Outside the gate of the City Market in downtown Kansas City, is a little restaurant inside an old opera house. The Opera House Coffee and Food Emporium is a great place to grab a bite to eat when venturing downtown to visit the City Market.
As busy as the downtown area was, I was surprised at the ease my large family found a table. While the café was busy, it still had enough tables for people to come in. Many of the people who come to the City Market, eat in the restaurants inside the market for the variety international cuisine that is served in various booths and restaurants available. The City Market, however, is purely American food that is good if you simply want to eat something familiar after a couple of hours of walking.
The Opera House Coffee and Food Emporium resides the old Gillis Opera House, originally built in 1883 as a four story structure and rebuilt as a two story theater and retail space in 1925. Now, the restaurant contains three different venues—a coffee house, a grill, and a small cocktail bar. The restaurant still provides live shows from time to time. The atmosphere is a very interesting one with the different themes throughout the building.
Monica ordered our lunch from the grill while we waited in the cocktail bar, as it is closed on the weekends—opening only for happy hour on weekdays. I ordered the House Burger and Fries. I found the burger to be very enjoyable and was able to finish the burger without feeling stuffed. I found the flavor of the food to be excellent. It was an enjoyable lunch and a great way to rest before continuing our shopping.
The next time we are in the area, the Opera House will be a definite consideration for our lunch.