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Mon. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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One of the best burger joints in KC for sure! I love the pork burger with a rosemary bun, then get some extra homemade pickles
Eff yes!
I almost don't see the point of writing this review since there's already several dozen raving about Blanc Burgers for a 4.5 star rating. But I'll add anyway.
Sweet potato fries are great.
Condiments are great. Actually I love the mustard and aoli are wonderful but I'm not so keen on the ketchup. It's all made on premises though, so there's something to be said for that.
You cannot go wrong with the burgers no matter which one you choose. I'm fond of the blue cheese one. It makes cow murder worth it!
Service is a little spotty so I took a star off for that. My table has been forgotten a couple times, as people wandered in after us and got their food way before us.
Blanc can get pricy so if you want a deal, go during lunch.
Classic burger, a Russian sounding stout beer and sweet potato fries. AMAZING! The waiter was very attentive and friendly and poured the beer in an interesting way. He had the beer upside down in the mug and slowly withdrew it as he poured. Tom Cruise? NOT, but pretty cool!
What's not cool? The onion rings. DO NOT order the onion rings. Stick with those sweet potato fries.
What also is cool? Lunch express menu during the week. It's a good way to save several $$$ many of their burgers.
I also sampled the bison burger. I couldn't taste the difference between beef, which tells me they made a really good mix. The best buffalo burger that I've ever had.
By the way, this is one of the FEW restaurants that you'll need to wait for, but you can always find seating at the bar! It's so worth the wait.
I came here for lunch and got the $8 lunch special:
Meatloaf burger with sweet potato fries.
The…
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I used to think the Flea burger was the best in the city, until I tried Blanc's kobe burger.
In combination with the absolutely delicious sweet potato fries, homemade dipping sauces, and apricot beer they serve, Blanc has the perfect burger meal on their hands.
The atmosphere is fun and fresh, the staff is pleasant, and you get to support many local businesses - not just blanc.
The inside-out burger is also good, but just doesn't match the kobe.
The milkshakes are decent, but didn't blow my mind. Better than winsteads and probably better than chubby's - but that's where my milkshake expertise stops.
Blanc is top 10 in the city.
truffle fries?...are you sure?...they taste like fries and not great one's either. The pickle was good but the best part was the service it was like being at a comedy club what with all the to do about being inept. I think barnum and bailey trains the waitstaff or they attend some clown school. I will say the brioche buns are excellent.
Great drink selection, creative menu, and amazing burgers - probably one of the best I've ever had.
We got there on a fri night at 9 and there was a 45 min wait...it was the Westport art festival weekend so that may have caused the delay. So we walked around and came back at 9:30 and were seated immediately. The server was great and offered her opinion on what was good. The four of us went for the inside out and it was great. Word to the wise....cut the burger so it doesn't explode all over you! The fries rock too...we had sweet potato and regular, but we heard the truffle fries are awesome too. Best of all, they have Hoegaarden to drink ! Unfortunately it's bottled but it's tough to find it anywhere around here on tap.
You really need to check out Blanc...
I took a friend from out of town here after reading all the good reviews about it on Yelp and checking out the menu. My friend ordered the Au Poivre, I ordered the spiced lentil burger, and we split an order of the truffle fries. It was the first time we've ever been there, and I couldn't have chosen a better restaurant to take him to.
The staff was friendly and helpful with suggestions. The burgers were huge and delicious!! And the beer! I'm a big fan of trying different beers from around the world, and Blanc had two I had never tried before - Xingu from Brazil and Tusker from Kenya. They were both great. I ate half of my lentil burger and was stuffed but couldn't stop eating those darned truffle fries. The chocolate truffles we got for dessert were amazing too - one was chocolate-covered hops, the second was chocolate root beer, and a third was a milk chocolate truffle with the Blanc logo on top. Very nice touch.
We got there about 7:30 P.M. on a Friday night and there was about a 40 minute wait. We didn't mind since we ducked into McCoy's across the street for some of their tasty brews before heading back.
I'd highly recommend Blanc to anyone! And my friend was impressed.
My colleagues and I had the pleasure of being taken out to lunch today by our supervisor. I had never been to this restaurant, and neither had two of my colleagues. We went right around noon, so we did end up waiting about 15 minutes.
As I was waiting, I was looking at other people's food. It all looked fantastic. Once we were seated and I looked at the menu, I knew that I was going to have a difficult time deciding what to order. Everything seemed appealing.
-Marinated Portabella Burger: This was DELICIOUS! I did get made fun of for not getting any meat, but I love mushrooms. This burger had a big mushroom on it, as well at spinach, cous cous, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. I am not a fan of feta cheese at all, but I could not even taste it. I also am not a huge fan of kalamata olives, and although I could taste them, they were not overpowering. I would absolutely order this again, however I would like to try some of the other burgers.
-Sweet potato fries: FANTASTIC!!! I don't know what more I can say.
-Onion rings: I did not order onion rings, but I stole one from one of my colleagues. It was also delicious. Perfectly fried and the batter seemed to be like a beer tempura-ish combo.
I feel sorry for whoever I had to talk to for the rest of the day after I ate at this restaurant because my breath wreaked of garlic no matter what I did. I love garlic though. The only reason that I gave this place 4 stars is because my colleagues said that the meat was not superb and there was no option as to how they wanted it cooked. I, like them, do not like my meat well done, so I can understand where they are coming from. But, if I ever go back, I will know to request that my burger be not so well done.
Overall, this was a satisfying lunch.
The actual burgers may not be quite as good as the Flea Market's but the options Blanc has, some of which sound crazy, makes them my new favorite burger place. Then throw in the seemingly endless list of beers and sodas they are one of my favorite places in general.
Avoid the custard milk shake unless you want to have a new desert that you can not find your self saying no to.
In a few words...the BEST burger I have ever had.
I would suggest heading to Kansas City for the Blanc Burgers alone. I say this in all seriousness, each bite melts in your mouth and you never want it to end. I had the Bison Burger with the pepperdew jam and it was absolutely delicious. They have all different kinds of sauces and I normally am not a big sauce person on burgers, but each one was better than the next.
I would say the burgers are on the pricier side but it was so worth it! It is probably a good thing I don't live closer to a Blanc Burger because I would want to go every night if I had the chance.
All I have to say is: boozy milkshakes. Seriously, these things are phenomenal. However, even if you're not in for calorie-fest 2009, they do have a pretty great beer list, and I've heard good things about their cocktails. Also, this is an excellent place to go for a burger if, well, you don't normally eat beef. As I do try to avoid the four legged critters, I was thrilled to find a lentil burger- which I like much better than the traditional veggie burger. This made my night. There are many other options, all of which sound really pretty amazing.
I know it's right down the street from the Westport Flea Market, but if you're looking for a burger that is different rather than just huge and meaty, this is the place to be.
Blanc is okay.
The one thing they truly excel at is being overrated.
The bun, albiet delicious, was to big for the burger (don't believe me? take a closer look at some of the photos, especially the ones on their website). The burger was bland and ordinary (even with all of the fancy sauces). The sweet potato fries were shriveled, soggy and almot unrecognizable as sweet potato.
The establishment itself is a whole other trainwreck in itself. While the space is interesting, the tables are uncofortable, the acoustics are horrible, and the layout is pure slop.
Maybe it was the 5 screaming kids that our waitress paid extra attention in getting their drinks in just the right zoo animal shaped container, our table right next to the kitchen, or truth be told my raging hangover, the expirience was enough to keep me from coming back.
If only the waitress had paid us a sliver of the attention she was giving those kids, then maybe the kitchen staff would not have had to wait on our table.
Went there for lunch today and while the burger wasn't bad, I have to say that for the price of the menu it is not worth it in my opinion. I had the american kobe while my father had the meatloaf burger and we shared an order of truffle fries and onion rings. The waitress was attentive and overall very nice and I do love the atmosphere and idea of a place with a great diverse bear list with gourmet burgers, it would appear to be the gourmands dream. However, the truffle fries appeared to have only been cooked once in oil and arrived oily and soggy, while the onion rings while quite tasty were disgustingly oily (not greasy which is a good thing with onion rings but just oily and limp).
The burgers were not bad, but they seemed slightly overcooked (again that could be my fault but a medium burger as they say they cook it on the menu should still be pink in the middle not grey throughout). The burgers while tasty did not have that jaw droppingly delicious all American beefy flavor of the Westport bar and grill burger. All in all I think Blanc is a nice burger joint, but I would rather head over to Westport Flea Market and get a great burger with all the fixings and two or three beers for the same price.
The lentil burger is still delicious! Sweet potato fries were great and my friend had a chocolate cherry shake that was awesome. We ate ourselves practically sick.
Still seemed a bit chaotic but I guess that's the style.
Interestingly enough, my grandparents went to the one in Leawood and hated everything about it. I wouldn't have thought to ever bring my gp's here (they prefer Sweet Tomato). This place is trendy and perhaps not best suited for all ages.
We went here tonight and I mostly had an enjoyable experience. It was extremely busy when we got… Read more »
Hands down, the Inside Out burger was the best burger I've ever had in my life. It was so melty and delicious on the inside that my friend took a bite and squirted the lady at the table nextdoor. That's a good sign.
Oh man. Good thing I live in Boston. I'd be here every week.
Finally! After reading the many good reviews of B B & B, I was able to try it for myself with a couple work buddies. I know when my "plain burger" buddy says, "That was a really good burger!", this place is impressive. I do sometimes wonder why I eat lunch with an old friend that is such a plain burger guy, and unwilling to try new foods........bugs the heck out of me. How can you not try new foods?
Disappointingly not part of the $8 lunch burger combo, I still had to try the Inside Out Burger. Hey!.....the chalk board said it was voted the "Best Burger in Missouri". I doubt any burger claiming that kind of fame, no matter how good it is. However, it was done to perfection, and came with the manager's warning to be careful when taking the first bite b/c the inside is hot and "has to go somewhere under pressure". I aimed my first incision at my plain-burger-buddy across the table. Sweet justice....but missed him! It's always a good thing to get grilled buns like they serve. The sweet potato fries came in the miniature shopping cart and were excellent (thanks jenja).
One friend ordered the Turkey Burger and Caesar side salad. He asked what the little rat turd items were on the salad. I told him I think they were either lentils or dried olive in nature. He asked what lentils were, so I told him "small seeds that taste like rat turds". The other friend ordered a "plain" Classic Burger. Food was great!
The service was good.....maybe a little slow getting the food out, but I attribute that to arriving at the start of lunchtime before the grills are hot and ready. The decor is "cool". I almost slipped off the slick, high-rise, plastic seat when planting my backside. That would have been a good laugh for all.
I agree with Jennifer J. that the mini-pop bottles with a cute little glass of ice don't quite get it done. Like I say at home, gimme a man-glass please.
All in all, I highly recommend several visits to Blanc Burgers & Bottles!
So we arrived just before 8 on Wednesday night to find the space nearly full. Two spots at the bar and one small table in the corner (I get it, real estate is real estate, but nobody wants to sit in the corner like this) - we opted for the bar. Besides, I prefer the chatter of a good barkeep; always nice to bounce your bottle selection off of in this case. But what's with the wall between the kitchen and bar, felt sorry for the bloke who had to duck down every time he went into the kitchen. Kind of plays into the burger joint essence, cool. This is a cool space and I appreciate its' size/layout. It's not a restaurant, it's a burger joint and THAT is the best part of Blanc. They nailed it.
I started with the Arcadia Hopmouth, a staff favorite IPA, and couldn't have been more satisfied. It's always a nice touch when you get your bottle served in a nice labeled pint to match. My buddy had the Bridgeport IPA and was also pleased - the beer selection really is impressive here folks.
We had the Inside Out and Au Poivre served with Truffle fries and Sweet Potato fries. My buddy who is a proclaimed burger authority said he could eat the Au Poivre once a week for the rest of his life. Apparently, it was pretty good! I had the Inside Out and was pleased also, if anything I will order it medium-rare next time as I felt it was slightly more done than I would prefer. I would have opted for even more fromage bleu. Also I'm not sure the onion ring on top enhances the burger any - it would be as good without it. Onto the fries, I must be the only person in Kansas City who doesn't like these truffle fries, I found them oily and lacking a lot of texture. If you want some truffle fries done right, check out Phillips Chophouse as they know how to do them. Sweet Potato fries were great and I really enjoyed those, wish they were a little larger cut as I think you can get a better balanced fry in terms of texture with a larger fry.
I'm going to put Blanc in the top 3 joint in town, I'll be back to try the Au Poivre and Kobe soon. Cost wise, two guys, two burgers, two fries, two beers each = $50. I'll do it again.
I thought this place was great; it was recommended by a vegetarian friend. They have a lentil burger that they assured us was vegan (w/o the yogurt sauce) and offered stuff like peppadew jam and avocado to spice it up.
The beer selection is fantastic, and they have a good selection of cheap wine. I also like the sweet potato fries.
Unfortunately, they failed to disclose the lentil burger having egg yolks in it. While I am vegan, none of the vegetarians I know eat eggs, nor some of the carnivores. I don't like restaurants that don't know what's in their food or aren't honest about it.
My first server, who suggested the vegan option, was an owner/manager. Not only should he know his own menu (or find out), but when asked by another mgr. why he told me the food was vegan, he just blankly shrugged and walked away.
I was really disappointed and haven't been back.
Burgers are so close to making last meal status with me I have generally perfected making them at home.
Because of the higher fat content they are harder to screw up so I eat them out as well. Places like TGIFridays and Chilis do an OK job at burgers. But they don't have that extra something.
Don't over compress the patty.
Season the meat with appropriate spices to your eventual toppings.
Don't over cook, and don't TOUCH it more than once when cooking.
Let it rest a couple of minutes before serving.
Use a bun that is worth using, or leave it in the crappy bakery it came from.
Well, they do all of this at Blanc. Oh... you PAY for it. But you should.
AND they throw in sweet potato fries. Please try them regardless of your personal taste for the lowly sweet tuber. And for a real treat at my suggestion - in addition to the three sauces they give you to dip - request ketchup,ask for a pinch of cinnamon on a place and tobasco. Mix the three and dip your sweets in the resulting sauce. Oh yeah... it is GOOD.
I had the inside out burger [filled with blue cheese]. I still think about it.
So, taking me here again if I am checking out. Heaven on a bun here, folks. BOO-yah!
I returned to town and to Blanc 8 months after my first visit and the burgers are still amazing. Damn the quality of the meat is just great! I came for the lunch deal, and got my classic burger with a cesar. Meh, the cesar was too spicy for me, I remembered it being better. Oh well, the hamburger was good enough to make me forget. Wash it all down with a Boulevard, and I was in heaven.
I heard a little roomer that they may be moving to the Plaza. NOT cool. The intimate space in the old brick building is part of what makes this place so cool. Don't move to the plaza!!! If you must, just open a branch down there...your burgers are so good that you can def have two locations that close together.
These are the best burgers I have ever had. They have a very high-end taste as they are made of a… Read more »
I really hate to give 5 stars to a burger place, but I just can't see how I could give them any less. It really was a delicious burger.
My wife and I both had the inside out burger. It comes filled with blue cheese, topped with a house made onion ring, a slice of lettuce, bacon, and house made ketchup. What really seperates this burger from other classy burgers is the bun. It comes on a slightly toasted brioche bun thats just the right combination of light and firm.
The selection of bottled sodas, beer, and wine at Blanc has to be the best of any burger place in the country. They instantly won a place in my heart when I noticed they carry Turbo Dog in a bottle.
The fries and onion rings come in a mini shopping cart. If you told me nothing of this place other than that, I would probably give this place at least 4 stars. The truffle fries are definitely not the best fries on the planet, but they are none the less very very good fries.
Only downside to this place; I always feel like a got F'd when a dinner for two consisting of burgers costs me more than $40. But its certainly not going to stop me from returning. To give this place 4 stars would indicate that there is somewhere else I think I can get a better burger, and the fact is I just can't think of one.
My new goal: to try every single burger on the menu. Seriously, to quote a line from a commercial, "Don't bother me. I'm eating". I was missing The Counter, a gourmet burger joint from Santa Monica (now a chain) that made the "Top 10 Burgers To Eat Before You Die List" and this place fills that void. I've only been in KC for less than a year and I was pretty much stuck on KC BBQ for a long time. My diet looked like this for a long time; KC strip steak, burnt ends, pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, brisket, and repeat.
So, when I need a little break from Arthur Bryants, Gates, Jack's and what not, I come here. I should really look for a job far from Westport, espeically from this place cuz... all my money is going to food! Eh, what else is new? I feel guilty if I spend too much money on clothes but never on food.
Anyways, the burgers are good and drink options are plenty! I also missed the sweet potato fries for a really long time and I'm glad I can satisfy that craving. But seriously, who doesn't like burgers? Correction, who doesn't like gourmet burgers?
Yuuuuumcity, that's all I have to say. I had the classic burger (hold the mustard) and it was deeeee-lish. perfectly cooked and just the right amount of meat.
i was a lil disappointed with the onion rings, they were a "flake-y" but I may be sad and biased because i only got 5 and had to share with the rest of the table. My mom got sweet potato fries and they were the MOST AMAZING THINGS EVER. also on the MATE scale, was the kobe burger. usually I would scoff at paying $12 for a burger but I this lil slice of heaven was def worth it.
if i hadn't have been hungover from the weekend I would have loved to try the adult milkshakes or the other billions of types of bottles they had.
overall. A+
There's not a lot to say that hasn't been put down already, this is the best burger I've ever had.
Wifey and I hit up Blanc Burgers + Bottles after we got home from San Francisco, straight off a high of Gary Danko, treats from all the great little shops in Ferry Market building, even after all of that this was a star! All expectations I had for the place were blown away.
I had the Au Poivre, and, admittedly, I'm a sucker for black pepper, this hit the mark, GREAT strong pepper flavor without being overwhelming, quality perfectly cooked meat, the Farm to Market salt and pepper buns are killer.
The Foo's/Shatto shakes are rich, my chocolate malt had that great malty flavor that tends to be lacking from other places these days, and I love the use of locally sourced ingredients.
Onion rings were crispy and delicious, and big enough to share! The house made condiments are a win. I am eager to go back and try the truffle fries ASAP! The little shopping carts are a cute touch. The beer selection, while I didn't indulge, was great, I like the breakdown of styles and origins of the list.
I love, love, love this place! It was a great place to grab a bite during lunch when I worked in Westport. I've also been here for dinner many times. I am known to go as far as calling in orders to take home after work. I have done this for their sweet potato fries, specifically, countless times. They are the best sweet potato fries I've had in KC. I am loyal to the Turkey Burger, which has turkey, spinach, "secret sauce", swiss, avocado, and tomato, on a whole wheat bun. It's also pretty cool that they have homemade ketchup with a smoky BBQ kick! I love that they have sodas and beers from all over the place. I would love it even more (Is this even possible? I'm not sure.) if they could get the guarana soda from Brazil. Next on my to-do list? Try their grown-up milkshakes!
The cow that gave its life for this burger did not die in vain.
Before last night's dinner, I thought I was the only one in KC who hadn't tried a Blanc Burger yet - but now I have - so I can join this club, right?
My burger was cooked perfectly and the burger's taste, like the taste of the meat, was good enough to eat alone - without the hoopla. But with the hoopla, very good too.
The fries really contrast the more complex flavors of the gourmet burgers because they're basic and have a good fry flavor. The homemade chipotle and mustard dipping sauces were also a nice touch, I enjoyed them - wish I could have had more, but I was sharing with someone with a cold and likes to double dip :(
The homemade ketchup was cool - different and good, but I like regular better.
I always put bacon on my burger and that always makes my burger better so that's what I ordered and I will come again. But my burger go-to, my number one remains the flea market burger, hands down.
Yum yum yum - we keep going here over and over (one goal is to eat every animal product listed on the menu: bison, pork, mahi mahi, turkey, beef...).
Loves: the truffle-oil fries, the sweet potato fries, the turkey burger, the bottled sodas, the bison burger, the BUNS (can I buy these separately?!?).
Likes: the friendly staff, the funky bathroom wallpaper, the front bar (and bartenders), the entirely reasonable prices.
Meh: the wannabe hip vibe of the place (at least, to this non-Midwesterner, the white on white modern is trying just a tad too hard...but love the exposed brick!), the inevitably-longer-than-you're-told-it-will-be wait for a table during busy times.
Quality of the food, though, overwhelms every one of the "mehs" - so we'll be coming back again, and again...
There is an attention to detail and craft at Blanc that immediately makes me feel like this would be the burger joint that my foodie and chef friends could dream to eventually open up. Very simple, very focused, very tasty. Blanc has most of its wheels spinning, but talking to the owner things got so busy so fast that they are still trying to finish the concept a bit. Unfortunately for him that means they are going to add yet another 2 burgers to the menu (portabella and another heavy rotation special involving ham)... I think they should go the other way... take 2 more burgers off and make the remaining few the best fucking burgers you can imagine.
I had the au poivre (needs some nice mustard) and the Kobe (both could trade out the watercress for something with a bit more bite), the fries were terrific, especially the Boulevard rings and sweet potato (the truffle oil shouldn't sog up those fries). Great beer selection, fun but thin wine selection. I'll have to wait until next time to try a milkshake.
Ultimately I'm being sort of hard on Blanc because it struck such a special nerve and has the potential to be pure genius. I can only wish that I lived closer and book another ticket back to K.C.
I recently felt like paying too much for a burger, so I went here. There are a few minor issues, but overall this spot will leave you 97% satiated from gourmet delight involved with the dinner. The burgers remind me of an amalgamation of epicurean class and stealthy big city cookery you rarely see in Westport fare. Offering ass kicking sauces made within the home, I sadly found myself wondering why they serve portions of condiments the size of my eye, in a sushi dish. I remember this one time I used a whole bottle of ketchup at McCoy's after a floridly fanatical day of drinking; what if I want that to happen here? However, the enchanting tastes gleaned from the quality of meat reimburse the condiment problem. The waiter may ask you to guess his age for a beer and you may get homespun sweet potato fries served in a miniature grocery basket. The drink menu is slightly swaggering with "grown-up shakes" and an overwhelming globalized beer collection, but I understand since I am under an impression the entire staff may choose to pretend they are not in fact in Missouri. Either way, you will leave feeling full. Belching the flavor of Blanc the rest of the day appears to be normal, but scary.
Recommendations: Inside Out Burger, The American Kobe, and a combination serving of sweet potato and truffle fries. And, a creative cocktail to feel buzzed in a small place may positively add to the experience.
YUMMY! We just stumbled by this place while in town for a business meeting. We wanted to eat at a local place and this was it. What a find. Beign from LA I immediately recognized the little shopping carts of french fries, which are identitcal to a bourmet burger place here in town called "Fathers Office". Similar but not really this plaec doesn many burgers, yummy sides, SUPER FRESH and even had some helathy choices on the menu.
They have vegetarian burgers, spicy lentil, mushroom, salads. Also pages of unique soda bottles and beers.
I think the atmosphere of all white and modern doesnt fit the Burgers and Bottles fun spirit though.
Service was great, hamburger was perfect and if I were in town again, I would definately check it out.
FYI to Management- Almost slipped and fell 3 times walking to and from the front door. Too much wax on those woods. Please be advised. :)
it's a little scary how people are stuck on this place even after all this time...
blanc is part of the national trend of recontextualizing the burger as chic or urban or trendy or whatever. blanc delivers a nice product that is very different than traditional kc burger places. it is like the kemper museum opened their version of the westport flea. it is packaged in an almost sleek, yet inviting package that feels like a sophisticated burger bar-- the burger bar from the future.
the food is acceptable and the service was quite unpolished. the server was attentive, but treated the experience similarly as a server at somewhere like minsky's or tomfooleries. if this is a "different" type of burger place-- shouldn't the service match? spiked milkshake was good, but consistency could've been a bit thicker-- way overpriced IMHO. i had the lentil burger which was nicely prepared but started to crumble upon first bite (supposed to be burger-- not loose meat sandwich). probably the highlight is the special ketchup and mustard which can be seen as something of an insult.
The nice atmosphere and beer selection make this place a nice stop perhaps before a night of drinking, but thinking of this place as anything more than bar food in a different package is fooling yourself.
"The stuff that dreams are made of." - Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon
The first time I went to Blanc Burgers, was a couple days after I came home from school. My brother wanted to go see They Might Be Giants at the Beaumont, so before the show my family and I went to dinner at Blanc.
I had the Inside Out Burger, and the sweet potato fries with a Stewart's Key Lime to wash it down. Aside from random gooey spurts of blue cheese erupting from my burger, the meal was amazing. I've been back three times and the waiters and waitress are always courteous and knowledgeable of the menu. The restaurant has a impressive collection of bottles beverages alcoholic and sans alcohol. So far I've tried the Inside Out, Kobe, Classic, and Au Poivre burgers and each oneis wonderful. I even dragged my friends down here during an ice storm, just so they could sample the goods.
Needless to say, they were grateful. Best burgers I've ever had.
Holy Damn! The meatloaf burger (I love meatloaf) is melt in your mouth yummy and I have to say the onion rings are scrumdiliumcious. I don't even know what truffle fries are but I thought they were awesome. The vibe in the place is very clean and hip and I just love it. I wanted to take the mini shopping carts with me. LOL.
There are two things that strike me when I think about Blanc:
1. The concept of a trendy gourmet burger joint is immediately intriguing to me. As a citizen of a city where you can find a LOT of great places to grab a burger, this is one that has really differentiated itself well. To be sure, Winstead's is far and away the top diner, and Town Topic will always have the best counter in town. But Blanc's chic, modern interior and commitment and high-quality ingredients represent an entirely different niche in the KC burger scene.
2. Every aspect of Blanc, from the furniture to the silverware to the drink selection to the ingredients which go into each hamburger, have been extensively thought out and well-designed. I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate it as a diner when I sense that everything that I see, smell, touch or taste during my dining experience conveys the same idea and, well, feels just right for the meal.
Other Notes:
* The drink menu is quirky and extensive, but not to the point that it becomes intimidating.
* Same goes for the food menu -- adventurous at times, but without abandoning all of the traditional ingredients that many people love.
* Some folks on here say that the priciing is a bit high. I'd respond by saying that it's not what you'd usually pay for a standard burger, but then again, you're not paying for a standard burger. And if you really need to keep your bill low, try Blanc for lunch. You can get a burger and side for $8.
* You owe it to yourself to try the Shatto root beer milk. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it.
All in all, Blanc is a cool spot in a cool part of town. It will never be a place that I visit every week, but I'll definitely go back every couple of months, when I have a little extra money in my pocket and a burger on my brain.
The mahi mahi burger I had here was excellent, and though I tend to avoid pickles, this place has really good (but sweet pickles). I split an order of sweet potato fries and truffle oil fries with a few other people - if I wasn't totally stuffed from the meal I was tempted to order more fries and a shake. Good eats!
I have to agree: best hamburgers I've ever had. Which is not to say I'm a hamburger connoisseur by any means, but they are truly fantastic. My favorite is the Kobe beef, but it's very, very rich; cut that one in half and take the rest home. Usually, I'm more than content with the Classic cheeseburger and fries, and most of my friends love the inside out -- watch out for it, though: that is a STRONG blue cheese.
But what really makes this restaurant are the details: the homemade dipping sauces, the fact they use Foo's frozen custard, the great neo-mod minimalist decor (is it weird I always tout the wallpaper in the ladies room to newcomers?). The beer list is huge considering the size of the place, and you MUST try the adult floats and shakes. Here's my recipe: Order the raspberry Framboise with chocolate custard for dessert. Sounds unappetizing to some, but no one who's tried it hasn't called me a genius. So good!
My only complaint is the size of the place cannot serve the hordes who gather. There's no comfortable place to wait on a Saturday evening: Last time we arrived at 5:30 and still had to wait 20 minutes (standing, because all the bar seats were taken) before we had dinner.
I was cautiously excited about this place when I first heard about it, being a fan of gussied-up burgers and such. Plus, I like to imagine Rob from Chefburger gnashing his teeth and swearing vengeance on the people that opened a restaurant so close to his idea so soon. It's probably like the Montagues and the Capulets with polite, slightly doughy midwesterners.
My thoughts? Eh. There's not a ton of variety for the burgers, and they're a little out there. I'm not afraid of offbeat, but some of the choices seemed weird for the sake of weird. I don't want a burger with cranberry jam and olive cheese and tears of a clown. Dumb it down for me, my stomach isn't trying to win the Pulitzer.
I tried the onion rings, which I thought were okay. The shopping cart idea is neat, and in retrospect I probably should have gone for the fries.
They do have more drinks available than is seemingly possible. That's probably why the dining room is so small, they have to have room to store all the Japanese sodas and Martian stouts.
It's pretty pricey, actually. That may be more of a statement on me than on the restaurant, but ten bucks for a burger ain't cheap. And that's without sides and a drink. Worth a shot, who knows, just my opinion.
Ate lunch there, had the lunch special which was the classic burger and fries. The quality of the burger was top notch. I would put it in the top 3 burgers in KC. The burgers tasted as if they were charcoal grilled which I liked.
The fries were only average, kind of small for my tastes. I like nice, plump fries, theirs was more between regular fries and shoestring fries.
The condiments are very sparse. As mentioned they make them by hand, so they are a little stingy when they bring them out.
The drink prices for soda's is almost ridiculous. You can a small bottle, not even a full sized soda can of pop for $2.50 and no refills. This was during a weekday lunch, so no beer for me, but they did appear to have a good variety of beers.
Really, if it had not been the ridiculous soda prices I would have given them 5 stars. As such, I would suggest beer, water or tea only when dining there. Unless you just like throwing money away.
The service was okay. The waitress was very attentive when we first came in, then we had a long wait before our food orders were taken. The time it took to cook the burgers also seemed a little longer than I was expecting.
Kansas City, MO
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Crossroads
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Westport
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: The Plaza
Category: Vegan
Neighborhood: Westport
Category: American (New)
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