Helen's JAD

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  Our favorite dive bar! It has everything we want! Pool tables, good food, tvs to watch a game, jute box music, and amazing service! Josh, the bartender, is more then just a bartender, he's a great guy and very reliable :)

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  Posted on 11.21.12 Samantha C.

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  If you check-in here you already know...  if you don't... find out!  So it's a dive bar, so it has a weird smell, so the parking lot is grimey.  Who cares... if your company name is written on the chalkboard, this is where you'll find your associates...er co-workers.  Beer selection is great...pitchers are cheap.  The food is pretty awesome for a dive bar.  I here the wings are delicious and the pizza is better than some chain restaurants... all cooked fresh.
  
  Come here to unwind after a long day of sitting in front of a computer and bring your office buddies with you, for god sakes!

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  Posted on 01.11.12 Ches P.

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  I'm giving Helen's JAD three stars since we're rating it as a Dive Bar. The parking lot is sure to cause you an accident or door ding. The place smells, but maybe that's a prerequisite for calling it a Dive Bar. I am surprised by the tasty food and menu selections. The beers on tap are a good selection. The prices are right. It's open late. It's off of the highway, so easy to get to. Each time I go, people are nice and welcoming there-a the more, the merrier attitude at Helen's JAD.

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  Posted on 11.16.11 Celeste L.

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  I came here after work and it was pretty much filled with people from my company.  The parking lot was small and filled up quickly.  It was dim on the inside with a few arcade games.  I didn't walk everywhere but it was small and there were a handful of tables.  The bartender was nice and friendly.  Cool place to hang out after work and have a beer or two while talking about random things.

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  Posted on 07.22.11 Daniel H.

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  OK, it's not secret... this is my favorite dive bar.  My "Cheers".  It's the bar I feel most comfortable at, whether its packed with people, or really slow.  I just love this bar.  
  
  For starters, the bartenders are all very friendly and generous with the drinks.  They make it a point to know your name, remember your favorites, and give you their attention when you need something.  They're very good.  
  
  The atmosphere is very Dive-y, but that's what I like about it.  It's not fancy... it's not supposed to be.  A couple pool tables, four dart boards, an internet jukebox, lotto, keno, a couple video games, and an ATM.  It's perfect.  If the clientele are feeling it, they will turn the music up... if not, they keep it moderate.  
  
  Their menu is the BEST bar menu in town... possibly the best I've ever seen for a dive bar.  They excel at every single thing they make in that kitchen, and that's not an exaggeration.  Ron (the owner) blends his exceptional culinary skills and his exquisite palette with the demands of the common dive bar customer to create mini miracles.  
  
  In my opinion, they have the best wings I've ever had... hands down.  Their process is complicated, and their sauce is magical.  They offer a less spicy version, or an uber hot version... both are superb.  Frankly, I dip almost everything in the wing sauce, and always ask for it on the side.  It's not a traditional buffalo sauce that you can get anywhere... they make it themselves and it is like none other that I've tried.
  
  Their burgers are gourmet, and always juicy and cooked fresh.  Their pizzas are also very tasty, and include the standards to the more exotic (like mediteranean, or thai).  Their appetizers also include many of the bar standards you would expect, but they also include less traditional choices like hummus, goat cheese medallions, and southwest eggrolls.  
  
  Their "non-burger sandwiches" (as they call them) include an incredible BLT, a spicy chicken wrap, and a better Philly Cheesesteak than Grinders!  Pretty much everything is served with their homemade, house-cut french fries.  Many of their dressings are also homemade, including their Ranch.  I'm telling you, everything they make is gold!
  
  I could go on an on about the food.  It's just simply the best food I've ever had at a bar, without exception.  And by the way, you WILL NOT leave hungry.  Their portions are huge!!!  But enough about the food... you get the point.
  
  The bar is well stocked, and includes about 30 different kinds of vodka.  They always have about a dozen different beers on tap, including domestics and microbrews.  Their beer selection is not quite as extensive as others I've been too, but for me it is satisfactory.  I've never left thirsty!
  
  The crowd is friendly, sociable, and inviting.  It tends to be a more laid-back group, with a more lively edge on the weekends.  There are several TVs throughout, and plenty of seating.  If you're looking to have a party or a big group, they have a large area available with only a little notice.
  
  If I could change anything about Helens, I would make sure they were open on Sundays.  There have been countless Sunday afternoons that a Helens burger or wings sounded perfect, but alas they were not available.  Aside from that, Helens is my "home base" for the 6 other days of the week.  I highly recommend it!

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  Posted on 04.20.11 Josh K.

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  This place is a Cerner Secret. The Cerner Boys like to come hang out here after work for a few brews.
  
  Good luck finding a girl in this place after 5pm, it's definitely a boy's club.
  
  Helen's is definitely a hole in the wall, that you can come and relax with your friends and have a couple drinks, eat some bar food and get loud and crazy.

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  Posted on 11.15.10 Lannette G.

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  After having such a poor experience last night at Westport Flea Market, i was trying to think where I have had an exceptional burger in Kansas City recently.  Helen's is the place you must go to have the best hamburger in Kansas City.  I ordered the Breakfast Burger with mounds of fresh made hash browns, thick cut pepper bacon, and an egg over easy on top.  They make this at Red Robin, but it is not nearly as good.  It was heavy on the calories, but it was well worth it.  The bartender at Helen's was a sweet blonde woman who treated us very well and was very attentive!  The fries were great too.  This is a biker bar, but we felt comfortable there.  Try it out!
  The place sits in McDonald's parking lot, so it is a little confusing when you park!

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  Posted on 11.04.10 Michael S.

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  Probably the most popular under-the-radar place in North Kansas City.   I rarely find people that know about it, but those that do love it.   And the first time you go, it definitely is tricky figuring out just how exactly to get there.
  
  As the first review noted, the hours are odd.   And, at least in my experience, not always consistent during the week.   I've arrived early (but during the posted hours) on a couple of occasions and found it not open yet.
  
  Inside, the space seems a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.   Just about all the domestics are on tap.    The previous reviewer thought that the beer prices were high, I felt like they were on par with the regional average.   Helen's JAD has a surprisingly good beer selection --- almost too good -- it very nearly makes this place not qualify as a dive. :)   Good thing it qualifies on every other front!
  
  I take that last sentence back... I just discovered that you can order food online through the JAD's web site.   Dive bars aren't supposed to do that!   Maybe Helen's JAD isn't really JAD after all????

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  Posted on 05.06.10 Scott M.

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