Brothers’ new Kansas City cocktail bar serves creative drinks, without the fuss
For all its virtues — dense living, historic buildings, streetcar access, a thriving farmers market — the River Market doesn’t really have a cocktail bar.
The recently opened MuNi has a worthy cocktail list, but the main attraction is the Thai-Mexican food. And though the long-running Harry’s Country Club keeps a vast selection of spirits, particularly whiskeys, you wouldn’t confuse its drinks menu with that of more modern, craft-driven joints like Drastic Measures, the Campground or the Mercury Room.
With Varsity Club, which opens Friday at 319 Delaware St., brothers Caleb and Levi Roye are aiming to fill that niche. Or, sort of. The general idea is: creative cocktail lounge minus all the highfalutin fuss. No big ice cubes or nine-ingredient drinks here.
“We’re over that,” Levi said.
The Royes have paid their dues in those circles. Levi was most recently the bar manager of Mercury Room, and Caleb has previously held management roles at The Campground and Monarch Coffee.
“We’re trying to take the techniques we’ve used in the high-end craft world and apply them to a more approachable style of drinking,” Levi said.
A notable example at Varsity Club is the VodkaEnergy, a winky riff on a Red Bull and vodka — theirs has vodka, loganberry, blanc vermouth and a bomb pop energy drink.
That one, plus a handful of other house drinks like the Buckwild (tequila, rhubarb, strawberry) go for $15. A selection of six “classics” — a negroni, an old fashioned, a grilled martini (London dry gin, smoked olive brine, a little bit of vermouth and grilled marinated olives) — are $12.
Wine (listed simply as “red, white, orange or bubbles”) is $10 for a glass. The beer list is similarly limited: a handful of yard beers ($4-$5), a few imports like Pilsner Urquell, Pacifico and Guinness ($6-$8) and some nonalcoholic options like Guiness 0 and Athletic Lite for $5-$6.
Though the name is mostly an inside joke, Varsity Club has subtle sportsy qualities. They plan to show Premier League soccer games, and the space’s aesthetic is rooted in an appreciation for “1970s Euro pub style,” Caleb said. Cream-colored banquettes line one wall, with midcentury chairs opposite salvaged from a state library in Louisiana. The bar top is made from Norwegian rose marble; teak accents abound.
“We wanted this to feel like it’s been here a long time,” Caleb said.
The bar has a Delaware Street address, but the entrance is around back. It’s easy to find. Look for the Disco Burger trailer (the “beef box,” owners Darren Carter and Matt Chapman are calling it) parked on the patio.
The pop-up, a hit at local bars and venues for the past year, has set down roots and is serving a simple menu that includes burgers (including a veggie), fries, a hot dog and a sundae. The sign on the trailer advertises “Hot Gooey Nights”; the burgers — smashed, cheesy, and topped with pickles and a crisp white onion that lend a balancing crunch — live up to the billing. A double goes for $11.25; add $3 if you want fries.
The two businesses mirror each other’s hours, but drinks tabs and food tabs are separate. You can order a burger from inside the bar through a QR code on the menu, or just walk up to the trailer.
Hours for now are 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
