There is no public garage in Brookside. Â There should be.
The happy hour chablis and burgundy are poor. Â There is a better happy hour chardonnay (Copper Ridge), but the really good wines, including the Mirassou pinot noir, are not discounted during happy hour (before 7 pm). Â But the happy hour beer offerings are impressive.
Upon first glance, I do not see reviews from my friends. Figures. Hooper's used to be one of my favorites. What I am learning is that (go figure), the older I get, the less places like this appeal to me.
Pros: Â
*decent tap selection
*great central KC location that is NOT Power n Light crowd
*decent parking with both street, side, and front
*decent, attentive staff, old enough to give sound beer and menu advice
*open holidays!!!!!!!! (ding ding ding!  Including xmas!!!  Two of  the three stars here!!)
*good menu options; not fabulous, but good! Â I usually get the West Coast Wrap with fries. Decent bar food! Â
Cons:
*young newly 20-something crowd late nights(girls in skirts-too-short and drunken frat-type boys)
*read above
*yeah, that is enough to keep me away when I want a grown-up experience.
Meh. I will keep visiting once in a while as long as I am with friends who cause me to forget the "cons"
I stopped by Charlie Hooper's for drinks after dinner at Julian located just around the block. I'm not from the area, but we were drawn in by the noise and crowds inside the bar. The bar was packed with 20 somethings watching the Mizzou game, and then the KU basketball game right after it. Charlie Hooper's has lots of TVs to watch the basketball games. We were there on a Thursday night, and Charlie Hooper's was having amazing $3 bottle and tap beer drink specials. The beer selection was huge, and I'm a huge fan of Boulevard on tap.
Overall no complaints, the bartenders were friendly, the crowd was mostly young professionals and were also friendly as long as you were rooting for the same college basketball team. If I lived in Kansas City I would definitely go back.
Pro-tip: If you're coming to watch a game, make sure you send someone early to snag a table, the bar can get pretty crowded.
$1 hotdogs on Saturday and beer... are you still reading??
These hotdogs are normally around $6 and covered with almost anything you would like, chili, cheese, jalapenos, sauerkraut. They are all names after dogs, which I think is a cute idea. Talk about bang for your buck!
The bar is packed with craft brews, international, domestic, you name it! There are usually great deals on their amazing selection anytime of the week. Great place to watch the games, too!
After hearing stories from people's college days about charlie hooper's, I was dying to try it. It was a super dreary, rainy day and a spur of a moment decision took us there on a Saturday night. Surprisingly it wasn't too crowded and we grabbed a booth right away.
I love the ambiance. Old Brookside on the outside and old bar style on the inside. There were plenty of tv's for those sports fans and with all of its wood paneling it felt like a classic English bar. I loved the feel.
It took a little time for a waitress to come by, but she was more than helpful and nice. my boyfriend and I tried the Free State pint for $3 and for not usually liking dark beers, it was super smooth and yummy. We got the artichoke dip to start, and it was pretty good. Right when we ran out of chips, our waitress asked and brought us more super fast. Their menu has great options; everything from vegetarian to hot dogs to wraps to salads. It took forever to choose what I wanted because it all sounded so good.
I ended up with a salad/sandwich combo with the Californian and artichoke salad. It was a great plate for only $7. My boyfriend had the fish n chips which were ok. They weren't amazing. Our friends got hot dogs which were ginormous and yummy and shrimp tacos which were also super good.
Overall, there food was better than average bar food and they had unique sides and salads. Food wasn't overpriced and I loved the feel of the place.
I'll definitely be returning for more of their specials!!!
Great Place!!!
It was a nice surprise to find the BEST hot dog in the Metro area I have had so far. Â It was here at Charlie Hooper's. I kid you not.
The Mongrel style is a grilled dog covered in relish and onions. Add mustard and it was damn near perfect. I had chips on the side instead of fries. Â The chips were chips. Â
Now a review of everything else. The wait person was nice and very efficient. Â We went on a Friday and they have a late Happy Hour (3pm-9pm). Â The domestic drafts were cheap. Â I looked over their beer menu and it is extensive.
I don't know what took me so long to get to Charlie Hoopers. Â I had a good time, excellent food and cheap beer. Â But, I know it isn't going to take me long to get back there.
The establishment has been okay but some of the staff has bad customer service. Â Although some of the staff does a great job, others tend to ignore tables, continually calculate the wrong total on the bill, and ignored requests. Â They do have some great specials (Monday night burgers) and great location, but there is still room for improvement.
Review Source:I stopped in here to meet up with my girlfriend for a couple of drinks on a Sunday night. Â I hadn't planned on eating here, but as I was waiting for my drinks, I looked at the menu and ended up grabbing some food, as the menu is full of mouth-watering vegetarian dishes! Â There are at least five vegetarian entrees listed on the menu here. Â I was totally surprised.
I ended up ordering the spicy black bean burger for $7.59. Â It came served with a cucumber salad, as it is listed on the "Health Conscious" section of the menu. Â I'm actually glad it came with this side because the salad was delicious. Â It had cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese, served with a balsamic vinaigrette sauce.
The burger itself was very good also. Â It came served on a Kaiser bun, with low-fat cream cheese, avocado, lettuce, and red onion. Â Normally when I go to a bar, I expect a rather uninspired menu, lacking any serious veggie dishes. Â Charlie Hooper's is definitely an exception to this rule. Â I'm actually looking forward to the next time I go back here to try some of the other entrees.
So being a Rockhurst student, this place is apparently second only to Heaven or wherever the pope is at any current moment. Â They have some killer sounding deals that I mostly haven't taken advantage of, such as $3 burgers and dollar drafts on Tuesdays. Â I did check out the dollar drafts, and they did their job. Â The stumble and insomnia indicated that I was indeed fulfilled.
Lots of college kids and neighborhood people, so if you hate any of those things then I guess... never leave the house. Â And ask for Katie, and tip well.
I have gone here after a couple of bicycle rides. We are always in a large group and the staff seems to manage the willy-nilly pace of orders from the crowd. This place is always crowded, it seems.
It is old school... a little dank. Nothing a good pressure washing and some airing out can't fix! Â : )
For bar food I have not been disappointed in the wings, burgers, and such. You may find nothing that is going to send you into orbit upon tasting, but nothing thank is going to send you to the spittoon either.
They also have a good beer list... very important for a BAR & grille!
I have been coming here for several years, and it is a great local bar. They are known for their 'Import Night" on Wednseday nights. They have such great deals! They have just updated their patio too, and have heat lamps in the colder months so you can smoke. Very warm atmosphere. Probably one of my favorite places to hang out in midtown. They also have Guinness on tap :)
Review Source:Overall I was thorougly impressed. Â Perhaps it was the Guinness (on tap, yay!) and the perfect company but spending a few hours on the patio (more like a covered outside room) during a heavy thunderstorm, which stayed surprisingly dry, with great conversation and good service made this place really memorable for me. Â I'll definitely return. Â Good, no great, drink specials. Â I drank three perfect pints for under $10. Â Nice!
Review Source:I hadn't been here in a few years until I went last night, and it was actually pretty busy and fun! Â Who knows, maybe it isn't usually as packed (it was March Madness at a sports bar...) but the atmosphere was exciting. Â They had a great beer selection (a new peach wheat called WHEACH from O'Fallon, MO was super tasty) and the bar was packed with men. Â This is good for single girls....stop going to Power and Light, they don't go there anymore. Â Hoopers has a real laid back feel--I don't feel like I need to wear painful stilettos and have my buttcheeks hanging out my "dress" to fit in...;)
Review Source:A small group of us stopped in on a Saturday night at about 10 p.m. The place was hoppin' with the Mizzou-OU game on the several flatscreens around the main bar.
I'd have to say pre-smoking ban, it would be the kind of place I'd want to go to but would avoid. But now that the air is fresher in there, Â it's a great scene for someone in their upper-20s through mid-30s.
The prices are right and the selection is good. This is just one of those great neighborhood bars that will hopefully survive all of the progress in downtown.
This place is an institution on the Brookside scene, and I personally owe it my very existence, considering my own parents first met there!
It's the kind of place where you meet good, normal, nice kind of guys... NOT the cheesy, greased-hair kind of guys, but the ones you'd simply like to throw a few beers back  with and have a nice conversation in the non-threatening warm atmosphere of Carlie Hopper's.
I went there last night with my best friend and met up with her sister and her friends and I saw people I had grown up with sitting at other tables or at the bar - it's the kind of place you  seem to know people at, which I think is a good quality in a bar.
Considering Waldo Crawldo was going on last night just a few blocks south, the scene was decently sized. So GO THERE, I always have a good time when I do!
Charlie Hooper's is a great place to have a beer and hang out with friends. Â They have a huge selection of bottles and Wednesday's are $2 imports. Â They have one main bar and a back bar with two full rooms of seating. Â They also have a back patio that has wait service and is open seasonally or based on the weather. Â Hooper's is a great place to chill and have fun, I highly recommend it.
Review Source:I had no idea that KC had a smoking ban bc OMG my eyes were red, I was coughing/sneezing and I needed to febreze myself BIG TIME when I got back to my friends' place.
Besides the smokey, 2nd hand smoking point-- the bar was chill, service was good and drinks were cheap. I'd come back with a group of friends, grab some bar stools and hang.
If you plan to go to Hooper's, plan to hit the dry cleaner the next day. This place is filthy disgusting. The only reasons I can think to go here is to smoke a cigarette with 100 other fellow smokers and then fester in the smoke and ash together or to get blackout drunk and hook up.
I don't smoke and can not even stand to be in this place for more then 5 minutes. I also would never go to Brookside looking for a hook up.
This place has nothing special to offer that even makes its short comings worth while . . . unless you are under 21. . . Â . .
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