John's Upper Deck
per "Rock H." on yelp.com, Four Stars Atmosphere: When the weather is nice, the deck is the place to be. Gorgeous. Skyline, fans if needed, open air and nice conversation acoustics of course. Food: I've had a handful of items and they were all very good, except maybe the wings, but that's been a year+, so maybe they're better now. Half price appetizers most of the time. Unbeatable. Drinks. $2 Domestics. One night, before Freaker's Ball down the street at Midland, Domestic beers were $1. ONE DOLLAR! The Negatives: The deck is up what amounts to about 5 flights of stairs, and the steps were a little slick. Not a big deal normally, except the bathrooms are on the first floor. Still, not a showstopper. Karaoke. It's a super pleasant experience until the LOUD music/karaoke begins. That's when a lot of people bail out. A really solid bar and grill and unique experience.
Knucklehead's
75th Street Brewery
5 regular beers, a non-alcoholic root beer, and an assortment of seasonal offerings brewed on premises. The kitchen also serves up salads, sandwiches, steaks, snacks, and other tasty treats. Live music on Sunday evenings.
There is a popular brewery in KC by the name of Boulevard whose beers are available on tap at many different bars and restaurants throughout town.
Live Music Venues: Uptown Theatre Midtown, on Broadway and Valentine hosts lots of up and coming acts and many timeless performers play here because it is so famous. Beaumont Club is a soulless Westport C&W club that hosts live music but has acoustics' issues and a mechanical bull. The Grand Emporium used to be one of the best blues clubs but after being bought by the owners of the Beaumont they changed it considerably, including the name to Tao.
Westport
McCoy's Public House
House-brewed beer and full menu, including vegetarian options. 6 regular beer offerings plus a rotating selection of seasonal beers. Cocktails and a selection of scotches and bourbons also available.
Westport Flea Market
Regularly voted Kansas City's best burger, the Flea has a full food menu, but is really more about drinks and hanging out. Live music on Sundays, karaoke on Fridays and Saturdays, chess on Tuesdays, trivia on Wednesdays. Relaxed crowd, pool tables and pinball. 23 beers on tap.
Rudy's Tenampa Taqueria Authentic Mexican
Downtown
12 Baltimore
Crosstown Station
New indoor live music venue and bar. Voted Best Lights, Sound and Stage.
The Drum Room
Historic jazz and blues location.
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
Beer bar with 80 taps and many bottles. Trivia Tuesdays 7:30, Rare Beer Nights Wednesdays.
Kansas City Live!
Open-air live music and entertainment venue, open-container allowed. Surrounded by the Power & Light District's various bars and eateries.
Knucklehead's
Also known for the wide variety of music they bring to KC like country, blues, rockabilly. Roots, singer/songwriters and Zydeco. Free shuttle available.
The Phoenix
Live jazz
The Quaff
Large, very popular bar with scantily-clad waitresses and tough guy bartenders. Frequented mostly by the post-college crowd.
Willie's
Small sports bar with a largely post-college crowd. A franchise out of Columbia, MO; a great place to go to see University of MO games.
Zebra Room
Newly remodeled; has a swanky zebra-skin theme. Great food and a martini lounge on the mezzanine level.
Crossroads
Balanca's Pyro Room
Balanca's prides itself on the diversity of its crowd - it's not unusual to see drag queens drinking and dancing with cowboys and hip-hop aficionados in the downstairs bar, while goths play pool in the upstairs bar with yuppies and hipsters. It's weird, but it works.
Danny's Big Easy
The Cashew
Open air cafe feel to this two-story bar. In the summer months, the windows are raised up think: "garage door" and both stories gain a relaxing breeze and a nice view of the city. Occasionally has live music, popular stop during First Fridays.
Bulldog
Cocktails and fine eats served in nice atmosphere.
Grinders
Eclectic beer selection and authentic Philly Cheeseteak sandwiches.
Brookside
Sharp's 63rd Street Grill
Famous for breakfast, bar food, sandwiches, chili, and water chestnut soup. Sharp's is LGBT-friendly, but not exclusive. Bar features a rotating selection of specialty cocktails. Service is friendly and accurate, but not the speediest, so plan to relax over your meal.
Carmen's Cafe
Carmen's serves up tapas, pasta, and Latin- and Italian-style entrees, wine and cocktails in an intimate and friendly setting. Come in through the downstairs bar.
Country club plaza
O'Dowd's
O'Dowd's is a standard Irish Pub but features live music often and is one of the more upbeat places on the Plaza. Features an open air rooftop bar.
Tomfooleries
Tom's as it is frequently referred to is a restaurant by day and bar by night. The downstairs is generally quieter and calmer than upstairs in the evening. There is also a patio area outside. The cheapest place to drink on the Plaza, as domestic beer is $2 after 9PM. A good place to start the night.
JJ's
JJ's is a laid back, wine and martini type bar that generally caters to older patrons, but the drink selection is good and the bartenders friendly. The outdoor patio is heated so it can be enjoyed during most of the year.