Ferruzza Review of Raglan Road
Although downtown Kansas City’s newest Irish pub, Raglan Road is only open a couple of months, such was the build up to that opening in KC’s Power & Light district that it feels like it’s been constantly in the news for much longer.
Charles Ferruzza has his review published in the Pitch where he makes a lot of sense.
Recognising that, as I have been saying ad naseum, the “authentic Irish pub” in America is really a restaurant with a pub theme, Ferruzza reviews Raglan Road as one would review a restaurant more than a pub:
The fare here is more cosmopolitan than you might expect — I mean, it’s not all rustic bangers and mash, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie. And that is as it should be: For all of its vintage décor, Raglan Road has less in common with an Irish saloon from 1901 — when there were no fewer than 130 Irish barkeeps in Kansas City, according to Pat O’Neill’s “From the Bottom Up” — than movie idol Colin Farrell has with the late Tom Pendergast.
It’s a good read, with some history, architecture, background, and an Oscar Wilde visit to KC thrown in there. While the physical space, collection of spaces really, creates a great impression, the service over 4 visits gets mixed reviews.
Most importantly though the food is seen as good. Sometimes excellent, fantastic, and glorious, other times a disappointment, rubbery and a kiss off.
Despite any negatives though Ferruzza’s friend Addison sums up Raglan Road the way many have done to me:
I still love this place. It’s the Hollywood version of an old Irish saloon, and it gives the Power & Light District a lot of class.
Because I’m picky though, I’m going to express surprise at hearing Dublin’s Brendan Behan being described as high glamour of any period, let alone the Edwardian one which finished over a decade before he was born.
And speaking of ad naseum, we really must stop calling Irish sausages “bangers”. When you stop doing it, I’ll stop banging on about it. Ha! See what I did there?
Raglan Road is located at 170 East 14th Street. (816) 994-9700.
Hours: 11am-10pm Sun-Thur, 11am-11pm Fri & Sat.
More on Kansas City’s Raglan Road:
• Raglan Road Crowds
• Raglan Road Blog
• Raglan Road, Photo of the Actual Road in Dublin
• Raglan Road, the Song Based on the Patrick Kavanagh Poem
• Byrne Custom Woodworking for KC’s Raglan Road
• Raglan Road Chef Kevin Dundon Launches Gourmet Irish Sausages
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