It never ceases to amaze us how many hidden gems there are scattered all around the Kansas City metro. Even in our own corner of the city there are still places we have yet to discover. Recently, we were clued in on a pizza stop located in downtown KCK. A long week of work, provided the perfect reason to embark on a hometown happy hour at Sarah’s on the Hill. Located at 612 North 5th Street, Sarah’s has been slinging pies to the locals since 2017. Now it was time for us to sample a bit of their fare.
Roughing It
Sarah’s name refers to the placement of the business on Strawberry Hill. This popular neighborhood has a long history of welcoming immigrants from Slavic nations. For generations, their descendants have enjoyed the scenic views of the West Bottoms and the sparkling city landscape located just across the river valley. We stopped by on a Friday after work and found some of the locals were already celebrating the end of another work week. The simple interior pays homage to the craftsmen who built the brick structures that dot the hillside. The interior is well-lit, but still offers an intimate feeling to diners.
A St. Louis Favorite
We chose a table and settled in for a short stay. The menu at Sarah’s is concise and to the point. While the pizza pies are front and center, they also offer sandwiches, Calzone, Stromboli, and assorted salads. Flipping the menu over, we discovered the Happy Hour section. They have a healthy selection, but we knew we would be doing a hybrid version of our hometown happy hour. We ordered up some Sangria and Toasted Ravioli, while we deliberated our pizza choices. The crispy squares were delivered with a serving of Marinara Sauce for dipping. As we munched our appetizer, we thought back about the barbecue-stuffed ravioli we had in St. Louis, Missouri.
Piles of Pepperoni
The Happy Hour choices go beyond drinks and incorporate some of Sarah’s fan favorites. Choosing the ravioli had been a bit of a compromise for me. On our first visit I had sampled their wings, which were amazing. We chose to skip them this time, since Crystal isn’t particularly fond of messy fingers. Those will have to wait for another day. For now, it was time to dive into our pies. I chose the Pepperoni Pizza, which is loaded with this Italian-American salami. They offer a 10″ pie that is the perfect size for a meal for one, even though I was willing to share.
Going to the Garden
Crystal is always on the prowl for unusual pies, especially when they feature chicken. The Garden Chicken Pizza fit the bill to perfection. This pie is loaded down with artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, red onion, roasted garlic, Feta cheese, and of course, smoked chicken. When they plopped her dish down in front of her, I knew she wouldn’t be able to finish it. Of course, that gave her some leftovers for a weekend lunch.
Hometown Happy Hour
Travel season can make it difficult for us to feature local haunts. 2021 was especially challenging, as we were trying to catch up for the places we missed during the height of the pandemic. With only one more major excursion left on our calendar, we are looking forward to diving back into our own city for inspiration. You can bet there will be many more hometown happy hour events in our future. If you have some favorites, drop us their names in the comments section below. We would love to check them out for ourselves.
I know a little about Strawberry Hill. I had a good friend from work that lived there. She was a great lady, so it would be fun to visit and see Sarah’s on the Hill sometime, as well as seeing all the changes. Thanks again for the articles that you and Crystal put out.
Glad you enjoyed the article. Perhaps you will have time to visit while you are in town.
Love the Marijana Grisnik paintings of that area. Very informative, thanks.
You have a keen eye. Sarah’s has a nice vibe.