The Union of Westport

I frequent the union on the week days for great local music and the occasional comedy show. Drinks are cheap and bartenders are chill

Left the union was mistaken for someone else and was grabbed by the neck by a bouncer fist time ever going! Beware of bouncer!

I came here on a whim and I’m glad it was a very quick experience. I came here more for the bar and the various reviews posted Unilocal in regards to it being a good hangout, arcade games, etc… For the most part, I’d say maybe an end of the night type of venue where you have an open floor and reasonable drinks. Otherwise, I don’t think this is the venue for me.

I’ve had a hundred mediocre nights here and a few really bad nights here. I generally enjoy the DJ’s and music theme nights. but the staff is absolutely horrible. Pray you never need legitimate help or a drink here because they aren’t very good at handling the massive influx of weekend business that, no-​doubt, is here every weekend. The bouncers are rude and, apparently, blind. I walked out front to smoke and they explicitly told me I was fine to come back in ahead of the line — three and a half minutes later they changed their mind and I was faced with either waiting 60 minutes in line or calling my friends to go to someplace else.
Another night a friend lost her mini-​purse (it’s like a tiny hippie bag-​thing with a thin strap) and they literally threw her out when she asked if she could ask a few people outside and then reenter to find it. Their reasoning for tossing a 28 year-​old young woman out of a bar she was already in: She wouldn’t have her ID when they wave her back in… because being sober, professional door men, they don’t have the capacity to remember faces they’ve literally just spoken to. The bar staff insulted me when I asked them to «keep an eye out for it, in case it gets turned in» and described the bag, telling me to go somewhere else if I didn’t like being pick pocketed for my «gay handbag».
If you haven’t had a bad experience, just be aware of things on your person. Prep before going out to minimize bad stuff happening because The Union «don’t have time» for your mess. Almost as bad as Harpos.

Some guy brought his beer glass on the dance floor… and of course it got broken seconds later. Glass everywhere. I quickly found two bartenders and two bouncers and told them about the broken glass all over the dance floor, was promised it would be taken care of in «ten minutes».(really??). You shouldn’t have to wait for something hazardous to be removed, first of all. It’s a bar; take care of things when shit goes wrong.
No one ever came to pick up the super sharp glass shards all over the floor. I even offered several times to pick it up if they’d just give me a rag. I was the DD for the night, and sober me just wanted the super sharp glass out of everyone else’s way. They couldn’t even give me a rag to take care of it myself.
Not only that, but some brilliant guy picked up the shards midway through the night and jokingly pretended to use it as a shank with one of his buddies. The bouncer just watched from the sidelines. Cooooooooool.
I got home later and found four shards of glass in my foot. Again, cooooool.
Great job, guys. Keep it up. If you can’t understand that glass on the dance floor is a huge liability, you’re doing something incredibly wrong.
Infuriating.

Racial Profiling by black bouncer. Had family in from Europe who had road tripped the entire U.S. been to bars in both Kansas and all over Westport, not to mention been let in by cops at entrance into Westport, yet this bouncer is the only one out of their ENTIRE summer, that they wont let in because their drivers licenses are issued in Europe. we all know this is personal preference. ALSO racial profiling is ILLEGAL. Yes, theyre European and way more attractive than most, but jealousy is not an excuse. and when he was asked twice by different people why they couldnt come in, he said «i dont feel like explaining it». Seriously? Next time i go back and grab one of the police men and HAVE HIM EXPLAIN IT.

I cannot accurately explain or remember all the drunken nights at this bar. I just know its where I usually end up with my friends, shamelessly dancing on the patio. The DJ is a hit or miss. If you value personal space, this is not the place to go. You will get hit on here, danced with, and if you are lucky you will eacape without having a drink spilled on you.

Best bar in KC but only go when you’re at level 14 or higher. 2 dollar coors originals all day every day. Wallet front pocket.

I love this place!
Hands down the best place to be in KC if you’re tired of douchfaces/​yuppie – fake thousandaires. Also, the atmopshere is more welcoming. I feel so at home when I walk in this place.
The upstairs plays alternative music, the downstairs is a mix of house and hip hop.
My only objection with The Union is that it could use another bathroom or at least renovate the existing two.

I feel like I can adequately write a review on this place now since I was actually semi-​sober my latest visit… On a whole, the crowd here is fun and the beats and music are legit. I came on a Saturday and dubstep was in full swing in the basement. I like EDM, really, but dubstep is just one of those genres of music I can only enjoy if inebriated. Needless to say, the scene became too much after a short period of time. I look forward to coming back to this place when it’s slightly warmer and I can check out the outdoor dancing. Beware of sticky floors and tables. Also, bring sanitizer.

A fun place to dance the night away in Westport. The inside and outside dance floors play slightly different music; more alternative hip-​hop inside and popular top-​40 outside. Regardless of your personal taste, the music selection is good and you won’t find lots of awkward lulls due to streaks of 80s music here. Busy crowds keep the energy up. Plus, the bartenders here were cool enough to make me the closest thing they could get to an old fashioned with their meagerly stocked bar!

I gave The Union three stars because it is the best bar to dance at. They usually have Dj’s playing in the outside dance area and the indoor dance area.
If I could rate the value of the drinks at The Union I would rate 2 stars. They serve their well drinks in a tiny plastic cup, which is filled mostly of ice.
For a big bar, they only have 2 restrooms and one sink. Prepare for long lines outside of the bathroom door.
I can only stand to go to The Union if I’ve had a few to drink. If you’re pretty much sober, you will get instantly annoyed from people pushing to get onto the dancefloor, drunk people spilling drinks on you, and people stepping on your toes.
As far as some of the people that come to The Union, I am very skeptical. A few days before Christmas I went to The Union with my boyfriend. I had some money stashed in my wallet for my birthday that was a few days after Christmas. Someone literally stole my wallet out of my purse that I had on my shoulder. I had to make a police report a few days before Christmas. Although, I have to say that the bar security was very helpful, when I was trying to find my wallet that night.
I still go to The Union once in awhile, but I make sure that I carry a small zip up purse when I go. This goes for any bar that you go to, WATCH YOUR PURSE AND WALLET!

I want to preface this review by saying we didn’t go for the food. My boyfriend and I were in town visiting some of his friends and they decided they wanted to go here to drink on a Saturday night. Now maybe I am spoiled by being a born and raise Chicago girl, but this place was pretty lame. It was a dark and dreary basement. There was a line outside, but once you entered it was empty. It did not seem very clean and the drinks were in little plastic cups. There was a DJ spinning, but nothing too exciting. I got bored after about half an hour.

The first time I ever went to The Union, I had no idea where I was. Yes, it might have been one of those nights when my friends and I might have been a wee bit tipsy. That being said, we somehow managed to find our way into a dimly lit doorway and down some stairs into the depths of the bar.
As soon as we hit the uneven, slightly damp floor, I knew I had found a gold mine of fun. Indoor and outdoor dancing and good music. It’s pretty much Kansas City’s mecca of electronic music… and fun, unabashedly slightly neurotic people. Bizarre and unorthodox dance moves don’t really matter as long as you’re into the beat, right?
Don’t be scared off because it kind of looks like a dungeon. The toilets may occasionally flood. It doesn’t really matter because everything else about this place bleeds awesomeness. Seriously. You can even order hot dogs here (not that I’d ever eat meat, but I could eat a hot dog, next to the dance floor, if I wanted to).
If I ever want to have a really fun night with absolutely no expectations about who or what I will see, this is where I’ll choose to go. You can go here and nobody will care what you look like or who you’re with because it’s truly one of those places almost anyone can fit in and have a freakin’ blast doing it.
There’s no cover here either. Score.

Gusto’s feels like a party in the attic and this place feels like a party in the basement.
The street level part of the bar is pretty laid back. The one night I spent up there, they played some old school hip-​hop, which was cool. If you’re looking for more of an active night, head downstairs.
It really just is like an awesome party in the basement, except with more experienced bartenders. They usually have some kind of band or DJ, and they’ve been good every time I’ve been down there.
Head out to the back and you’ll be surprised to see a little truck serving food. Who knows how sanitary the operation is, but when you want a grilled cheese, you don’t ask questions. There’s also a whole other social area out there, so try that out if you don’t like the basement or the top floor.

While I fought tooth and nail to not like this place, eventually The Union of Westport won me over, and I can today say that I am in fact quite a big fan.
this (95%) basement bar in Westport is oh so very hip, yet also feels like partying in somebody’s unfinished basement. Concrete floors and unfinished walls and ceilings — think exposed beams and pipes. Their idea of decorating is strings of Christmas lights and what seems to be just a variety of found light sources. If I was a betting man, I’d say that the owners didn’t dedicate a large budget to interior design.
But who needs interior design what you have the best damn dance party in town? The DJs play excellent music, and the whole bar just oozes out a fun vibe that on paper is highly unjustifiable. But damn if the place doesn’t work! I have never had a bad time at this bar!
I can’t speak for the drinks, as all I’ve ever had there before are PBRs… but the bartenders did seem to open the cans for me adequately. I’m sure they make perfectly fine cocktails, I’ve just never felt the urge to order one. Also, the bartenders are always SWAMPED, but they are fast, friendly and efficient. I hope these people rake in the money, because they deserve it.
There’s a great outdoor area that is perfect for when you start to feel a little claustrophobic, with a second bar — third if you count the one upstairs (that I can’t understand why anyone would ever go to). It’s great for holding a conversation that you don’t have to yell through.
But really, why aren’t you inside shaking your ass?

The Union is bar for people who like bars. It provides extensive adult beverage options and a laid back staff who is quite knowledgeable, friendly and into helping you kick back and relax. The drinks are among the most reasonably price friendly in town.
I spend most of my time in the upstairs area of the bar. It’s small and quaint, but is excellent for having a couple of drinks and being able to sit down and catch up with your friends after a long day. It also hosts a trivia competition every Wednesday.
The downstairs and the deck is where all the crazy happens. DJs and the occasional band play a mix of music every night of the week. The crowd, who will pack the place shoulder to shoulder, is young, hip and very active. If you are a little older like me (I’m in my early 30s) than this can be a little daunting. If you’re young and newly 21, this is the place for you. Just take my advice and pace yourself.

Ok, so maybe my experience was not typical, as I was here during the Spring Crawl for Cancer, but there was no bar service at the upstairs bar and the basement bar was so dim that I almost fell down the ill-​lit, shallow stairs that divide the basement bar.
So my bar service at the basement bar was totally fine and very friendly, considering there were tons of drunks yelling for beers – again part of the Crawl and not related to the bar per se, and in fact if I could rate aspects separately, I would give at least 3 stars, but the the issue of darkness (see above to my almost tumble) and a very, very unpleasant and pervasive odor in the basement relegate the Union to 2 stars.

I’m coming out of the closet.
I’m a dirty hipster.
OK, so perhaps that’s not the truth, but I DO enjoy getting down to crazy dance music with people who don’t take anything seriously (well perhaps the bouncer who has to constantly pry my guy friends off the ceiling while they’re «beam dancing» takes his job seriously) and The Union serves that up. In fact, it’s basically become our other main Westport staple besides my beloved Harry’s.
Seriously, I love The Union. It’s the perfect mixture of people and music and fun and drunken hilarious-​ness. Breakdancing battles, awesome bartenders (I may be biased due to friendship, but still) and everyone generally loving life. And now that it’s getting warmer out, the backyard space is perfect. Very Replay-​esque.
The bathroom situation is pretty cramped and dismal but I honestly can overlook it for the great time I always have. Vive Le Union!

******* Update at the end of the review **********
There is a certain quality that a bar must have that will keep people coming back over time. It might be great service, cold beer, great music, a fun space, or a great location. The best part about the Union of Westport is… they have all of these qualities.
The recently revamped space that long held the Westport institution Blaney’s is now the Union. The space has been cleaned up and made much more inviting, the space is much more conducive to drinking and having a great time.
The game area has The Simpsons, a crude version of Big Buck Hunter, Bowling, Air Hockey, and an 80’s multi-​game arcade machine. Overall this is a big draw because there is nothing better than being able to pump quarters in arcade games that take the average drinker back to childhood. The only downside is the pool table aren’t great here, hopefully they change them out soon.
The bar is wide open and well kept, the upstairs is intimate and well layed out. The basement bar is long and deep, this location will be great once the crowds start to come in, it should give Kelly’s a run for it’s money.
The bartenders are quick and friendly, the pours are heavy and the beer is cold. The Guinness out of the tap is delicious and goes down way too easy.
** The pool tables have been fixed and are FREE!!! I’m sold for life, keep up the good work.