May the Fourth BBQ

This was a fantastic event, definitely in my top 5 of overall Unilocal!events.
It’s had been a while since I visited down this street in Westport — in fact, it was so long ago that the Beaumont Club was still there. Char Bar has completely transformed the space into a hip and good-​looking restaurant. Mrs. R. and I were a little late, but after chatting with some folks we were easily able to find a seat with friends. First bonus on this event — seating for the whole group. I really liked the area we were in; it’s off to the side and abuts onto the open games patio (more on that later). The design team has done some interesting things with the lights, including an attractive scattershot of flickering orange «flame» bulbs across the ceiling, and fixtures above some long tables that were made of bundles of fluorescent bulbs (but lit from within by different light sources). The whole area has a rather relaxed feeling, and the wall-​sized sliding glass doors for the walkout to the patio are complementary to the overall atmosphere.
The atmosphere of Char Bar is casual and hip. In the area where we were sat, there were a couple of long high-​top tables that looked as if they had been made of re-​purposed bowling alleys, and the lower tables had comfortable mod furniture. And the smell — outside and inside, the whole of Char Bar has a pervasive wood-​smoke aroma that is heavenly.
What we sampled
Brisket sliders — a great smoky and meaty sandwich. The flavor of the meat is a real testament to the craft of the cooks. A good entry into t6he
Grilled Pimento Cheese — A creamy and crunchy taste treat.
Monster Wings — This is what I love to see in wings — not a nubbly drumette or a flat mid-​wing, but the whole dang wing. It makes you feel like you’re eating something substantial. I feel sorry that I have to ground chickens to eat their wings, but when they’re this tasty, I don’t feel too bad about it.
Hush puppy — very tasty and rich. The «beer» buerre blanc made for a great sauce.
As for the patio area, we all stepped out and enjoyed the recreational equipment. Char Bar features table tennis, croquet, bocce, and bags (corn-​hole). The croquet is quite good, and the wickets slide into receptors in the ground, so no accidental knocking one out when walking over it. The fake grass makes it a little harder to get a good shot (because your ball may go a little off course) but that’s a small price to pay to have a standing croquet game available.

MY MOST FAVORITE Unilocal ELITE EVENT SO FAR!
Thanks for calling it «May the Fourth BBQ», definitely the perfect name for it!
Let me tell you why it was my favorite… it’s cuz of… THE FOOD! DUH LOL
BBQ Wings were on point and combine with the awesome hush puppies filled with grits… omg was I in Heaven!
Again, Adam great job on the whole putting games for front and center with the outdoor games and also the connect fours on the table. Great for the whole social experience of the Unilocal event that was propelled by Char Bar’s awesome atmosphere!
Got to meet even more friends, AKA newbies to the elites and got to catch up with veteran Unilocalsters!
Amazing job once again on making sure that it was a PARTY and a great choice on picking Char Bar! Definitely one of my go to restaurants of the year!

First off I’m giving this event three stars because there was a black plastic piece of something in my hush puppy… I thought I had broken my tooth because I had bit down on it. It looked like a black Lego. I told the waiter and he wasn’t very apologetic at all… Was thinking he would be spewing with apologizes but he wasn’t having it. Just said he was sorry and took it and threw it away.
On the flip side the venue was perfect… Very spacious and plenty of outdoor games to play. There was more than enough food and seating. I would say my fave was the grilled sandwich and hush puppies. The drinks they served was a bit too strong… Couldn’t finish them all.
Thanks Adam for putting it together, just a shame it wasn’t sunny out, else I would have played croquet!

Accolades to Adam and his awesome connections for getting us into the char bar, a place that I have wanted to go to since its opening. The food was quite good and it was a fun atmosphere had a great time and I really enjoyed making friends at the Unilocal events. I have to admit the waitstaff was really nice and went out of their way to make it very accommodating evening.
The char bar served sliders, barbecue chicken wings with ranch sauce, a variety of drinks which were all prepared quite well. The festivities didn’t in there, as we were invited outside to play some bocce ball… which I do believe I was a first for me.
I truly look forward to upcoming Unilocal events. Kudos to Adam for great evening.

This BBQ event was off the charts outstanding. If I had arrived with an appetite (and no food allergies), I would be following Reed N’s lead, and investing in new belts. The food and drink quantity alone was insane. I know that I had at least two different plates of deviled eggs, burnt end sliders, and wings placed in front of me at various times. My will power was definitely being tested. Everything looked amazing, and based on my inquiries to the other Elites, the food tasted as good, if not better than it looked.
We arrived to a table of smiles and greetings from Unilocal staff, and sauntered in debating on Connect Four, or cocktails (or both). The area we were in is the room to the right when you walk in (the north end of the building). We settled on a high top for the time being, and before we could mingle about, loads and loads of food just started (& continued) to be placed in front of us by a kind, outgoing, helpful and efficient waitstaff. At some point there was something crazy going on with grilled cheese. I would have given anything to have been able to try those. Blasted food allergies. The table I was at during that time was enamored with the grilled cheese.
Soon after the grit hush puppies dish arrived, beverages started appearing. These included: Hicks Fix (a whiskey with Rosemary), Vesper (this one was straight up liquor), and Black Betty (blackberry). I had a sip of each, and think I liked the rosemary flavor of the Hicks Fix. But preferred the overall flavors of the Vesper (except it really was too strong for my wimpy tastes). There was definitely something for everyone.
The space is wonderful. Especially now that they have the patio finished, complete with outdoor games. We ended the night by hanging by the Bocce court area. Croquet definitely sounds possible in the future. Overall, it was a great event with the perfect amount of space, opportunity for mingling, being active, and if you were so inclined — filling your belly with delicious food.

Finally made it to an elite party, and I just say it was amazing. Others say I got lucky this place being the first due to the food being brought to the table instead of the buffet style they usually do.
I came alone and met up with Abby and friend. She was too sweet to save me a seat. I sat at the table with them along with Claudia, all sweet girls. Other came to say hi but it was very brief. I would like to say that I did notice everyone who was already seated didn’t get up much to mingle around, and that also goes for me. I think during these Unilocal parties there should be some type of ice breaker game with everyone involved maybe about midway through the event. Sounds childish maybe but I think it’ll help with everyone getting to know everyone there. I only left meeting and adding maybe three people. Not good.
Anywho the food was fabulous. So good I went back to the restaurant for the same sandwich. The burnt heaven. It’s exactly what it is burnt heaven, with burnt ends, fried jalapeños, coleslaw and spicy sausage within some lovely buns. I also loved the cheesy hush puppies that I got again on my second trip. Chicken wings were good, and the grilled cheese was different but also tasty.
The drinks, I tell ya, strongest I’ve had in a long while. Came in the cutest cups but packed with a punch of whiskey. I love a cocktail but I may stay away from those.
The patio to die for. We played bocce ball (I think that’s how u spell it) and there were two other games. That was fun. The big fire pit is nice, more seating and a bbq pit some nice guy was on.
Long story short lol this is now a favorite place I will continue to return.

A terrifying amount of food slowly overwhelmed me. Once, a much ballyhooed eating machine, I was rendered helpless by grilled crack, er uh, cheese sandwiches. Put a fried green tomato on anything and this southern boy is going into the full GDFR mode (that’s Going Down For REAL!).
Then I had the pleasure of sitting at a high top with Jen D and Billie H and Sara D and Marisa B and Anastasia and Rhonda and Jocelyn and… my ever-​expanding waistline.
It grew again as about 4 dozen plates of smoked wings floated through the room promising love for my taste buds. I indulged. It was embarrassing. A bone graveyard. Vegans gasped in horror (or was it envy?).
Then I roamed the room and found Erin W, my bar-​check-​in-​liking Unilocal buddy I seemingly never get to talk to. She was as sweet a beer fan as you will find. Hop-​lovers unite! I ordered an Unita Hop Nosh IPA. Like I had room for it. After the grit balls, and eggs, and sliders. Oh… did I mention sliders? YES! Some of the best burnt ends EVER. Right here. Every day. Getcha some.
Adam… this event was awesome. You owe me a new belt. ;-)

In Yoda speak: awesome, this event was.
Another killer Elite party thanks to Adam S. and the Unilocal crew! Char Bar absolutely blew me away thanks to their unreal new patio, delicious food, and crafted cocktails. I arrived and snagged a table with Kay L., Kevin T., and Sam A. where we were immediately spoiled with several platters of Char Bar nosh.
Check out my pictures — we were lucky enough to sample the Lobster Deviled Eggs, Cheesy Hush Puppies, Jumbo (literally) Chicken Wings, and Grilled Pimento Cheese. All were awesome and I don’t think we went 5 minutes without getting another platter to sample. We also got to try the Hick’s Fix; awesome 100 proof whiskey drink with hint of rosemary — I’m sold. If I hadn’t driven, I would have requested a couple more.
Beyond the food, the overall experience at CB was entirely fun and laid back. If you weren’t down to hit up the bocce ball turf out on the patio, they also had Connect Four and some other games to help pass the time. I can see this place being the next big thing of Westport, especially with their killer outdoor space.
Thanks to all of the wonderful staff at Char Bar, and a huge S/​O to Adam for all of your hard work in making this such a hit!

I have to say that Adam knocked it out of the court (the bocce court, that is) on this excellent event. The spate, food and drink, and small number of elites made this an unforgettable event.
The Space – Char Bar might just be my new Sunday Funday hangout this summer – the very cool patio with bocce, croquet, cornhole and ping pong provides a way to be a little active and interactive as you swill those delicious beverages. I also appreciate that you can move back inside to cool off… Iove those flickering ceiling lights and the upscale-​casual feel (you would never guess this was the Beaumont at one time). The wait staff was wonderful as they were serving and the bartenders outside were very knowledgeable and friendly.
The food… YUM, YUM, YUM. I enjoyed everything that I tried – those grits «hush puppies» and the BBQ sliders were out of this world. I did not sample a single thing that i would not order again or recommend to a friend –the inventive veggie grilled cheese had a great texture and volume and the eggs for my gluten free friends were also tasty. I was able to sample the blackberry and the lemon cocktails; both were artfully crafted. I will be going back to try more of their wares very soon.
I enjoyed catching up with some old friends, and meeting quite a few new friends. I love the smaller gathering, as it gave me time to talk with many elites that I had not had an opportunity to meet in the past.
If this event was bocce, Adam would be the ball closest to the pallino — the winner:)

I love how Char Bar has revamped the old Belmont Club space, making it the perfect summer hangout.
The Bocce, croquet and corn hole backyard area is so fun! I can’t wait to bring back a group for an afternoon of games and tasty food. The beer list is impressive, but handmade cocktails that we enjoyed at the Elite event were amazing. I loved the blackberry and bourbon cocktail. It was so refreshing. The spiked rosemary lemonade was nice and floral, a second favorite. As for the food — I didn’t even know that I liked Southern food, but Char Bar helped to change my mind.
The servers were so friendly and efficient– we were delivered plate after plate of tasty samples. I particularly enjoyed the perfectly toasty, creamy piemento cheese sandwich, which I had never had before. The grit hushpuppies were sooo addictive, and while I’m typically not a wing fan, the chicken wings were so good that I have to bring back my husband to get them. They had such a great smoky, spicy flavor and were very meaty.
Kudos to Adam for organizing such a great event and to Char Bar for taking the space, making it great, and cranking out very good food and drinks! I will definitely be back.

What a wonderful event! I always love it when I’m able to get together with my old Unilocal friends and meet some new ones. Pair that with tabletop games, delicious cocktails, and amazing food and you have a great night. Speaking of food, while those at my table raved about the Grilled Cheese I fell in love with the slider. the fried jalapenos on top of the sausage and burnt ends… yummmmm! Hands down my favorite of the night. I also enjoyed the wings but I prefer buffalo sauce over BBQ sauce. Still the smokiness of the wings came through and I really enjoyed them.
Near the end of the night we moved outside to enjoy the outdoor space. There is an outside bar as well as bathrooms. This is certainly a spot I can see myself enjoying on a Sunday Funday or a random happy hour on a beautiful afternoon.
Thank you Adam and Char Bar for providing such a fantastic experience.

My second Elite event here in KC was a complete success! Met three awesome Unilocalers (Sam, Rachel and Kay!) and along with sharing stories we also shared some fantastic food. My favorite was the fried green tomato grilled cheese sandwich (huge surprise because I hate tomatoes and am a self-​proclaimed carnivore) Second were the burnt end sliders then the wings and last (but not least by any standard) were the cheesy hush puppies. The cocktails were a little strong but concept and presentation were great. I preferred the table service at this event over the other that had a buffet style setup. Definitely will be checking out Char Bar more with the Mrs. soon!
I was disappointed in myself for not getting out and playing some croquet. But the conversations inside the building were too good to pass up! Thank you Adam for organizing this event, 5 stars for you, sir!

This was my 2^nd time at char bar, the first involved a delicious jack fruit bbq sandwich. I had the hush puppies (again) and I challenge anyone to find better hush puppies in the KC area.
They loaded us with the buffalo wings, not too spicy, and flavorful. Then came the pork sliders with coleslaw and fried jalapenos, nummy. they also swung some deviled eggs our way but those were just ok.
we ended the night learning to play bocce ball.
overall, you need to come to char bar for the food and stay for the games. there are plenty of things to keep you here for a while.
the wait staff seemed to enjoy their jobs. very helpful and all smiles.

All of the Char Bar hype is not hype at all! This place is legit and a fantastic addition to Westport for many reasons.
This event was perfect. The staff did a great job of delivering tastings to each table to ensure everyone was able to try everything. All of the food was pretty amazing. I was pretty set on the fact that I would only order the Pimento Grilled Cheese on future visits, but now that I have looked at the menu, it will be hard to not try many of the other items. Who doesn’t love a bar that really elevates bar food beyond burgers and wings?!! If you didn’t walk out full and with a taste of everything, that was your fault as Char Bar provided more than we could eat!
One of the things that really stood out is the patio area. Char Bar wins the patio contest in Westport. You can sit around and enjoy the weather or you can enjoy some not so common, but awesome games. The games come with cheat sheets nearby, so don’t let them intimidate you.
It was great getting to chat with everyone. The event was set up very well to allow enjoyment of the food and conversation. We have a great Unilocal community and my favorite part of every event is seeing people I have known for a long time and getting to meet new people.
Adam, hit this event out of the park you did…
P. S. Char Bar needs added to our new delivery service!

Adam puts on the party of the year! We had a truly awesome experience at Char Bar, a spot about which I’d heard good things, but hadn’t gotten around to trying yet. The kitchen wowed us with a tasting menu of some of their signature dishes — my favorite was the cheesy hushpuppies, but it was all fabulous — and some seriously delicious craft cocktails too. We had plenty of space to mingle & enjoy the room, meet some new friends & catch up with fellow elites, and just generally have a great time. Later, the patio doors were thrown open & many of us strolled out to the patio & braved the threatening rain to check out the croquet lawn & bocce pitch… love the open patio space in the middle of Westport, it’s probably going to be a summer fave!
Char Bar’s staff was wonderful, service was busy but gracious throughout the whole evening. I stopped & briefly chatted with the bartender on the way out, and he was just as nice, too… looking forward to coming back to experience more of the menu & the very cool ambiance of this fun place. Thank you, Adam, for introducing us to this new hotspot!

That was so much fun! I’m already such a fan of Char Bar, so I’m happy to say that this event only reinforced the happy feelings!
I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to taste several items I probably wouldn’t have tried on my own. The best surprise was the Grilled Pimento Cheese! Wowzerrrrr! I’ll never forget it. I also was crazy about their ranch dressing… I would be willing to eat a bowl of it.
I’ll be back again and again and again.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard one of my favorite concert venues turned into a BBQ joint but I was pretty impressed with what Char Bar has done. We arrived a little early so went out back to walk around. I really like all of the outdoor activities they have for people. I wanted to play some croquet but the dreary sky were suggesting that I wait to do that another day.
We headed back inside for some Connect 4. After losing many games, the food started to come out (thank goodness because my ego couldn’t take all the losing)! First thing we tried was the Jumbo smoked wings and wasn’t bad. The next two items were tried were tied for my favorite: cheesy hushpuppies and grilled pimento cheese. So stinkin’ delicious — I’m already craving them again! Everything on both dishes complimented each other so well. Next up were the deviled eggs and sliders. The deviled eggs just tasted basic, nothing too exciting. My favorite part about the sliders were probably jalapeño straws. The sausage was pretty good with a nice smoky flavor. The drinks that were provided were on the strong side so I could only have a sip but others seemed to enjoy them.
Char Bar turned out to be a really cool place. I look forward to going back for some outdoor activities and delicious food! Thanks for another great event Adam!

I never seen the Char Bar until yesterday. What a cool place for an event. And cool it was. Adam, his staff and the Char Bar staff made May the Fourth a «force» to remember. Yeah, I got the Star Wars Pun.
It was really cool. The Char Bar started serving cheese grit hush puppies, while our group played Zenga at the table. Then the Char served deviled eggs, drinks, to die for grill cheese sandwiches, bar bq chicken wings, and my favorite, pork sliders.
The Char is the most awesome place. In the back of the Char is outside games. Corn hole, and several others. There’s tables, and a large outside drink stand. Inside it’s modern with flickering lights and black walls. I loved the Char. It’s possibly my favorite place in Kansas City now.
We sat at tables, chatting. talking about past Unilocal events. It’s cool when your social life is part of the Unilocal elite of the past years. This was a great, memorable event we’ll be talking about for years to come…“Remember that one at the cool place called The Char?“
Thanks do much Adam and the Char. (and Aimee). You put on an awesome event.

So I love the Char Bar and this place outdid itself with this event. Kudos to Adam for setting up this event. First, food was actually served to our tables instead of using a buffet line. The food were full portions and brought in a timely manner to each table. The cocktails were brought one by one in easy sample portions. We had the Vesper, Black Betty, and the Hick’s Fix. They were all clean, strong, and flavorful. For food there were wings and the deviled eggs, the hush puppies and the pimento grilled cheese. The space was open and inviting and we were even provided Connect Fours at each table to play. The entire event was fun and very well organized. There were only two servers working our section so it wasn’t the fastest service but our servers were gracious and patient. All Unilocal events should be run so well!

I had never heard of Char Bar until this Unilocal event. My oh my, have I been missing out. I’ll address that in its own review.
This event was great! I’ll be the first to say that I love meeting up with everyone. This was a great spot. The tables were set up to encourage conversation and competition. Who doesn’t like competition and trash talking? There was ample space, both inside and out.
The food and drinks were delicious. The servers were oh so attentive.
Overall, I loved the event as usual. Adam is doing a wonderful job with these events. He’s highlighting some of the brightest spots in Kansas City.