Paleo-friendly Restaurants in Kansas City

If you’re looking for AIP or paleo-friendly restaurants in Kansas City, you’ve come to the right place. While my wife and I now live in Chicago, I lived in Kansas City for about 15 years and my wife was actually born there, so most of our “Paleo upbringing” was spent in the beautiful city of KC! As such, Britt and I became pros of navigating the Kansas City food scene and finding restaurants that were progressive and/or flexible enough to meet our dietary needs while eating meals out.

As you can imagine, Kansas City isn’t as progressive as say, San Francisco, New York, or even Boulder, CO when it comes to allergen-friendly food, but it is making strides. Many Kansas City restaurants are really tapping into the local farming network and beginning to offer more sustainable / local / grass-fed / free-range food, and several restaurants around the city now offer separate gluten-free or dairy-free menus, which is really helpful.

That said, please be advised that while some of the restaurants on this list may allow you to find a paleo-friendly or Whole30 item based on what foods are permitted on the diet, they may not live up to the paleo philosophy of local / farm-fresh / etc. For instance, you will see just a couple restaurants like Applebee’s on the list – *gasp!* Trust me, if given the choice between eating at a local, sustainable restaurant that serves local organic foods and a chain restaurant like Applebee’s, I’d obviously choose the former 100-to-1. But oftentimes we would go out with Britt’s family (who lived in a much more suburban area of Kansas City) and there just weren’t those kinds of options. Or maybe we’d be out all day and the only places around were a few chains. So if you’re in a pinch, on the road, or invited to spend time with friends and family at a chain restaurant, don’t panic: while the quality may not be the highest, remember that it’s all about balance – if you eat 95% “clean” at home or at local restaurants that serve high-quality ingredients, don’t fret about enjoying your one night out on the town per month or grabbing a meal with family who loves Longhorn every six months. 🙂

PLEASE ALSO BE ADVISED: due to everyone’s bio-individuality, the stage you’re at in your own healing journey, and the fact that there aren’t actually any true “AIP-friendly” restaurants in Kansas City, these establishments are only suggestions of where you may be able to find a meal that is workable within the paleo or AIP frameworks. I have not always included what I order at these restaurants (in the list below) because ultimately it is up to you to understand what foods you can and cannot eat, and to ask questions about individual menu items as you go along. Usually I go for a burger without a bun, a steak or a chicken breast or half chicken if they have it, but what might work for one person (or myself) may not work for you or the next person. You will also likely need to make mild substitutions to menu items or – if your food sensitivities / allergies are particularly severe – give the restaurant a heads-up before heading in. Also, I always recommend researching the menu ahead of time so that you can ensure eatery success!

One more thing: Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed by asking for a gluten-free/dairy-free menu, or asking for modifications to menu items — the places I’ve listed have been happy to accommodate my wife and I on multiple occasions, and are more than happy to help us have a fun and safe dining experience at their establishment. Just be polite, understand if they say they can’t make that particular substitution, and do your best!

Now without further ado, here is a list of restaurants / eateries where we have had success eating out in Kansas City while following the paleo or AIP (or maybe Whole30) diet.

Overland Park / Olathe (Kansas) Areas

• Barley’s Kitchen + Tap
• Whole Foods salad or hot food bars (there are 3 locations throughout Overland Park & Olathe)
• Sheridan’s Unforked
• BRGR (Leawood or Prairie Village locations)
• Gordon Biersch
• The Mixx (Leawood location)
• Longhorn Steakhouse (if you order a steak, ask for no seasoning or light seasoning, and no steak butter)
• Texas Roadhouse
• Applebee’s

Kansas City (Missouri) Area

• The Mixx (Country Club Plaza or KCP&L downtown location)
• BRGR (KCP&L downtown location)
• Tomfooleries (Plaza)
• Beer Kitchen (Westport)
• Dempsey’s (Westport)
• Cafe Gratitude (caution: this is a vegan restaurant, so there is a high use of nuts. I’ve had success with ordering a “Gorgeous” salad, sub balsamic fig dressing, minus hemp seeds. You can also ask for a side of sweet potatoes but be sure to ask for them plain without any seasoning or sauce)
• The Corner Restaurant (Westport)
• Opera House (in the River Market – they have a grill at the back of the space where you can get some paleo-friendly grub)
• Red Door Grill (Brookside – ask for no seasoning if you order the sweet potato fries because I think it may contain an irritant)
• Farmhouse (River Market)
• Seasons 52 (Plaza)
• McCoy’s (Westport)
• Chicken ‘N’ Pickle (North Kansas City – they have amazing rotisserie chicken!)
• The Oliver (Country Club Plaza)
• Planet Sub (they actually do lettuce wraps and are very willing to help you customize a lettuce wrap “sub,” so this is a great option if you’re in a pinch)

Paleo-friendly Snacks / Juiceries

• Evolve Juicery & Paleo Kitchen (Crossroads District in KC)
• Simple Science Juices (OP, Brookside, KCP&L District, soon-to-be Leawood)
• Ruby Jean’s Juicery (Midtown or Downtown KC)
• T.Loft (Leawood location, Country Club Plaza, State Line Road)
• Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s / Natural Grocers / Nature’s Own Market (throughout the metro)
• Cafe Gratitude (Crossroads District in KC)
• Mud Pie Bakery (39th Street, or 95th & Metcalf in Overland Park – try a tea latte with housemade coconut milk!)
• Unbakery (Brookside)

Other Types of Restaurants / Cuisines to Typically Avoid On Paleo or AIP Diets

Based on experience, these types of restaurants tend to be pretty difficult to find something that is AIP-compliant. This is primarily due to the spices used to marinate and season meats and sauces, which are difficult to work around. Please use caution if still in strict elimination phase of AIP or other medically advised diet.

• Mexican
• Indian
• Sushi
• BBQ joints (yes, even though Kansas City is the BBQ capital of America, you may have to forego eating out at a BBQ restaurant – trust me on this. Even if you get “plain” meats with no sauce, you may be in for a rough night because the spice rubs often contain nightshades, MSG or even gluten. You *may* have success at a restaurant called Q39 because they do claim to be gluten-free BBQ, but still – proceed with caution. Nightshades may be hidden! My wife and I have made this mistake one too many times.)
• Asian cuisines (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc.)
• Middle Eastern

I hope this helps in your journey – enjoy and remember to have fun! And please feel free to share any additional restaurants that you’ve had success with in the Kansas City area so that I can add them to the list. 🙂