We enjoy happening upon a new eatery, especially when it is found in conjunction with another visit. This was the case when we were stumbling upon Smitty’s Garage at 8811 State Line, in Kansas City, Missouri. Located in a new development, it joins a handful of other eateries that are new to the city. These new dining options are part of regional chains, which are making their first foray into KC.
Stumbling Upon Smitty’s Garage
The reason for our discovery of Smitty’s Garage stemmed from our search for the new Kansas City location of Hurts Donut. We first sampled their unique treats during a visit to Springfield, Missouri. (You can read more about Hurts here.) Our search led us to the State Line location, where we realized that a new grouping of restaurants had sprung up. Peering through the glass front, we could see Smitty’s was a bar/restaurant style establishment. On this first visit, we grabbed a couple of burgers, just to test out the food.
Return Visit
With a pleasant visit in the books, it was time to return for further investigation. Smitty’s, or The Garage as they call it, was started by three guys. Their initial focus was on burgers and fries. These come in a variety of meat options like; turkey, bison, and Angus beef. Over time, they have filled out the menu with other handheld options, such as hot dogs and tacos. Staring up at the menu boards, we still struggled a little with all of the choices. Eventually we agreed on an approach that would provide a good variety from the menu.
For Starters
They have a nice selection of appetizers at Smitty’s Garage, and we wanted to get one that offered us a chance to sample some interesting flavors. The Dip Trio seemed like the logical choice, since it packs three options on one plate. Well, we thought it would be one plate, but it actually is served on two. Portions of Queso cheese, Guacamole, and Onion dip are joined by a plate filled with tortilla and potato chips. These went well with our margarita we were enjoying for National Margarita Day.
Kicking It Up a Notch
The next course was a pair of their Chicken Fajita Tacos. Soft flour tortillas are stuffed with grilled chicken and onions (We left out the grilled jalapenos), cheddar cheese, and drizzled with sour cream. A serving of their house made salsa accompanies the dish and pairs well to add a little zest. These were Crystal’s choice, but she was kind enough to offer me a bite. Great flavor and the chicken isn’t overcooked.
Handhelds Rule
I will say it again, I am a beef man. Even though I had a burger on our initial visit, I knew that they had options that still needed to be sampled. On this trip, I chose to test out the Bacon Avocado Ranch, which fit into our whole southwest theme we seemed to have going. The 1/3 lb. burger was topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and plenty of Ranch dressing. It had a flavor that kept me coming back for more, but I did let Crystal have a bite as a goodwill gesture.
Smitty’s Garage Decor
The service at Smitty’s Garage is set up for ordering at the counter, before finding your seating. Once seated, they have wait staff who will take care of any needs from the bar. Once your food is ready, staff will deliver it to your table. This short wait gave me a chance to capture some images from inside of the restaurant. We seem to be seeing more and more restaurants incorporating humor into their decor. Smitty’s Garage doesn’t fear filling the walls with plenty to see. This works well for families, as we enjoyed visits to places like this when our kids were younger. We would play a game of “eye spy”, while we waited for our food to arrive. How many of you do that same thing?
Stumbling Upon Smitty’s Garage
Our second visit to this “new to Kansas city” restaurant proved to provide another delectable dining result. Stumbling upon Smitty’s Garage ended up being a good thing for us, and hopefully you will get the opportunity to test out this regional chain. We noticed that they have the highest concentration of restaurants in Oklahoma, so we are hoping to hit up one of those sites. It’s always nice to have a good dining option in your back pocket when traveling. How many of you have dined at a Smitty’s Garage?
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