Grünauer

Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in KC.
I got the Jäger Schnitzel and my boyfriend got the Traditional Schnitzel. Mine was similar to his except mine had a mushroom sauce on it. We both agreed that the food was delicious, both meals were awesome, but mine was even more awesome than his. We both got darker draft beers that were wonderful as well.
The service was great — attentive without being too overbearing. The atmosphere was what I’d expect from an Austrian place — laid back yet fun. It was very clean, not too loud, and set up nicely. I would suggest a reservation on peak hours — The host told us there would be a 1.5 hour wait but luckily there were bar seats available. This was a Friday night.
Grunauer is a unique place and delicious restaurant in Kansas City. I will definitely be back!

Probably my favorite restaurant in Kansas City which is why I chose it to celebrate my first wedding anniversary. I left in tears tonight before we ever had a chance to even enjoy an appetizer. After being asked for an ID (the first time I have EVER been asked in the dozen times I’ve gone) I gave my expired ID because my passport had been stolen and I hadn’t had an opportunity to get to the DMV (I’m legally blind and can’t drive). The waitress (who didn’t seem old enough to even serve alcohol) said she would talk to the manager. When the «manager» came over he all but told us to leave. After we left I decided to go back in and let him know that it was our first anniversary and this was definitely not the first time we had been to Grünauer yet it was absolutely the first time I had ever been carded. I explained that I understood as I am also a bartender yet I would expect some amount of reasonable judgment and discretion at such a great restaurant. He threw back at me that had I «really» been a bartender I would understand the law. As if it isn’t insulting enough to send two good customers out of the restaurant to have the «manager» act like I was lying really took the cake. My husband was so flabbergasted at the way the «manager» spoke to me that he tried to make me go home. However, we ended up at Michael Smith for a wonderful dinner, bottle of wine, and several cocktails without incident. It’s always nice to go to a place that takes the time and care to recognize their patrons well enough to call them by name and rehash old conversations even when you’ve only been there once or twice before. We spent our dessert and cocktail money at Extra Virgin where we were also treated extraordinarily well and where we were also recognized as regulars. I am mostly heart broken that I will never go back to Grünauer as it was my favorite place and brought back wonderful memories of Austria (not to mention it’s the only place I’ve been able to find that serves Tafelspitz). I am absolutely positive that the restaurant will hide behind the law and I fully understand and respect that, but as a business owner I hope that the restauranteur will have a conversation with his «manager.» Someone willing to walk into your establishment to spend $ 200+ on dinner is likely not underage (especially when they show you ID proving they are 30+ years old). I also found it interesting that my Open Table reservation was canceled so it is now not possible for me to leave a review on that site.

I am glad we finally tried this place. Date night! Food was wonderful. Wine was good. Beautiful building. Server was a little distant, not terrible. Prices a little high. We will be back.

We went for Father’s Day on Saturday evening before and had a great dinner with fantastic service. We all tried something different from the menu and everyone loved their selection many of which were new dishes we had never tried before. From the greeting to departure everything was perfect and that’s saying a lot considering that we had a restless four year old with us. The staff couldn’t have been friendlier or more efficient and we left very happy. We look forward to returning soon.

I usually try to keep things on the positive side but our service last night was just so disappointing. 3 stars for beer & food. 1, for service.

Grabbed dinner here with a large group on Friday night. Their menu and wine selections were impressively diverse, and our server was very attentive. As a vegetarian, I was pleased to find a good number of options for me on the menu. The mushrooms with herb crepes (forgive me for forgetting the dish name) were superb, as was the cheese & onion spaetzle. My cohorts enjoyed the lamb special, and a few other dishes they all seemed very happy with. After dinner, we took our wine out to their adorable patio/​biergarten. Great ambiance inside and out. I’d definitely bring others here when I visit KC in the future.

I’d go back just for the vichyssoise — and that is based on dipping a corner of bread into my neighbor’s soup. I had the spätzle side dish and the beef in broth with three dipping sauces. The broth was excellent, meat was tender and full of savory flavor. I don’t know how they time it to get the celery crunchy but and juicy and not mushy or soft. Dessert was carried with apricot jam that had a hint of sour in it, with delightfully thick not-​too-​sweet whipped cream all washed down with a crisp, non-​cloying gruner weltliner. Smashing dinner. Based on one visit would like to go back. Service friendly and helpful.

Grünauer is something special. Central European cuisine at its finest! The mushroom goulash was amazing! Subtle gravy served with crepes filled with ricotta cheese. Absolutely delicious. The beef goulash was also amazing. Slightly spicy and dense, served with spätzle. They also have an impressive list of German and Czech beers on tap as well as wines from the region.

Love, love, love this place. Bring your wallet. Authentic. Did I spend a lot of time in Austria to write «authentic» you ask? 3 days in 1986. Two years stationed in Germany. This place will put you there. Stiegl beers ON TAP; from Stiegl. Beauty.

So I am of German decent, grew up with my family cooking traditional German/​Austrian cuisine and I am a fan. Had very high hopes for this restaurant. The restaurant itself was beautiful inside, spacious and nicely decorated. Great atmosphere. Went here for dinner on a Wed night, it wasn’t real busy. The service was sorely lacking for the situation. We had to track our waiter down for not only water refills but also to order wine. We sat there with empty wine glasses and the waiter would come over and take a plate but then rush away before we could even ask for a glass, let alone him asking us if we’d like another glass of wine. Not great service. Now onto the food. Had the Vichyssoise soup as an appetizer. It was delicious, if you’ve never had it it’s a chilled potato and leek soup. For my entrée I ordered the Jäger Schnitzel Vom Schwein. It came with a line of spaetzle. I’ve had my fair share of schnitzel and spaetzle and what I had here were both… eh…both seemed to be lacking seasoning. I only ate part of my schnitzel and a few bites of my spaetzle. Was not impressed, will not be back.

Having attended college in heavily German area, I have quite a bit of experience with authentic German food.
I would rate the food I ordered here as just ok, if not a bit lacking. I ordered a filet medallion dish with a side of spatzel. The spazel was dry and spongy and offered little to no flavor. I normally love spatzel, so this was a disappointment.
The meat in my main dish was cooked really well, and came in a delicious sauce. The fries on the side were just ok. They varied in levels of doneness throughout the plate, and had little to no seasoning, which caused them to be extremely bland. I ended up leaving most of them on my plate.
The reason I’m knocking off even more stars is due to horrendous service. Our waiter was scarce and extremely inattentive when he was around. I had to ask for more water, which I view as a major no-​no in a restaurant of this level. I had to ask for more wine, and he didn’t even think to look at my friend’s nearly empty glass and inquire if she would like more wine as well (she did). Between small bursts of super lackluster service where we had to ask for everything, he would disappear and we were left stranded at the table without necessities.
All of that said, the restaurant is beautifully decorated and presented a lovely backdrop to an otherwise forgettable meal.

A wonderful place. Great Service, inviting atmosphere, and food that astounds. I will definitely be going back again and again. The seasonal sausages are amazing and the saurkraut and apple horseradish sauce compliments them well.

Came here on a hot day. Sat on the dog friendly patio. Server brought my dog a treat and water. Great service and great food.

Service amazing-​thanks Jess
Food– lacking. Ordered a special dish called Escalope which was literally overcooked porkchops slathered w cream of mushroom over a bed of buttery noodles. Maybe I’m missing something. For the price, I would expect better food. This was something I could easily prepare at home.
Atmosphere– quiet restaurant, super dark, maybe they are trying to be romantic?
I did enjoy the beer
Cheers

The food is really good. However I have a hard time justifying $ 100 for 3 of us for lunch. That is WITHOUT alcohol. Schnitzel is yummy. Waiter was not very attentive and the appetizers arrived barely warm. Over priced for the service.

So good, we had soup, salad, entrees and dessert. All were incredible. The sausage duo lunch special was a great meal, just enough food for one. The beef goulash was so tender and the broth was wonderful. The pork schnitzel was amazing as well! Had the apple streudel for dessert topped with fresh whipped cream, we were all wanting a second helping of that dessert. We want to go back again later to try even more of the delicious options.

I have had dinner at Grunauer a number of times over the past few years while on business or road trips through KC. My favorite meal is the Hungarian Goulash. They have Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock on tap. This is one of my all time favorite biers. Grunauer is one of my favorite places for excellent comfort food, atmosphere and great bier. Variety is the spice of life. I wish we had a restaurant serving this quality and style of food in the Denver area!

Our annual trek to Kansas City found us, once again, looking for new dining experiences. We come to shop and eat so finding great restaurants is essential. Since German food is a favorite, we decided to give Grunauer a try… best culinary decision we made the whole trip! Let me start by saying that the service here is impeccable! The servers are prompt and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. You want a glass of wine and not sure what kind? They not only have recommendations but have it in front of you in less than 5 minutes! We ordered a pork belly and dumpling appetizer which was on our table in less than 10 minutes and it was delicious! Before our forks were back on the table, the entrees were out. I got a pork loin dish that came with red cabbage and a bread dumpling. I loved this food so much that I thought I must have been German in a prior life! I don’t drink but wanted to order a glass of heavy ale! I asked to be called Frauline! My dining companion had a veal liver dish that was served with mashed potatoes, crispy onion rings and roasted apples. He raved about it and he actually DID order a glass of heavy ale AND some apple strudel which I was too full to even sniff! So… to sum it up, if you like German food and are looking for a place that knows how to make it, you have hit the mother lode with Grunauer! This place goes on our list of «must haves» for every future trip to K.C.
P. S. Oddly, I didn’t see any German potato salad on the menu! THAT’S how you know it’s a good German restaurant!

I checked the menu online at home already and got very excited to see a few meals I know from my German home. We went with a bigger group. We had multiple appetizers and shared them. All were very good.
For the entrée I had trouble to decide which main dish to order. Wish, they would offer a sample plate :)
The service was perfect. Not too annoying but there when needed.
I wish I had time to go again before we move.
Only downfall: in order to get a seat for more than 2 people, you need to make reservations at least a couple weeks ahead of time… unless you prefer to have dinner at 8pm or later.

A friend and I came here on a whim for dinner while we were in the City. I am so happy that this place was chosen! Great atmosphere, with an out door seating area. The staff was courteous, prompt, and knowledgeable of the menu. They have a fantastic wine list, and beverage offering. We both ordered different things so that we could both try each others. I got the Schulterfilet which was absolutely divine with french fries! He ordered the garlic soup, (delicious) and the special which was a chicken breast with a fantastic sauce, mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. We had a amazing puff pastry filled with a lemon crème and a berry drizzle! Hands down the best meal I have had in a long time! Definitely will try it again the next time we are in town.

From amazing Austrian wines (Gruner Veltliner), to delicious fare, atmosphere, décor and staff make it an A+ experience. I expected heavier fare, but the fresh ingredients and meats put together so thoughtfully, made it just the perfect balance of flavors. We enjoyed the pork schnitzel with a light squeeze of lemon and the Hungarian Gulasch. The lamb with smoked duck fat and cassoulet was a perfect start that left our taste buds waiting anxiously for the next delectable course. Our fresh cheese danish was light and heavenly and the perfect finish for lunch. Don’t wait! Go NOW!!!

My wife and I came on a Saturday morning right when they opened at 1130. Our bartender was Mallory. She was very helpful with the drink menu. They have a great beer menu ranging from European selections to regular domestic beers.
We started out with the Wiener Bachendl for the appetizer. The chicken was lightly breaded. Which was nice. It came with two sauces. One like a honey mustard and the other had a slight horseradish taste. I recommend using the lemon slice on the chicken as well. The pommes frites (fries) had a really good seasoning on them as well.
We then shared the Hungarian Beef Gulasch and the Zwiebel Rostbraten for the main courses. The Gulasch was cooked perfectly and the sauce really went well with the dish.
The Rostbraten was a center cut sirloin cooked to a nice medium with some of the best masked potatoes I’ve had.
My only regret was eating too much to save room for dessert. We will definitely come back again this time saving room for dessert.

Excellent German dining! We love trying new restaurants and this is an excellent example of why. I ordered wiener backhendl as an appetizer which is chicken fingers and fries, but they weren’t just the same run of the mill chicken fingers, the breading was crispy and lightly done. The fries were seasoned. Very good pre meal snack, but could be a dinner as well. For my entrée I ordered Zwiebel Rostbraten! It was a center cut strip loin that was cooked to perfection. Mashed potatoes were the side and they were fluffy and very delicious as well. My husband had the Hungarian beef gulasch, which he enjoyed very much as well. I thought it was great but really preferred my Zwiebel of the two. Highly recommend this restaurant. It is not cheap, but I feel that the food and portions were well worth the pricing.

I have been dying to try this place ever since I first heard of its existence and let me just tell you, DO NOT WAIT! GO NOW! Well if it’s open. It was amazing the service was speedy food amazing and the atmosphere was outstanding for Valentines Day. Not too loud not too quiet. Dimmed lights. My favorite part was dessert. The apple fritter was something unbelievable and paired with an Austrian latte… Can’t be beat.

Good Austrian food, nice beer selection, pretty building, but they are overpriced for the area flat out.

It is that so darn good you need to eat here drink now. Seriously whatever you choose to eat will be absolutely delicious.

We did restaurant week and were not disappointed! Food was fresh and cooked to perfection. I will defiantly be returning!

Summary: Mecca good for meat, everything else is meh. Came here for restaurant week. Did not order of the RW menu, because it was boring and was not German influenced. Service as was good, Anthony took care of our party of 6. Restaurant décor was nice. Had a Dunkel that was good. Order the sausages!!! Honestly some of the best I ever had. We ordered the bratwurst, andouille, the veal, and the currywurst. Lordy, amazing. The rye bread served was ok. For meal hubby had a pork tenderloin that was amazing. Extremely well cooked. We don’t even like sauerkraut, and thought it was good. I had the Hungarian beef goulash, it was ok. Made with wagyu beef. I was not blown away. But I like tons of flavor, and Austrian/​German food is not going to deliver on that. I had a Pinot noir from Denmark that was pretty good. The little shortbread cookies they served at the end were very good. Great booze menu. We would come back, for beer and sausages only.

Cannot say enough about this place! I LOvEDit — had the schnitzel sandwich and subbed fries for spätzle. I didn’t want it to end– the sandwich was the best part in my opinion.

Pleasant restaurant with a rustic edge in Kansas City’s Crossroads section. Service was efficient and responsive. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blown away by the food. One of my good friend’s in middle through high school was Austrian. Her Oma cooked incredible, transcendental dishes that exposed me to a whole new world. Subsequently, I’ve had equally great Austrian-​German food at various restaurants. Unfortunately, Grunauer is not at that level. Their sausages were tasty, but the rest of the dishes fell flat.

I had really high hopes for Grunauer, but ultimately our evening ended up being highly forgettable. We came during Restaurant Week, but then decided not to order off of the RW menu. perhaps that was the mistake we made as the kitchen staff if probably prepared to offer that meal at the highest quality…
Service was okay. The waiter was nice, but he just didn’t care. Nothing was really explained, he just kinda dropped off the menu and stopped by only when he saw something empty. Not what I would expect from this place, but I’m sure RW is full of cheapo tippers, so I get his beef.
We started with the Wammerl which utterly disappointing. The dumpling was bland and the pork belly (typically God’s gift to humans) felt like it had been sitting under a heat lamp. When well done, pork belly has a crackly crispyness to it, but also a succulent tenderness underneath. This was a tad chewy and only warm.
Next, we ordered the sausage platter of all 6 sausages. It comes with mustard, horseradish, and sauerkraut. This was the saving grace of the entire night and absolutely wonderful. The sausages were juicy, flavorful, and truly a sampler of a variety of flavors. The lamb was so good, but the currywurst was my absolutely favorite. Made me really really crave the food we had in Berlin. The sauerkraut was also very very well done. With potatoes, the flavor was wonderful and the pairing of a hint of horseradish on the sausage with sauerkraut. Heaven. We devoured the sampler.
Our final menu item was the Schnitzel a la Holstein. This was borderline awful. Even with the fried egg on top, it was so dry. The flavor was there, but again this seemed to be cooked WAY in advance and then just warmed up. If I had ketchup on the table that might have redeemed it as tragic as that is. This entrée is the reason I can’t recommend Grunauer to someone I respect… but the sausages. so good!
Beer selection is good. Beer prices are quite good considering the upscale dining. The atmosphere of the restaurant is comforting and I really loved the décor. I would love love to come back and experience the patio. but I would do it for happy hour only. Sausage, dunkel, and outside dining… and NO schnitzel.

German cuisine. Takes a minute to connect those words but here they make it work.
From the bread to the beer to the sauerkraut and potatoes it works.
Service is exceptional. Ambiance is wonderful. Best for a special occasion or a business credit card.
Worthy of the visit. You’ll leave stuffed, happy and delighted with your experience.

Haven’t had a great meal and service like this for a long time! It is a very cozy atmosphere which I loved. I went with my fiancé for date night
Since we wanted to try something new. We had a reservation and showed up a tad early but got right in. Every single person we had an interaction with was SO friendly and welcoming. Just loved it! The waiter helped us decide on our food and nailed it. Had the Wammerl for an app, and I believe I had the Hungarian Beef for my entrée. Had a cheese Danish for dessert. It was all so incredibly tasty! And fun to try new dishes. Looked like it would be a great place for a group as well! All in all, definitely go here, it’s great!

The food was, to put it simply, incredible. If you are German or Austrian, you will feel right at home. (I’ve spent time in both of these places, and Switzerland too, and being here brought back many memories). Hearty meals, lots of meat and potatoes, and vegetables, and everything (yes EVERYTHING) looked so good, I wish I could have tried it all. My mashed potatoes were a little on the cool side but you still won’t catch me complaining about the food. Nice choices for the drink menu, too!
The staff was knowledgeable about the dishes (and pronunciation) and decently friendly. Don’t expect a small bill, it’s pricey… But you will love it anyway! It’s a good place to bring your significant other or go for a work meal… a bit upscale, but not overly fancy. If you’re in town or are looking for an out of the ordinary place, I highly recommend it.

Muy bonito la entrada y la fachada de afuera, adentro su decoracion y ambiente europeo muy chic antiguo, excelentr servicio de meseros, deliciosas entradas y el plato fuerte super rico vale la pena pagar $

Five star food and one star service. A strong managerial presence would do wonders for this place.
The wurst was good and the gulasch was amazing. The staff knows their way around the menu quite well.

The best German/​Austrian food I’ve ever had! Fantastic menu, great draft beer selection and passionate about everything being home-​made. Our server, Jen was incredible… great recommendations, fantastic personality and worked to make sure we had a great time. This was a business dinner and our customer (who is German!!) loved the place.
Thanks Jen and team!!!

I met with my date here on a Thursday at 7pm for my birthday dinner. I usually don’t plan anything special for my birthday since it was just another day; however, this was a good change of pace. There was plenty of parking and plenty of tables available. There were a bunch of people sitting outside and only a couple sitting inside. We sat at one of those weird tables that was half booth and half chairs.
Our waitress came by to tell us the specials and asked if we wanted to drink anything. I ordered the Hirter Morchl and she ordered the Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. I don’t remember how much each was so just go to their website to get a feel for the prices. The prices were about average when it comes to alcohol at restaurants. We ordered the Gebackene Champignons ($ 8) which was fried mushrooms which sounded great to both of us. We looked over the menu while we waited for the Gebackene Champignons to arrive at our table. I ordered the Hungarian Beef Gulasch ($ 22) and she ordered the Bandnudeln ($ 17). I don’t think I’ve had Austrian/​German food before so I was excited to try the food.
The Gebackene Champignons was good, but we were in for a rude awakening. The fried mushrooms were blazing hot so we either cut it or let it cool down. Other than that, it was delicious with the tartar sauce. The bread was nothing special but that butter was perfectly scooped. I didn’t take a picture of it but trust me on that one. Our food came out soon after the bread. I tried like one noodle and two peas from my date’s Bandnudeln and it tasted good. My Hungarian Beef Gulasch was good, because the beef was super tender that it felt like I was slicing butter. I didn’t finish everything so the rest was taken home for leftovers.
For dessert, we shared the Apfelstrudel mit Schlag ($ 8) or otherwise known as apple strudel. It looked like a lot and probably would be for one person. We shared the apple strudel and it was delicious. I recommend it!
I thought Grunauer was good and I wouldn’t mind going back to try other things.

Parking is available in front (in about 5 diagonal parking spaces) or in a large lot in back. The hostess stand is at the back entrance. Eating at about 3pm on a Saturday meant lots of parking was available and no waiting for a table.
Our waitress had 3 tables total (all seated at staggered times). The hostess seated us and gave us menus. Another person (busser) brought us water. The waitress asked us within a minute of sitting if we wanted something else to drink, but we sent her way since we did not have enough time to look at the menu. That was our mistake. She came back 5 minutes later and took our order. Promised to bring out bread. 5 minutes later and lots of walking past our table and lots of «busy work» behind the bar, she noticed our table again and promised to bring out bread. 5 minutes later we finally had bread, but then our meal was served.
I was just disappointed in the lack of service here when the restaurant was clearly not busy. The food was delicious, but nothing exciting– we had a beet salad and a noodle dish. When we finally did receive the bread, it was warm and would have been a great appetizer.

Grew up and lived in Germany. Is this a perfect and authentic place? No, but it is some of the closest and best I have had in the U.S. Leans more German than Austrian. Will be back next time I am in town.
Aufgewachsen und lebte in Deutschland. Ist dies eine perfekte und authentischen Ort? Nein, aber es ist etwas von der am nächsten und besten, die ich in den Vereinigten Staaten hatte. Deutscher als Österreicher. Werden nächstes Mal, wenn ich in der Stadt.

When I visit a new city, the most exciting part to me are the restaurants. Especially the utter joy of discovering a place that has amazing food, great staff and striking décor… ESPECIALLY if the restaurant was picked mostly at random, without any locals’ recommendations. That was Grunauer, which I selected mostly for the fact that it serves dinner past 9:00pm.
Everything was just perfect. My dinner. My friend’s dinner. Our drinks. The giant dollop of fresh whipped cream that adorned our dessert. Everything.
I had the Hungarian beef goulash and, as I mentioned previously, it was perfect. The paprika sauce was dark and rich and just a little spicy. The beef was tender and flavorful. The dish came with spätzle and that was perfect as well, as long as your definition of «perfect» can include «lots of butter.» Mine usually does.
The space itself is enormous. Living in New York City, I’m impressed by the glamor of 12 foot ceilings. This place is part of the Freight House, now a string of restaurants and shops that used to hold freight unloaded from trains way back in the 1880s. There’s wood beams and ceilings high enough to hang a trapeze from.
And, finally, our server was a pleasure. Quick and attentive and entirely un-​judgmental of my terrible German pronunciations.