The Restaurant at 1900

The Restaurant at 1900

Damn Good
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The Restaurant at 1900 runs on hospitality as much as on food, and it shows in the small stuff: staff who greet regulars by name, who can rattle off a suggestion before you ask, who treat the bar seats like the best seats in the house. Sit there. The rare liqueurs collection alone is worth the conversation, and the espresso martini has a real claim to being the best version of that drink in the city.

The kitchen backs up the room's warmth without over-explaining itself. Dessert is where it gets interesting — an ice cream sandwich built from butter cookie, coconut ice cream, banana, and a lime caramel finish that keeps the whole thing from tipping too sweet. It's a small, specific idea executed with real control, and it's the kind of dish that makes you trust the rest of the menu.

The recognition backs up what the room already tells you: James Beard semifinalist nods for hospitality and for the kitchen across multiple years aren't handed out for a place that's merely pleasant. This is a restaurant that has figured out exactly what it wants to be, and does it well.

The Spot
The Restaurant at 1900 occupies the 1900 Building, where the structure's distinctive "tulip" columns carry into the restaurant's entrance. Chef Linda Duerr runs the kitchen, cooking modern American food shaped by her New England roots alongside Italian and French influences, with the menu updated seasonally around available ingredients. Dessert gets its own dedicated menu, and it's a section regulars single out.

The beverage program is run by Doug Frost, one of a small handful of people worldwide to hold both Master of Wine and Master Sommelier titles, and it extends into reserve bottles and allocated pours alongside a frequently changing cocktail and spirit-free list. Front of house is led by General Manager Keith Goldman.

The James Beard Foundation named Duerr a Best Chef semifinalist in 2019 and 2020, and recognized the restaurant as an Outstanding Hospitality semifinalist in 2023. Locally, it has built a reputation as something of a hidden gem, with regulars citing attentive service and a seasonal menu of creative flavor combinations as reasons the high-end pricing holds up.
THE FACTS
Damn Good
AWARDJames Beard Foundation Best Chef, semifinalist2019–2020
AWARDJames Beard Foundation Outstanding Hospitality, semifinalist2023
RATINGS4.8 stars across 383 reviews1 source
The Regulars
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Your Rating
City

Kansas City

Neighborhood

Westwood, KS

Price

$$$$

Cuisine

American

Chef

Owner

James Beard Semifinalist 2023
Recognition