Extra Virgin

Awesome place! The small plates were perfect for those not wanting a big heavy meal. There were crazy and unique plates that were fabulous like duck tongue tacos and roasted none barrow! Weird but great! We also enjoyed the location which we took the #KCstreetcar to. The ambience was fun and eclectic. We really enjoyed ourselves!

Very relaxed atmosphere. The menu is so diverse but my favorite is duck tongue tacos. I especially enjoy this place after work. I would walk up there and sit in the front patio on a relatively busy street – well, people watching has always been my favorite sin :) The staff is very friendly and helpful and explaining all the exotic terms you come across – after all who would have thought to make tacos off of duck tongues – let alone how many of those it takes to fill one taco! Often time and especially on Fridays (the days I go there the most) you will find people in a very jolly mode eating chatting laughing. The only reason that makes me not go there everyday is I am not monogamous in my relationship with food and restaurants.

This is a mixed review. The food here is AMAZING! However, the gentleman working at the front desk is so rude. We came in for a reservation, asked if we could sit outside (plenty of open tables!), & he acted like it was a HUGE inconvenience. Luckily our server made up for this rudeness.
The next visit was on First Friday, do we just asked how long it would be to get a table & the same gentleman very tersely said he wouldn’t get us in at all that night. Not friendly, not even an, «I’m sorry, we’re very booked.» Seriously not cool. This is an amazing place for food, but the person who should be the friendliest, as he’s the first impression of the restaurant, leaves A LOT to be desired!

Reading other EV reviews, it seems like a lot of people went several times before writing a review. Maybe it’s because there is so much to choose from, and it’s probably why I’m in that group.
Now, listen to this, Michael Smith, I ate here Friday BECAUSE of the streetcar. We got on in the River Market with no specific lunch plan whatsoever; wanting to get off before all the crowds at Union Station, Extra Virgin at the 20^th & Main stop was a no-​brainer!
Over several years, I’ve never had anything I didn’t care for, and some things that were stellar. Some of my favorites over the years: pork street tacos, posole, deviled eggs, and the barrel-​aged Manhattan. This time, we shared poblano mac ‘n’ cheese, hanger steak and frites, and the famous fig-​filled chicken thighs. All were superb, especially the sauce on the thighs-we’d finished the chicken, and I about slapped the server’s hand away when he tried to take the skillet away before we’d finished sopping our fries in that sauce.
I was a little disappointed that the noon-​6 half-​price tapas is a thing of the past, but there are still enough affordable dishes that you can nosh your way through a leisurely lunch without breaking the bank. I hadn’t been here for quite a bit, but I recognized our server from way back, and that’s always encouraging when the help sticks around.

Extra Virgin is always a hit. We took a maiden ride on the streetcar and hopped off at EV. We had 2 orders of fabulous tuna crevice tacos and mojitos, very refreshing! At other visits, I’ve enjoyed the roasted brussels sprouts, which had onions and bacon, and the caprice-​like salad. They have a large dining area that would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner.

Five stars for the happy hour for half price plates!
We had the shrimp and pork belly fried rice and the poblano Mac and cheese and they were both delicious. The fried rice was actually fried and crispy, seasoned well, the shrimp was tender and perfectly cooked and the pork belly was tasty too. The Mac and cheese is very rich and creamy, and not soupy at all. The best thing about these two dishes is that although the plates are small, they are surprisingly good portions! I went with a friend and we split those two dishes and were full! It was an amazing value ($ 12 for both plates?) so I am coming back for happy hour!
My first experience was not so great– outside of happy hour the tapas seem on the expensive side especially if you are very hungry and order multiple plates. The food is really good so it’s definitely worth it, but if you are budget minded, it would be better to go during happy hour.

Big fan of this place — the vibe is incredibly young, hip and diverse, which I haven’t found much of in KC. Great place for drinks after work or a relaxed dinner with friends. I’ve personally always enjoyed small plates and Extra Virgin certainly did not disappoint with its unique menu. Here’s some highlights:
Crispy Pig Ear Salad — Mm definitely one of my favorites here, great mix of crispiness from the ear and freshness from the arugula and dressing
Pork Belly Steam Buns — Was initially craving these, but honestly a bit of a let down. The bun to meat ratio was also a little too high for my taste
Shrimp Egg and Pork Belly Fried Rice — Okay, this was my absolutely favorite dish here, salivating a little as I write this review about it.
Tuna Ceviche Tacos — Wow, incredibly fresh and great mix of flavors. Also tried the duck tongue taco but preferred the tuna ceviche ones by far.

This is MY FAVORITE place in all of Kansas City! I love the menu. They change it up every season. There are so many unique choices. I come to EV every chance I get. Michael Smith can usually be found hanging out at the bar area or around the restaurant. I like how he’s cool and likes to hear your thoughts. It’s just the best place to eat, grab a drink or hang out in KC!
The two must haves on the menu are The Chicken Thighs and The Duck Tongue Tacos!

Wow, what an amazing place to have dinner! Server, Jeff, was phenomenal, provided delicious recommendations, extremely courteous and prompt and very knowledgeable about the menu. The food was so flavorful; I’d recommend this place to anyone in Kansas City and beyond. I will definitely eat here again if I travel back here. Definitely get the pork butt steamed buns!

Happy Hour! 4−6pm half priced select tapas and $ 2.50 select beers! We had a table of five so we sampled almost everything on the Happy hour menu, here is what we thought:
Pork Belly Steamed Buns: Tasty little slider but the piece of pork belly was too small
Spanish Meatballs: Pork balls with mild spices covered in a red sauce. Very good!
Hangar Steak Frites: Super tender steak complimented well with the chimichurri sauce. The fries were just OK
Poblano Mac and Cheese: Decent cheesiness with el dente noodles. Lacked the kick from the peppers.
Steamed Mussels: They were excellent! Large mussels in a super tasty broth.
Lebanese Hummus: Pretty standard hummus served with pita that has been warmed in the wood oven so it has a kiss of smoke.
Tuna Ceviche Tacos: Least favorite tapa we had. Pretty bland and I didn’t care for the hard tortilla shells
Fig Chicken Thighs: Deboned thigh meat rolled up with fig inside. These were OK nothing spectacular.
Pick Four Cheese Assortment: Nice serving of cheeses with crackers and a cherry jam. I would go with the Maytag Blue and Brie.
Grilled Bread and Ricotta: Probably better than the hummus if you are want to pick one or the other.
We will definitely be back again especially for the happy hour.

Always on my list when I stop into KC. Love this place. The menu is diverse and decadent. Everything on it is so good from the tacos to cheeses to the bone marrow and larger plates. One of my favorite unassuming dishes is the Spanish white anchovies (boquerones) just perfect. I usually prefer to sit at the bar, the staff there is friendly, laid back and know how to make a great drink. Hint: both Extra Virgin and Michael Smith restaurants are connected and if you ask the staff you can order off both menus. Best of both worlds.

It’s possible this might be the coolest restaurant in Kansas City. Excellent vibe with a remarkably diverse group of customers. We’re regulars so take my review with a grain-​of-​salt but we’ve never had anything close to a bad meal @ EV. Kind of a Mediterranean/​Spanish flair with a little Italian thrown in for good measure. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff. Many have been with Michael and Nancy for years. Same for the kitchen staff who always seem to be having fun.
And an amazingly creative/​eclectic menu that changes with some regularity. Although many of the favorite dishes have been on the menu for years (Duck-​tongue tacos!).
Some dishes aren’t for the faint of heart and you might try somewhere else if sharing plates/​menu items doesn’t sound like fun. But for most, EV offers a great atmosphere, happy people and wonderful food.

What a great place to have in KC!
I have to admit, that as a non-​picky, indecisive eater, tasting menus and tapas bars are made for people like me. Extra Virgin not only fits that bill, it does it extremely well and with delicious and well thought out courses.
We came hungry and started with the tuna ceviche and duck tongue tacos. Both were incredible and packed with tons of flavor. The spicy pickled onions on the duck tongue tacos gave them a nice kick and made them a stand out item on the menu.
Next, we tried the poblano mac and cheese, hanger steak and rabbit ragu. The mac and cheese was creamy and delicious and served piping hot in a mini cast iron skillet. The hanger steak was perfectly cooked and the fries were salty and hand cut-​just the way we like them. The rabbit ragu was great. A little on the salty side, but packed with meat and soft and delicious noodles.
For dessert, we tried the chocolate churros and they were a nice ending to round out our meal. Fresh, hot and served with a generous amount of cinnamon and sugar on them, they couldn’t be more fantastic.
The only thing I am kicking myself about, is that I ordered wine instead of a cocktail while I was here. The cocktails coming out of the bar looked really good, so I’ll definitely be trying one on my next visit.
Between the cool, laid back atmosphere, excellent service and incredible food, Extra Virgin is definitely on our list of places to eat again. Don’t hesitate, make a reservation and go!

The restaurant is really fun, the seating is comfortable, the staff was very friendly, the music was good.
I wanted to LOVE extra virgin, but I was a little underwhelmed. It was restaurant week so I can understand, but all of our food (eight plates) was brought out all within minutes of each other (on a table that was hardly big enough to fit all of these plates) I felt rushed, I actually burnt my mouth on two separate food items, and the food was definitely not show stopping.
The chick pea fries are weird, mushy, and not flavorful
The shrimp bisque was very good!
The tacos with avocado was bland and the taco shell was thick more like a fortune cookie consistency
The pork belly steamed buns were great.
The drinks were very good!
Both desserts were bad: /​
I might give it a second chance and try some other things, only because I really really wanted to like extra virgin.

I have been here a few times now for Happy Hour and weekly specials. I haven’t tried anything as far as food goes so this is only for the drinks (most important part to everyone I’m sure).
They have an amazing menu to choose your fancy, but what makes a drink really good is who makes it and with what ingredients. The Old Fashioned is literally the best I have ever had. I’ve been lucky enough to have the same bartender every time so of course I had to repeat the order a few times.
I am not sure how they make their cherries in the drink so amazing, but LOVE them!
The menu looks wonderful and I am sure I will try it soon as we will be going back often! The have great wine and beer selections as well, which are not as fun as the cocktails. If you want a nice, well rounded whiskey beverage made the way it’s supposed to — go! Cheers Unilocalers!

When I used to think about tapas, I thought of the Portlandia line explaining them: «They’re pretty much like full-​sized plates but smaller and the same price.» Not the case at Extra Virgin! After a handful of trips here I can safely say that you can explore an extensive menu, get amazing food and most importantly, not leave hungry.
The location is in smack dab in the middle of the Crossroads, and if you’re milling around First Fridays this could make for a great spot to pop into for a drink and dinner.
The décor is mainly Spanish; a bit eclectic and colorful. Service has always been good here as well.
Food-​wise, there are so many creative offerings and also some amazing crowd pleasers for everyone.
I think it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with the poblano mac & cheese. They definitely don’t skimp on the flavor as it’s loaded up with sharp cheddar cheeses and bread crumbs. Same goes for the Spanish meatballs, pretty much no explanation required, they’re just delicious.
On a cold drizzly night our last time in, we tried the roasted cauliflower that has coconut milk, cilantro, zataar, serrano and I’d highly recommend it. Also, if you peruse the photos you’ll see the pork belly steamed buns with ramp kimchi — get those!
Makes for a great lunch, a great dinner, a great co-​worker or group spot, or a great date spot. The versatility, creativity and consistency of Extra Virgin have it slowly climbing up the ranks as one of my favorite restaurants in KC.

Game 3 of the World Series — though the Mets were having their time tonight, the food and libations soothed out worried souls…
1) Pork Belly Steamed Buns — always a favorite. Tender pieces of nicely seasoned slices of pork belly in a bun in which the texture speaks wonders. Would repeat.
2) Roasted Marrow Bones — two long bone halves with the marrow (of life) ready to be scooped out and eaten on bread. Nice grilled onions. Most likely would repeat.
3) Flash Fried Padron Peppers — a twist on the typical shishito peppers. I actually like these better as my tongue sensed much more flavor. Easy to eat with one hand and no mess. Would repeat.
4) Sea Urchin Pasta — I was the last to have this bowl passed to me so not sure if the urchin pieces were big and I drew the short straw or if they were really small. Regardless, would most likely repeat.
5) Shrimp Fried Rice — another favorite. Crack the soft boiled egg and dig in. The perfectly crisp texture of the rice complements the egg and shrimp so nicely. (As you can see I’m a texture guy as well.)
6) Tres Leches cake — small, not overwhelming, and right amount of sweetness to complete the meal.
7) Old Fashioned Bourbon — smooth all the way down.
Lastly, the service was all start tonight. I think our waiter’s name was Ben. Good guy and great to interact with.
Cheers.

My last few visits to Extra Virgin have been lacking.
The owners have been very vocal about the street car construction hurting their business. I might argue it has more to do with eliminating the lunch happy hour prices and the often poor service. I can tell you that my traffic has slowed quite a bit without the deal for lunch.
Recently I stopped for an after show drink with a friend. The bartender, Patrick, was sharing a meal with some people sitting at the back of the bar. I found it a little inappropriate that he was eating from the work side and probably a huge health department violation. After waiting an excessive amount if time for him to eat, he took our order. He then proceeded to make our drinks without washing his hands after eating and while chewing food.
The drink menu is nice and it has a good variety.
The food is still good, but the service is generally mediocre and often obnoxious. I won’t be rushing back anytime soon after the latest trip.

If you’re looking for tapas and want amazing drink, than this is the place. I love that Michael Smith carries his own wine collection especially having the Bordeaux on the menu. The wonderful French medium — body red pairs well with the bone marrow, chorizo and fig wrapped with chicken thighs and their duck tacos.
First Friday, I went with a friend who ordered the rabbit gnocchi. I’ve only tried gnocchi 3 times and the gnocchi served at Extra Virgin is so perfectly cooked that I now know the first 2 time i had gnocchi it was served chewy and tasted starchy which now led to thinking it was undercooked.
If it’s your first time, I suggest sitting at the bar as the bartenders are super-​friendly and can make the best drinks you’ve ever had.

Great happy hour specials. Came early on a Monday, had great service from Ben.
One of my favorite Old Fashioned I’ve had.
Ordered the Chorizo & Fig stuffed chicken thigh, this was my least favorite dish.
Also had the Shrimp and pork belly fired rice. I really enjoyed this, it’s not your typical fried rice…
no soy sauce, but still flavorful. The texture was great, had the crunchy bits of rice that you would associate with paella. It was served with the prefect poached egg.
Also had the duck tongue tacos. These were great, and probably not what you would expect. I’ve had duck tongues before
in a salad. That time they resembled a chewy bacon, but you could distinguish what you were eating (still very good). This preparation,
was probably briased. and shredded, it almost resembled a pulled pork. Delicious! This was a great value for happy hour. Will definitely be back my next visit.