15 Exciting New KC Restaurants to Watch for in 2024: Barbecue, Sushi, and More

As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming year, Kansas City food lovers and writers have plenty to look forward to. From a barbecue dive bar to Kansas City’s first omakase sushi restaurant, 2024 promises a variety of culinary delights. To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of 15 of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the Kansas City area. Keep an eye out for these delicious new additions throughout the year.

Vita’s Place

Underdog Wine Co. owners Ryan and Jenny Sciara are set to open a cozy neighborhood wine bar at 5514 Oak, just around the corner from their Brookside shop. The grand opening is expected in early January.

Whole Harvest

Originally a Kansas City-based meal delivery service, Whole Harvest is opening its first restaurant in Leawood at 4853 W. 117th St. With a focus on health, the menu will feature zucchini bread, loaded sweet potatoes, lentil pancakes, edamame dip, and more. The opening is projected for the second week of January.

Tiki Taco

Already boasting two locations in Kansas City, Tiki Taco is opening its first Kansas-side restaurant at 7514 W. 80th St. in Overland Park. Expect the same customer favorites, including crunchy tacos, nachos, burritos, and more. The opening is planned for January.

1981 K-Chicken

Transforming the former Steve’s Villa Capri, an Italian restaurant at 10412 Mastin St., 1981 K-Chicken will be a Korean chicken restaurant and bar. This new venture is the brainchild of longtime friends Kue-Jin Hwang, Sung Jo, and Kyoungmin Kim, who have dreamed of opening a restaurant for years. The opening is scheduled for January.

Aqua Penny’s

The owners of the popular Park Place Thai restaurant Bamboo Penny’s are expanding with a seafood and oyster bar concept in the same Leawood shopping center. Aqua Penny’s will serve lunch, dinner, happy hour, and brunch, with a projected opening in February.

Lottie’s Get Down

The Nashville-based firm behind the Westport music venue Tin Roof is opening Lottie’s Get Down, a Southern-fried chicken concept, at 4057 Pennsylvania Ave. Previously home to Mickey’s Hideaway and McCoy’s Public House, the opening is slated for early 2024.

The Blue Palm

Dan Doty, Roxie Danner, and Houston DeFoe are planning a tiki bar in the Strawberry Hill space Mockingbird Lounge previously occupied at 204 Orchard St. in Kansas City, Kansas. The opening is set for early 2024.

Green Dirt on Oak

Sarah Hoffmann, artisan cheesemaker and owner of Green Dirt Farm in Weston, will open a fine-dining restaurant in the Crossroads at 1601 Oak St. The establishment will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Hoffmann’s award-winning cheeses. Additionally, the restaurant will feature a rooftop deck, an event space, and a production facility. The opening is anticipated for early 2024.

Osteria Bianchi

Las Vegas culinary transplants Josh and Kelly Bianchi are planning a traditional Italian restaurant in the former Trago Bar & Tapas space at 9261 N.E. 83rd Terrace, near Liberty. Menu items will include tonnarelli cacio e pepe pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and a pork trio (braised pork belly, roasted pork loin, and crispy carnitas) served with spaetzle and red wine-braised cabbage. The opening is planned for early 2024.

Meddys

Wichita-based Mediterranean restaurant Meddys, with locations in Brookside and Prairie Village, is expanding again. This time, they’re heading to Lenexa on the southwest corner of West 88th Street and Maurer Road. Inspired by owner Alex Harb’s Lebanese culture, the menu offers shawarmas, hummus plates, and salads. The opening is projected for March.

Sushi Kodawari

Austin transplant Karson Thompson is planning to open Kansas City’s first omakase restaurant at 2100 Central St. The fine-dining sushi experience will be one of the city’s smallest, with just an eight-seat counter offering two seatings per night. The opening is scheduled for spring.

Carne Diem

Louis Guerrieri and Sarah Nelson, the husband-and-wife duo behind the small-plates restaurant Ombra, which opened in 2022 at The Village at Briarcliff, are planning an upscale meat market and seafood counter at 4179 N. Mulberry Drive. The opening is anticipated for spring.

The Fresh Mediterranean Co.

Originally a Middle Eastern restaurant inside a Lawrence Cenex gas station, The Fresh Mediterranean Co. is expanding into a fast-casual concept. Owner Hanif Lakhani plans to take over the space at 3904 Bell in Kansas City, formerly occupied by d’Bronx Authentic Deli and Pizzeria. The opening is set for spring.

Night Goat

Fox and Pearl’s Sunday barbecue pop-up is getting a permanent home in the West Side restaurant’s basement at 2139 Summit. Expect a honky-tonk dive bar atmosphere with barbecue sandwiches and tacos on the menu. The opening is planned for late spring or summer.

Enjoy Pure Food + Drink

Staci Cross, owner of a health restaurant in Leawood’s Mission Farms, is expanding her concept to Lenexa. The new restaurant will be part of a project dubbed Restaurant Row near 87th Street and Renner Boulevard. The opening is projected for September.

As these new and diverse dining establishments prepare to open their doors, Kansas City residents and visitors alike can look forward to a year filled with exciting culinary experiences. Whether you’re a local or planning to buy a home near the area, keep these 15 restaurants on your radar for a taste of what 2024 has to offer.