Cancel

Open app

Search

Friction Beer

4.4 (35 reviews)
ModerateBrewpubs
Closed • 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Friction Beer Photos

Business Info

Recommended Reviews - Friction Beer

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Robert F.

This is a bit of a difficult review for me. I tried a few of their beers but they have more to offer and I just haven't found the one I really like in this location yet. That said I am willing to have many more and am fairly certain that there will be a beer that is good that I want to drink more frequently. The location is quite nice (Parking not so much) and the inside is well-appointed and kind of cozy yet upbeat at the same time. The bartender was pretty busy but took the time to explain some of their beers to us when taking our order. That means a lot in and of itself. The one thing to pick on (jokingly) is that they have an LP/45 record theme... and yes they have records behind the bar... yet no record player?!?! Anyway, the place is neat and if looking for a beer in the area... stop by here and see if one of their taps holds the right one for you!

Kayla S.

This was my first time visiting Friction Beer and I had a great experience! I loved the beer selection and also appreciated that they serve liquor and soft drinks too. There was a food truck outside which was a nice option for a snack. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The only reason I'm not rating 5 stars is because it was so cold inside (it was also a chilly night outside) and the people we sat next to were cussing and complaining about everything (I'm not a prude, I mean they were being assholes). This has nothing to do with the business but it just took away from my personal experience because they were frankly just miserable to sit next to.

Toni A.

Cool location near restaurants, movie theater, moonlight market and more. The musical decor is also cool and inviting. Service is prompt. Can bring in outside food which is a plus plus. They offer a variety of beers ipa, sour, stouts, easy drinking etc. the beers have cool names. They also offer spirits and cocktails for non beer drinkers. Cool spot to hang with friends and catch up.

Charley B.

A music-inspired brewery? Now we're talkin'. A variety of beers are on tap, so there should be something for everybody. I really liked what I sampled, however for some reason, I got the feeling it would taste better if I rolled the windows down. Anyway... This an inviting space with lots of natural light. You'll feel mighty comfortable discussing your favorite new records or recent concerts over a pint or two. You might even make some new friends.

Jenni S.

Popped in last night for trivia with some friends and we had such a great time. The beers are always delicious here and the service is great too! I love that the owner is so into music and it shows with how the brewery is decorated. It's a very chill place to go have a beer and I'll definitely be back for trivia as well!

David L.

If you are wanting to escape the overly crowded bar this is a good place to check out. There were plenty of chairs still open and not many people there. The beer was good. They don't offer food but have worked with several of the places in the area that you can order from.

Juicy Hazy IPA, and a coffee stout paired with a s'more's doughnut
Givon B.

Friction brewing is one of my favorite breweries to go to in Kansas. A lot of breweries have a dark industrial vibe, but not Friction. Sunshine beams through the big windows and illuminates the music themed decor. From the wall of old school cassette tapes, to a recording plaque, music plays a big role of the aesthetics. My latest visit was on a Saturday. They are one of the few bars/breweries that is open at 9am on the weekends to show English Premier League games. My friend and I were able to to watch multiple games at once and eat some delicious doughnuts from a local food vendor. The beers here are legit! I had two IPAs. The first was a juicy hazy IPA, and the other was a West Coast IPA that had a perfect balance between pine and malt. I also had their Oktoberfest beer as well as a dark flavorful coffee stout that paired great with my doughnut. The owners and bartenders are awesome and can easily help you figure out what beer might fit your taste buds.

Asenath N.

What an awesome brewery! Location is great and easy to find parking. They had great beer selection to pick from. If you are not a beer person,they also have wine and cocktails. They don't serve food but they allow you to bring food from other places. You can have food delivered from one of the local places nearby. I love the ambiance. The staff were very nice and helped me pick the right beer for me. Check this gem out!

American Pale Ale
Ian E.

I had to check out one of the new breweries in town. I thought the vibe and decoration was cool. Cool stuff like - a Nirvana concert ticket stub along with backstage passes, the casette wall, the wall acoustic paneling (probably just as functional as fashionable) and more really help paint the picture where these guys come from. The rock music theme also goes into the names for the beers. I had One Step Ahead which was a Pilsner with New Zealand Hops. Then I had Ripping the Divide, an American Pale Ale. Both were really good beers. They also had a stout called Jungle Love. The patio out front looks like a cool place to sit and have a beer on a nice day. It was busy when we were there, but there was plenty of space and standing room if needed.

Lou K.

Grabbed a beer at this great brewery. The location is cute in the adorable downtown Shawnee area. The bar was vibey with grunge music that I jammed out to the entire time. The bartender was very nice and offered several suggestions. He even let us try a couple samples before making our decision. All of the things I tried were tasty. I ended up settling on the Aliens Exist. It was a bright hoppy flavor that went perfectly on the warm day. There were many different options for seating and we were able to snag a couch and play cards at the table. Overall I had a great experience!

Bathroom door
Alana R.

I've been to Friction Beer two times now (both before true open hours) to watch my favorite Premier League Soccer teams play early matches. It's not a large place but there are multiple places to sit--chairs, stools, booths, or couches. The seating areas and restrooms were clean and well maintained. As a 90s teen and music lover, I think the music inspired decor is fantastic! There are a variety of beers on tap, and if you're hungry, food from a few local places can be ordered using a QR code at your seat. Everyone who was working was knowledgeable and friendly. It is so nice to have a place like Friction to go and hang out with other soccer fans and have a pint or two with breakfast from the bakery down the street!

Tracy G.

What a cool place?! They have several of their house brewed beers and then a rotating group of guest beers/ciders. I tried the Zoo Station, but it was a bit hoppy for my tastes. That being said, U happily enjoyed one of their guest taps and next time I'd like to give the coffee milk stout a go! I came out because one of my favorite food trucks was there: Gochew Korean Burgers and sandwiches. And when I got there I found out a record shop was also hosting a pop-up! Super cool that they had such a good relationship with these other businesses and invite them to share their space. I also loved the internal space. Loads of seating and different groupings of seating for all sorts of groups that might come in. You want to lounge, they have couches. You want to sit at a table for a more intimate conversation, they've got tables of various sizes. You want to chat with the VERY knowledgeable and friendly staff, the bar is open! Whatever you're looking for, I'm sure they've got... but be warned their beers tend to run hoppy. It's not my thing, but I know KC loves it.

Inside

See all

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

20 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Toni A.
119
224
1593

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Love this local brewery and its friendly staff. Great beer selection and always good music.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Joe K.
541
499
2826

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Givon B.
118
9
13

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 4
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of D N.
0
3
0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jamie B.
153
51
12

2 years ago

Cool vibe, really good beer, nice people. Just wish it wasn't so far from my house. B, open a second location in PV, please. Thx.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ryan W.
13
10
4

2 years ago

Great vibes here. Awesome music, good beer. Nate and Brent are doing a pretty damn good job of creating a must stop in Shawnee!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Max F.
19
13
4

2 years ago

Not friendly and beer was just ok. Cool place in mission but better places to spend your time and money in the immediate area.

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Was so excited to find out Friction opened. Cool vibes. Good beer. Good People. Even bought a sticker! :)

Business owner information

Photo of Brent A.

Brent A.

Love it, thanks so much!

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - Friction Beer

Barley's Kitchen + Tap - Big Barley burger- just okay, fresh veggies Fries- good flavor, crispy

Barley's Kitchen + Tap

(345 reviews)

$$

We've been to other Barley's first time at this one…read more Parking is not the greatest as there are lots of businesses there so you may have to park in the back. Staff was great. Got in and seated immediately. Ordered our standard which is the fish and chips. Place was busy but not packed. We will continue to eat there.

My friend and I came here for the Twinkle experience. There was a cute photo op walking up to the…read moredoor. As soon as we walked in I was overwhelmed. It was beautiful! So festive! Whoever did the decorating did an awesome job! We were greeted right away, and since they just opened, there were only a couple tables taken. I ordered the twinkle-tini espresso martini. This was the first martini I've ever had and it was delicious. My friend ordered the cotton-headed noggy muggins. Hers was very good as well. We started out with the Grinchy hot chicken bites. Very tasty. Crunchy on the outside with a little heat and we asked for blue cheese to dip it in. Yum She ordered the lock, shock, and wrap. I ordered the Halloween town birria pork sandwich. They were both excellent. We ended up splitting it so we could try both. I liked them both, not sure which one I liked better. I liked that they made the wrap a little crispy on the outside. The waitress was very attentive and came by multiple times to make sure we were good and if we needed anything. I wish I wasn't so full because I would've ordered dessert. Next time. Great place to come for the Christmas spirit. This place isn't very close to my house, but if I'm ever in the area again, I will come and try something else.

Beer Kitchen - The Brickhouse

Beer Kitchen

(1.3k reviews)

$$

Westport

Came to Kansas City over the recent holidays to visit some friends, and Beer Kitchen came as a…read morelocal recommended place. Good food, good vibes, good beer selection, I was sold. So we loaded up and showed up one day around Noon. Ambiance was really cool. It's in the middle of some sort of progressive looking shanty-esque suburb. The kind of place that does drag queen bingo. I was right at home. Inside was college sport bar, but with a nice, huge board on the wall of all their beer selection. It Was quite expansive. Service was top notch, too. Nice server took care of us, made sure our glasses were never empty. The food came out at a good clips, and we got an unexpected bonus of free little beignet-like donuts with some delicious dipping sauces. As for food, we started off with a jumbo order of the Truffle Parmesan Hand-Cut Fries for the table. We got to choose two from their extensive list of aioli dipping sauces. Fries were good. Dusted with the perfect amounts of truffle and parmesan. And the sauces were my oh my. I recommend paying the upcharge to just try them all. I mentioned the time earlier, because we had no idea we were stumbling upon their brunch menu. Even more options to choose from! I got the Crispy Waffle Smash Burger (smashed hertzog beef patties, fried egg, smoked bacon, merkt's cheddar, caramelized onion, maple aioli, crispy buttermilk waffle). This thing was really nice. Perfect waffle, not too small, not too big, and no oily or anything obtrusive. A nice bun option. Eggs and bacon sometime get lost against giant burger patties, but with these smash patties, the extra accoutrements really stand out and make this burger really stand out in my mind. I also for the try the Smokestack Burger (smoked burnt ends, smoked gouda, whiskey bbq glaze, pickle relish, chipotle aioli & crispy jalapeño straws). Uhhh, as you can read, this thing was loaded with goodness. Fatty burger, smokey burnt ends, sweet boozy glaze, acidic pickles, and texture from that jalapeno. This was the perfect burger. I insist you order this. Overall, my research did not reveal Beer Kitchen to me, locals recommendation did. Shows that you gotta use your street smarts instead of your book smarts sometimes. Best meal I had in Kansas City.

Pros: Ambiance was super nice. Part craft brewery, part…read moremodern Southern brunch joint. Very cozy and inviting. Service was super nice. We got brunch, but we didn't even know they served brunch, so that was a huge bonus. The food was out of this world delicious. And their beer selection was great, too. Far more than your typical selection of only IPAs. Cons: Not a single con. Tips: Come for brunch. Get one of their astounding burgers.

Kansas City Bier Company - Jalapeo Cheddar Bratwurst and Dunkel Bratwurst on pretzel buns (phone did not eat first)

Kansas City Bier Company

(224 reviews)

$$

Waldo

If you're a fan of German beer, KC Bier company is for you! They offer great German beers and food…read morein a family friendly atmosphere in Waldo. They have a great patio space that is both dog and kid friendly. Portions are covered and it's great to sit and chill with a brew on a nice day. The interior isn't the largest but they do have bar seating and large picnic tables for community seating. Service has always been good. They offer a variety of food-sausages, sandwiches, soup, and pretzels. I haven't tried a ton of the food but I've had a pretzel and a sausage and both were good. The beer is German style which isn't my favorite but I do like the black ipa and the grand cru. Both are good and I can always find something to drink here. I highly recommend going on a tour because it's highly informative and will give you an appreciation of the beer style. If you're in Waldo, definitely check them out.

It's been over a decade and I can hardly believe it's been more than ten years of me enjoying KC…read moreBier Co. In the time since I'd written that review, I've gotten married, had two kids, visited Germany, changed jobs and through it all this spot has remained a personal favorite of mine in KC. Over the years they've expanded their operation, introduced new biers including (gasp!) an IPA, broadened their food menu at the biergarten, and begun bottling/canning even more of their lineup. This location, their OG Biergarten and Bierhalle is my far my favorite thing about them though and has remained largely unchanged from when they opened all those years ago. You'll still find a German inspired space, warm with the smells of beer and pretzels, great German bar fare, and if you come on the right day some authentic live music. The best part though (IMO) is the biergarten to the side that is family friendly, and is one of the all time best patios in KC on a nice day. At any rate if you are here you've made it to one of KC's best local breweries. Prost!

Stockyards Brewing - Fox trotters

Stockyards Brewing

(106 reviews)

$$

Stockyards Brewing is a unique place to enjoy a beer. Located in a portion of the former Golden Ox…read moreRestaurant in the Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building, the brewery carries on the history of the building by keeping the original bar and much of the interior decor. There is plenty of space to hang out at, and there is also live music on Sundays. I first came to this brewery years ago and had not been back because their beers, though good, were not my favorite. However, I stopped by on a Sunday in December in my quest to find local beers to gift to a friend and discovered that Stockyards had added sour beers to their menu. I am so glad that I came back here because the sour that I tried was amazing, and I had such a fun time hanging out with some cool Packers fans who shared their table with me and watching the game with them. As long as Stockyards Brewing keep making sours, I will be back. If you are a Packers fan, I was told that Stockyards Brewing is your haven.

Two separate points to be included in this review. First: The Bar. The location is awesome- the…read morehistoric west bottoms of KC. The bar holds very original to the old stockyards- original wood, ceiling, very old time western feel. It's a treat to have a beer at the bar. The beer...!!! The beer is sooo good. Cereveza Royale is easily my favorite beer. They also have live music frequently. A very nice, chill, cool place to hang out. Second point: Private Events. Ugh. They have a beautiful private room (still very historic) for events. However, good luck getting in touch with anyone to schedule your event there. There is no working phone number available, I submitted two online inquiries with no response, and no response to their email address. I gave up. I feel disappointed about this but ultimately would come back for the delicious beer.

BKS Artisan Ales - lager

BKS Artisan Ales

(53 reviews)

$$

BKS seems to have a nationwide following as I often see license plates from other states in their…read moreparking lot. I think BKS does everything exceptionally well: from barrel aged stouts to hop-loaded IPAs. I often order pizza from Plate across the street to eat alongside my beer. It's a convenient aspect where food's usually a void for most breweries. The employees are very knowledgeable and friendly. Whatever brew style you prefer, BKS will have top tier version for you to try - lagers, IPAs, Stouts, English ales, Barleywines. They usually have one beer on a nitro tap too.

Best artisanal brewing outfit in the Kansas City area. That's the review…read more The beer is sensational. The brewers are ridiculously cool. The flavor profiles are surgically precise. The loyal following will be always be, well, loyal. Do they need better parking? Yes Would I go if parking stinks? Also yes. Micro-brewing is entering its fifth decade in the Kansas City area. Sure, beermaking has been around since the monks were cooking up something to drink to go along with their pretzels. But because of changes in federal legislation, Americans brewing their own has taken on so many different regional and local forms. Do you like lagers and old German-style darker beer? The original colonial Americas might have your thing. Oh, you like hoppy, with piney IPAs and freshly-hopped brew? The Pacific Northwest is your jam. And so forth. And then there are outfits like BKS. There are hops on hops, with double and triple IPAs, hazy and juicy. There are the deeply boozy Belgian-style trippels, or Japanese style rice lagers, or English ales where the glass of bier has to settle before drinking. BKS is doing a little of everything and doing almost any beer really, really well. The staff is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about beer, making suggestions even to the seasoned or the complete amateur when it comes to beer profiles. I love me some malty beer, so darker or maybe a touch bitter resonates for me. My lovely wife goes lighter, not too hoppy, and with a little more pizzazz, so something bubbly works for her. Point is, there is something for anyone. It's dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and in good weather, open air plus a patio. You're there for the beer and you're in the right spot, so relax and enjoy.

Friction Beer - brewpubs - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...