You may have heard that a new restaurant opened in the former Tanner’s location in Waldo…it’s called Brick+Mortar.  I stopped by last week to check out the space and was quite surprised…the food on this menu is not your usual bar and grill fare, which is what I was expecting.  Read on for details!

First, a bit of background:  This is the second location for a Brick+Mortar, following the first in Santa Monica and a third  planned for Pittsburgh.  The two owners, Travis Lester and Justin Schafer, started a restaurant company called BRG, with seven other concepts and restaurants.  They chose to expand into Kansas City, bringing a west coast vibe to the midwest. Surrounded by neighborhoods and other local business, Waldo seemed like a great location to settle into.

Walking into Brick+Mortar, you’ll find two large garage door windows opening to the street; several TVs, two bars and a small outdoor patio.  There’s a large mural dominating one wall, featuring the skyline of Kansas City. General Manager Brandi Wilmes says “Our atmosphere is for everyone, with a female driven environment. With our elevated bar food menu, we think it’s a place everyone will find welcoming. We have a full scratch kitchen, everything is made fresh in house including our hand cut pastas and the chitarra has become one of my favorite menu items.  Our mixologist worked at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and has created a more sophisticated bar menu including our most popular drink-  the Flower Bomb”. That’s  a tequila based cocktail with citrus and in house made ginger syrup. The “bomb” aspect of the drink comes from the flower garnish that is the “buzz button” : a szechuan flower that creates a strong tingling, numbing and mouth-watering sensation, fully opening your tastebuds to the unique flavor.  Popular food menu items include the ahi tuna poke, the in-house rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and grilled fish tacos.  There’s also hamachi crudo, octopus, amazing burgers and several small plates. Brisket is ground in house—served with fresh cut fries. Brandi also mentioned the atmosphere is “energetic and new, with entertainment 5 days a week”, which could be a live band or DJ.

Brick+Mortar has some great food specials on Monday ($1 burger) and Tuesday ($2 tacos) 6pm-close with the purchase of a drink. Wednesday’s special is “boards and bottles”- ½ priced bottles of wine and ½ priced cheese, charcuterie and brie boards.  They are open seven days a week, with happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6:30, a late night kitchen menu from 11pm-2:30am, and brunch 10am-4pm every Saturday and Sunday.

Brick+Mortar is located at 7425 Broadway, just south of The Well.  Chances are their menu has something that will catch your eye the next time you are looking for a new place to eat!