15 Best Bars In Kansas City To Watch The Super Bowl
Nothing is bigger than the Super Bowl. But if you can't make it to the big game, the next best thing may be going out to a bar in one of the cities represented. With the Kansas City Chiefs set to appear in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years on February 11, fans of the team (and the game's big party) will have plenty of options in and around the city this Super Bowl Sunday.
Of course, even if you're less than enthused about the actual game, you know there's still plenty of entertainment to be had. The halftime show is a can't-miss spectacle, and don't get us started on the commercials. In fact, whether it's the absolute best Super Bowl liquor commercials or those truly ridiculous Super Bowl snack ads, we think the commercials are often the most entertaining part of the viewing experience.
In any case, the Super Bowl is a great reason to get out of the house and celebrate — particularly for anyone in the Kansas City area. If you're looking to watch the Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at one of the city's many bars but aren't sure where to go, we've got you covered. Here are the 15 best bars in Kansas City to watch the Super Bowl.
Taps on Main
At the self-serve beer bar Taps on Main, you can avoid the most annoying part about going out for the Super Bowl: waiting for a beer. The number and range of options at a self-serve beer bar, however, can lead to a different kind of problem in paralysis by analysis. But if you aren't sure how to pick and taste beer at a self-serve beer bar, that doesn't mean all hope is lost.
The first thing to do is to try a few different styles and make a DIY beer flight. The goal is to find a beer that you really want to drink throughout the entire game. You should also prioritize beers from local or nearby breweries because these beers are likely the freshest on tap. Fortunately, Kansas City is close to a number of great craft breweries, including 3 Trails Brewing, The Big Rip Brewing Company, and Perennial Artisan Ales. Since self-serve beer bars are also great for trying styles and brews you've always wanted to try, go ahead and get weird for the big game.
(816) 291 4502
1715 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64108
McFadden's Sports Saloon
The Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City is an eight-block dining and entertainment district with more than 50 bars, restaurants, and shops. During major sporting events like the World Cup and the Super Bowl, the district becomes a seething cauldron of revelry. If you want to feel a palpable buzz in the air on the Kansas City Chiefs' big day, you can't go wrong heading down to the P&L district. While there are plenty of great places to watch the Super Bowl in the P&L district, McFadden's Sports Saloon is particularly worthy of watching the annual spectacle.
The bar-restaurant has more than 20 HD televisions and digital surround sound, providing the ideal game day experience. McFadden's is also part of the KC Live! Block, which is a large outdoor, covered plaza. The block has tables and seating during normal hours, but for big events, like the Super Bowl? The seating is removed and a stage at one end provides entertainment.
powerandlightdistrict.com/eat-and-drink/mcfaddens
(816) 842-1045
50 East 13th St Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64106
John's Big Deck
If you like big crowds and lots of energy ... but prefer something with a little more "lived-in" look to it? You should head to John's Big Deck. This three-story party bar has plenty of seating and viewing options. The first floor is set up like a normal sports bar and grill, the second floor features a dance club and event space, and the third floor features a big outdoor deck (as promised by the name of the bar). Each of the three levels will likely be set up for a massive Super Bowl watch party during the big game.
Like a lot of similar places in Kansas City, John's Big Deck serves up a wide range of American pub grub that leans slightly towards Tex-Mex. Plus, whether the Chiefs can win back-to-back Vince Lombardi trophies this year, the party goes until 3 a.m.
(816) 255-3396
928 Wyandotte St, Kansas City, MO 64105
Outlaw Cigar Brewery
Featuring large, golem-sized men smashing into each other at high rates of speed, it's safe to say American football is a pretty macho sport. If you're all about that machismo, you won't find a better place to watch the Super Bowl in Kansas City than Outlaw Cigar Brewery. A cigar store chain based in the Greater Kansas City area, Outlaw Cigar is deeply steeped in its own schtick. Owner Kendall Culbertson is a cigar-smokin', beer-chuggin', gun-totin', self-styled outlaw who both works hard and plays hard.
Outlaw Cigar also has its own brewery in a converted warehouse, with a tasting room that doubles as a cigar lounge. If you're all in on all things Outlaw Cigar, this is a go-to spot on gameday. Then again, we have to admit the atmosphere may not be for everyone. Cigar smoke can be annoying if you aren't the one smoking, so be sure to consider this before committing to a Super Bowl watch party at Outlaw Cigar Brewery.
(816) 569-5118
309 E. 10th Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116
Streetcar Grille & Tavern
The Super Bowl is for everybody — and even parents with small children should be able to go out and watch the game. Thankfully, parents searching for a family-friendly spot to watch the big game will find a safe space at Streetcar Grille & Tavern, which features a kids menu, ample space, and plenty of TVs.
Now, while there are some kids menu items you should never order for your child, getting fried chicken strips or mac & cheese for your kid(s) during the Super Bowl doesn't make you a bad parent. Parents shouldn't make fatty and fried foods completely off-limits to their kids, after all, as Charlotte Markey, a health psychology professor at Rutgers University, told Today in 2014. Since making junk food off-limits gives it a certain mystique, children who aren't allowed to eat junk food will be drawn to it — and may even crave those foods more than kids who are allowed to indulge once in a while.
Plus, let's face it: Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial American holiday. You're probably going to eat some unhealthy foods and maybe drink a beer or two, so let the kids have some chicken strips.
(816) 216-6187
1580 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64108
The Blue Line Hockey Bar
Sadly, Kansas City hasn't had an NHL hockey team since the Kansas City Scouts left for Denver in 1976. But don't tell that to the owners of The Blue Line — AKA "KC's #1 Hockey Bar." One look at The Blue Line's hockey-themed food menu and you'll understand why it gets so much love in the hockey community (and beyond).The Warm Ups section of the menu includes Nordique Nachos and Wrist Shot Fish Nuggets. The First Period section has an Oilers Taco Salad and Capitals Cobb Salad. The Second Period has a Center Ice Prime Rib Philly cheesesteak, and so on.
Opened in 2011, this family-owned restaurant isn't exclusively dedicated to sticks and pucks. With a lack of top-flight hockey to support in Kansas City, The Blue Line happily welcomes football fans, as well, and it's a prominent destination for Chiefs fans on Sundays. It's also dog-friendly, so feel free do bring out your Chiefs-supporting pooch.
(816) 472-7825
529 Walnut St, Kansas City, MO 64106
Johnny's Tavern
There may be no such thing as a sure bet when it comes to watching football. But the chain of Johnny's Tavern restaurants is a pretty safe bet when it comes to getting a top-notch Super Bowl experience in Kansas City. The original location opened in 1953 just over the state line in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1991, Johnny's Tavern opened a second location in Kansas City — with many subsequent locations opened in and around the city. Currently numbering 13 locations, the Johnny's Tavern brand has become synonymous with great food, cold drinks, and attentive service.
Arguably its flagship location, the Johnny's Tavern in the Power & Light District is a premium location for watching the Super Bowl. The massive menu features pub snacks, chicken wings, salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, entrees, stone oven pizzas, and desserts. Open every day until 2 a.m., the restaurant is also located near the large KC Live! outdoor viewing plaza.
johnnystavern.com/locations/johnnys-power-light-district
(816) 268-2260
1310 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106
Johnnie's on Seventh
While the Johnny's Tavern chain of restaurants is known for its family-friendly atmosphere, the local dive bar known as Johnnie's on Seventh is the total opposite end of the spectrum. It may be difficult to define a dive bar or say definitively what the term means, but we like to think of it as a place that's special without trying to be. A dive bar might be a sparsely populated, dimly-lit den that looks uninviting on the outside.
It might also be a vibrant neighborhood spot that looks like it would welcome just about anybody — and Johnnie's falls into the latter category. Serving as both a soccer bar and a bar for American football, there are almost always people inside rooting for some kind of sports team (and has even served as the location for local wrestling promotional videos). The bar is also steeped in history, among other things, having been open since 1934. It doesn't serve food, but the pool table is free.
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039083187227
(913) 371-0300
55 S 7th St, Kansas City, KS 66101
Score Sports Bar & Grill
There's an obvious appeal to watching the Super Bowl in downtown Kansas City, but heading downtown isn't exactly hassle-free. Traffic, parking, and crowds must all be navigated throughout the entire day. Sometimes it makes more sense to find a lively sports bar outside the city, and Score Sports Bar & Grill in nearby Independence, Missouri has everything you need to enjoy the big game.
Score is also a good place to go if you're looking for an all-day, all-night affair as it opens every Sunday at 10 a.m. Watch all the pregame hype on one of the bar's 17 televisions, as well as its giant projection screen. The full menu is available for lunch and dinner, which includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches, seafood, steaks, burgers, and desserts. There are also the sports bar's Sunday specials for chicken-fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, and fried chicken.
(816) 358-5777
9100 East 35th St S, Independence, MO 64052
Nick and Jake's
The Nick and Jake's chain of restaurants is built on a concept that's essentially "The Odd Couple" come to life: Two childhood friends with very different personalities coming together to collaborate under the same roof. The "Jake" side of the menu features down-to-earth comfort food like Buffalo wings, fried mozzarella, chef's salad, and two different kinds of steak. The "Nick" side of the menu features more cosmopolitan dishes such as poke tuna bites, crab cakes, and Grandma's chicken with smoked gouda sauce and jalapeño grits.
For a group of Super Bowl fans coming to a Nick and Jake's location, this split personality means there are a range of options that will appeal to just about anyone. Wine drinkers have nearly 40 different bottles from which to choose and fans of domestic macrobrews can grab their Busch Light or Pabst Blue Ribbon. Given the Super Bowl spectacle has such broad appeal, Nick and Jake's is the perfect place to go when your party can't decide where to go.
(816) 584-8535
6325 Lewis St #110, Parkville, MO 64152
Tower Tavern
When Tower Tavern opened its doors in 2007, the restaurant's post-industrial, urban renewal vibe was all the rage. This look was so popular for so long that it's slowly becoming an American classic as the years pass. This isn't meant to be a diss, of course, as restaurant design trends come and go. But pressed tin ceilings and exposed brick walls were brought back in the mid-2000s because they are as timeless as the Super Bowl — and there's a certain charm to being surrounded by timelessness.
To be clear, Tower Tavern is about much more than its decor. The food menu has just about everything you'd want for the NFL season's ultimate game. Starters include house-baked pretzels, sliders, and Buffalo wings, and there are also salads and sandwiches. An entire section of the menu is dedicated to pizzas, with the option to either build your own or order a specialty pie. Channeling its inner Sbarro, Tower Tavern also offers five different kinds of stromboli. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, but it does have a large event space, which opens for extra seating.
(816) 931-9300
401 E 31st St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Chicken N Pickle
Established in North Kansas City, Chicken N Pickle is a dining and entertainment concept that's taking the South and Midwest by storm. The idea of having pickleball courts alongside a bar restaurant was, understandably, met with skepticism. But the chain has proved the doubters wrong and there are currently eight locations open across the U.S. (with more on the way).
Chicken N Pickle succeeds because there's a lot to discover at each location. Sure: There's food and pickleball, but there are other outdoor games and live music events, too — all in a family-friendly atmosphere. People of all ages come to Chicken N Pickle and it frequently hosts large events.
If the Super Bowl gets your competitive juices going, the Kansas City location of Chicken N Pickle is perfect for letting those juices flow. It's also a massive complex with televisions stuffed into every nook and cranny. The menu — as you might have guessed — heavily features chicken in many forms, including chicken wings, grilled chicken, and country-fried chicken. It all adds up to a gameday experience with multi-generational appeal.
chickennpickle.com/location/kansas-city
(816) 537-1400
1761 Burlington St, North Kansas City, MO 64116
Gaels Public House & Sports
Gaels Public House & Sports may be a fairly new bar (it first opened in 2021), but it's quickly established itself as a go-to game day spot for Chiefs fans. Gaels has a whopping 26 HDMI flat-screen TVs for patrons to watch the Super Bowl, plus a menu that's loaded with scrumptious game-day favorites like pizza and nachos, as well as bierocks (a popular food in Midwestern cuisine).
You may not be able to purchase a party pack for Gaels ahead of time given the bar's food-and-seat combo packs sold out in less than two hours. But you'll be surrounded by a gaggle of Chiefs fans as they cheer on Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the team as they pursue back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Additionally, Gaels Public House was the first designated "Safe Place" for youth in crisis in the Kansas City area — meaning any football fan is apt to feel right at home during the big game at Gaels.
(816) 299-7668
5424 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110
The Granfaloon Restaurant & Bar
Named for a word invented by Kurt Vonnegut, The Granfalloon Restaurant & Bar has proudly embodied its namesake — defined as "a proud and meaningless association of human beings" in the book "Wampeters, Foma, and Granfalloons" – since first opening in 1977. The Granfalloon moved to its current location in 2000 and remains a popular spot thanks to its festive atmosphere, friendly staff, and a wide array of top-notch bar food, specialty drinks, and more than a dozen beers on tap.
The Granfalloon has 22 HD televisions scattered throughout the establishment and touts every seat in the house as having a clear view of a screen, so you won't have to worry about missing any shots of Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce (there won't be many). If you're not especially interested in watching any actual football — or if (heaven forbid) the 49ers end up running away with it — The Granfalloon also has a game room with an electronic dartboard and a Golden Tee arcade machine, as well.
(816) 753-7850
608 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64112
T-Shotz
T-Shotz isn't merely a bar option to watch Super Bowl LVIII — it's an "entertainment destination" that features virtual golf bays, pickleball courts, and an actual golf driving range. There's also a main bar situated within the popular three-story venue, a fairly substantial food menu that includes a selection of Detroit-style pizzas, and a varied drink menu (including a handful of mocktails for underage or non-imbibing fans). In other words, there are plenty of reasons for folks to consider watching the Super Bowl at this bar.
Beyond the bevy of food and drink options available for fans of all ages, T-Shotz offers the aforementioned golf and pickleball options, as well as shuffleboard, cornhole, and numerous additional arcade games. There's no shortage of activities to occupy anyone uninterested in the actual Super Bowl action. More than that, if you're a Chiefs fanatic who needs to burn some nervous energy before and after kickoff on Super Bowl Sunday? There may not be a better bar option for watching the big game in the Kansas City area than T-Shotz.
(816) 702-1320
660 NW Metro North Dr, Kansas City, MO 64155