The Reef

It was fabulous. The atmosphere is an upscale under water theme and fun. The service was absolutely fantastic. Sarah was very attentive and helpful when picking my dinner. I asked which of the 2 selections I should choose and went with her recommendation. It was soooo good. The steak was cooked to perfection which is difficult on 1 oz medallions. You could tell everything was cooked to order. Dad had the special which was salmon and it was very good. The clam chowder had a lot of clams. The one thing is you have to allow around 2 hours for dinner. It’s not fast food, but cooked to order. If you are expecting fast go to Texas Roadhouse, but you’ll be sorry you missed a great steak in a relaxing setting. Didn’t feel rushed to give up my table at all, which is very nice. I also loved how they turned up the lights at the end (since we were last in there) for dad to take pictures.

We went to The Reef soon after it opened a few years ago, well before the pandemic. The food was good, decor was great but the service was not good at all. The owner felt so bad, he comped one of our dinners. So we had not been back until this week. What a difference! Our server Michael was excellent. He was attentive, made us feel welcome and contributed greatly to our wonderful dining experience. We already loved the nautical ambience. Upon a closer look, it was amazing how much of a collector the owner must be to have everything...I mean everything go with the nautical theme. We started with crab cakes which were delicious. Not a bunch of fillers as you often encounter, all yummy crab meat. For mains we ordered trout and salmon. Both were delicious as well as the accompanying garlic potatoes and asparagus. For dessert, cheese cake with strawberry topping that was a wonderful exclamation point for a fine dining experience. We will be going back...probably on a regular basis!

Our waiter Chris was beyond excellent! Can’t thank him enough for the wonderful service and chit chat. (Man deserves a raise) Service was amazing. Food was delicious. Atmosphere was unique and beautiful. Coming from out of town, this was a perfect dinner spot near our hotel. If we’re ever back in KC we will definitely visit again!

EDIT: July 2019 We’ve been back to Reef several times since we discovered it several months ago. The food has been more that amazing every single time. Our favorite is the couple dinner of lobster and filet steak with two side choices. Perfectly prepared all 3 times. The sliders appetizer is good, but not as good as the crab cakes. The only problem we have found in each of our visits is the staff acts as though they don’t care if we are there or not. The bartender seems to be very overwhelmed even when there are only a handful of people in the whole restaurant. He gives off a vibe like we are a nuisance and that he is not happy at all to have us there. We are hoping that this will wear off and he will enjoy his work and the people who come in. The interior design is truly a work of art. We would love to have this place around to be in our rotation for years to come. I just wish we could enjoy the experience more right now while it’s still our little secret. All ready people are finding this little pearl and it does have the potential to really take off. There are just a few things we think could really help it. We will be back for the delicious food and hope to see some improvements in other areas as time goes. A Signature Drink menu would be a great idea to add for people like us who love to try a different creative cocktail before our meal. Welcoming customers in by all staff that you pass by would be a nice gesture. A little friendliness and asking if a customer has been there before and if not giving a little history of the place can make a customer feel welcomed as well. Keep the soda machine fresh. Our soda was flat 2 times. A great establishment isn’t only in the food, it’s really a complete experience that puts it above average dining. I’m going to give Reef 4 out of 4 fish 🐟 🐟🐟🐟 and hope to see the experience improve as time goes by and they work out some kinks. I would LOVE to take my camera and photograph and help with some marketing! Definitely try this place! #reefkansascity #kcfoodies #dineoutkc #seafood #unique #uniqueinteriors (Original review) We accidentally discovered Reef and on one of our weekly date nights. Walking in from the outside of a modern building was like walking into the underground lair of Neptune. It is beautifully decorated, clean and spacious. We got a little bit of history from one of the staff and ordered an amazing dinner. The food is truly remarkable. We were disappointed that there were no signature cocktails, as what better opportunity to spin some creativity into a themed cocktail? Maybe they will consider this in the future....? I have a few ideas about some things, but I truly think Reef has the potential to be an insanely big deal. 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣 5 out of 5 fish!

Went to The Reef this evening and everything was amazing, start to finish. Excellent service. My husband had oysters and they were great. Our salads were good. My only negative would've been for the salads to have a little more toppings. My husband had the trout and said it was excellent. I had the Hawaiian Ribeye, and added some blue cheese, and it was amazing. Also had a side dish of sautéed mushrooms, spinach, onion, dijon, and brandy sauce. It was so good. Baked potato was good too. The atmosphere and decor was great! I will definitely go here again. If you haven't been, you need to go.