The Ship
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There's some construction happening around The Ship so getting there isn't currently very easy but my bestie had tickets to a show and I had never been, so I was determined! Because of the construction we entered through the back, into a smallish room where a band was setting up in the corner near the bar. We just missed happy hour (which ends at 6pm), but it didn't slow us down. I was thrilled to find Steigl Radler on the drink menu, and I had the Ship-fil-a Chicken Sandwich, spicy, with fries. It was really good. All of it. My bestie and her wife also enjoyed their drinks and food (they had an old fashioned and PBR, with the Fish and Chips and Cubano sandwich. (Sadly I didn't get a picture of the food--we were too hungry and started eating before it even crossed my mind! But it was tasty!!) We did get sweaty sitting there, it was a little hot. I don't know if it's always that way or if the a/c was struggling that day. But I would love to go back and check out some of the other rooms.
Stopped in for a beer on a late Wednesday evening. They had just one of the beers we wanted left on tap and it was fantastic! OVerall the vibes are very divey (no pun in tended) We sat in between the event hall and the main bar. We ended up closing the place down. It's in the West Bottoms and definitely in a warehouse-y type of neighborhood. Seemed like a fairly popular spot, and was a fun hang.
Big ol' group of office oldies came in and the bar got so busy they forgot my fried pickles. Good G&Ts. Will refurn a
This is the spot to go to after a wedding night or look on their social media for their schedule of events. My favorite is definitely the cougar club. They host every first Wednesday of the month. It was my first time and it was a blast. The DJs made our night and they were remixing the old and new music. If you want to get your steps in, you will definitely dance all night to get it. It's from 6:30 pm to 10:30pm, perfect for the 30+ crowds. There was a cover about $10 but also they got really reasonable price drinks. Bring your crew and just have fun. Definitely want to bring my girls here.
Parking is not great. Entry has stairs up to security. There is drinks, food and late nite diner. KC restaurant week menu was fire! I loved the Cubano and fried pickles. Peach cobbler was fire. Staff is very helpful and even late at night (10 pm ) they were willing to cook up dinner for us. Bathroom doors need to be repaired as the doors are missing slats. I love the original structures of downtown. The plants and decor are unique and different. $10 cover charge to dance floor but I'm sure just wanting to eat this could be waived.
The Ship was a great experience for me! I love the KC Reuben and the season crinkle cut fries! Charlie was phenomenal bartender! The service was speedy and kind. The Ship is also known for having cool themed events and live music! I went on Cougar night, there were featured local businesses and something for everyone. The DJ was great and everyone seemed to be enjoying the drinks and dancing . Would definitely go again!
A group of us found ourselves in the west bottoms looking for somewhere to eat. My friend's uncle was once in the navy so The Ship seemed like the perfect destination. We weren't wrong. The dining area is a claustrophobic little place, much like a submarine interior, but in an intimate way, as though the seas above were nothing but calm. The menu is small but mighty, full of interesting selections and also vegetarian friendly. The same is true for the drink menu. The servers were super friendly, in a boldly unflinching manner. I'm guessing they don't easily suffer fools but thankfully we didn't test that theory. We had a great dining experience and will happily return, especially to check out the lounge area for some live music and delicious cocktails.
My brother and I came here for the live music as all of the live music I could find on a Thursday evening was lacking except for The Ship. Overall, the music was ten plus stars but when we added in a dinner, the experience was very disappointing. The facility is rather eccentric and eclectic with its ship theme but it's pretty cool. Very dive bar vibes in a "dicey" area of the City, The Ship has multiple areas and bars. Our female server was excellent and kept on top of keeping us happy. My mixed drink was weak, but the specialty beer made just for The Ship was decent. Where things went downhill was the food. Today, they could've put one ingredient on the menu and everything else was a side. Salt! The fried pickles were plentiful with a good ranch dip, but seriously over-salted to the point where they were not enjoyable and more than half were tossed. Same with the fries but with whatever seasoning was on them. The gumbo I had was mostly a bland salted roux with a few slivers of meat and the side of shrimp I ordered was overcooked. Garlic bread was nothing great. My brother's Reuben also unfortunately half tossed as it was just not that good although told to us that they cure their own meat for it. The Mac and cheese side was rather good surprisingly. The plan was to get some of the awesome sounding dessert, but after this poor meal, we weren't taking the chance to waste any more money. So, if not for the awesome music of Lucas Parker and Friends, The Ship was just about sunk for us. The staff and quirkiness helped keep it afloat for one star, and another for the music. About $75 for two people, a cocktail, beer, tea, two sides and two mains. Not worth it tonight.
I lived downtown in the 80's and 90's and there wasn't a lot going on at that point and the options for an adult beverage were limited to a handful of old school dive bars inside the business loop: The Office, Joe's Standard, Soakies, The Auditorium...they could all be a bit sketchy after dark, but they were all unique and had great allure for me in my youth after I had escaped the suburbs and found the delights and intrigue of the city life. The Ship was my favorite and was my go-to for several years. The original location at 9th and Cherry was the perfect haunt. Definitely in a seedy neighborhood with a mixture of regulars that included low-income retirees from the nearby rundown apartments, hustlers of all trades, KCAI students and general followers of the stereotypical no-nonsense- but lovable- short Italian evening bartender - Vinnie. Not only did I gravitate here because of the regulars (Cleo- aka Mr. Jolly, Mary #1 and Mary #2) but the space was the most oddly eclectic in the city. The Ship opened in the 1930's and was created to look like the interior of a ship with lifeboats, marine vessel type doors, lightbulbs screwed into the walls that illuminated the murals to look like lighthouses, and with it's dark lighting, large wooden bar, a few rickety tables and a pinball machine and jukebox; The Ship was the hippest and sketchiest place in the metro. A vibe that attracted those looking for the out-of-ordinary and with its location, keeping out the "Westport / PnL" type of partiers. My last visit to the original Ship was in 1993 for a going away party for myself when I took a job in Alaska for a while. Shortly after The Ship was closed to make way for Ilus Davis Park, yet before it was torn down scenes from Robert Altman's "Kansas City" were filmed here and thankfully the interior was salvaged, put into storage and later used to re-birth The Ship for a new 21st century cult following. Using the original interior pieces, they have built a large complex in an old warehouse space in the West Bottoms that not only plays homage to the original, but expands upon the vibe with art, found objects and decor that creates a places that is not a cheap rip-off of the original but a bar and live music venue worthy of this great city. The best renovation and architectural salvation project in town. I was a bit leery to visit at first because of my distant and fond memories, but The "new" Ship now has a returning passenger. My last two visits over the past 3 weeks have been for live music. The Ozark Cobras in the original small space and then for Found -a-Job in the newer larger space. Once again The Ship provided opportunities to run into people from my past life and make some new friends as well, while soaking up the history and nostalgia and enjoying some great music and some local beers. We are blessed in this city to have Knuckleheads in the East Bottoms and The Ship in the West Bottoms - two of the most unique and organic music venues in the midwest. I wish Vinnie and the old gang were here to see it!
This is a super fun and one of the most unique venues in KC. It's large with different rooms for dinner, drinks, and live music. And the ambiance is on point with the nautical theme. We started with some drinks and dinner. I went with one of their drink specials, the Dragonfruit margarita-Silver Tequila, fresh lime, agave, and dragonfruit. It was really sweet and summery. This would be fantastic on a hot summer evening on their patio. My partner ordered a fig Manhattan and thought it was good. I ordered the Cubano: shaved ham, salami, roasted pork loin, swiss cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard, pressed french roll. This version reminded me of a Cuban that the foundry had before they closed. It was one of my favorites and I'm so glad I ordered this one. I love the addition of the salami and I appreciate the pressed French roll. I'd definitely order it again. I upgraded my side to the smoked Mac and cheese: creamy classic mac and cheese, hickory smoked Kansas City style. This was some of the best Mac and cheese that I've had in KC. I would totally order it by itself as an entree. My partner tried the KC Reuben: hickory smoked pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, kc special thousand island, marbled rye. He said it had good flavor but the meat was a little on the fatty side. But he still ate it and said it was overall good. He also tried the coleslaw. He said it was alright. It had celery and red peppers so it was a little non traditional and it was chopped pretty large. We also ordered a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo. It also had a good flavor and we'd definitely order it again. After dinner we made our way over to the music venue side. They do have a few tables throughout but you'd need to arrive early to snag one because they fill up fast. They also have bars in a few different locations so you can easily grab a drink. The dance floor in the middle is fun. It quickly filled up with people and there were even some dance offs. Definitely check out this spot and grab food, drinks, and listen to some music.
Our server was nice and friendly. The food was pretty good. My red beans and rice were kinda bland. My husband enjoyed his shrimp po boy. The one negative thing was someone in our party walked into an area where there was a bar and an employee came up to her and said what are you doing here and she said I'm just looking. He said "get out" very rudely. She saw when she walked out of the doors which were propped open that there were 2 little signs that said "ship crew only". So while it's understandable that she wasn't supposed to be there - the way she was spoken to was completely rude and unnecessary.
19 days ago
2 months ago
There's some construction happening around The Ship so getting there isn't currently very easy but my bestie had tickets to a show and I had never been, so I was determined! Because of the construction we entered through the back, into a smallish room where a band was setting up in the corner near the bar. We just missed happy hour (which ends at 6pm), but it didn't slow us down. I was thrilled to find Steigl Radler on the drink menu, and I had the Ship-fil-a Chicken Sandwich, spicy, with fries. It was really good. All of it. My bestie and her wife also enjoyed their drinks and food (they had an old fashioned and PBR, with the Fish and Chips and Cubano sandwich. (Sadly I didn't get a picture of the food--we were too hungry and started eating before it even crossed my mind! But it was tasty!!) We did get sweaty sitting there, it was a little hot. I don't know if it's always that way or if the a/c was struggling that day. But I would love to go back and check out some of the other rooms. read more
Stopped in for a beer on a late Wednesday evening. They had just one of the beers we wanted left on tap and it was fantastic! OVerall the vibes are very divey (no pun in tended) We sat in between the event hall and the main bar. We ended up closing the place down. It's in the West Bottoms and definitely in a warehouse-y type of neighborhood. Seemed like a fairly popular spot, and was a fun hang. read more
2 months ago
Big ol' group of office oldies came in and the bar got so busy they forgot my fried pickles. Good G&Ts. Will refurn a read more
This is the spot to go to after a wedding night or look on their social media for their schedule of events. My favorite is definitely the cougar club. They host every first Wednesday of the month. It was my first time and it was a blast. The DJs made our night and they were remixing the old and new music. If you want to get your steps in, you will definitely dance all night to get it. It's from 6:30 pm to 10:30pm, perfect for the 30+ crowds. There was a cover about $10 but also they got really reasonable price drinks. Bring your crew and just have fun. Definitely want to bring my girls here. read more
Parking is not great. Entry has stairs up to security. There is drinks, food and late nite diner. KC restaurant week menu was fire! I loved the Cubano and fried pickles. Peach cobbler was fire. Staff is very helpful and even late at night (10 pm ) they were willing to cook up dinner for us. Bathroom doors need to be repaired as the doors are missing slats. I love the original structures of downtown. The plants and decor are unique and different. $10 cover charge to dance floor but I'm sure just wanting to eat this could be waived. read more
The Ship was a great experience for me! I love the KC Reuben and the season crinkle cut fries! Charlie was phenomenal bartender! The service was speedy and kind. The Ship is also known for having cool themed events and live music! I went on Cougar night, there were featured local businesses and something for everyone. The DJ was great and everyone seemed to be enjoying the drinks and dancing . Would definitely go again! read more
4 months ago
A group of us found ourselves in the west bottoms looking for somewhere to eat. My friend's uncle was once in the navy so The Ship seemed like the perfect destination. We weren't wrong. The dining area is a claustrophobic little place, much like a submarine interior, but in an intimate way, as though the seas above were nothing but calm. The menu is small but mighty, full of interesting selections and also vegetarian friendly. The same is true for the drink menu. The servers were super friendly, in a boldly unflinching manner. I'm guessing they don't easily suffer fools but thankfully we didn't test that theory. We had a great dining experience and will happily return, especially to check out the lounge area for some live music and delicious cocktails. read more
2 years ago
My brother and I came here for the live music as all of the live music I could find on a Thursday evening was lacking except for The Ship. Overall, the music was ten plus stars but when we added in a dinner, the experience was very disappointing. The facility is rather eccentric and eclectic with its ship theme but it's pretty cool. Very dive bar vibes in a "dicey" area of the City, The Ship has multiple areas and bars. Our female server was excellent and kept on top of keeping us happy. My mixed drink was weak, but the specialty beer made just for The Ship was decent. Where things went downhill was the food. Today, they could've put one ingredient on the menu and everything else was a side. Salt! The fried pickles were plentiful with a good ranch dip, but seriously over-salted to the point where they were not enjoyable and more than half were tossed. Same with the fries but with whatever seasoning was on them. The gumbo I had was mostly a bland salted roux with a few slivers of meat and the side of shrimp I ordered was overcooked. Garlic bread was nothing great. My brother's Reuben also unfortunately half tossed as it was just not that good although told to us that they cure their own meat for it. The Mac and cheese side was rather good surprisingly. The plan was to get some of the awesome sounding dessert, but after this poor meal, we weren't taking the chance to waste any more money. So, if not for the awesome music of Lucas Parker and Friends, The Ship was just about sunk for us. The staff and quirkiness helped keep it afloat for one star, and another for the music. About $75 for two people, a cocktail, beer, tea, two sides and two mains. Not worth it tonight. read more
2 years ago
I lived downtown in the 80's and 90's and there wasn't a lot going on at that point and the options for an adult beverage were limited to a handful of old school dive bars inside the business loop: The Office, Joe's Standard, Soakies, The Auditorium...they could all be a bit sketchy after dark, but they were all unique and had great allure for me in my youth after I had escaped the suburbs and found the delights and intrigue of the city life. The Ship was my favorite and was my go-to for several years. The original location at 9th and Cherry was the perfect haunt. Definitely in a seedy neighborhood with a mixture of regulars that included low-income retirees from the nearby rundown apartments, hustlers of all trades, KCAI students and general followers of the stereotypical no-nonsense- but lovable- short Italian evening bartender - Vinnie. Not only did I gravitate here because of the regulars (Cleo- aka Mr. Jolly, Mary #1 and Mary #2) but the space was the most oddly eclectic in the city. The Ship opened in the 1930's and was created to look like the interior of a ship with lifeboats, marine vessel type doors, lightbulbs screwed into the walls that illuminated the murals to look like lighthouses, and with it's dark lighting, large wooden bar, a few rickety tables and a pinball machine and jukebox; The Ship was the hippest and sketchiest place in the metro. A vibe that attracted those looking for the out-of-ordinary and with its location, keeping out the "Westport / PnL" type of partiers. My last visit to the original Ship was in 1993 for a going away party for myself when I took a job in Alaska for a while. Shortly after The Ship was closed to make way for Ilus Davis Park, yet before it was torn down scenes from Robert Altman's "Kansas City" were filmed here and thankfully the interior was salvaged, put into storage and later used to re-birth The Ship for a new 21st century cult following. Using the original interior pieces, they have built a large complex in an old warehouse space in the West Bottoms that not only plays homage to the original, but expands upon the vibe with art, found objects and decor that creates a places that is not a cheap rip-off of the original but a bar and live music venue worthy of this great city. The best renovation and architectural salvation project in town. I was a bit leery to visit at first because of my distant and fond memories, but The "new" Ship now has a returning passenger. My last two visits over the past 3 weeks have been for live music. The Ozark Cobras in the original small space and then for Found -a-Job in the newer larger space. Once again The Ship provided opportunities to run into people from my past life and make some new friends as well, while soaking up the history and nostalgia and enjoying some great music and some local beers. We are blessed in this city to have Knuckleheads in the East Bottoms and The Ship in the West Bottoms - two of the most unique and organic music venues in the midwest. I wish Vinnie and the old gang were here to see it! read more
9 months ago
5 months ago
2 years ago
This is a super fun and one of the most unique venues in KC. It's large with different rooms for dinner, drinks, and live music. And the ambiance is on point with the nautical theme. We started with some drinks and dinner. I went with one of their drink specials, the Dragonfruit margarita-Silver Tequila, fresh lime, agave, and dragonfruit. It was really sweet and summery. This would be fantastic on a hot summer evening on their patio. My partner ordered a fig Manhattan and thought it was good. I ordered the Cubano: shaved ham, salami, roasted pork loin, swiss cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard, pressed french roll. This version reminded me of a Cuban that the foundry had before they closed. It was one of my favorites and I'm so glad I ordered this one. I love the addition of the salami and I appreciate the pressed French roll. I'd definitely order it again. I upgraded my side to the smoked Mac and cheese: creamy classic mac and cheese, hickory smoked Kansas City style. This was some of the best Mac and cheese that I've had in KC. I would totally order it by itself as an entree. My partner tried the KC Reuben: hickory smoked pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, kc special thousand island, marbled rye. He said it had good flavor but the meat was a little on the fatty side. But he still ate it and said it was overall good. He also tried the coleslaw. He said it was alright. It had celery and red peppers so it was a little non traditional and it was chopped pretty large. We also ordered a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo. It also had a good flavor and we'd definitely order it again. After dinner we made our way over to the music venue side. They do have a few tables throughout but you'd need to arrive early to snag one because they fill up fast. They also have bars in a few different locations so you can easily grab a drink. The dance floor in the middle is fun. It quickly filled up with people and there were even some dance offs. Definitely check out this spot and grab food, drinks, and listen to some music. read more
3 years ago
Our server was nice and friendly. The food was pretty good. My red beans and rice were kinda bland. My husband enjoyed his shrimp po boy. The one negative thing was someone in our party walked into an area where there was a bar and an employee came up to her and said what are you doing here and she said I'm just looking. He said "get out" very rudely. She saw when she walked out of the doors which were propped open that there were 2 little signs that said "ship crew only". So while it's understandable that she wasn't supposed to be there - the way she was spoken to was completely rude and unnecessary. read more
3 years ago
Went for lunch and it was super cute. The interior is decorate with lots of nautical ship items. Started with the Bloodhound drink. It was good, a gin with grapefruit. For an app we had the green beans. They were delicious and crispy The Mac and cheese is creamy. I had pulled pork on this side. It was a little more fatty than I like The Cuban was decent. Staff were quick and kind. Would definitely go back to try dinner read more
11 months ago
3 years ago
Let me tell you about "The Ship". The original "Ship" was a lounge that operated from about 1935 until 1995. The original location's real estate was scraped to make way for Ilus Davis Park. The owners dismantled the bar, took all of the furnishings and bric-à-brac, and put them in storage. In 2004, the current owners obtained these artifacts, and recreated The Ship in its current space. The area surrounding The Ship is in transition. It looks like it was a warehouse district, and the buildings are being repurposed or redeveloped. The bartender told me that it isn't unheard of for someone on a controlled substance to lash out and break a car window. Beyond that, the area is safer than it appears at first glance. The bar can be described as being separated into two spaces, each with its own stage. On slow nights, they operate one room. This venue hosts live music. If you check out their website (www.theshipkc*com), you'll see that the genre of music varies from night to night. There might be a cover to pay for the entertainment. Basic drink prices are really reasonable. I spent an evening, had more than a few beers and mixed drinks, and my tab was less than $30.00 before gratuity. Cover charge for the band was $10.00. I was staying near KCLive. The Ship was out of the way, compared to a lot of options. But my visit was worth the time and effort to get there. read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
11 months ago
Had lunch at The Ship this week and it was great! Interesting place.....kinda dumpy....but dumpy with ambiance. We loved it. The food was also very good. Good sandwiches and hamburgers. Fries were hot, crispy and also very good. Mac and Cheese was good--but a bit spicy. Red beans and rice was also good. Drinks were well done. Beer was cold....mixed drinks were well made and the service was fine. If you want to eat at someplace with character....give the Ship a try! read more
3 months ago
Super fun spot. Staff are phenomenal and very polite. The food was fine but that's not really what this spot is for. The drinks were great! This place is huge with many different rooms. Nicely decorated with fun ship decor and dim lighting It's in the west bottoms and you definitely won't think you're in the right place if you've never been over there before. read more
3 years ago
The Ship is a fantastic local spot from lunch to late night to even hosting large events in their All Else The Seas Lounge. As president of the party planning committee at my work, I was tasked with organizing the holiday party and choosing The Ship as our venue. We leaned into the venue with the theme "Tis The SEASon" and it was a hit. They were super accommodating and flexible with everything from the in-house catered menu to the event time, set-up, guest count and signature cocktails (and mocktails)! For a party spot, their food is surprisingly solid. All in all, I'm always down to go to The Ship for a happy hour or hang and would love to host a party in their event space again sometime soon. Check their website for upcoming public/ticketed events and live music. read more
This is the cutest bar, and small music venue that I've been to in awhile! The wait staff is exceptional, and we even got to see one of our favorite bartenders from another location working here. We will be back for other shows! read more
3 years ago
What a fun place, hidden in the west bottoms, for live music, drink, and food. Heads up, if you're coming into the restaurant only, and there is a live band playing, they will still make you pay the 10$ cover before you go to your seat for food. The restaurant was decent! I ordered a Cesar salad with chicken along with some fries. I did ask for no croutons, maybe our waiter took that as no garlic bread either (which comes with the entree size), which was actually perfect since I have a gluten allergy. Cesar dressing comes vegetarian. There were several vegetarian options, and we had a vegetarian in our small group, so it was appreciated. Another person in the group had ordered the red beans and rice entree, but was presented with the gumbo. This normally would have been fine, except my friend does not eat beef, and accidentally consumed some, thinking she got red beans and rice. So, the kitchen was a bit off that night. Service was a bit slow. We got our drinks really quickly, but it did take quite a bit of time before our waiter came back for food orders, or for food to come out. Since we were told we needed to pay the cover for restaurant entrance, we went ahead and stayed for a little bit afterwards too. Lots of seating and standing room, tropical plants everywhere in the front, and a full bar available. read more
This is a classic KC joint. On a recent visit back I just had to visit with my BF who had never been there. My prior visits were all night time visits for drinks. We stopped in for a late lunch. His Cubano was excellent and much enjoyed. I had a veggie Cubano, which was also great. I have an excellent Vieux Carre. Fun atmosphere and solid service make this a go-to. Who knew the dining was so good? Now that you do, you should go try it. read more
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1221 Union Ave
Kansas City, MO 64101
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(816) 471-7447
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