Where to eat in Liberty MO ?

My granddaughter has some interviews at William Jewel College in Liberty MO
Any suggestions for place to eat. No chains please. BBQ/pizza/soup and sandwiches ?
Thanks

You will be less then ten miles from the Strouds North location. You would be a fool to get that close and not go!
 
CNW

Agreed.
 
Also, isn't that LC's Hamburger joint (not to be confused with LC's BBQ; excellent, but way south of Liberty) not too far from Liberty?
 
Buddy
 
Stroud's Oakridge Manor
5410 NE Oakridge Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64119
(816) 454-9600
LC's Hamburgers
7612 NW Prairie View Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64151
(816) 741-6027

I haven't been to liberty in a while, but there is every chain restaurant in the World, it appears. 
A place reccomended by a guy on the KC development board is La Tienda Chiquita, closer to the square-
 La Tienda Chiquita
A unique KC experience in the Northland is In-A-Tub tacos-
 In-a-Tub - Kansas City Locations | Urbanspoon
and if you make it down to NKC, you can try Smokin' Guns               BBQ
 Smokin' Guns BBQ - North Kansas City / Riverside - North Kansas City | Urbanspoon
 
For Pizza Minsky's is a local chain that is A-OK
 Minsky's Pizza - Liberty | Urbanspoon
The most unique place up that way is Justus Drugstore-
high end dining in Smithville
 Justus Drugstore Restaurant - Smithville | Urbanspoon
William Jewel is a neat little college and I hope your granddaughter likes it. 

I've heard good things about Wabash BBQ, not that far away from Liberty, in Excelsior Springs.
 
http://www.wabashbbq.com/

In-A-Tub Tacos is indeed a "unique" experience.  You know that yellow powder you get in the blue box of macaroni and "cheese"?  Well, that's the stuff they put on their tacos in place of an actual dairy product.  I suppose if you grew up with the stuff, it holds some sentimental draw.  But if you're coming to In-A-Tub as an adult newcomer, its charms are less than evident.  I speak from first hand experience.  If your morbid curiosity is peaked, I recommend going in with at least one other person, ordering one taco, and then splitting it so no one person is burdened with consuming the entire thing.
 
As for good pizza, it is practically non-existent in Kansas City.  I don't say that with any level of Chicago Pizza snobbery, just a simple statement of fact, with which most KC natives will agree.  There are plenty of things that KC does really well; Barbecue (natch'), Fried Chicken, Soul Food, Pork Tenderloins, Hamburgers of various thicknesses and vintages; there's even a strong, growing population of good ethnic foods from all over the world.  But quality Pizza seems to have eluded my wife's hometown.  It's been more than 30 years since I set foot in a Minsky's, and I'm in no hurry to change that situation.
 
The closer you get to KC proper, the greater the selection to choose from.  If you're stuck in Liberty, you're choices are going to be more limited.  You might also want to consider consulting this site: http://lthforum.com/kc/ .  It is an off-shoot of the very well respected LTHForum that serves the Chicago area.  Not as much traffic as the Chicago version, but just as reliable.
 
Have a great trip!
 
Buddy

they ARE coming from Lincoln, and we're talking about a 17 year old. Just sayin'... :)

Okay, so if your only exposure to Mexican food is Taco Bell and the only pizza you've ever eaten came from Domino's or Little Caesar's, then your expectations aren't that high and you'll be fine with both In-A-Tub and Minsky's.  But if you want to start off your time in KC on the right foot, stick with the other suggestions made.
 
Buddy

hey Lincoln's a cool place. :)

It's alright; I've been.  Spent the night and then a day touring the capitol sights.  The capitol building itself is something to see.  A native described the building as "The Great Penis Of The Plains" ( http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/ne_intro.htm ). Her words, not mine.
 
Buddy

What is wrong with being 17...and being from Lincoln NE ( which she isn't )
And this 17 year old is not a Taco Beller....or whatever
How did we get from a food request to the penis of the plains ?

There is a Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza place in Liberty called The Dish. I think that it is as good as Lou Malnati's and Gino's East.
 
CNW

webean,
Not a darn thing wrong with either of those things (even if she was).  I just made a couple of legitimate recommendations (see my first post in this thread), and wanted you to avoid making some bad turns while in Liberty/KC.  I made no assumptions about your needs or background (at least not until bbqboy insinuated that being 17 and from Lincoln somehow lowered your granddaughter's experience with, or desire for, good Roadfood).
 
As for the GPOTP, I was merely relaying an amusing side note passed on to me by one of your fellow cornhuskers.  Not that it isn't a fair description, mind you.  And we got to that point because sometimes these threads meander a bit.  Meanwhile, you've got six or seven very good to excellent ideas for places to eat.  So, mission accomplished!
 
BTW, before he gets all up in arms, I'd agree with three of bbqboy's recs.  La Tienda, Smokin' Guns, and Justus Drugstore are all worth consideration.  Never been to Wabash BBQ, but zataar is a trusted source and a long time poster, so it's probably pretty good.  Of course, CNW's first rec, Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor, is a must!  Don't know about Dish, but here's a Pizza discussion at LTHForumKC that praises the place:
http://lthforum.com/kc/vi...7&hilit=dish#p2807
And I've heard nothing but positive things about LC's Hamburgers.
 
So there ya go.  It got a bit silly, but you got what you came after.
 
Still hoping you have a great trip,
Buddy

Buddy
Thanks
I did get some good ideas...and will pass them along to my granddaughter.
I am hoping she gets into WJ....then I have a good excuse to get to KC for some BBQ...and other RF delights
webean

hey Webean, being 17 wasn't meant to be an insult. :)
My son went through the vetting of colleges thing last year
and made similar tours and I've raised him to be a budding roadfooder and cook. 
Besides KC has it's own giant shaft in the Liberty Memorial
so Buddy wasn't playing favorites. 
Chicago should be so lucky. 

I did enjoy reading the KC forum you recommended but have never heard of the special one guy mentioned at a place called the Farmhouse. Crispy Pig Ear Salad.
No description was given.
 

BuddyRoadhouse


webean,
Not a darn thing wrong with either of those things (even if she was).  I just made a couple of legitimate recommendations (see my first post in this thread), and wanted you to avoid making some bad turns while in Liberty/KC.  I made no assumptions about your needs or background (at least not until bbqboy insinuated that being 17 and from Lincoln somehow lowered your granddaughter's experience with, or desire for, good Roadfood).

As for the GPOTP, I was merely relaying an amusing side note passed on to me by one of your fellow cornhuskers.  Not that it isn't a fair description, mind you.  And we got to that point because sometimes these threads meander a bit.  Meanwhile, you've got six or seven very good to excellent ideas for places to eat.  So, mission accomplished!

BTW, before he gets all up in arms, I'd agree with three of bbqboy's recs.  La Tienda, Smokin' Guns, and Justus Drugstore are all worth consideration.  Never been to Wabash BBQ, but zataar is a trusted source and a long time poster, so it's probably pretty good.  Of course, CNW's first rec, Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor, is a must!  Don't know about Dish, but here's a Pizza discussion at LTHForumKC that praises the place:
http://lthforum.com/kc/vi...7&hilit=dish#p2807
And I've heard nothing but positive things about LC's Hamburgers.

So there ya go.  It got a bit silly, but you got what you came after.

Still hoping you have a great trip,
Buddy

bbqboy,
I forgot about the Liberty Memorial near Union Station.  It does, in fact, rival Nebraska's state capitol for phallic interpretation.  It also houses the National World War I Museum, one of the best and most comprehensive WWI museums you will ever experience: http://www.theworldwar.or...w/index_community.aspx
 
It also provides great views of the city.  Totally worth a visit.
 
Buddy

Wabash has excellent ribs but it is a little hard to find. It is in an old Wabash railroad station on their Excelsior Springs branch line that was abandoned in the 30's. I recommend using a GPS to get there. Smokin Guns is nearly downtown and if I was that close to Bryant's, Gates, and Oklahoma Joe's I would go to one of them as I believe the BBQ is better. Justus Drugstore is $50-$75 per person minimum not including alcohol.
 
CNW