Happy Hour IV: Drinking (& Eating) at Cleaver & Cork

You already know how much I love happy hours in K.C.  It’s not just the fact that food and drink are cheaper, truly.  It’s not just that they are an early excuse to start the party. It’s not just that you can eat lighter if you so desire.  Or that I basically like sitting at bars.  No, a big part of it for me is that happy hours are a way to sample . . . and to help me decide if I wanna come back.

My first happy hour, many months ago, did just that.  Cleaver & Cork’s starts early, at 4 p.m. and ends three hours later – a real plus for chatters – and the bar usually seems less noisy than the tables section. It does pick up of course – you are in the Power and Light District!  Their drinks are price-reduced, including their craft cocktails like my favorite, at least in the summer, the Horsefeathers (whisky, ginger beer and bitters).  They have $5 wines and $4 draft beers. Some menu items are half priced – and not half sized. Their pulled pork sandwich is dinner by itself and the fries with the skins on are delish and when you ask for them extra crispy, they are.  (Not always true I can assure you.) The cheese curds are mouth-poppable and the homemade bratwurst has that crunchy outer skin that’s so important.

A couple of happy hours later, I went back for dinner.  Though I’m still not sure what a gastropub is, I do know the menu is pretty comprehensive and I was there with a large party – and everyone was happy.  Still. 

1333 Walnut Street 
Kansas City, MO 64106 
Ph. 816-541-3484