Ingram's June 2026

Wining & Dining (continued)

spot draws from across the metro, and the house sriracha ketchup has developed a following of its own. TOWN TOPIC earns Silver —opened in 1937 by Claude Sparks at a Broadway diner counter selling 5-cent hamburgers, it rounds out the podium as one of the city’s most enduring late-night in stitutions. COSMO BURGER and DISCO BURGER tie for Bronze , each representing the newer wave of chef-driven burger con cepts gaining traction in the KC market. BEST BUSINESS BREAKFAST Part of Thrive Restaurant Group’s net work of locally sourced daytime eateries, HOMEGROWN has built its Kansas City presence around a philosophy of connect ing diners to regional producers—Mes senger Coffee, Farm to Market Bakery, Shatto Milk, and others appear on the menu alongside cage-free eggs, house-made pas tries, and a fresh-squeezed juice program. HARVEY’S AT UNION STATION and perennial favorite FIRST WATCH share Silver —the former for its setting in the restored Grand Hall, the latter for the na tionally recognized daytime-only model it has quietly perfected over years of KC patronage. BIG BISCUIT and EGGTC. tie for Bronze , both earning consistent morning traffic for their scratch-comfort approach. BEST BUSINESS LUNCH When the guest list matters and the setting needs to carry some weight, THE CAPI TAL GRILLE remains the default answer for midday business entertaining in Kan sas City—polish, reliability, and a service standard that leaves the conversation in the foreground rather than the meal. RYE KC earns Silver : the Leawood restaurant that husband-and-wife chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts opened in 2012 celebrates Midwestern comfort foods—fried chicken, aged steaks, Parker House rolls, seasonal pies—in a setting that feels genuinely root ed in what this region cooks best. TREZO MARE takes Bronze , its Italian-American menu and patio a reliable anchor for the north-metro lunch circuit. BEST BUSINESS DINNER A second Gold for THE CAPITAL GRILLE —this time for the evening experi ence—underlines the kind of institutional loyalty that keeps a fine-dining national chain winning year after year. STOCK HILL , just south of the Country Club Plaza

in the former Board of Trade Building, earns Silver as the modern steakhouse that com bines “time-honored heritage of grace, exper tise, and polished service with impeccable precision.” Its marble-bar lounge, private din ing rooms, and weekly live music have made it a go-to for evening entertaining. 1587 PRIME takes Bronze —the 10,000-square foot, two-story steakhouse inside the Loews Kansas City Hotel, co-founded by the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and opened in September 2025. BEST COFFEE HOUSE Operating from its flagship location at 1624 Grand Boulevard—a historic 1919 building housing the roastery, Ibis Bakery, a cupping lab, and a rooftop patio— MESSENGER COFFEE has built a case for being Kansas City’s most complete coffee experience. Artisan-level roasts sourced directly from farms, handmade Ibis pastries and bread, and a seasonally fresh lunch menu make it more than a place to grab a cup. A second location at 4771 Jefferson Street on the Country Club Plaza extends the reach to the south. CAFÉ CORAZON earns Silver with its own loyal following in the metro. THOU MAYEST takes Bronze —the Crossroads coffee shop that has been part of that neigh borhood’s creative fabric since its opening. BEST DELI SCIMECA’S RETAIL MARKET & DELI draws on more than four generations of Italian sausage heritage—the Scimeca fam ily recipe has been produced and distrib uted to Kansas City grocers and restaurants for over 25 years, and the retail market and deli that opened in July 2020 brings that tradition into a format where customers can sit down with a sandwich and browse imported Italian specialties. CAROLLO’S ITALIAN GROCERY AND DELI earns Silver as another family-owned Italian market threading the same needle between neighborhood anchor and specialty desti nation. BELLA NAPOLI takes Bronze . BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT Family-owned and serving Kansas City since 1983, CORNER CAFÉ built its origi nal Riverside location on the belief that good food brings people together—a phi losophy evidenced by the fireplace salvaged from the owners’ family farmhouse and the windmill from their father’s farm. Three lo cations now (Riverside, Liberty, and Inde pendence) serve the kind of scratch comfort

food—fried chicken, meatloaf, biscuits and gravy, house-made pies and cinnamon rolls— that spans every generation at the table. RED DOOR WOODFIRED GRILL earns Silver for its approachable menu that has kept south metro families coming back. STROUD’S , the pan-fried chicken institution with deep roots in Kansas City dining, rounds out the podium. BEST GROCERY STORE This year’s Gold goes to PRICE CHOPPER , the Kansas City grocery brand formed in 1979 by the Ball, Cosentino, McKeever, and Queen families—four independently operat ed chains flying a common flag while remain ing deeply rooted in the communities they serve. HEN HOUSE and COSENTINO’S MARKET share Silver : Hen House for its spe cialty selections and in-store butcher depart ments; Cosentino’s for the quality-first, neigh borhood-grocer approach. HY-VEE earns Bronze —the West Des Moines-headquar tered cooperative’s metro-wide footprint, in-store dietitians, pharmacies, and prepared food sections make it a formidable presence. BEST HAPPY HOUR FIVE FOUR RESTAURANT & DRAFT HOUSE takes Gold in a category that re wards reliability over flash—a deep beer and cocktail list, a kitchen menu built for sharing, and the kind of after-work crowd that returns by habit rather than by promo tion. BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL earns Silver at its Power & Light District loca tion, where a daily window of discounted sushi, signature cocktails, and sake brings together the restaurant’s sustainable, eco certified seafood program with what its own materials call an atmosphere where “inspired food, great conversation, and an iconic Happy Hour take center stage.” THIRD STREET SOCIAL takes Bronze . HEALTHIEST MENU “Proudly offering the healthiest menu in Kansas City” is how ENJOY PURE FOOD + DRINK describes itself—and the Leawood and Lenexa locations back the claim with organic or wild-caught pro teins, organic produce where available, cold-pressed juices, a gluten-free and veg an bakery, and clean cocktails made with fresh-squeezed juice that combine for Gold . TRUE FOOD KITCHEN earns Silver , the national health-forward chain bringing its anti-inflammatory-focused menu and seasonal approach to the KC market. PROTEINHOUSE takes Bronze .

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Best of Business Kansas City 2026

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