Travel And Photo Today Does Tapas

La Bodega – KC

If you love Tapas you are really going to enjoy dining at LA BODEGA, the best tapas restaurant in Kansas City. For the uninitiated, Tapas are a Spanish speciality – “small plates” or “small appetizers.” A “Tapas” is basically a small portion of a menu item, hot or cold, as opposed to a “Plato” or full dish. Dining on tapas is a wonderful way to sample a variety of Spanish dishes. And dining with friends for a night of tapas is a delightful way to socialize for the evening – ordering a variety of tapas for the table – and eating and talking the night away. If you are in the Kansas City area and this sounds like your idea of a good time – then you really should try La Bodega – “Delicioso!”

La Bodega has been in Kansas City since 1998. Sometimes referred to as La Bodega on The Boulevard, it is located in a trendy section of Southwest Boulevard. The area, just west of downtown Kansas City and only one mile from Kansas City’s Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial, offers a variety of restaurants, most with a Mexican flair. La Bodega fits in well, offering a welcome variation to the area’s Mexican restaurant options.

La Bodega is a fun and casual dining restaurant offering both indoor and patio (street side) seating as well as a small bar area. The bright and airy interior with colorful decor gives customers a feeling of welcome and good spirits. Good Times – Good Food – Good Friends – Good Drinks.

LOCATION –

La Bodega is centrally located near the heart of Kansas City:

Address – 703 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108

Phone – 816.472.8272

SPRING HOURS

Monday – Thursday: 2pm – 10pm
Friday: 2pm – 11pm
Saturday: 10am – 11pm
Sunday: 10am – 10pm

BRUNCH HOURS

Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 2pm

HAPPY HOUR

Monday – Friday: 2pm – 5pm

THE RESTAURANT –

La Bodega is a casual restaurant located just to the west of Central Kansas City, Missouri on Southwest Boulevard. It has a bright and vibrant decor which contributes to it’s happy and active vibe. There is a rather expansive interior seating area with wall to wall windows facing the street which contributes to a bright and airy quality to the space. There is a small inside bar area with seating and also street-side tables with umbrellas providing a cooling shade to the westward facing area.

***La Bodega Patio Seating*** – (internet image)

THE FOOD –

La Bodega has a rather extensive menu. And I must say, all of the items sound delicious. Additionally, others dining nearby reported that their dinner items were uniformly outstanding. The extensive menu is packed with a variety of creative and tasty items listed in Spanish – with English translation just in case your Spanish is a bit dusty.

LA BODEGA MENU

Menu Selections at La Bodega cover a range of offerings of delicious Spanish cuisine.

Appetizers & Light Selections – diners can select from a number of Queso, Jamon, Y Embuditos offerings (Cheese, Spanish Ham, and Sausages). There are also a variety of Ensaladas & Sopas (Salads & Soups) .
Paella – The “National Dish of Spain – If dining with a group you might be very interested to know that La Bodega serves up three variations of Paella. Paella Valenciana, Paella Mariscos and Paella Verduras. Paella is a large dish to be shared with friends. La Bodega offers Paella in large and small servings which gives diners some flexibility depending on the size of their group.
Tapas – La Bodega has a very extensive tapas menu, including 10 Tapas Frias (chilled taps) and 20 Tapas Calientes (hot tapas).
Beverages – La Bodega also offers a variety of wines, cocktails, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages to compliment your meal.

A portion of the La Bodega menu is presented below. You can view the entire menu on their website by clicking here – La Bodega Menu

On my most recent visit to La Bodega I was joined by four other photographers. ( An editorial note: when writing articles such as this photo review of restaurants it is often wise to dine with other photographers. They tend to be more understanding when you take photos of their food and wander the restaurant taking photos of the bar and decor.) It was a wonderful evening. The service was great and the food delicious.

One of my table mates selected the Caesar’s Salad for dinner as well as tapas. While not exactly a Spanish dish, she reported the salad was excellent. The rest of use made a meal of tapas. We selected a variety of items and enjoyed the opportunity to taste and sample at least a few of La Bodega’s extensive tapas menu.

Our Tapas Selections for the eventing:

Patatas Bravas – Potatoes in spicy tomato sauce

Pan Plano Con Salmon Ahumado – grilled flatbread with smoked salmon, goat cheese, capers, cucumber & chives.

Gambas A La Plancha – sauteed shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes.

Papas Fritas Con Ajo – refried roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli

Alcachofas Con Jamon Y Manchego – fried Spanish artichokes with crispy Serrano and Manchego fonduta

Pintxo De Polo Y Chorizo -Skewered chicken and chorizo with garlic-cumin aioli (only 1 pictured – so good they were eaten before I could take the photo!)

THE Bottom Line …………

La Bodega is definitely a winner if you enjoy Spanish cuisine. The food is excellent, the service great and the atmosphere is upbeat and full of energy. Dining at La Bodega is a great experience. It’s a perfect place to meet up with friends for a pleasant evening of food, drink and conversation. Good food and good friends. A hard to beat combination.