American Restaurant

Hey all, hank the reviewer coming at you again.\r \r The amazing thing about Kansas City's is that its food scene is eclectic with price not an indicator of how good the food will be. To me American Restaurant is just such a place. Lets look at the positive. The service was exceptional. Everthing was choreographed to the last detail from the arrival of our cocktails to the removal of last plates. The food arrived and placed in front of us at the exact same time. The staff explained everything in detail as to the ingredients and preparation. All of this brilliant dancing framed by some really great views of downtown and Crown Center. If the service and the ambience were the only two things to judge this restaurant then it would be, without a doubt, a well deserved 5 star. \r \r But lets face it, at the end of the day, its not. Food is what its all about. The menu is organized in what the staff calls a tasting menu format. Not really sure what this means except that maybe its a license for small portion at exhorbitant prices. Both my wife and I choose the 4 course meal. I started with the Pork Belly hash and my wife had the corn soup. Both were certainly good although i found the quail egg on mine a bit too well done. For the second course, she had the beet salad and I had the spinach salad. We looked and looked for the beets on the her salad and found some. My spinach salad with the the two slides of prosciutto was exceptional. For the third course, she had the scallops and i had the bass. She got two small scallops that were very good but would have been better labeled an appitizer. I go a perfectly prepared piece of fish. The last dish, the cheese dish was by far the most disappointing. We both got two miniscule pieces of cheese. \r \r As good as the food was none of the samples and the service - and except for the salad, thats all it was - really stood out that would make this place the exceptional experience the price warranted. \r \r At the end of the day, the two meals, two cocktails and two glasses of wine with tip cost us $235.00. I never rate a place after only one visit but frankly, i wont be returning. Visit if you want but be warned - simply isnt worth the price. more

I have lived in KC for 7 years and had wanted to go to the American for quite a long time. I made Valentine's Day reservations a full 6 weeks early just to be safe. My disappointment started with the wine list--more bottles than I could count at the $180+ range, several embarrassing bottles in the sub $40 range, and not much in between. We received an excellent recommendation for the Cloe & Jeremy, which turned out to be the only positive surprise of the night. The food was definitely superb, and the staff bringing the courses and clearing the table did an excellent job. Our waiter, however, barely returned to the table after taking our initial order. We were not able to order dessert drinks or coffee, and waited nearly 45 minutes after our table was cleared and were out of beverages to get our check. It was as if we turned invisible after we ordered... \r \r I have rarely felt so ignored at a restaurant, especially when I am paying more than I ever have for the experience. I guess I can say I have been here now, but I dare say I will ever return on my own accord. There are far too many other restaurants that in KC that will actually attempt to make my experience special. Pros: Phenomenal Food Cons: Horrible Service more

My wife and I went to the American Restaurant for our 10th anniversary. At first it appeared that we had walked through a time warp and were back in the 80's, as we looked up at the decor. We had also been promised a table by the 30 foot tall windows that show a great view of the town, but ended up at a table in the back. My wife, a Syrah wine lover could not find one on the extensive wine list. We did like that they put our names on our menus congratulating us on our anniversary, and as each course came out, including 3 small complimentary courses, we began to realize that the chef, Debbie Gold, and her artisitc, creative, and absolutely delicious food was the star of this restaurant. We ended up enjoying the intimacy our table provided as we could sit right next to each other in the round booth. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing and arrogant, and the wine we ended up having was excellent, thanks to the help of the wine steward who guided us to a half bottle similar to what we were looking for. We had a very nice and romantic evening and would like to plan a return trip each year as long as Debbie Gold is working her magic in the kitchen. A nice finishing touch was being able to take our menu home with our names at the top and the chef's autograph on it. Pros: Food, food and food Cons: Outdated Decor more

Service was slow to nonexistent, arrogant and fake. I have wanted to experience this Restaurant for may years when I visited KC. There were two of us, we arrived at 7:30 on a Thursday, were seated then after a lengthy wait flaged down the bread waiter for menus, then I actually had to get up to ask someone to send our waiter to take our orders. There were perhaps 10 other customers in the restaurant and several service people but none were attentive.\r \r Food was Great, creative, and fresh. But the service was so bad I would never go back - too many other excellent choices in KC.\r Pros: Ambience Cons: service more

We went there to celebrate our anniversary, and the first thing we noticed was de decor, the chairs seemed to have com directly from the same company that makes for cheap restaurant buffets...The details on the walls with the lighting reminded us of old Christmas trees...Anyways, the decor is really dated...The service nothing more than average, the server wasn't to confident when it came to recommending a Pinot Noir, but to be fair we are not sure if he didn't know or if he didn't care since we ordered a bottle of wine for ""just"" $200 and they have for up to $3000...He just had everything memorized, that's all, nothing that really helps you... Food??? Oh Gosh, we ordered de 5-course-meal, nothing out of ordinary, as matter of fact their cheese course was blue cheese and aged cheddar served with store bought (or tasted like it) lavash bread...urghhhhh....Cheesecake factory has more appeling deserts, they serve a tacky caramelized bananas that they caramelize by your table, with a cart and oven top....that was just funny for a so called fine dinning...But it seems the older folks enjoyed, (everyone there was around their 70's). \r Anyways, we had fun making fun of ourselves specially after getting a $500 check... Pros: the view Cons: everything else more

We were treated like royalty, beginning with the valet service and throughout the night. We were promptly seated next to a tall window with a picturesque view of downtown. Our server was very helpful guiding us through the thick winelist. We had 4 courses and each was a delicious sculpture in the perfect portion. We celebrated a birthday and they definitely helped make it a special occasion as they celebrated my guest. The Chef came to our table and ask how we enjoyed our our dinner. We lingered in the longe after dinner and the pianist played our request beautifully. We had a wonderfully elegant and fun evening. Pros: Ambience, Romantic, Taste experiences and made our flambe tableside more

This is the best restaurant I've been to in KC. Be aware of the fact that you are going to spend a lot - but it's worth it. Take your partner and surprise him/her with a dinner right in front of the big windows. It is just fabulous ... Pros: Food, ambience, service Cons: Expensive more

Eating at the American Resturant was one of the best dining experiences I've had in Kansas City! Although the menu is small the food there is absoutly fantastic! The best part however is getting to see the beautiful view of the city at sundown. I would definitly go back, however request to sit near the windows when making your reservations!\r \r Pros: Beautiful view, romantic, great food Cons: Red velvet everywhere!, Pricy more

Extraordinary food, superb service, a beauitiful view from the 30' tall window walls. The steaks were prime beef and the seafood was very fresh. This is one restaurant in my opinion that is worth the extra cost. Take your time and enjoy this one. Pros: Service, freshness and preparation of the food, atmosphere more

The American is an excellent dining experience. Kansas Citians who say you do not get enough food for the money need to refine their palate and waistlines. Come here to enjoy the unique and fabulous food. There are plenty of all you can eat buffets around town for those who think more food equals a better meal. Pros: Wine List, Presentation more

I've traveled around the world and can honestly say that the experience I had at American Restaurant was easily in the Top 10. Great service and outstanding meal/atmosphere. A must stop for a special night on the town. Pros: Romantic View, Menu, Valet Parking more

Who knew that the American Restaurant was one of the best places in town for lunch? The prix fixe business lunch is a bargain compared to ala carte meals at other restaurants, and it gives you the opportunity to sample some of the delicious entrees without breaking the bank. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: Location, Location, Location more