Eclectic downtown pizza bar impresses with atmosphere, food

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Cailin O'Mara, Managing Editor

Making the trek down to the KC Crossroads area is always a treat for one primary reason: I get the chance to emerge from the suburbs. However, when my companion and I walked into the hip pizza bar Grinder’s I felt as if I’d been transported into a whole new world, one far beyond my daily life of fast food chains and family dining. Grinder’s is an innovative restaurant that is saturated in a thirst for creativity and excellent food.

Near the Power and Light district in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, Grinders is relatively far outside my box, but a glowing recommendation from a friend piqued my interest in the homegrown joint. Upon entering the restaurant I was struck with sensory overload: loud, eccentric music, laughing patrons, art-adorned walls and the glorious aroma of brick oven pizza. My companion and I were thrown off by these elements; the restaurant’s emphasis on free seating also caused me to apprehensively wait by the door wondering if we really were supposed to seat ourselves until a kind worker instructed us to choose a table.

Upon sitting in our cozy booth I was captivated by one visual only: the main chef working fervently behind an open bar wearing a Bernie Sanders T-shirt. This was my kind of place.

My companion and I were greeted by our waitress soon after sitting down. She was an extremely kind and attentive server and I admired her ostentatious aesthetic — a side undercut and stilletto nails. She took our order in a timely manner. I ordered a 12-inch cheese pizza, and my companion ordered the BBQ burger, which boasted the restaurant’s famous homemade barbecue sauce.

As the Bernie Sanders-clad chef cooked our dinner, I took a few moments to peruse the eclectic atmosphere of the restaurant. Grinders is the kind of cool KC joint that lets you write on the walls and furniture of the restaurant; it was truly a unique experience to read the names of past patrons and attempt to ascertain the meaning of phrases such as “Flower loves John forever — 1996.” I also thoroughly enjoyed viewing the original art that was placed around the restaurant, each one a testament to the owner’s admiration of the city’s talent and limitless creativity.

By the time the food arrived, I was already sold.

When our server returned with two plates of piping hot food, I was beyond hungry. The pizza was virtually perfect with the crispy outer edge and gooey cheese that is signature of New York-style pizza. I ordered the larger pizza because the price was reasonable, and I figured leftovers would be much appreciated by my mom, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate more than my fair share of that pizza.

My companion also thoroughly enjoyed his food, remarking that it was one of the best burgers he’d had in a long while. The burger was served with a side of salty, homemade chips that we both remarked were a unique twist on the original burger meal.  

After paying for our dinner, which was quite affordable for the large portions, my companion and I reluctantly packed up our to-go boxes and headed to the car. As we drove out of the city, I watched the skyline recede further behind our car as we took the highway back to suburbia and was filled with a longing to venture back into the city for more exploration and another round of Grinder’s pizza.