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With a population of 175,000 people, Overland Park, Kansas
is the heart of Johnson County - the engine of progress that drives the
diverse Kansas City economy. Overland Park has more than 250 restaurants
and several of the most interesting tourist attractions in the states of
Kansas and Missouri.
These are my candid comments and recommendations for attractions
and museums to visit and restaurants in which to dine in Overland Park.
I am a 26 year resident of Johnson County, 6 of those years in Overland
Park.
This page devoted to Overland Park, Kansas attractions
and locally owned restaurants is a work in progress. Please
email
your suggestions for more Overland Park attractions and locally owned restaurants
to be included. Be sure to tell me what you like best about them.
For additional nearby Johnson County tourist attractions
and restaurants, also check the guide to Olathe Restaurants
and Attractions.
Overland
Park Restaurants
 ABC
Cafe has built a reputation for good, authentic Cantonese food. The
hours are unusual (noon - midnight), in part because the employees at other
Chinese restaurants come here for supper after the other places close.
My favorite thing to do, is to have dim sum ordered off the menu - several
small plates at reasonable prices. My favorite dishes so far included salt
& pepper pork chop, sticky rice stuffed chicken wings, and clams sautéed
with black bean sauce.
More
photos and a longer review.
ABC Cafe, 10001 West 87th
street Overland Park, Kansas 66212
(913) 859-0089 Last visited in June
2019 |
 Imo's
Pizza is a local franchise of the 40 year old St. Louis, Missouri pizza
chain. I don't usually include chain restaurants on this site, but
Imo's is a small chain and this location has my favorite pizza in Overland
Park. The standard is a thin crust pizza made with provel cheese,
but thick crust and mozzarella are also available by request. This is Imo's
only location in Kansas.
Imo's Pizza, 11552 West 135th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66221. (913) 529-4667 Last visited in July
2019 |
 Andre's
Confiserie Suisse and Rivaz Tearoom makes high quality chocolate candies,
French pastries & tortes and light authentic Swiss lunches. Andre's
serves meals only at lunch on Monday - Saturday. The menu is limited to
a couple of sandwiches, Quiche Lorraine, cheese pie and a daily special.
Expect to wait for a table. This is a great place to get chocolate for
special gifts.
More
photos and a longer review.
Andre's Confiserie Suisse, 4929
West 119th Street Overland Park, Kansas 66209. (913) 498-3440 Last visited
in June 2016 |
 Indian
Palace is the oldest Indian Restaurant in the Kansas City area. It
has improved significantly over the years and serves some of the best Indian
Food in Kansas. Indian Palace's food is as good as I've had in London and
New York. I enjoy the lunch buffet, but think you will be more impressed
if you order off the menu. They prepare each dish individually and will
adjust to meet your tastes. My favorite dishes include the Tikka Masala,
Chicken 65, Aloo Mutter, and the lamb samosas. I love their onion chutney.
India Palace, 9918 W 87th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212
(913) 381-1680 Last visited in August
2018 |
 Bangkok
Pavilion Thai Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas has the only Thai
buffet in metropolitan Kansas City. The large selection changes from day
to day, but my favorite items include the yellow curry chicken and the
three kings mushroom. At only $8, it is one of the best, quality lunch
bargains in Overland Park and the $12.95 weekend buffet is the best Asian
buffet in Kansas City.
More
photos and a longer review.
Bangkok Pavilion Thai Restaurant,
9055 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66212. (913) 341-1718 Last visited
in September 2019 |
|
 Broadmoor
Bistro is a restaurant operated by students at Broadmoor Technical
Center (part of the Shawnee Mission School District). The Bistro is only
open Wednesday evenings during the school year and advanced reservations
are required. For $25 you get your choice of two items from two appetizers,
soup and salad, choice of entree, and choice of dessert.
More
photos and a longer review.
Broadmoor Bistro, 8200
West 71st Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 993-9700 Last visited
in October 2017 |
 J
Gilbert's Wood Fired Steaks
is a nice upscale steakhouse. J Gilbert's is a tiny restaurant chain, with
only three other locations. J Gilbert's steaks are aged at least 21 days,
perfectly cooked, and typically cost $30-45 including potato and vegetable.
Fixed price, 3 course meals are $33. The bone in ribeye steak and sea bass
are both favorites. J Gilbert's serves a classic Caesar salad. Their cheddar
chipotle mashed potatoes are very good.
J Gilbert's Wood Fired Steaks,
8901 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66212. (913) 642-8070 Last visited
in June 2017 |
 Brobecks
Barbeque is one of the newer BBQ restaurants in the Kansas City area.
Reasonably priced, dry rubbed BBQ with good side dishes. My favorite meats
are sausage and dry rubbed pork ribs that are so flavorful that no sauce
is necessary. Brobecks is one of the more reasonably priced KC BBQ places
with table service.
More
photos and a longer review.
Brobecks Barbeque, 4615 Indian
Creek Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas 66207. (913) 901-9700 Last visited
in June 2019 |
 Mai
Thai Restaurant in Overland Park is a fairly quick place for Thai food
in south Overland Park. Service is a little unpredictable, but the food
is more consistent. My favorite dishes have been the appetizers, particularly
the crab Rangoon and short ribs. The Pad Thai is slightly sweet and they
do a pretty good job of matching the level of heat to the request. The
red curry is less interesting, with a less complex flavor. The soups change
each day and range from bland to slightly above average.
Mai Thai Restaurant, 12250
W 135th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66221. (913) 681-9995 Last visited
in April 2019 |
 Burg
& Barrel is Johnson County's newest gourmet burger bar,
having just opened on February 15. The food menu is a bit short, but has
many items which look appealing. So far, we have tried three of the burgers,
a calamari wrap, KC strip, salmon sandwich and the fish & chips. The
barrel side of the menu is represented by 12 beers on tap, 22 bottle craft
beers and 17 whiskies. On more recent visits there have been repeated issues
with the service and with the meat being cooked to the requested temperature.
More
photos and a longer review.
Burg & Barrel, 7042 W
76th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204.
(913) 649-2525 Last visited
in December 2018 |
 Papa
Keno's Pizzeria is a pizza and sandwich shop that has been operating
in old town Overland Park, Kansas since 1995. This is the original location,
but Papa Keno's also has locations in Lawrence, Kansas and Kansas City,
Missouri. Keno's pizzas are huge, a single slice is the size of a personal
pizza, and all of the servings are large (and not cheap). The tasty campinella
sandwich (cream cheese, turkey, sun dried tomato, provolone, onion, lettuce,
tomato, oil and vinegar) is at least 8" across. The calzones are good and
nearly 12" across. During the last visit, the recorded music was too loud.
Papa Keno's Pizzeria, 7901
Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204. (913) 648-1313 Last visited
in October 2016 |
 Café
Nordstrom
in Nordstrom's department store is the only restaurant inside Overland
Park's Oak Park Mall. Café Nordstrom is committed to local, sustainable,
natural and organic foods. I have yet to try a dish at Café Nordstrom
which I did not like.
More
photos and a longer review.
Café Nordstrom, 11143
West 95th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66214. (913) 492-8111 Last visited
in November 2016 |
 The
Peanut on Santa Fe in Overland
Park, Kansas has relatively short menu, but in addition to the famous
wings, there are a few other items worth a special trip. The grilled chili
dogs are among my favorite in the Kansas City area and here are excellent
single, double, and triple BLT sandwiches, but the standout is the chicken
sandwich with marinated chicken breast, Swiss & cream cheeses, red
onion and grilled red bell peppers on a hamburger bun.
More
photos and a longer review.
The Peanut on Santa Fe, 7938
Santa Fe Drive Overland Park, Kansas 66209. (913) 499-8565 Last visited
in April 2019 |
 Café
Tempo is a nice, minimal service restaurant located within the Nerman
Museum of Contemporary Art on the campus of Johnson County Community
College. It has been open since the museum opened in 2007. Café
Tempo serves breakfast Tuesday - Friday and lunch Tuesday - Saturday. Sandwiches,
salads, soups, pastries and several daily specials.
More
photos and a longer review.
Café Tempo, 12345 College
Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas 66210. (913) 469-8500 ext. 4993 Last visited
in April 2017 |
 The
Peanut on 127th Street Neighborhood Bar & Grill in Overland Park,
Kansas serves some of the best Buffalo chicken wings in the Kansas City
area. There are several Peanut locations, one other in Overland Park
and three others in Missouri. The Peanut is one of the few places in town
to get cooked to order hamburgers.
More
photos and a longer review.
The Peanut on 127th, 12663
Metcalf, Overland Park, Kansas 66204. (913) 491-0288 Last visited in October
2018 |
 Choga
Korean Restaurant is the oldest Korean Restaurant in metropolitan
Kansas City. The meals come with the chef's choice of 6 side dishes and
on my last visit, there were three kimchi, tofu, sprouts and a kind of
scrambled eggs. Most entrees run from $10-18, but a few special items run
over $25. Some items may be grilled at the table, but only if ordered by
2 or more people.
More
photos and a longer review.
Choga Korean Restaurant, 6920
West 105th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212. (913) 385-2151 Last
visited in March 2019 |
 Q39
opened its first Kansas location in Overland Park, Kansas in August,
2017. This is a first look at the new barbeque restaurant, based on a visit
5 days after that opening. A more detailed review will be made when they
have been open for a longer period and we have paid more visits. Frankly,
they did an outstanding job for having been open only 5 days. I don't think
that someone who didn't already now they had just opened, would have guessed.
More
photos and a longer review.
Q39, 11051 Antioch Road, Overland
Park, Kansas 66210
(913) 951-4500 Last visited in July
2018 |
 Chosun
Korean Barbeque serves all kinds of Korean food, but the house specialty
is BBQ beef, pork and chicken prepared at the table on small gas grills
built into the center of many of the dining tables. If you want the Korean
BBQ, there may be a wait for one of the tables with the built in grills.
Meals come with an all you can eat variety of side dishes including kimchi,
pickled radish, fish cake, seaweed salad, tofu, steamed rice and soup.
More
photos and a longer review.
Chosun Korean BBQ, 12611 Metcalf
Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66213. (913) 339-9644. Last visited
in February 2019 |
 Ruchi
Indian Restaurant
in Overland Park, Kansas opened a second location in Kansas City, Missouri.
The atmosphere of this storefront restaurant is average and the service
leaves something to be desired, but the food is good. A few years ago,
this was the best Indian food in Kansas City, but there are several with
better Indian food today. They have an excellent lunch buffet. I have avoided
visiting Ruchi at other times due to service issues.
Ruchi Indian Restaurant,
11168 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, Kansas 66210 (913) 661-9088 Last visited
in December 2018 |
 Cinzetti's
Italian Market Restaurant
in Overland Park, Kansas has good Italian food, all you can eat, with cooking
stations such as you find in a high class casino buffet. Cinzetti's is
a great place for large parties and is child friendly. The food is so good
a friend calls Cinzetti's "Sin City." It may be difficult, but you will
want to save room for the wonderful desserts. Week night dinner: $13 for
adults, weekend nights $15, week day lunch $9.
Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant,
7201 W 91st Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66212 (913) 642-0101 Last visited
in November 2018 |
 Santa
Fe Cafe is a breakfast and lunch restaurant that closes at 2PM daily.
The lunch items are good, but the menu is limited. The Santa Fe Cafe's
breakfasts get a strong endorsement. The menu is 60% breakfast items, including
French toast, eggs benedict, pancakes, waffles, biscuits & gravy, pork
chops, omelets, burritos, steak, potatoes, grits, and crepes. Expect to
spend $7-10 on breakfast, not including the beverage. More
photos and a longer review.
Santa Fe Cafe, 9946 West 87th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212 (913) 648-5402 Last visited in August
2019 |
 Cozy's
Cafe is a small family run restaurant which opened in August, 2009.
Breakfast is served all day, along with a Mediterranean influenced menu
which includes pastas, many paninis and hand formed hamburgers. The owner,
Kozeta Kreka waits on the tables and makes the baklava.
More
photos and a longer review.
Cozy's Cafe, 6740 West 75th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204
(913) 236-0003 Last visited in January
2017 |
 Smokey's
on the Blvd BBQ is the first restaurant for owners Rob &
Mandy Harris and their son Jason. The menu is fairly simple: BBQ
chicken, ribs, pork, beef, turkey, sausage & burnt ends, along with
a couple of alternatives for children. Smokey's opened in 2012 and moved
to this new location in the spring of 2018.
More
photos and a longer review.
Smokey's on the BLVD BBQ,
8669 W. 135th St, Overland Park, Kansas 66223 (913) 897-7427 Last
visited in December 2018 |
 D'
Bronx Deli & Pizzeria in Overland Park, Kansas offers pizza by
the slice, subs, soups, salads and deli sandwiches. This is the newest
location for the small local chain that started at Bell & 39th Street
in Kansas City, Missouri. Order at the counter and your meal will be brought
to your table. The medium thickness crust pizza is good if you eat it right
away but doesn't travel well. Try the Reuben sandwich.
D' Bronx Deli & Pizzeria,
7070 W 105th Street Overland Park, KS 66212 (913) 649-9000 Last visited
in October 2018 |
 Snack
Shack on Santa Fe is a good little place for burgers. The third pound
burgers are made using fresh hamburger daily from Bichelmeyer
Meats in Kansas City, Kansas. I like the Garden Grilled Cheese sandwich
which includes grilled tomato, onion and jalapeno.
More
photos and a longer review.
Snack Shack on Santa Fe, 8039
Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 381-3200 Last visited
in September 2019 |
 I
give a guarded recommendation to Elsa's Ethiopian Restaurant. Communication
has been a issue and the check on the second visit was at first $26 too
high. But the food is good and although the little restaurant is plain,
it is clean and neat. If you are unfamiliar with Ethiopian food, I recommend
getting the Meat Combo with Doro Wat, Key Wat & Alicha Wat (spicy beef,
spicy chicken and mild beef stews) and the two sides. The Key Wat is my
favorite meat, a beef stew simmered in berbere, garlic, onion and herbal
butter served with ayb (a traditional Ethiopian cottage cheese). As with
all Ethiopian restaurants the food comes with flat, sour spongy injera
bread that is used instead utensils
Elsa's Ethiopian Restaurant,
8016 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas (913) 648-5000 Last visited
in April 2019 |
 Talk
of the Town Grill & Bar is one of the few Overland Park, Kansas
restaurants to offer a full menu until midnight. Talk of the Town offers
a wide selection of hamburgers, sandwiches and salads, plus pizza and just
8 entrees. Most meals start at about $8 and the most expensive item on
the menu (Kansas City Strip) is only $16.99 with a salad and the choice
of two sides.
More
photos, menu and a longer review.
Talk of the Town, 11922 West
119th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213 (913) 661-9922 Last visited in
September 2o19 |
 Fiorella's
Jack Stack in Overland Park, Kansas may be the best high end BBQ restaurant
in the Kansas City Area. Jack Stack serves good pork, beef & lamb ribs,
and excellent side dishes including enormous onion rings. The service is
inconsistent - friendly but with frequent miscues. Jack Stack has several
locations in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area. This is one of
the few BBQ restaurants in the area with table service & cloth napkins,
and it is priced accordingly.
Fiorella's Jack Stack, 9520
Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66212 (913) 385-7427 Last visited
in April 2019 |
 Taste
of Africa in southern Overland Park opened in 2014 in the space vacated
by the Burnt End BBQ when it moved to 119th Street. The menu is somewhat
limited, but has several items which are very good. I particularly like
the Ng'ombe (beef stew) and Mbuzi (goat stew) which are $12.85 & $13.50
with the choice of two sides. Our favorite side is the fried plantains,
but the sautéed cabbage (lightly seasoned with curry), sautéed
kale. The savory beef filled samosas are good, though a sauce on the side
would be nice. Other main dishes include Samaki wa Kukaanga (deep fried
whole tilapia) and a variety of combination platters priced from $15 -
$17.50. Open for lunch and supper Monday - Saturday.
Taste of Africa, 11240 W 135th
St., Overland Park, Kansas 66221 (913) 897-1000 Last visited in April 2018 |
 Garozzo's
Ristorante
in Overland Park, Kansas serves large servings of American Italian cuisine
in the style of The Hill in St. Louis. This location lacks the atmosphere
of Garozzo's original location in Kansas CIty, Missouri, but is very nice
in its own way. Garozzo's may be best known for Chicken Spiedeni, which
has been copied at Italian restaurants around the Kansas City area. My
favorite dish is Vitello Spiedeni alla Sophia Maria (lightly breaded and
rolled veal, filled with Genoa salami, provel cheese, diced tomatoes, red
onions, and pine nuts, char broiled and served in Marsala wine sauce with
sautéed mushrooms).
Garozzo's Ristorante,
9950 College Boulevard Overland Park, Kansas 66210 (913) 491-8300 Last
visited in September 2019 |
 Twisted
is a counter service sandwich, wrap and taco restaurant near Johnson County
Community College. This is the second location in Johnson County and opened
in early 2013. The short menu is heavy to chicken filled wraps, sandwiches
or salads, but the dish it has become known for is the Mahi Mahi tacos
(Cajun grilled mahi-mahi with spicy Thai slaw, pepper Jack cheese, pico
de gallo, and Sriracha honey aioli). The sweet, spicy sauce makes the dish!
Three large tacos or a burrito for $7.50.
Twisted, 11737 College Boulevard,
Overland Park, Kansas 66210 (913) 387-4811 Last visited in August 2017 |
 Grandstand
Burgers in Overland Park, Kansas is just a couple of blocks north of
I-35 at the corner of Antioch Road and Merriam Drive. Many people confuse
the location with Shawnee or Merriam. GrandStand Burgers serves good pork
tenderloin sandwiches, onion rings and hand formed hamburgers. The 9 year
old restaurant is tiny, with just 3 stools at the counter and picnic tables
out in front.
More
photos and a longer review.
GrandStand Burgers, 4942 Merriam
Drive, Overland Park, Kansas
66203 (913) 362-0111 Last
visited in March 2019 |
 Wyandot
Barbeque 2 is a neighborhood BBQ restaurant located near the heart
of Overland Park. There were once three Wyandot Barbeque restaurants, but
today there is only this one and the original location on State Avenue
in Kansas City, Kansas (Wyandotte County). There are good reasons why someone
may not care for this restaurant, but the prices are low, the services
large and I like the food.
More
photos and a longer review.
Wyandot BBQ 2, 7215 W 75th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 341-0609 Last visited in September
2019 |
For more local restaurants try the Olathe
Restaurant Guide Unique
Kansas Restaurants
Overland
Park Tourist Attractions & Museums
| Deanna
Rose Children's Farmstead is a 12 acre park with farm animals,
birds of prey, show gardens, butterfly gardens, nature trail, Kanza Indian
display, one room country schoolhouse, play grounds, fishing pond, horse
drawn wagon rides, and pony rides. One of the most popular children's attractions
in the Kansas City area, Deanna Rose is open 7 days a week April
- October
Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
13800 Switzer, Overland Park, Kansas (913) 897-2360 |
Overland
Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is one of the best kept secrets
in metropolitan Kansas City. Still under development, the 300 acre park
currently has 10 gardens and 8 arboretum ecosystems with 5 miles of trails.
Some trails are paved and wheel chair friendly. Open seven days a week.
Free.
Overland Park Arboretum &
Botanical Gardens 8909 W. 179th Street, Overland Park 66013 (913) 685-3604 |
| Indian
Creek Hike/Bike Trail is almost 17 miles long, with about 10 miles
in Overland Park, Kansas. The bike path is generally level and flat,
but often beautiful as it follows Indian Creek through various parks. Indian
Creek trail connects to other hiking and bicycle trails in Kansas City,
Missouri and Johnson County, Kansas.
Indian Creek Hike/Bike Trail
- Multiple Trail Heads between 105th and 119th Streets (913) 327-6630 |
Overland
Park Farmers Market in old downtown Overland Park, Kansas is a
fun place to purchase produce, live plants, homemade preserves and fine
baked goods. Plus free live music from 10 AM until noon, each market day.
Wednesdays and Saturdays from April through October.
Overland Park Farmers Market
downtown Overland Park, Kansas (913) 642-1410 |
| Nerman
Museum of Contemporary Art on the campus of Johnson County Community
College (JCCC) opened in 2007. The largest museum of contemporary art in
the region, the Nerman Museum 3 permanent galleries, and 6 galleries for
temporary exhibits. The Nerman Museum collection includes about 700 works,
many by artists with ties to the Kansas City area.
Nerman Museum of Contemporary
Art 12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas 66210 (913) 469-3000 |
Strang
Carriage House, near downtown Overland Park, Kansas is the home
of the Overland Park Historical Society. The attractive, but small
building houses a collection of historic photographs and documents, as
well as a few small displays of local artifacts.
Rio Theater 7204 West 80th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 383-8500 |
| New
Theatre Restaurant is a 600 seat dinner theater that regularly features
shows including such performers as Jamie Farr and Marion Ross. Although
they work hard on the buffet dinner, the New Theater Restaurant is more
about the show than the food.. Tickets run from $32 to $55, and do not
include dessert or beverages.
New Theatre Restaurant 9229
Foster Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212 (913) 649-0103 |
Rio
Theater in downtown Overland Park, Kansas is an art deco theater that
was restored by the Fine Arts Group. The Rio was added to the National
Register of Historic Places in February of 2005, and features foreign language
and independent movies. The 281 seat single screen movie theater has digital
sound.
Rio Theater 7204 West 80th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 383-8500 |
| Oak
Park Mall is one of the most successful indoor shopping
malls in the United States. At a time when most indoor shopping centers
are dying, Oak Park Mall keeps changing and expanding. It is a safe place
to shop with a wide variety of interesting stores. The newest addition
to the mall is American Girl.
Oak Park Mall 11149 West 95th
Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66214 (913) 888-4400 |
Tiki
Heads are Easter Island style wooden sculptures on 79th Street
just west of old downtown Overland Park. Kansas. There are seven
3 - 8 feet tall Tiki heads, which were carved out of stumps with a chain
saw. This is a private residence, so please just view these sculptures
from the street.
Tiki Heads 7715 West 79th
Street Overland Park, Kansas 66204 |
|
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