Done dealing with the cold? Look no further. The Westside Local, located at 1663 Summit St, Kansas City, MO, offers a cozy dining experience. Upon walking into the restaurant, you get a Brooklyn loft vibe, from the red bricks to the steel pillars. But what really encompasses this restaurant’s character is all the different paintings of skeletons. The bright reds, yellows and blue are a sharp contrast to the dark brick. There is so much to look at. Westside Local is filled with so many different and eclectic decorations it is hard to pick out one favorite aspect. Overall the atmosphere gives off an indie/alternative feel.

This is my second time of having the pleasure of eating at Westside Local. The first was only a year ago and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since. Upon arrival, around 7:30 p.m., my two friends and I were told there would be a 30-minute wait, but then we were seated in about 15 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. We were seated at a high top table by the bar in the corner. This would be a perfect spot for a romantic date night with the candles everywhere. Our waitress was all smiles and we had good service throughout the night.

The menu was a perfect size. I didn’t feel overwhelmed with choices, but there was just enough variety that a friend group with lots of different tastes could find something.

For example, one of my friends ordered the Chicken Mole Tacos which had braised Buttonwood Farms Chicken Thighs, charred corn salsa, lime crema, queso fresco and avocado habañero sauce all on a San Antonio corn tortilla. The tacos were the most expensive out of each of our meals but had the least amount of food on the plate compared to the other two dishes we got. However, the tacos were stuffed generously with meat and had just enough so it wasn’t all pouring out of the tortilla.

My other friend ordered a grilled cheese, which came with tomato soup and fries. The grilled cheese came on two big pieces of perfectly toasted sourdough bread, which gave it a finely tuned crunch. In-between each slice of bread was a great deal white cheddar, emmental and brie cheese, which gave the usually ordinary sandwich a more sophisticated taste. Paired with the tomato soup and parmesan parsley fries, it became a very filling meal. Other items on the menu consisted of burgers, brisket, pork chops, mac and cheese and a vegetable risotto.

The menu clearly stated what ingredients you were getting. They evidently marked if it was vegetarian or gluten-free. I ordered the veggie burger and did the vegan option by switching out the cheese for the black bean hummus, which I highly recommend. It was bursting with flavor. The burger consisted of white beans, sweet potatoes, red peppers, jalapenos, quinoa, emmentaler, maple tahini and panko. It was topped with micro greens and on a “farm to market” vegan bun. All these ingredients made for a balanced dish. The sweetness of the sweet potato and the peppers was the perfect compliment to the hummus. I don’t think you could get this burger anywhere else. It was so unique and out of the box but the best word to describe it, and all the other food we had, would be fresh. You can definitely tell they stand behind the “farm-to-table” ideology.

Overall, I would not go there every day because of the high prices but, this would be an excellent place to go celebrate a special occasion. The only bad thing about my dining experience at Westside Local was that the fries that came with my burger were cold as if they were sitting out for a while. My food was also brought out five minutes before everyone else’s, so by the time theirs came out, mine was starting to get cold.

Most of the guests dining at The Westside Local were at least 25 years old, but I didn’t feel out of place as a high-schooler. The restaurant showed a unique character and dining experience and you could really tell they pay attention to detail. From their Pink Himalayan salt grinders to the homemade ketchup, I would give Westside Local a four and a half out of five stars for the experience and uniqueness of food.