Thirsty’s Cantina

Now that Hickok’s has moved in across the street — I don’t think I’ll ever step foot in the Thirsty’s Cantina again. It is a pretty much your typical sports bar, with a side of dirt and below average selection. There are two areas; one is for eating and one is for drinking. Neither of which is particularly different from the other, besides the height of the chairs that are available for sitting in.
All sarcasm aside, Thirsty’s hasn’t done anything to garner my repeat business. I’m from St. Louis, so the Schlafy’s was actually a pleasant surprise (you can get Boulevard EVERYWHERE, stop whining) but the prices on certain other drafts were borderline offensive. Their food is not very good — the nachos had a greasy feel to them and the cheese was enough to give the most robust stomach wall issues.
The only real positive I seem to remember from the times I’ve visited Thirsty’s is that one time my team won a game while I was in there. Not enough to bump them over two stars though.
p. s. oh. it’s a Cantina?! What the crap? No, its a bar. Tacos on a menu don’t a cantina make.

I noticed as the bartender continuously washed his hands, so much so, I commented on it. He replied,” I have to, cause of my eye.” It was then he pointed out his glass eye. Armed with this knowledge, I knew I’d be biased about this bar for life.
I’ve never had the food here and as far as I can tell there aren’t very many specials. On a Sunday evening when Harry’s was closed I believe we snagged $ 2.50 bottles for a time period. (Perhaps a happy hour?) It also seemed to be service industry night at some point but that could be because it’s one of the few open bars on a Sunday night in the area.
I had no idea this was a «Cantina.» The identity of this place strikes me as a bit schizophrenic, with the red and white checked tables in back, the Royals memorabilia at the bar, the «Mexican» food on the menu and the fact that they have no Miller Light. None of this bothers me per se but it couldn’t hurt to pick a theme.
I’m a sucker for a bud light and a prosthetic so, if you’re just looking for (just) a bar, specifically on a Sunday night, give Thirsty’s a try.

From the moment we walked in the bartender was a jerk to us. I’ve never given a 1 star to any place until venturing into this place. Everyone else that worked there seemed fine but the bartender working Friday night June 3^rd was terrible.

This is an awesome neighborhood bar. Jim is a really cool guy who made us feel like long time customers! He also made us a great Moscow Mule. On our four day vacation we stopped in every night. The last night we tried the food. I had one of the best pork burritos ever! Stop in and tell Jimmy the California cops sent you in!

How does a «Cantina» run out of tequila on Margarita night? Or run out of tequila at all for that matter?!
Nothing is fresh — they use cheese-​wiz on the nachos — like the gross hot yellow kind. And when I squeezed the lime in my vodka soda, no juice came out and the lime disintegrated it was so old.
The environment isn’t bad and I will say the service was good, the bar tender was very sweet. But the quality of the food and drink is just awful.

Why on earth would someone think of putting the word CANTINA in the title of this hole in the wall? This has no relation to a cantina. They have some Mexican beers on tap. Fiesta forever right? I don’t know.
It’s a sports bar that doesn’t even have Boulevard as their local beer. Schlafly, what the eff-​ly? Sorry, but that doesn’t vibe with me.
We came here as a group to order some drinks and chat. I was informed beforehand, by the fellows who had arrived ahead of me, that the server was a surly woman with plenty of free dirty looks to give her paying customers. I ordered a lemon drop and she brought me some yellow thing in a shot glass. I said «no I’m sorry I guess I should have said I wanted a Lemon Drop Martini.» Every time I have said, «I’ll have a Lemon Drop please,» I have always been presented with a martini, never a shot. Fine, it was a mistake. It’s permissible. But do not get snotty and huff and puff because you got it wrong. And that’s just what the server did. Unprofessional in every way.
This bar was just wrong, crappy, and so boring. I won’t be back and I wouldn’t recommend anyone that has pride for Kansas City to spend their money on a bar that doesn’t promote the local scene. How lame.

Food is ok… but the beer is overpriced and they carry Schafly as their local tap. I had a Natural Light on tap for old times sake … and later found out it was $ 4, which is ridiculous … especially on a weekday.
If youre only there to eat, or for 1 beer … its probably fine, but I’ve been here 3 times now, and will not be back unless they run better specials or get some actual local beers on tap.
I’m not one of those people who rates a place low after one bad experience … I went three times to give it a fair shake.

I’d say if you were going here to drink (and not eat) go on ahead. I can’t even say that though because when I went there on Wednesday at 7pm and ordered margarita they said they were out. When my partner ordered a jack and coke, you guessed it, they were also out of jack. Seriously? Moving on to dinner, we both ordered the combo mexican platter — a burrito, taco, beans, and rice. I’ll start of with the positive. The rice was pretty good and the pork inside the burrito was quite tasty. The beans were straight from a can and nothing special. The «queso», I suspect, also from a can. The horrible thing was the taco. (How do you mess up a taco?) The shell was soaked with grease — and not in a «piping hot and crispy» sort of way. We noticed a signing advertising Taco Tuesday. My guess is this shell was a soggy left over from the day before. Add to this the fact that the service was spotty at best, the entire experience was enough to make me say that I will never go back. By the way, this is the 3^rd time I had been there and each experience was similar, so this was not just a bad night. In short, don’t bother.

Just another small time sports bar with a Mexican theme. Food is OK, if you think Chili’s is haute cuisine; stick with the burgers if you must partake.
Their local brew, as mentioned in another review, is from St. Louis — really? I hope Schlafly gives them a great deal — to make up for all the beer they won’t be selling.
Bottom line: mediocre food, expensive drinks, middling sports bar.

The front room is a bit loud. 5 layer dip tastes good, but not much texture. Came in a fried tortilla bowl that was cute. Cheddar Burger with fries was ok. Huge. Not much spice on the spicy fries. H had the Patty melt and ate half but was not enthused. Glad we had the groupon. Would I go back? To hang out with friends and have a beer, but not for the food.

This place might be okay as a bar, and for bar food, but don’t order the Mexican. I ordered chicken fajitas — big mistake — and they smelled as bad as they tasted; dry and horrible seasoning. The rice and beans were not much better. Truthfully, this is the first time I can recall a meal served that was so bad that I was left repulsed and unable to eat it. Won’t be back

Awesome as always! Except they were out of their homemade fruit infused vodka. Bummer, but everything else was on top!

Always looking for a place to get a fast, good lunch. Used the reviews to determine that I should give this place a shot. Easy to find, park, and get inside. Atmosphere was just like it was described and sounds like it might be fun for a late dinner. People were friendly. Food was okay. I took a risk and got something that wasn’t necessarily a «safe» choice (but should have been safe for a «cantina»). By the description on the menu I thought it might be a somewhat healthy choice but it exaggerated — the «tomatoes» were 5 tiny sprinkles of tomato garnish and the whole thing looked like cardiac death on a plate. Alright, but not what I thought I ordered. The «queso» is the same bright yellow nacho sauce you get in the nachos at a ballpark. Otherwise I might give it another shot in the future when i’m going for drinks and might happen to order a snack. Everyone’s portion sizes were not only too large but could have been split to feed 4! That shows lack of experience in the kitchen because they must be wasting tons and tons of food, thus losing money, thus prices will go up and eventually be depending on the bar to keep them afloat which never turns out well in the end. My recommendation is decrease portion sizes to feed 1 normal sized adult 1 meal.

Thirsty’s is a great addition to the Rivermarket area. Nominally a mexican place in the vein of Dos Hombres (but much better), it is really a sports bar with plenty of tvs to catch about any game you want. Everyone is really friendly there, so if the game you’re looking for isn’t on, just ask and they’ll change one of the tvs for you.
Overall the food is good. The fajitadilla is a favorite (it is like a quesadilla, but with fajita meat, peppers and onions). I also enjoy the big enchilada. Tuesdays are all-​you-​can-​eat taco night, and the tacos are the tasty fried kind. Their other food, such as their hamburgers, are decent too. One thing to keep in mind about all their food is that the portions are huge and the price is cheap.
The drinks are also inexpensive and of good size. Happy hour prices are decent, but really, the drinks are cheap enough that you won’t hurt your wallet if you stay an hour or two later.
Finally, like I said before, everyone here is extremely nice and welcoming. Every time I go in there, they make a point of saying hi and talking just a bit. A real nice bunch.

If you’re out biking with your dog on the Rverfront Heritage Trail and want to sit on the patio or just care to get your drink on, drop on by.
The bar inside is pretty good size and on the outside they have several tables on the patio and have a doggie water bowl, too. Dog friendly!
The staff was extremely friendly and I got some of the better service I’ve had lately on the patio (it’s usually not as good when outside at most places).
I ordered a pollo wrap with fries. I enjoyed it. They have Heineken and Schlafly Wheat on tap, which is pretty great.
We came on Mother’s day on a slow Sunday and the only special they had was ½ price wings.
So, why 3 stars? The food was OK (the food menu was a bit limited and I was scared to try the «Mexican» food since it was owned by the same people who ran Dos Hombres), service was awesome, and it’s nice to sit on the patio in the Rivermarket with doggie while resting our weary bones after a longass bike ride.

Just tried Thirsty’s for the first time this weekend. The interior is very nice and the service was fantastic. However, the food was just so-​so. I had wings and they were very dry and the sauce was not great. None of the rest of our party was very pleased with their food, minus the espinaca dip, which was really good.
I think it’s a good addition to rivermarket, but the food will need to improve to get me in there on a regular basis!

I gave Thirsty’s a try last night. Hopefully the third time’s th charm for this spot, as Thirsty’s is definitely better than the previous two efforts at this address has been.
The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. Our waitress was extremely attentive and we appreciated that, even though my group didn’t order much.
The bar is serves Schlafly instead of Boulevard, which really surprised us. My friends did not like their beer at all — they thought it wasn’t near as good as Boulevard — so none of them ordered additional rounds. I however don’t mind Schlafly so I did order more. Though i did find it ironic that I was sitting next to a giant banner that read «Support your local crafted beer».
I have high hopes though that Thirsty’s will make it. It’s a nice addition to th neighborhood.

As a River Market resident, I’m always on the lookout for new dining opportunities. I’ve been to Thirsty’s three times, and while I wouldn’t recommend it for someone looking for a true culinary revelation, I think it’s a great option for those seeking a casual, sports bar-​like atmosphere and food that’s well-​made and satisfying.
I’ve had the chicken nachos, patty melt and have sampled the spinach dip, which is a fantastic concoction that’s spiked with jalapenos for an unexpected zing. The nachos are equally good and are made even more indulgent with a sprinkling of chopped bacon — heaven. I used to think Argosy Casino had some of my favorite nachos in the area — I’ve since changed my mind and now prefer Thirsty’s. The patty melt is standard yet delicious: Swiss cheese, grilled rye, grilled onions. I have to say I’m not a fan of the fries, which are seasoned and remind me of Hardee’s or Arby’s curly fries. That, however, is purely personal preference.
The servers have been friendly and prompt each time, even when dealing with larger crowds. The drink specials are a bit lacking, and I would suggest that the restaurant not decorate with Boulevard signs since Boulevard is not available at Thirsty’s. Other than that, however, Thirsty’s is now a go-​to for a quick, reasonably priced meal, albeit one that’s not terribly waistline-​friendly! :)

This was opened by the owners of the now-​closed Dos Hombres restaurant. In fact, it’s right across the street. While the menu isn’t as expansive, they have really good food, especially the buffalo chicken fingers and the fries. The staff is really friendly and they play really good music as well.