Hot Spots In KC
Friday, October 6th, 2017 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bairnsidhe Okay, so my favorite bar ever recently moved and had their members-only soft open last night, so time for a review.
To start with, Pawn and Pint is a combination game-store and bar, with over a thousand board games to play any of, as long as you like, for the low cover charge of five dollars. Recently they'd been in a location where a liquor license was proving hard to obtain, but they got it for the new place and hence the move. So I already think the idea is amazing, and that's just a bias that's going to show up.
On to the new digs!
Size: 8/10. It's much bigger, with three levels, an open floor about the same size as the old place's main gaming area, a bar, and a mezzanine with room for maybe 25 people. The space is well used, not a lot of wasted corners, and the bathroom size is a big step up (from two single-rooms to a three-seater in the ladies room, no idea how the men's room looked). Points off though, because the room had a high enough ceiling that someone needed to install some acoustic baffles and didn't, which falls into improper use of space for me.
Drinks: 9/10. Very good stuff, I found a delightful pear cider that I liked a lot, and had a mixed drink, the Sole Survivor (bonus points for all the references in drink naming) which was tasty and strong. It hit all three of my drink requirements, it was pretty (a lovely blue color with a nice foam top) it tasted more like fruit than booze (pineapple was the predominate taste, but also a vaguely cream-cake undertone, too) and it got me drunk enough on one drink I didn't feel like getting a second. Moderation is your friend. Points were lost on familiarity of staff with the cocktail menu, but I think that will smooth itself out in time.
Staff: 10/10. Lovely people, even when running about like chickens with their heads chopped off. Ed (Owner 1) made the time to reassure me that my favorite soda, Atomic Fizz, would be in stock again soon. John (Owner 2) made sure I didn't leave my purse on a table by accident. Natalie (Hostess with the Mostess) kept the bar staff moving on drinks and did rounds to make sure everyone had what they needed, and the new staff for the opened areas were accommodating to the socially awkward geeks who drink there.
Price: 9/10. Reasonable, especially with the cover-fee plus drinks model. The restaurant next door does delivery and they're pricier than I care for, but the cheap tasty food delivery service we used at the old place still covers the new place and P&P isn't exclusive to their neighbors for food options.
Clientele: 10/10. It may seem unfair to judge the place based on who walks in, but you know a good place when everyone you speak to hits that "old friend I'm meeting for the first time" button. Nobody was rude, even the VERY drunk frat guy only wanted to play with the little worker-cubes from Yoko Hama and gave them back when asked. Also, I met a lovely person who'd dyed their hair grey and purple for Ace Pride, and that turned into a conversation about media representation and a sale for my novel, Ellie and the Magic Oak (obligatory plug here, the MC is a demi-ro Princess and her childhood BFF is undefined queer-spectrum as well). It's a good bar when ace people can talk openly about being ace and nobody hits on either of them.
Over all, amazing and if anyone is in the Kansas City Metro sometime, I recommend looking up Pawn and Pint to give them a try.
To start with, Pawn and Pint is a combination game-store and bar, with over a thousand board games to play any of, as long as you like, for the low cover charge of five dollars. Recently they'd been in a location where a liquor license was proving hard to obtain, but they got it for the new place and hence the move. So I already think the idea is amazing, and that's just a bias that's going to show up.
On to the new digs!
Size: 8/10. It's much bigger, with three levels, an open floor about the same size as the old place's main gaming area, a bar, and a mezzanine with room for maybe 25 people. The space is well used, not a lot of wasted corners, and the bathroom size is a big step up (from two single-rooms to a three-seater in the ladies room, no idea how the men's room looked). Points off though, because the room had a high enough ceiling that someone needed to install some acoustic baffles and didn't, which falls into improper use of space for me.
Drinks: 9/10. Very good stuff, I found a delightful pear cider that I liked a lot, and had a mixed drink, the Sole Survivor (bonus points for all the references in drink naming) which was tasty and strong. It hit all three of my drink requirements, it was pretty (a lovely blue color with a nice foam top) it tasted more like fruit than booze (pineapple was the predominate taste, but also a vaguely cream-cake undertone, too) and it got me drunk enough on one drink I didn't feel like getting a second. Moderation is your friend. Points were lost on familiarity of staff with the cocktail menu, but I think that will smooth itself out in time.
Staff: 10/10. Lovely people, even when running about like chickens with their heads chopped off. Ed (Owner 1) made the time to reassure me that my favorite soda, Atomic Fizz, would be in stock again soon. John (Owner 2) made sure I didn't leave my purse on a table by accident. Natalie (Hostess with the Mostess) kept the bar staff moving on drinks and did rounds to make sure everyone had what they needed, and the new staff for the opened areas were accommodating to the socially awkward geeks who drink there.
Price: 9/10. Reasonable, especially with the cover-fee plus drinks model. The restaurant next door does delivery and they're pricier than I care for, but the cheap tasty food delivery service we used at the old place still covers the new place and P&P isn't exclusive to their neighbors for food options.
Clientele: 10/10. It may seem unfair to judge the place based on who walks in, but you know a good place when everyone you speak to hits that "old friend I'm meeting for the first time" button. Nobody was rude, even the VERY drunk frat guy only wanted to play with the little worker-cubes from Yoko Hama and gave them back when asked. Also, I met a lovely person who'd dyed their hair grey and purple for Ace Pride, and that turned into a conversation about media representation and a sale for my novel, Ellie and the Magic Oak (obligatory plug here, the MC is a demi-ro Princess and her childhood BFF is undefined queer-spectrum as well). It's a good bar when ace people can talk openly about being ace and nobody hits on either of them.
Over all, amazing and if anyone is in the Kansas City Metro sometime, I recommend looking up Pawn and Pint to give them a try.
no subject
Date: 2017-10-06 11:05 pm (UTC)(yes, that's a "wow, what a place" kind of compliment...)
no subject
Date: 2017-10-06 11:30 pm (UTC)And yeah, what a place, what a place. Heading there again tonight for the grand open with everyone.