Drink >>

• Best New Bar
  Record Bar
  The hipsters shall inherit the Earth, and if the Record Bar is any indication of what they can accomplish with their Pall Mall-stained hands, then we're all for their future world domination. Under the auspices of local musicians Steve Tulipana and Shawn Sherrill, the Record Bar, which opened... More >>
• Best Karaoke
  Red Balloon
  "We park out back, behind the creek," we heard the last time we hit the Red Balloon, a strip-mall joint in one of those patches of Johnson County that, spiritually, was ceded to Wyandotte County 15 years ago. "That way, you don't have to drive up 75th. Cops are watching, you know?" The human... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar, North
  Power Plant Restaurant and Brewery
  Parkville's Power Plant Brewery plays heavily on its neighborhood heritage. It's housed in the old Park College Power Plant, where there's still an old boiler behind the bar, and tables are set on former electrician catwalks. Local brew masters froth microbrews named for local legends -- for... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar, South
  Flo's Polk-A-Dot Lounge
  Flo's puts the dive in divetastic, and really, everyone knows that dives make the best neighborhood bars. Located in that small, block-long strip mall next to Princess Gardens, the Polk-A-Dot Lounge occupies a surprisingly spacious swath of space next door to Smoke Stack BBQ. A... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar, East
  Whiskey Tango
  It's not uncommon at Whiskey Tango to hear the DJ follow something like "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" with "Hot in Herre." Whiskey Tango ain't just a bar. It's an experience and an experiment: What happens when you splice Urban Cowboy with Girls Gone Wild? The answer: less boot scootin' than... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar, West
  Maloney's Bar and Grill
  With its light-wood décor and KU memorabilia, Maloney's might look like a typical Johnson County sports bar. Thanks to its nightly drink specials and friendly crowd, though, it doesn't feel too cookie-cutterish. Though the fraternity-sorority contingent makes up a good chunk of drinkers here,... More >>
• Best Afterparty
  The Student Union
  The guys wore underwear and not much more. Lanky Late Night Theatre impresario Ron Megee, with a sweater tied around his neck and a tennis racket in his hand, auctioned off their undies. Megee and Jon Fulton Adams' West Bottoms loft was packed with people bidding on the undies. The auction... More >>
• Best Cheap Night Out
  Customer-Appreciation Night at the Brick
  Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" includes no reference to what would kick off a particularly great two days off: a nice fat Friday paycheck. So if you're feeling the effects of Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- or still waiting until you get paid -- don't bust out the ramen noodles. There's fun... More >>
• Best Ad Campaign for a Bar
  The News Room Bar and Grill
  A midtown bar that stays open till 3 a.m., the News Room attracts a mix of hipsters, service workers and veteran drinkers who won't be holding public office anytime soon. It is definitely not the city's most genteel drinking establishment. Owner Kevin McGraw decided to embrace the bar's divier... More >>
• Best 1:30 Bar
  Lew's Grill and Bar
  Lew's closes at 1:30. So the good folks there -- chiefly the owners, brothers Chris and Andy Lewellen -- have figured out just how to get you sauced up for what's next. They've got poker nights. They're the hosts of alumni groups from Wisconsin to Kansas. They're the brains behind the Falldo... More >>
• Best 3 a.m. Bar
  Harry's Bar and Tables
  As the 1:30 transplants begin to roll into the 3 a.m. bars, it's a sure bet that they're more intoxicated than the servers whipping up their drinks. This occasionally makes for surly bartenders, and understandably so -- those of us on the side of the stools can be rather obnoxious. But staff... More >>
• Best Place to Take Shots
  The Brooksider Bar & Grill
  We've recently witnessed a strange and disturbing phenomenon at the Brooksider. (Slider, Cider House, B-Side, etc. -- is there any other bar in KC with as many nicknames as this one?) Shouts of "four grape bombs!" and "another Rumple!" pierce the air, backed by the insistent drumbeat of glasses... More >>
• Best Bar for a High School Reunion
  Charlie Hooper's Brookside Bar
  It's been said that if you didn't go to Catholic high school in Kansas City, you'll probably feel left out at Charlie Hooper's. That's pretty accurate -- for, like, the first five minutes. But nothing warms up strangers faster than $2 imports, available on Wednesday nights. Before long, you'll... More >>
• Best Biker Bar
  Knuckleheads Saloon
  Rolling up to Knuckleheads on a chopper ensures a pleasant reception. For those who take four wheels to get to the East Bottoms saloon -- perhaps to catch one of its excellent rockabilly shows -- well, all that leather can be a little intimidating. But consider this: A few months ago, some... More >>
• Best Bartender
  Jonas Deemer at Revolver
  When bartender Jonas Deemer recently sliced open his finger while working solo one night -- it looked deep and it looked painful -- dude just washed it off, wrapped it up, slapped on a plastic glove and got back to work. Surprisingly, we weren't queasy. We were impressed. Of course, this is the... More >>
• Best Martini (1 Comment)
  Thomas Restaurant
  Ordering apple martinis used to elicit snorts from anyone within earshot. That's because they're the consummate bitch drink: sickly sweet, bright green, with a syrup slick on top and one red maraschino cherry sunk in the bottom. But Kevin Vanemburgh, the general manager at Thomas, figured out a... More >>
• Best B-boy Spot
  The Peanut Downtown
  It was Goodie Mob who once rapped: People don't dance no mo', all they do is dis. The "dis" they're referring to is head-nodding to the beat, arms crossed, unsmiling. It seems that everyone's too cool to make asses out of themselves on the dance floor these days. Well, people still do dance in... More >>
• Best Waitress
  Jessica McClanahan
  Being a good cocktail waitress comes down to timing. Jessica McClanahan materializes exactly when she's needed. She doesn't breathe down your neck or eye the contents of your glass before you're ready to order again. McClanahan's white-blond hair is easy to spot across the bar, and her low,... More >>
• Best Blue-Collar Bar
  Dave's Stagecoach Inn
  Dave's Stagecoach is a true dive. The beer's cheap, the bartenders are crusty, and strangers are always welcomed like friends. Around quittin' time, the faces behind amber mugs of beer are those of a mostly blue-collar crew. Guys in their blue mail-delivery uniforms clink glasses with... More >>
• Best Strip Club (3 Comments)
  The Shady Lady
  Some men who go to strip clubs are like diabetics browsing the candy aisle -- they're checking out the wares that they no longer can enjoy. Those are serious strip-club patrons. The people who go to strip clubs with friends, however, are usually there for a deliciously scandalous laugh. Those... More >>
• Best Bar Comeback
  The Replay Lounge
  For its great shows, nightly specials and impressive pinball-machine selection, the Replay (also affectionately known as "the Pre-lay") has long been one of Lawrence's best hangouts. This year, however, the ante has been upped. First came the renovations to the beer garden, which has not only... More >>
• Best Happy Hour
  Arun Thai Place
  When it comes to happy hours, we've got one simple requirement: They have to last past 6 p.m. (Who can get off work before then?) Fortunately, Arun Thai Place's postwork drinkfest, which goes from 5 to 7 p.m., gives us enough time to indulge in its fantastic specials in a beautiful atmosphere... More >>
• Best Activity When Bombed
  Pinup Bowl
  On the great list of oxymorons (jumbo shrimp, born-again virgin), the concept of a bowling alley serving martinis ranks high. Located in the Legends Shopping Center, Pinup Bowl is a yuppie-hipster hybrid of swank and fun with a lounge atmosphere, candy-colored balls and large video screens over... More >>
• Best Pickup Joint
  The Grand Emporium
  When the Grand Emporium changed in 2004 from a dingy blues bar to a sleek, upscale club, music purists cried foul. The club scenesters rushed to it, attracted to the weekend DJs' oomph-oomph beats. Then, next thing we knew, the place started attracting a gay-heavy crowd. Thankfully, this mix of... More >>
• Best Older Pickup Joint
  Touché
  Thanks to its more mature clientele, Touché is sometimes known by its nickname, Toupee. Tucked away in an Overland Park strip mall, Touché is a neatly decorated lounge, complete with plush sofas and chairs, two bar areas, a quiet back room and a good-sized dance floor. On weekend nights, though,... More >>
• Best Patio
  Granfalloon Bar & Grill, Northland
  The bar rooftop deck is still something of a rarity in Kansas City. Located in one of the many labyrinthine strip malls that cover the Northland, the Granfalloon's deck is an oasis in a sea of big-box stores. After climbing up a long, steep flight of wooden stairs, you're rewarded by a large... More >>
• Best Beer Selection
  Yard House
  With 135 beers on tap, Yard House earns our beery approval on the numbers alone. The California-based brewhaus, which opened this past summer in the Legends shopping district, brings a Cheesecake Factory-like approach not only to its menu but also to its beer and drink selections. A plethora of... More >>
• Best Sports Bar
  The Other Place American Sports Grill & Pizzeria
  The Other Place isn't just for rock-chalk-talkin' Jayhawks, Willie the Wildcat-lovin' K-Staters or Golden Girl-oglin' Antlers. This pizza and pasta joint plays nice with sports fans of all stripes, especially Iowa expatriates. Owner and former Chiefs draft pick Troy Stedman grew up in Cedar... More >>
• Best Bar Trick
  Magician Eric Price
  Magician Eric Price tags the metro with playing cards. He calls his signature trick -- in which he tosses a deck of cards in the air and the middle card sticks to the ceiling -- "the perfect closer." Here's how it works: An audience member picks a card and signs it. The card is placed in the... More >>
• Best Place to Smoke
  McCoy's Public House and Brewkitchen
  The world is becoming increasingly inhospitable to smokers. Cities want to ban smoking in restaurants, and the fight for smokers' rights is on. Few refuges exist where cigar aficionados can light up without feeling like a pariah. But the cigar lounge in McCoy's Public House & Brewkitchen remains... More >>