Review Black Dirt - Kansas City

Just had the pleasure of dining here tonight with my dad, brother and their girlfriends! I was absolutely blown away! The service was amazing (shoutout to Scottie!!)! The ambiance was lovely, both intimate yet inviting! But honestly, the food was stellar. I tried everyone’s dishes and didn’t have one bad thing to say! We ordered so much, including: half chicken, steak and fries, fried chicken, scallops, motel mushroom, pear and apple salad, risotto, mashed potatoes, black beans, lime Creme dessert and tart n’ sweet dessert. ALL AMAZING! Cannot wait to go back soon.

This review it's long over due. I'll start by saying I have been a fan of this chef ever since his restaurant in Smithville. This restaurant is everything you want and more. My girlfriend and I went here for my birthday based in many recommendations, and we're not let down. We started at the bar while we waited for it table. Their cocktail menu was so much more than your average menu, if like to say it was a bit more classy. We ordered a couple drinks and an appetizer ( chicken gizzards) they were the best I've ever eaten. As we sat at our table, our waitress gave us some suggestions on how to maximize our dining experience and we did exactly that. We ordered about four small plates and one large entree to share. Everything was exquisite! At the end of our meal, we were that Chef Justus came to our table. He was very personable and kind. My girlfriend knew I was a fan of his and asked for a picture with him. Not only did he say yes, but he insisted that we come to the kitchen and take some with him and the other chefs inside the kitchen. I have said this to many people, this was easily in my top three dining experiences ever! This place is amazing!!

This is one of the most wonderful experiences I have had the pleasure of having. Chef Jonathan Justus is a treasure to Kansas City, and Missouri as a whole. We enjoyed The Dirt Board and the Crispy Pig Tail as our appetizers. The Dirt Board had a wonderful assortment of Iowa prosciutto, pickled vegetables, and amazing smoked salmon. While the Crispy Pig Tail was exactly what it sounds. It was the joints of the tail masterfully cooked to with a crispy outside and juicy melt in your mouth inside. The sauce was almost a BBQ sauce but still it's own thing. My wife had the Fried Chicken. They use free range chickens from Campo Lindo Farms. Which is a family farm in Lathrop, MO. I believe as much of the menu as possible is food to table. The chicken was delicious, but the real star was the sage gravy on the mashed potatoes. This was such a rich and creamy gravy that it tasted like no other gravy I have ever had. As for myself, I was treated to the best dish of the night. The special was French Buck Rabbit. This is not on the menu and was a special. The Chef prepared fresh rabbit that had been harvested that morning. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes, with greens and drenched in a rich cream sauce that was simply amazing. This was possibly the best dish I have ever had. I would work here just to learn to cook from the Chef. And lastly our desert was a perfect, corn fritters in the style of a beignet served over a variety of sauces lemon verbena, plum, and caramel. It was wonderfully light and rich at the same time.

When do you think of when you hear black dirt? I bet it was not a fantastic new restaurant, huh? Well now that you know what we're talking about, let's begin! Get the crispy pig tails. Just do it. I was a little iffy on trying them but oh my were they fantastic! Crispy on the outside with a tender flavorful inside. Complimented wonderfully by the vegetables and sauce that is it plated with. You may as well get some of their homemade bread and shatto butter to sop up some of the sauce. The bread is light and flavorful with just the butter as well. I opted for the half chicken meal which was incredibly tender and seasoned perfectly! It was paired with an excellent arugula salad. The lady went with the blackened catfish. Again, cooked to perfection and seasoned well. Oh my, the Missouri risotto and collard greens were the perfect pairing with that fish. Finished the meal off with the lime pots de creme dessert, which was essentially a deconstructed key lime pie... Perfect! Finally, not going in to much detail, but the drinks were strong and full of flavor as well. Get in there and check this place out!

Black Dirt is a great place to stop if you like a non-traditional take on classics. The bartender, Caleb, was one of the nicest staff members I've encountered in KC. I sampled chicken gizzards, salmon collar and the octopus. Everything was great, I will definitely return in the future.

Yes, the food was FANTASTIC, as expected after hearing raves from my foodie friends. What also impressed me was the staff. We were originally seated next to a very loud and obnoxious group. They had finished their meal, but weren't leaving. The staff could tell we were annoyed and they quickly moved us to a quieter space. Soon after that, Chef Johnathon came to our table to apologize personally for the loud guests and asked if the new seating was acceptable. From there, we got a chance to chat with him and find out more about his history and vision! Our waiter, Matt, was also amazing... courteous, down to earth with some humor mixed in. The wine director, Josh, was quite personable & picked out a fantastic Pinot Noir for our appetizers & meal. By the end of the night, we felt like the staff were our friends and fun, new memories were made. The night went far above my expectations!

Excited they’re open now and what a great menu. Outstanding cocktails, and food. Here’s what we tried this evening. Bacon wrapped chicken livers, brandade with mashed potatoes and smoke trout, duck confit, and crispy pig tail. Great evening and “Tall Brian” our server did a fantastic job of being knowledgeable and providing the best service, very personable.

Had a great experience at Black Dirt, the food was fantastic and the staff cordial. Accommodating would be an understatement. We had a small menu item adjustment and the chef personally came out to see how he could improve the dish with the requested change.

Black dirt is a fine dining establishment with fantastic food and warm service. I had a four course meal and each dish was just as good as the last! And well worth the pricetag. If you are from out of town, or live in the area but have never visited I would highly recommend it!

Very good food! We had the pig tails, octopus, braised beef, carrot salad and kale salad. The drinks were fabulous too! You will love the small plates and entree options.

Excellent cocktails! Has a great bar menu, didn’t eat in the dining area. I like that the menu wasn’t overly extensive. My husband and I love the vibe and decor in Black Dirt. Great job and keep improving!

I have been longing to try this place out since I heard Chef Justus brought his talents within city limits. It’s a very different vibe from the Drugstore in Smithville, but a very hip, comfortable space. Tuesday evening was a little slow, so hopefully he is doing well because we don’t have many places like this. Usually when I eat out, I come home feeling bloated and have indigestion. Jonathan’s attention to farm fresh ingredients makes all the difference. The four of us sampled 6 or 7 of the small plates and not only were they intriguing and delicious, but I walked out feeling great! Must trys are the Roasted Carrots, Duck Confit Fritters, Seared Scallops with ginger orange pickled fennel, and the Vegan Napoleon. Can’t wait to go back and explore the menu further!

Cuban Sandwich with the soup of the day. Sweet Potato bisque. Chicken fried gizzard salad. I can't remember the dressing. However everything was perfect! Black Dirt was recommend buy my son. When we go back we well order 4-5 small plates during the dinner. Oh the house made drink of the day was corn & lime soda. They added BlackBerry syrup for me.

Came for an afternoon bar trip. Drinks were great, and turns out everything on the patio is edible/ate used IN those drinks! Also, the best tots I think I’ve ever had. The crunch to soft potato ratio is perfect.

Black Dirt was highly recommended so I decided to walk there from my hotel. After a beautiful walk along the river and up Main Street. I was greeted by 2 friendly and welcoming hosts I sat in the bar as I was not hungry but determined to try something off their menu. (They also checked in me during dinner and thanked me when I left) Jaun Carlos made me a Black Dirty - a martini with gin infused with housemate charred olive mix, house blended olive brine and served with an olive stuffed olive. It’s a beautiful as it is delicious! I had the pozole and it was the perfect amount of food since i only needed a little something, something. This serving is extremely generous for $6! Jaun Carlos - Thank you for a nice conversation and a marvelous martini!! I appreciate your excellent service! Next time I’m in KC, I will return to try more cocktails and food!

I was at the Country Club Plaza and wanted a light meal with outside dining. Nothing jumped out at me... but then I just remembered about Black Dirt. I have always been a fan of Justus Drugstore so I was excited to try his new restaurant. It lived up to my expectations. I split two salads and a small plate with my dad. All three plates were quite unique and delicious. My favorite was a small plate with roasted carrots, avocado, mandarin organic and mint. Impressive layers of flavor. My dad loved the beet salad with pickled pine nuts. The spicy pecan pear salad was also very good. I will certainly return and highly recommend it.

This place is an experience. You'll be here awhile, and it is all about quality, not quantity. Use the knowledge of the waitstaff for recommendations because they know what they're talking about. Hand crafted beverages, and quality, well thought out dishes. Will be returning.

Craft drinks are very good and I loved the twist on the dirty Martini to include golden beet juice, it really balanced out the drink. Loved loved loved the duck eggs pasta small plate. Hoping they can make this into a large plate. I only like morel mushrooms but the mixed mushroom small plate was very good. The restaurant had a very good vibe with the different sections and look forward to cozzing up to the large horseshoe bar for other craft cocktails.

My partner brought me here on Sunday evening, the date night special is a great deal, I hope you keep doing it! I’ve never had octopus that wasn’t super chewy, but the octopus at Black Dirt is melt-in-your-mouth amazing! All of the dishes we shared were phenomenal, including the dessert! Every one of the staff members were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable!

John our server was amazing & every dish was as beautiful as it was delicious! Rabbit terrine with pickled watermelon, seared scallops with garden peas, grilled romaine with catfish “croutons”, all fantastic!

The food, drink, service, decor, ambience (you get the point!!) were amazing -- not that I was surprised in the least!!! I'm telling everyone I know how wonderful Black Dirt is, just as I have done with Justus Drugstore. I loved everything about it!!

Over the top food selection, creativity and quality! I ate at the bar and the bar service was the very best!!! Margot knew her menu and drinks exceptionally well!! She took the time to explain each food item including the breads and butter!! I had the scallops!! Excellent and mouth watering!

A1 on all fronts. I had the Catfish with greens and Missouri rice. This is not a dish I'd normally try and now I can't wait to go back and get another one. The bar is super comfortable and the cocktails were superb. I'm excited to become a regular.

Everything was up to Jonathan’s exacting standards. Had sliced tuna sandwich on house made Dutch Crunch bread. Fries were crisp and seasoned perfectly. Atmosphere was perfect. Decor brought the farm to the city in a sophisticated way. Well done Jonathan and Camille.

Finally Chef Justice is close enough to access more frequently. Beautiful bar and dining rooms are chic, modern and sophisticated. Service is as outstanding as the food. I just discovered my new hangout.

Every bite was delicious. There was a perfect balance of flavors and textures in all four of the small plates we ordered. The suggested wine pabrings were spot on. We look forward to returning and working our way through the whole menu. I will have to have the pig tail again for sure!