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Been here before, be here again. I can't comment on the flea market side of the location, but I can talk about the food and fizz. Don't even look at the menu, find a spot to sit - put in your drink order with one of the ultra attentive waitstaff. Stand up and move to the bar and order yourself a burger with whatever kind-of cheese you want. I go with the regular fries normally, while the chili seems to be a common side choice for some. My order took 4 minutes to hit the window at the grill (yes, you pick up your own food hot off the grill). Spin to the right and load it up with whatever kind of toppings you want.
Honestly, the 5 1/2 oz McGonigle's ground beef patty is plenty of food - but I won't hold it against you for going with the 10oz monster.
Cash only, who cares. Carry cash.
Also, don't try ordering a Brooklyn style Ale here - they don't have them. Btw, what the hell is a Brooklyn style Ale anyways?
PS - Looking for awesome karoke?! Dont' go here...
WFM is alright, but not a food destination in KC. It's very likely that if you're from out of town and have a favorite burger place elsewhere-- it's likely better than what you'll find at the flea.
Yes, it's an interesting place with decent burgers.
Yes, KC's most infamous serial killer kept a stall here.
Yes, their new mascot is a giant bugermobile.
No, i won't be back anytime soon.
Craving a good burger, my friends and I decided to try this restaurant. After reading the yelp reviews, I had my hopes up and was really looking forward to an awesome burger.
My two friends and I all ordered the mini market burger. It came with curly fries. And we dressed them ourselves at the dressing station. The fries were decent. The burger, on the other hand, was nothing but a disappointment. The meat seemed to be processed and previously frozen. The texture was kind of spongy. And the flavor, was pretty much non-existent.
If I had to describe this place in one word, that word would be OVERRATED! The midwest is known for good meat, so I'm not sure how on earth this restaurant has consistently gotten such rave reviews when I've had better meat from McDonald's.
Best burger, I think not. Food was edible, but I will not be returning. The coolest thing about this place is the burgermobile, which can be appreciated without setting foot in the restaurant.
Always like this place but turned off now. Fries were cold and overcooked and they now charge you 50 cents per item that you order on carry-out. That's ridiculous and not customer friendly. I could see a one time charge but for every item? I won't be back.
I have heard many people talk about a great burger at the Westport Flea Market. This past Saturday I finally had an opportunity to enjoy one. The 10oz burger was awesome and cooked just how I wanted (a little pink in the middle). A great burger at a great price.
I was a little confused about having to order at the bar, especially since they took your drink order at your table.
My only complaint is... CASH ONLY.
The name of this place on its own lured me in. Bar, grill and Flea Market--not something I see paired all too often. The clincher for me was the hamburgermobile parked outside. True meal on wheels--the type of thing I live for!
So yes, Flea Market--check. Bar--check! Grill--check! All was good in the universe. Being a person of exquisite taste, I ordered the Flea Market burger. Sounds appetizing no? The burger far exceeds its appellation and seems to devastate plenty of appetites as I watched a continual flow of people go through the line.
The flea market burger is hearty, juicy and delicious. Coupled with a side of what appear to be hand-cut, curly fries--this is a meal a serious meal. I also sampled some fried mushrooms. They were nice and juicy, but kind of tasted like they'd been fried again and again. I'm not saying that's the case, that's just what they tasted like.
If you ever wanted to get drunk at a flea market--this place could make that dream come true! The burger, however, is the real reason to stop by.
The first time there I wasn't quite sure where to order, do I sit first? order at the counter? etc...but I did know to bring cash. Once I figured out the routine, I have been back often especially on Tuesdays when it's 2-4-1 Mini night. The burgers are great. I haven't been disappointed.
On my way out of town, a friend suggested I try this place out. I had the 10oz ground chuck burger with cheese. After they call you up to pick up your order you take it to the condiment station where you can dress it up with anything and everything. The meat was cooked as requested but it lacked a real memorable flavor. No grilled taste, no special seasoning, it was just beef-y.
I also ordered some onion rings and they were nothing to write home about either. I'm sure I'll try it again, as my friend who suggested the place will drag me back. Hopefully it will be better next time.
Having only eaten hear once I can comment on the burger, frier, rings and coleslaw. Having read some of the previous reviews I would say that Westport is as close to perfect as you will find for a simple hamburger/cheeseburger. The beef has no offputting flavors or extra spices and just tastes of the beefy goodness that a burger should taste of. The condiments are all fresh and of the highest quality and unlike many places which immediately cook every burger to well done, since their beef is of such high quality they will cook it medium and give you that juicy dripping with grease first bite that any burger afficianado dreams of.
Their curly fries were disappointing, however their coleslaw and rings while not at the same level as their burger where quickly gobbled down by myself and two friends.
When you consider the price and atmosphere I would definitely say that everybody should at least check the place out.
It has been a decade from the first time my brother took me here and when I visited today. If it takes another decade to get back, I'm OK with that.
The burger was good, but nothing to jizz your pants over. You have to put all the condiments on yourself, so I consider myself about half responsible for my burger's taste quality. The fries are pretty much blah.
A flea market being under lock and key directly next to where I was eating did not add anything to my experience. Pain in the ass to get around to collect your own food if it's mildly busy. Not sure why they don't just install fountain machines rather than making you order drinks from a waitress and giving you the feeling that a tip has been earned. Beer selection is above average.
This is one of the best burgers I have ever had.
This makes my top 10 burgers ever.
5 stars for the food
3 stars for the atmosphere
I couldn't believe this place the first time i came here. I happened to be staying at the Holiday Inn Express next door and saw the Westport Flea Market next door. On the building it says Kansas City's Best Burger.
I thought I would give it a try but was really thinking that this was going to be lame.
Needless to say I have been back several times. And wish I could go more often.
The burgers are so damn good you will punch yourself in the face just because you don't know how to react.
I always put their bbq sauce on the burger and get curly fries. They rock and the bbq sauce is something special.
My EX-personal favorite burger place in Kansas City.
This place is straight up in your face. No frills. No cards. Bring Cash
Walk up to the register, Tell them what you want, pay for it cash, wait till the Gates-esque burger man calls out your name in a strange way and then go pick it up. Walk up to the veggie bar and dress your burger exactly how you want it.
sit down, devour the beast and bring a friend or two to carry you back outside.
EDIT: I have found a better burger! I have downgraded this place by a star! (See Review on Jess And Jim's Steakhouse!!!)
Ah, man, I love these burgers. I find myself craving them at the oddest times, like first thing in the morning. It's a sign. Maybe I'll make it out to the flea market this weekend.
This place has got character. I love its shape, the fact that it's surrounding by antiques and that there are pool tables and pinball in the very back. They have karaoke on Friday nights, and damn, those people can sing! Of course there's always that one person who can't quite stay on tune, and hilarity ensues. And there's a good mix of people here, too. It caters to Westport's off-beat bohemians as well as the Johnson County crowd.
The burgers are EXCELLENT. There's a reason they've been voted Kansas City's best burger 22 years in a row. The Flea Market burger is 10 ounces of McGonigal's beef made with the bar and grill's own seasoning. You dress it yourself at the condiment stand right next to the window where you pick up your food. I always get the Mini Flea Market -- it's only 5.5 ounces, but it definitely fills me up.
The appetizers are so-so. I ordered the cheddar jalapeno poppers and only got four! Four poppers for $5 is NOT a good deal. They weren't even that good. The boyfriend's fried mushrooms were much better -- and a much better deal. He got tons of bite-sized shrooms.
They have 23 beers on tap, and decent happy hour (and reverse happy hour) specials: 99-cent PBRs, $1.99 domestics and $3 wells.
Definitely make sure to have cash on you. They don't take credit cards, but they do have an ATM on site.
For a down home bar, restaurant and flea market in one, this place is as good as it gets. For some greasy, filling food options and a awesome range of beers on tap this place has alot to offer. Shuffle board table, pool, arcade games and many other random things to do along with Karaoke on the weekends and 1/2 happy hour all day on Sunday. And the burger was damn good. half pound of quality and you get to top it off with all the condiments you need. Great prices and good people.
A few bites from the burger last night and I wanted to be ALONE - just me and my burger, for some personal space, away from my family sitting around the table with me. Of course, it got quiet immediately when the food came - it's funny because the place gets so loud and looking around, everyone's stuffing their faces with burgers, it's hard to tell where the noise comes from.
I took my dad here for his no-frills 50-something birthday dinner and he's eternally grateful. He told me he'd forgotten how good the flea burger was - and I guess I had to. It's been years since my last visit (shameful). It's better than the Max burger, larger, cooked perfectly by that wonderul man at the mike calling out every two minutes: "Jose, your orders ready. Jose."
Gritty, wooden, and flea-like, the market was closed when we came, but the place was packed with other 50-somethings, what seemed like hundreds of them (they looked like they knew good food). There were a few dates in there, but I felt bad for the women trying to eat all lady-like, it's just imossible to pull-off here. They dabbed their faces after taking a bite from the burger larger than their heads, funny to watch.
I was ravenous - and when I started to get full (and this is very unlike me) I said, forget the fries, they're just fillers - save room for the goods!! I ate the entire burger (with cheese and bacon, the only way to do a burger right in my opinion) and then followed with fries...and it felt like an accomplishment - the perfect burger...taken down by me. It was in the next few moments that I considered competitive eating. There's something nostalgic about eating a burger in the neighborhood's busy burger joint. It just feels right.
We ordered the ice tea which comes in adorable glass mug jars, (like jam jars, only mugs) with refilable tea cannisters - it was very unexpected in the literal shack, where flies are so predominant, they could be considered dining guests. There were so many flies - it was like biblical - but I laughed it off! THAT'S how good their burger is. My dad ate it with pickles, I got the works (I love how they let you dress your own burger - you really get what you want in the end).
Note to self: remember to bring cash next time. Thank god they had an ATM, I would have been sad and starving had they not. I knew I wanted the burger without having to glance at their menu, but when I did take a look - it made me want to have three stomachs because everything sounded so good, especially the starters. But there's simply no room for a starter when eating the flea market burger...unless you're a competitive eater, in which case I suggest coming to 'practice' here.
While waiting for our food to come, I read about their Football Party deal where for $200, you and 30 of your friends get a private room, a flea burger buffet and beer, a helluva deal - that's 6 dollars per person and some change for the best burgers in the city?! (I must note that this is less expensive than coming in and buying a flea burger alone - which will cost you about $10.)
Reading the other reviews, I know that Adam C. thought it too "hipster" - but not from what I saw. The crowd was mostly older, eating in groups of four to six, on a Saturday night. Trust me, coming from Greenwich Village, I can't take too many hipsters in one bar anymore...I'd have run screaming had that been the case here.
Ugh...I'm still full and if I'm lucky I'll be hungry again sometime next week. Jesus, that burger was big.
Great food and the beer is cold.
Try the burger any way and you can't go wrong.
I am fully prepared to turn in my "hip, young person" card with this review.
Apparently this place is a hipster heaven, so much so that some sort of Kansas City Mustache Club (too lazy to look up the name) meets here. if that's not self-satisfied smarminess I don't know what it is. Although, when I went the place was populated with the cast of "Roadhouse".
So I decided to try this place even after stupidly letting a 2-for-1 burger coupon expire. Well, what the hell... I was hungry, hungry for burgers. And Blanc doesn't have outdoor seating (I think/thought).
Simply visiting is an adventure, what with the lack of a hostess, ordering and paying at a counter and a maze to get to said counter. And you pick up your own food. And garnish your own food. Now, who am I tipping and why?
For a dive, it ain't cheap either. For two people, each with a side and a shared appetizer it was more than I thought it would be, more than Chefburger or Blanc, even. And frankly, the fries and onion rings weren't that great. The burger, however, was very good, hence the second star. Also, a Diet Coke was ordered and not refilled, just as well as it tasted funny.
Westport Flea Market, if I could interchange the fates of you and Hash House-A-Go Go... I would not hesitate to do so.
Just took my hubby here for lunch today. They have the best damn burger in Kansas City. Plus, the fried pickles aren't too bad either.
Self-service so don't be afraid to ask where to order, etc. and to dress your own burger.
Not fancy, but delicious.
I don't live in KC anymore....BUT....this is the place I dream about when I think of living in KC. Their burgers are hands down the very very best in the city. I was literally addicted to the patty melts...everything is made so perfectly. No pretentious atmosphere here...just the real deal.
And don't forget the fried pickles!
Nobody mentioned that Drinking Liberally meets here on the third Sunday of the month. If you like a little left-wing politics with your beer and burger, stop by for this informal meeting.
Several years ago, I came here to try a burger, but the blackened chicken sandwich looked so good- I still haven't had a burger! What do they do to the chicken to make it so tender and juicy? It is so juicy, you need to eat it fast before it soaks the bun. Curly fries that come with are nothing special, but I am not here for fries.
The ambience is seriously old and somewhat depressing (you are surrounded by old dirty and dusty flea market merchandise) but some thinks that this adds to the experience. I just try not to look....eat and go.
It's a hole-in-the-wall burger joint, but boy-howdy do they have great burgers!
*UPDATE* THANK YOU SMOKING BAN! This place rocks!!!
They raised the prices on everything so now a $20 meal is a $30... We dont go half as often because of that. We want a place to sit and have a beer with our burger... its cheaper to go elsewhere... that is my only complaint!
*End up Update*
SMOKE! That is all I tasted, smelled, breathed and dealt with my entire experience at this place. If it was 2am I would expect it, but it was 4pm and I wanted to eat my chicken. Do I remember the chicken? No, but I remember the idiotic hipsters who loudly took the table next to ours and the entire group began a chain smoking extravaganza. I could have moved, yes, but every other person in the entire restaurant was doing the same thing. It was gross, I felt like I was in a crappy casino in vegas and "my kind" wasnt welcome. Sorry if I am a CA transplant who enjoys greasy food every once in a while. That place should b e called the "Cancer Patient Waiting Room."
YUCK.. my poor husband raves about his burger, but cannot return unless he wants to deal with his wife coughing and complaining the entire time... it was that bad!
Westport flea market is one of the most unique places I've been in Kansas City. Located in Westport, The Westport Flea Market is an actual flea market that also boasts one of the best cheeseburgers in the city. Go in at night and you'll see the flea market off to the left, closed and locked up. Go straight and back to the right and you'll see the bar and grille. You order at the counter and they call your name when your order is up. You can dress the burger as you please at the dressing buffet. While you wait for your order or during/after your meal you can enjoy one of the many games including pool and darts. There are also a number of TVs for watching your favorite sporting event or playing trivia during the week. The one thing I recommend, aside from just going there, are the fried pickles. They are delicious, but HOT- be careful on the first bite or two!
Now I feel safe writing this review since the fate of the Flea is secure!
This place has, hands down, the best darn burgers anywhere. I don't know what they do to get them so perfect, but they are.
But the thing I like best there is the Chicken Gordon Blue. Yes, that is what it is called. The first time I had one I about died - it was an epiphany. They take a really big chicken breast, top it with a slice of ham, and then throw on some cheese. Sounds simple, right? Nope! I have tried to recreate one at home and I can't do it, so I gave up.
Now, this sammich is not just good, it is fantastic. I still remember my co-worker Jim and I finishing our sammiches, looking at each other and both saying at the same time, "I want another one of those for desert!" I am so serious about this. It was that darn good!
Awesome burgers, some may find them a little greasy, but they get great meat from a local butcher and they are huge and tasty. Free live music on the weekends. It can get smokey for some (there is no non-smoking section) but usually only a problem on the weekend. There are the old time "real" darts, which you just don't see anymore. I've only ever gotten the burger because why get anything else there, but the nachos looked good and were also very large. This is the place we go whenever we crave burgers in KC!
Best burger I've ever had...anywhere. An excellent Kansas City dive bar. And they get their meat from McGonigles.
I have had been hearing about how delicious the burgers were, and I had to try it out. Well I was seriously let down. The buger was too greasy, overcooked and I think the meat was frozen. The chicken strips were good, but really, how hard is it to fry a frozen paice of chicken.
This place is an instituion.
Great prices, burgers and fries are to-die-for, and I love their happy hour beer specials.
Great dive with the most amaaaazing burgers! Hot dogs are really good too. They get their beef from McGonigle's and their hot dogs from Fritz's and that extra step for top quality meat is evident from the first bite. It's the perfect place for burgers and beers, and the karaoke and trivia nights are fun too. The only problem is that the location can be just a little sketchy at night. Park on the well-lit east side of the building, not the back. Oh, and cash only!
excellent burgers, tasty price
Neighborhood: Westport
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Westport
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Crossroads
Category: Chocolatiers and Shops
Kansas City, MO
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Crossroads
Category: Coffee & Tea
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