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Hereford House – A Kansas City Icon

The name Hereford House is synonymous with steaks in Kansas City. Since their start in 1957, this restaurant chain has evoked memories of the old stockyard days in the West Bottoms. While it’s a little toned down these days, they still have a nice selection of western accents dotting the interior of their restaurants. Some of our favorites are the saddles in the entry. Every time we go there my thoughts shift to a good steak dinner

While steak is there mainstay, we find some nice alternatives on the Happy Hour menu. Our standard visit will include a couple Long Island Ice Teas to start with, while we review the menus. We both find Hereford House has one of our favorite versions of this boozy cocktail. One is always enough for us, since this is usually the first stop on an evening of adventure. Sitting at the bar gives us an opportunity to chat with Natalya, when it isn’t too busy. Of course, now that we are sharing this place with everyone, we expect that it will increase the traffic. Oh well, as they say, the more the merrier.

The bar area has about a dozen barstools available, so the area can become quite packed around 6:00, which is why we usually plan our visits earlier. There are three television sets, which are always set to sports, and seem to merely be a flashing diversion, since the sound is always turned down. The bar staff has a good grasp on just about any drink you can think of, and it is interesting to watch them ply their trade. I prefer that over the television, and find it more entertaining. One of the advantages of the Happy Hour visit is the meal portions. Hereford House offers up a handful of appetizers at reduced prices, although we rarely order these. We find the entrees to be filling, without the starters. If we were in a small group, these small bites would bee handy to munch on while visiting.

Let’s Eat!

The Hereford House Happy Hour menu has seven entrees to choose from, and all except one costs $10.00 or less. We find these to be a good bargain considering the quality of the dishes. I believe we have sampled every entree on the menu, and now we usually select one of a few of our favorites. This evening I decided to have the Fish and Chips, which comes with a serving of their steak fries. We both enjoy the Boulevard beer battered fillets, which come in a trio with the house made tarter sauce. It always comes out piping hot, and it’s difficult to start slowly when I smell them. Fortunately, Natalya is more than willing to bring us extra tarter sauce if the need arises.

In a switch from our usual, Crystal was the one dining on beef this evening. Hereford House offers a 10 ounce Steakburger, that is really made with steak cuts. The meat for the patties is a mix of ribeye and tenderloin, and has amazing taste. On this occasion she chose the blue cheese topping, and as always the lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion are on the side. I realize that they don’t show up in the picture, but that is because the burger is large enough to block them from view. Like my meal, Crystal’s came with the steak fries as the side. As we dined, a conversation was struck up with a group nearby, and it was obvious that they were also regulars. I guess the word is already out about the Happy Hour, and now we will have to arrive even earlier. Perhaps we will see you there one of these times. If so, be sure to say Hi!

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Upon entering Pierpont’s, guests will see the 30 foot tall mahogany bar. This is a great gathering spot during Happy Hours. Patrons sip exotic cocktails, while watching the bartenders scramble up and down the ladder for ingredients. It makes for a grand mix of cosmopolitan and vintage, and is quite often the topic of conversations. While we have enjoyed cocktails at the bar in the past, that was not meant to be tonight. We arrived on a Friday evening, and were escorted to our table in the dining area.

Our waiter for the evening was John, who reviewed the chef’s recommendations and took our drink order. This visit was specifically meant as a chance to test their Three Course Tasting Menu. Our daughter had pre-purchased this for us, and we had been trying to find an opportunity to enjoy it. The tasting menu that we chose included an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for each of us. As we placed our orders, John pointed out that my choice could be reduced in price by ordering off the regular menu. He also pointed out that the serving portion would be larger if ordered this way. Now that is some great inside information, and it was truly appreciated. With our orders placed we sat back and savored the ambiance of the room.

Our Meal at Pierpont’s

In short order our first course was brought out. Crystal chose the Pear & Almond Salad to start. After a few bites decided that it was not exactly the flavor combination she had hoped for. Fortunately, I was more than willing to take over from there, and we swapped plates. The fennel flavor really shines through in this dish, which was probably what Crystal disliked. Being a fan, it worked well for me. I finished the bowl. Besides the fennel and arugula, the rest of the salad was a little light on flavor. Still it paired well with the fresh sourdough bread that Pierpont’s serves with their meals.

My appetizer was the Artisan Cheese plate. This consists of three cheeses, pickled fennel and asparagus, as well as some garlic oil flavored toasted bread. The cheeses are chef selected, and the evening we were there they were all from the United States. The sharp cheddar was especially delightful, and paired well with the sweetness of the fennel slices. Soon the appetizers were finished, and we prepared for the main courses.

Crystal had chosen the Chicken Roulade for her entree, and the presentation is quite remarkable. The dish consists of a rolled, flattened chicken breast stuffed to bursting with cheeses. It is served on a bed of horseradish potatoes, and accompanied by shaved Brussels sprouts and assorted vegetables. This all floats in a caramelized onion broth. It adds another layer of flavor to the dish. The chicken flavor is light and tender, with the potatoes offering an unusual tang to the dish.

I chose the Twelve Hour Beef Short Ribs. As I stated before, John had helped me secure the best deal on this meal. The beef is a boneless cut, which is topped with roasted poblano pepper slices and hominy. It is flavored with a cider-honey BBQ sauce, and rests on a bed of the horseradish potatoes. The meat was incredibly tender, but still juicy. The flavor combination works well, with the slightly sweet sauce counteracting the spice of the peppers. Even though I knew I would regret it, I finished the whole thing.

Dessert

We were beginning to feel stuffed, but knew we had to persevere for the good of this article. With dessert looming, I took this opportunity to stretch my legs and get another view of the architecture. Pierpont’s Restaurant has as much charm, as it does great food. Tonight we were soaking them both up. Dessert arrived with a little fanfare, and we savored the presentation before digging in. Crystal’s slice of Chocolate Hazelnut Cake was made with a sweet hazelnut ganache sandwiched between layers of rich devils food cake. These were accompanied by crispy praline flavored bites called feulletine. A dollop of whipped marscapone crème made this dessert was as decadent as it was beautiful.

My dessert choice was the Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling. The cake was dense, yet moist, and the spiced filling blended well with the pumpkin. As full as I was before starting, I still tried to complete this dish. After a few bites I realized my attempt was futile, and I surrendered. John returned to check on us, and explained that the menu changes in the spring and fall, and that we were right at the tail end of the current menu. A lot of the dishes will rotate off, and be replaced with items that are more appropriate to the fresh ingredients that will be in season. This certainly explained the use of many root vegetables, as well as cold weather crops, in the dishes.

There are some dishes that remain year round, as they are the classics that people return for over and over. Armed with this information, we knew that a return visit would be warranted to test the options on the new menu. For the time being we decided the only thing to do was go for a nice, long walk to let dinner settle.

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It all started when a man named James Fitzpatrick decided to build a saloon in the Quality Hill district. He succeeded with the help of Jim and “Boss Tom” Pendergast. I was offered a tour of this landmark by Brett. He is very knowledgeable on the history of the building, as well as the city in general. The main floor is where patrons drank, while the upper floors were used for more shady undertakings. Upstairs was also the living quarters for Fitzpatrick. These days the second floor of The Majestic Restaurant has been converted into the Pendergast Club. This room was used as a secondary office by “Boss Tom” Pendergast. It is here that customers can schedule a private dining and lounging experience found nowhere else in the city. As Brett explained the history of the room, I noticed that it has a fully stocked bar. The decor includes unusual Kansas City artifacts, and some very comfortable leather seating.

Next we head downstairs to the Jazz Club. Here is where the saloon moved its operations during Prohibition. Thirsty speakeasy patrons would enter the next building over, and then pass through via an underground tunnel. With the protection of Boss Tom, Fitzpatrick’s Saloon was able to survive Prohibition. Unfortunately, the city was changing, and the area soon became known as the Garment District. The saloon closed up shop, and converted into a garment manufacturing location. By the middle of the 20th Century, the building had fallen into disrepair and sat empty. In 1983, two Kansas City natives purchased the site, and set to work restoring its hidden beauty. They acquired a bar from New Orleans, which had been built in 1880 (pictured at the top of the article). They had it placed downstairs in the refurbished home of the Jazz Club. Patrons can enjoy live jazz music nightly, while savoring drinks and eats in an intimate setting.

The new owners also purchased a second bar from New Orleans. This one is 40 feet long, and occupies a prime location on the main floor. During the renovation, the molded tin ceiling tiles were restored, as well as the original exterior copper façade. Local artist Jack O’Hara was commissioned to paint a mural near the entrance. It showcases more than a dozen people with strong ties to the Kansas City area. During your visit you should see how many you can identify.

With an abundance of historical data swirling through my head, I decided I should check to see if our meals were ready. Fortunately, I made it back just in time. Crystal didn’t seem to be put out about the length of time I was gone, and I told her a little about what I had learned. Being an early Saturday afternoon, they were still serving brunch. Both of us were already well past our breakfast mode, so Crystal chose the Lemon Rosemary Chicken Salad Wrap. The meal is wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, and offered a flavorful departure from burgers. For her side, she went with fresh fruit, which was a combination of cantaloupe, grapes, and pineapple chunks.

I went for a more unusual entree, and selected the Cherry Pecan Chicken with Goat Cheese. This came with two sides, so I picked the Rice Pilaf and the fruit. When it arrived I was unsure about my choice. I am usually a beef eater guy, so selecting chicken is a new thing for me. Of course, it is one that I am trying to do more often. My first bite told me that I had made a good choice. The flavor combination of the semi-sweet cherries, crunchy pecans, and tangy goat cheese burst on my taste buds. This is probably not a recipe I would have thought of on my own, so I have to give a big compliment to the person who created it.

Our visit coincided with the Big 12 Tournament, and we fell into conversation with a couple sitting next to us. We learned that they were from Colorado, and have been to every Big 12 tourney for the past 28 years. They had developed their own list of favorite places in the metro. We discussed these, as well as some of our favorite places in and around Denver. It was a comfortable conversation, and it gave credit to the relaxed atmosphere found at The Majestic Restaurant. Soon we had to bid goodbye to our restaurant mates, as the tournament games were restarting. We gave our thanks to Brett for a wonderful experience, and headed out the historic entrance. Soon we found ourselves back into the present, but with a new found respect for the history of the old Fitzpatrick’s saloon.

Have you ever had the pleasure of dining at The Majestic Restaurant? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

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