A couple of weekends ago, Russ and I took a super fun weekend trip up to Kansas City. A lot of people asked us “Why KC”. When I lived in Kansas we visited KC all of the time! I loved everything about it. As I got older, the desire to be there and explore only grew.

Kansas City is now a big city that still feels small. There are so many sights, sounds, shops, and eats in Kansas City. Its so hard to do a trip in just a couple of days but it was plenty of time to fall in love with the city and a few of the places there. Russ and I have narrowed it down to our top picks in this fun weekend getaway guide to Kansas City.

Local Eats

There is a large restaurant scene in Kansas City, and it can be difficult to keep track of all of the recommendation and restaurants you pass by.

For KC BBQ you have to try Q39. This is an amazing BBQ restaurant with so many great options that you won’t find at your typical bbq places. We suggest starting off with the onion strings. They are thin, crispy, spicy, and delicious. The plate is piled high and it comes with an amazing dipping sauce. The main courses were even tastier. Our awesome bartender talked me into their Burnt Ends sandwich and it was to die for. Russell had a sandwich with three different means and he loved it. This was such a fun and trendy BBQ place, we can’t wait to go back!

For great pizza try Chiusano’s Brick Oven Pizzeria at Legends Outlet Mall. The Pizza is amazing, the atmosphere is cute and quaint, and the price is just right. Russell and I split the best brick oven pizza we have ever had. It is the perfect opportunity to eat Italian food in Kansas City.

Mexican food restaurants are easy to find in KC. There are so many options it made it hard to chose. We ended up going with a favorite that we don’t get all that often, Chuys. If you don’t have a Chuys close you have to go. The food is great, the staff was so nice, and the atmosphere was, even more, fun the ones in Oklahoma and Texas.

Fancier Date Night:  Parker at the Fontaine – great food and awesome atmosphere! You can read more about it here.

Fun & Drinks

Power and Lights District has so many fun bars and restaurants. Perfect place to hop from place to place or go for just a couple of drinks. We loved this area and can’t wait to go back! Each place has its own personality and many were fun even during the day on Sunday.

Houlihan’s is one of my families favorite places to get drinks, especially during their drink specials on Sundays. It was a great place for us to watch the football games, get a small bite to eat, and have a few of their tasty drinks. The location right next to Oak Park Mall in Overland Park had an amazing patio and so many TVs. Definitely a great place for day drinks.  

KC Soda Co was such a fun place to spend a little time on Sunday. It is at the Legends Outlet Mall and offers thousands of unique Sodas. We had so much fun testing out different sodas and finding our favorite flavors.

Shopping

Shopping in Kansas City was so fun! There are a couple of places I really recommend if you are going to Kansas City to shop.

Oak Park Mall is a large mall, especially compared to the malls in Oklahoma City. There are great stores like Evereve, Nordstrom, H&M, and so much more! We could have spent days exploring all of the stores and styles they offered.

The Country Club Plaza – The environment at the plaza was so fun. There are a ton of good shopping options, many of which are different than options we have at home. The Kate Spade store, of course, drew me in. It was so cute and the employees were amazing. We loved all of the fun restaurants, the great little coffee, and sweet shops, and of course, the people watching.

Legends Outlet Mall is another great place to go shopping. It is best to go early in the morning because by the afternoon it was really crowded. They had most of the traditional outlet shops with an added few we don’t have close. I loved the Victoria Secret Outlet and went crazy in Levi. This is the perfect place to spend your Sunday morning or late afternoon on your tip. Did I mention the area itself is so fun? The racetrack, soccer field, and new water park (that is still under construction) are all within walking distance.

Live Music

KC Live in the Power and Lights district looked like one of the most fun places. There were tons of bars all in one area as well as an outdoor stage that plays tons of great bands. We missed the bands but the area looked like a total blast and we can’t wait to go next time we are there. I will say that during the day they played a movie over the stage outside. It looked like the perfect place to brunch and hang out during the day.

The Country Club Plaza also has live music on some Saturday nights, it has food trucks, and it is such a fun outdoor atmosphere. We had so much fun exploring the area, hearing a little music, and grabbing some yummy snacks before dinner.

Where to Stay

There are so many great hotels depending on what you are wanting to do in Kansas City. We chose to stay in Olathe just outside of Kansas City. We found it to be the perfect location for us. It was a little cheaper than staying in downtown KC. It also was right off the highway which made it easy to get any place we wanted to go quickly and with minimal traffic. I would suggest staying closer to downtown or the power and lights district if you are wanting to really experience the nightlife.

Thank you all so much for your recommendation a couple of weeks ago and for reading this post. We are hoping to do more weekend getaway to keep creating these fun guides for you all if you like them. Trips like these can be so fun without costing a ton. Have you been to KC? What should I add to this list?

Other Fun Things

Kansas City Chiefs Games this was one of the most fun and memorable things we did this past KC trip. The stadium is alive with energy even in the pouring rain. Just be sure to purchase a parking pass and get there early enough to wait in the traffic lanes of parking. Also, make sure you have a clear purse/bag in order to enter the game that fits their tight regulations or you will have to throw it away like I did.

Kansas City Royals Games are very fun and would be perfect in the spring/summer. Same as above, do not forget to purchase your parking pass and bring a clear bag rather than a purse.

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