Jazz Restaurant in Kansas City, MO

Jazz is located in the large Legends Shopping center near the huge T-Rex you can see from the parking lot. The theme of this restaurant is New Orleans style food, drink and jazz.

When you first walk into the restaurant it comes off as loud and dark. The floors are dark wood scuffed with wear, and what you can see of the walls is dark otherwise it is plastered with every thing New Orleans. There are no booths here just straight up tables and they are all over the place and not terribly large. There are pool tables in the back and a bat off to the right looking more like a saloon than a French Quarter Bistro.

The wait staff is the first thing that surprises you because not only are they friendly but they also know there stuff. And if they recommend a dish order it! They have yet to be wrong about what is good for the night. Once you get a good look at the menu you realize what a dilemma you will have. They have a large list of many delicious dishes.

For appetizers they have a Crab Cakes "De la Mer" this is two delicious crispy crab cakes serve with a creamy sauce that had crab and shrimp in it. They also have fried pickles, Popcorn Crawfish, and Voodoo Wings to name a few.

The main entrees have a major theme of seafood. Being in a state surrounded by nothing more than more states it is terribly difficult to find tender and succulent seafood. However Jazz makes this possible by some miracle. They have a Shrimp/Scallop Scampi dinner where the scallops are so tender it is more like biting into butter, and they are sweet. They also have Jambalaya, Po Boys, Fried Oysters, and Ettouffe.

The desserts were classic New Orleans fare with a twist. They had Pecan Pie, Key Lime Pie, and Beignets. However they also had stuffed Beignets with Strawberry, Chocolate, Cherry, or Peach filling. They serve every dessert with a light Brandy spike Chantilly Cream. The Pecan Pie that has bourbon in it is wonderfully free of the intense bitter flavor that some pecan pies get when too much alcohol is used.

Other than food they have live jazz every night Wednesday through Sunday starting at 7pm. The band is on a second floor terrace within the restaurant so they aren't blaring in your ears or sitting on your lap.

Although exceptionally busy in the evenings the restaurant has the best seafood I have had in any land locked state, and the ambience and music are wonderfully side dishes to any meal.

Average Cost: $8-$22.00
Hours: 11:00am - 2:00am Monday - Sunday
1823 W. 39th Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 531-5556