re:Verse

A guy-​friend and I recently (in the early Spring, actually) decided to go here after work on Friday to chill out and catch up. Getting the review out of the way early on, I’ll say that the martinis were excellent and the people watching superb. We also had the calamari and chorizo, if memory serves, and it was delicious.
But incidently, he and I both showed up wearing jeans and mock turtlenecks. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
Now that wouldn’t have been an issue, I guess but as I looked around I realized that most of the loafers in the joint that night were a little lighter than not. Again, NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!
Our waitress in the bar provided prompt, polite, and informative service with a big smile. She was on us every time our drinks needed shaken or stirred, trust me.
I wisely ordered a Ketel One, Rocks, Twist… my regular. But my friend… grrrr…against my advice… simply HAD to order the Flirtini.
What kind of guy orders a pink drink called a Flirtini when he’s wearing fashionable jeans, expensive loafers, a black mock, and is at re: Verse hangin’ with his dude-​friend? Huh? Tell me!
The point is… I tend to be anti-​Plaza due to the chain-​takeover, but this place had great vibes, good appetizers, and properly poured drinks. I’ll do it again if the opportunity arises… Without the Flirtini, of course.

I’ve been to re: Verse numerous times for wine or cocktails. A little less so lately, but I used to frequent it regularly. Since I associate re: Verse with drinks and not so much food, I have only eaten here a few times. Last Sunday following church I decided to give their brunch a shot. It was average at best, HOWEVER, the service was impeccable. Kuddos to Katie– you were very attentive.
I’m open to going back for dinner to give its food another shot– but for now the rating is an average three stars.

I like re: Verse. I just don’t love it. This mostly has to do with the fact that it’s in the middle of the Plaza, and the longer I’m in KC, the less interest I have in being in this area, as it’s sort of over-​populated and not all that interesting. But re: Verse is good, even if it’s name is obnoxious. It has a good happy hour, and though their drinks are sweeter than my taste generally wants, they are pretty good and not overpriced. The food is also decent, with flatbreads and sort of typical American bar food…
It is a cute place, with a retro (but not genuinely so) look to the place. It’s fresh and light, with a lot of windows (which adds people watching appeal.)
Basically, re: Verse is where I go for a quick and girly drink after work. Or to have a variety of different flavors of mojito in under an hour before a girly movie.
Get it yet? It’s sort of girly.
It just is. But it’s fine, and it’s fun, and it’s not quite as franchise-​y as a lot of places on the Plaza are. The service is probably the best part, as they’re very attentive and friendly. I mean, I think the last time I was there we made the poor girl list of the aforementioned many flavors of mojitos three or four times, and she did so with a smile on her face (even though she must have been inwardly hating us). But that part makes it fun, too.
So yeah. Not exactly world altering: for those cocktails go to Westport Café or Bluestem. For that food, go to Potpie or Room 39 or Bluestem. But for it’s location, it’s good and it’s not terribly expensive. It’s girly, but it’s also handy.
And also, sometimes girly is good. There’s no shame in wanting a flirtini once in awhile.

I understand there is quite the scene at re: Verse for Happy Hour and late night hours (I’ve been there for both), but I must say re: Verse is the perfect place for a lunch meeting. Before anything else, I am going to remark on the service because I do feel it’s exceptional here. No matter how busy or slow, whenever I have walked through the door, there has been a staff person who came over to see if I needed help or a table, and were quite welcoming to the point that even if I was just there for a quick meet up, I might be compelled to never want to leave!
Monday’s lunch did not fall short in this area. Our server was there when we needed her and not at all intrusive to the conversation that was going on throughout our 2.5 hour stay (I’ve had several working meals where the servers that didn’t employ this skill at all, so I do not take it for granted). At the end of the 2.5 hour lunch, I had no desire to leave (I’m the type who can easily graduate into pre dinner cocktails mid afternoon, but there simply wasn’t the time :)
I had a delicious vegetarian sandwich with portobello, avocado, veggies and goat cheese (on perfectly nutty 7-​grain bread, rejoice!) and a side salad. My lunch partners were happy with their entrees as well.
I adore the atmosphere of re: Verse. Between them and Classic Cup, I wish the trends for more Euro-​styled cafes were the norm for the Plaza as opposed to chains without character. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but between the fountains and the Spanish architecture of the environs, there is so much potential that is just not met in this part of the city.

I had their 5 course Valentine Dinner, and each and every course was spectacular.
Definitely a place worth trying and repeating.

If restaurants were TV shows Re: Verse would have to be one of the reality TV shows that centers around a constant stream of nearly naked hot people stirring up drama.” It is definitely place where image is the focus over substance. As such the décor is top notch, the food… well not so much. The décor is a newish take on chic modern motif meets California beach house
The menu generally sounds exotic and impressive, but the execution is less than stunning. It is heavy on oil and salt to cover up the low quality and bland. It is not going to impress any even moderately serious food people in your party. I completely dropped it off the list for food after being served at appetizer with moldy bread. When pointed out the large green growth the server looked neither surprised or shocked. They did eventually take it off my bill, but it was not their first thought to do so.
The bar is another story altogether. It is really top notch. They do have to focus on speed, but they still manage to mix a very nice cocktail. In more than 5 years I have not been disappointed. Most of the bar tending staff has been there for years, and they have there craft down. Since there is generally a crowd at night it can take time to get a drink, but for me it is worth the wait. They are also one of the very few bars in town that happens to carry the Port I like.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that the late night clientele does include an above average number of hard body chest bumping alpha males and high maintenance soon to be, or ex, trophy mistresses in 6 in heels and dresses so tight you can read the wonder bra label. It is definitely a place where the phrase ruining by talking is uttered more than a little. If that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable it may not be for you. If on the other hand you can just sit back and enjoy the circus unfolding before you it is a nice place to sit back and enjoy a cocktail. Even better if you can get a table outside on a night with a slight breeze.

I have only dined here for brunch but I would say it’s A-​OK! The food was pretty good. But a bit pricey for what it’s worth. I love doing brunch but there are so many places out there that have brunch specials and are a bit cheaper, I would rather go with that!
I had the Eggs Florentine pretty solid but I have had better. The biscuits and gravy were supposed to be known for, the biscuits were fantastic. Who doesn’t like honey biscuits. However, the gravy wasn’t special enough!
Another diner at the table had the Chicken Sammie. Probably the highlight of the meal. the chicken was juicy and yummy! Another friend had the chicken salad. Dry & Bland.
I like the overall atmosphere so maybe I will try it for dinner sometime.

Nice… sunny afternoon in KC, cocktails and apps al fresco!
We hit up re: Verse last week while bouncing around downtown and checking out the museum scene.
I stuck to simple Saphire and tonics, while A.T. hit a couple of their specialty drinks, and while I cannot remember them both, I think one was the rose water martini, they were both quite nice.
As for the eats, we had the fondue artichoke dip as well as the pulled pork pita pizza… bravo on both counts!
Great atmosphere, great outdoors enhanced by awesome weather!

You know, I always thought this place looked really expensive and a little uppity before I even gave it a chance. Shame on me! Turns out I like it. They have a great happy hour, and if you get lucky, you can snag a comfy, cushioned wicker chair in their little outdoor area (ottoman included!) Then, pick a $ 5 small plate (all very tasty – I love their fresh little pizzas and dips) and a drink and you’re sitting pretty for less than $ 10! I know, you can get other good happy hour deals on the Plaza as well. But this one lasts until 7! The only other ones that last that long have bar food (which I also love, but sometimes a girl needs somethin’ lighter than «fried»…) Don’t quote me on that 7 pm claim – I just know that when I think of a nice Plaza spot to go for an affordable HH on a beautiful day, I think re: Verse!

I stumbled upon this place trying to get away from the chains in the Plaza and was pleasantly surprised with my find!
It was on the corner, overlooking the canal, big open windows and a sweet «guy with guitar» in the corner. He was singing covers– but his own version and it was just the right speed for the feel of this place.
Excellent selection of beers and wine. Also some inventive martinis.
The bartender was friendly and attentive, but not too much so. The food was a twist on modern american fare — I had the horseradish encrusted Salmon and the pear arugula salad and all of it was darn good! I am planning another trip to KC and I will return.
The atmosphere was a hipster sort of rockabilly theme — but not too much to feel exclusive. The décor was cute and somewhat romantic. Great outdoor seating

I love reverse for a night to get dressed up and hang out with friends while drinking a dragon berry monitor! Happy hour is also awesome! Reverse is interesting. It brings I. Different crowds at different nights of the week. Some nights you will get your 40 something mixed with 22 year olds … It makes for a fun time minus the old creepy guys that gawk at the young girls yikes! Still I love you reverse.

This is a well-​located upscale plaza bar/​semi-​restaurant to enjoy the fresh breeze in the summer or escape the nip in the winter. The bar offers a variety of summer-​time drinks to hot cocktails in the winter. While I have eaten dinner here, many a year ago — I do remember exceptionally attentive service and tasty food.
These day’s I come here mostly for a Fidel Castro martini. This a grey goose martini w/​blue cheese olives accentuated with a cedar aroma, i.e. castro effect. Sometimes I am left disappointed as the fine staff has failed to walk two blocks to Diebel’s and get a few more cedar sticks but they usually make it up for it. I like to order mine slightly dirty, because that’s what I like.
If you want to get one more drink after Kona kicks you out at midnight on Saturday (what the hell Kona?) — grab one more at re: Verse as they like you to have your last sip gone about 1am.
I recommend this place much more in the summer as it really opens up and becomes an enjoyable space.

Okay Re: Verse, let’s just get something out of the way. I’m mad at you! Well, not you necessarily, but I sure am mad at your miniature bartender that you had working Christmas eve.
…it was the first night of the great Christmas blizzard of 09, and the boyfriend and i were stranded in town, unable to drive home to see the family. We take a cab to the plaza to have some dinner and drinks. We head into Re: Verse, and the hostess informs us that they’ll be closing in about 30 minutes. Fair enough. We belly up to the bar and ask what cocktails they have that are hot. Mini-​tender says «none», and I ask to just see a cocktail menu. Then I point to him the big section of coffee drinks and say «so do you no longer serve THESE?»
Long story short, he does serve them, he just gets cranky first because he has to make more coffee. He also ignores on the menu where it says they are made w/​fresh whipped cream and insteads squirts some foam out of a can.
Screw him. I still tipped, though, since it was Christmas and all.
But I have never had a bad time at Re: Verse before. The food is great, generally the service is good, great drinks. Of all the crowds on the Plaza I like this one the best, as it is a nice alternative to the d-​bags at places like Grand Falloon or Kona.
I like the room downstairs for something different. Though last time I was down there I think i must have been either over-​served or drugged. Those are the only possible explanations for me doing an En Vogue singalong for everybody…

What do you do when you move in with a stranger you met via Craigslist who lives up to their name and is, well, strange? How should you respond when you find them laying on your floor with your candles lit? When there is a tarot party with self help tapes as the background music the night you have a guest visiting?
You find a bar. A bar that you can safely stagger home from because avoidance of home life will lead you to be there for long periods of time. Make sure said bar is inexpensive because you will likely drink a lot. Said bar should not be full of crazy people, like the one that is likely trying on your lingerie and lipstick right now while uttering affirmations into a full length mirror.
Oh re: verse. I kind of hate it when people say «I heart you» out loud. But I do. I heart you. I can happily drown my discomfort sorrows from 2:00 — 7:00 Sunday-​Friday, and then again from 9:30-Close most nights if its necessary. A whopping block from my oddity ridden apartment, I spent quite a bit of time here.
I only went the cocktail route once, at $ 5.00 it seemed worthy of tasting the Rose Water Martini. I was unimpressed I must say and quickly switched to beer, Boulevards at $ 3.50 seemed like a smarter bet anyway. If I drank a bunch of liquor its likely I’d throw the tarot cards in the toilet and smash the speakers spouting tips on loving yourself and attracting money.
The atmosphere is fantastic, although I do advise arriving early as the bar area fills up quickly and people tend to be in no hurry to vacate their seats, understandable.
I reached my boiling point with the wacky roomie and peaced out, but had I stayed through another uncomfortable month its entirely likely this would be my local joint. Nice spot for avoidance or enjoyment.

Great place to hang with the local crowd in a hipster environment. Love the drinks, food, and vibe.
Nice place for an early start and there is always a good crowd for happy hour. Especially like the patios on nice days.
Food has good choices and tapas are always easy amongst a group

This place is great! It has a hip retro vibe and really good food. Some of the stuff is really fancy on their dinner menu (surf n’ turf, Chilean sea bass) and the lunch menu is a great selection of ‘lighter’ fare.
If you like goat cheese, the pita pizza is really good. It uses pita bread instead of pizza crust and pesto is the sauce. It’s only $ 8, so it’s a great steal.
The outside seating is great too, if the weather is nice. A lot of people bring their dogs because reVerse lets them sit near the tables.

My best friend LOVES short ribs and insisted this place had some of the best so we went for dinner.
I had never been here, unaware of its trendiness, its smallish tables and unfortunate service. But on a Friday night, we walked in to the restaurant attacked by blaring music and yuppie stares — I got the feeling re: Verse was more of a bar destination that anyplace with decent short ribs.
We were sat so close to the entrance of the kitchen door that our table was almost knocked over several times by servers. After being ignored awhile, an obviously irritated server lurched towards us and demanded our orders.
Hm…what to order… what to order? I had no idea — the quaintly-​named «supper menu» which listed all of the regular –sized meals were priced at a mean of $ 28. When my friend told me about the restaurant with great short ribs, I wasn’t expecting high end, let’s just put it that way. I stuck to the «small plates» priced at a mean of $ 10, and for someone who’s starving, the word «small plate» doesn’t get me too excited.
But our reasons for coming were completely dashed when our server interrupted with a loud «NO RIBS TONITE… AND NO CRAB CAKES EITHER!» Dammit, that was both of our meals, right there, vanished to a random shortage of food supplies in this dank dining room! In that moment, I looked to her with an urge to escape, head up the street to Mi Cocina (back when it was still open, I loved their food!)
Instead she ordered the Pot Roast Sliders — a few slices of slimy meat on foccacia. There were three tiny sandwiches, enough for an American Girl Doll’s appetite, maybe not even, and cost $ 9.
My selection was not better. I ordered the Fondue Artichoke Dip, thinking how can they mess that up?! For $ 9 it was a shallow cup of dip and SIX small pita triangles that tasted awful.
Our orders came out in terribly planned intervals of five to ten minutes, first her plate, than mine, than the plate we ordered together (the chicken skewers) — even though all was ordered at the same time. No apologies either, just a horribly unsatisfying meal!
We fought over the chicken skewers ($ 8) as they were the single thing almost impossible to screw up, being as they were covered in sauce, but there were only three of them and we were still hungry. For $ 7 my friend ordered a literal handful of thin fries (but I refused to rack up an even larger bill to fill the void of a skimpy dinner… I was DONE ordering anything off of their menu to save money and that feeling of disappointment when the ‘small plate’ of nothing I want to eat is plopped down in front of me.)
I paid $ 25 dollars and my stomach was growling as I signed my bill. We left and drove to Winstead’s for a real dinner. Thanks re: Verse for such a memorable waste of time and money!

I have had appetizers here that were pretty decent, but it just doesn’t feel like a place to have a full blown dinner. For drinks and socializing it gets an A+. It also has a sexy downstairs space, but every-​time I go down there it is just a couple people and a DJ… not sure if everyone knows about it or maybe they are just scared of the dark narrow stairs.
Anyway, the best part of this place is the open windows when the weather is nice. You get all the benefits of being in a lounge while feeling like you are outdoors. You can also sit outside, but seating is pretty limited and all the pedestrians are constantly filing past your table.

I have to agree with Libby M — their mojitos are incredible. Re Verse has ruined me on mojitos because they are now the only ones I find «acceptable.»
I have only been there for dinner once — I had the Big Bowl ‘O Noodles and my husband had some pesto pasta special — and we were both happy with our meals.
We spent more money that night than we were planning to. While the food was good, I’d rather drop $ 100 at a different restaurant. I think this place is better suited for happy hours and late night drinks.

First night in town of a week long biz trip, we dined at Re-​verse. The waitress forgot our starters and came out directly with out mains. She also didnt know a thing about wines but readily admitted to it.
The food was so so — I was dumb enough to order a cesar, my bad. Others at the table ordered a steak filled with cheese (?) and some baked chicken. I didnt have food envy, put it that way.
After our mains, the tuna tartare arrived and was fairly good. it would have been great to start our meal with it.
Overall, mediocre at best, and it must have been ladies night as ALL tables were full of chit chatty women.
Best attribute — across the street from our hotel.