We have dined at this establishment 8-9 times and have found it to be delicious and fairly consistent. The sangria (red) gets 5 stars - especially during happy hour . The tapas vary depending on what you order - we love the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. The entrees are not quite as good as the tapas but the Spanish Cioppino is amazing. I have had a delicious lunch at La Bodega - ordered the special that included a selection of tapas. We also got a Spanish pizza that was Ah-mazing!!
(4)
Michael M.
Met friends for drinks on Saturday. While the drinks were good, the air conditioning was not functioning. Not at all. Not even the fan for circulating the air. Given it was 98° outside (and not much cooler inside), they should have done more to get it fixed or closed the restaurant. Not fair to the staff nor the customers.
(3)
Christie R.
I got really lucky today and got to go to two wonderful Kansas City restaurants. La Bodega is an excellent tapas style Spanish restaurant, which makes it great for groups. There are two locations in the Kansas City area, and tonight I visited the newer Leawood location. I prefer the original location to the new one, as the newer one is quite dark on the inside and tends to cater to a different, richer crowd than the older location on Southwest Boulevard. Nevertheless, it is still fantastic, if not a bit more formal. The menu has about a zillion tapas to choose from, and I'm happy to say that a fair amount of them are vegetarian! I had the tortilla española, patatas bravas, judÃas verdes, papas fritas con ajo, crespelle de feta y puerros, pan con tomate, and queso de cabra al horno. The patatas bravas are a signature Spanish dish, and are basically potatoes in a cumin-y, slightly spicy, tomato sauce. They're pretty good, but if I were to recommend one potato dish, I would definitely say the papas fritas con ajo. These are fried potatoes that end up perfectly fried on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside, topped with a savory aioli sauce. The pan con tomate and queso de cabra al horno are very similar dishes, but the latter is by far the winner. The pan con tomate consists of two toasted slices of a crusty bread served with a cold bruschetta-type topping on the side. It's good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to order again. However, the queso de cabra al horno is amazing! If you get one vegetarian item off the menu, this one should be it. Slices of crispy bread are arranged around a dish filled with a similar oven-baked tomato/bruschetta-y chunky sauce topped with goat cheese. The tortilla española - a fritata like dish - once had my heart, but I'm not as fond of it as I once was. It's good, but a little plain. The crespelle de feta y puerros - a crepe filled with feta and leaks - is alright, but not great for sharing. I had so little of it that I don't think I can give it a fair review. And then there were the judÃas verdes - green beans served with feta, red onions, olives, and a vinaigrette - that turned out to be the underdog of the night! So fresh and crisp! Definitely recommend it. The staff was kind, helpful, and flexible. Do yourself a favor and try out La Bodega. I guarantee you a good time!
(5)
Josh Z.
We had 5 different dishes and two desserts. The food was pretty good for the most part. I wasn't a fan of one of the dishes, but that was mostly personal preference. Everything was well prepared and of high quality. It was well presented as well. The service, however, was a little on the slow side. Our waiter did not come by often enough and very rarely refilled drinks. We ate on the patio and apparently the lights were broken, so we ended up literally eating in the dark while getting eaten ourselves by mosquitos. All in all, I would go back. I would like to try some other dishes and the food makes the mediocre service a little more palatable.
(4)
Niosha T.
This place is always a good time. You really can't go wrong with Spanish tapas and Sangria! Not to mention the amazing Paella they serve. I haven't had a single tapa I didn't like on their menu. EVERYTHING is delicious and the staff is always on point.
(5)
Kimberly B.
My husband and I went with another couple and ordered ten tapas between the four of us. There were all pretty tasty, though overpriced for what you get. Let's be honest, you're paying a little more for the ambiance and fun experience. It's a trendy atmosphere and you're engulfed in soft yellow light and surrounded by cozy furniture and modern art. One of the selections that I liked in particular was the pancetta wrapped and chorizo stuffed figs. I also enjoyed the meatballs, though my dining partners didn't agree. We all, however, agreed on the pitcher of sangria. It's delicious, even though they try to make it look like you're getting more by overfilling the pitcher with ice even though your glasses start off topped with ice and fruit as well. Even so, the ambiance can't be beat, and the pitcher of watered sangria was worth the $30. Overall, our total bill before tip was ~$150. I wouldn't say the food itself was worth that because it wasn't, but it's a fun experience and I would recommend it as a good place to go with friends. It didn't make it into the short list of my favorite restaurants base on the food, but I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Adam S.
Recently had an opportunity to check out La Bodega. I thought it was a really fun experience. The tapas were super tasty, although I felt like they were slightly overpriced for the portion sizes. The restaurant itself felt hip and trendy, but also had an intimate and cozy feeling. This is a great place to meet friends, chat, share some food, and enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. The main reason this place isn't 5 star is because we really felt rushed towards the end of the meal. It became clear around 9:30p that the staff wanted us gone so they could close. We weren't the only people in there, but the crowd had thinned out on the side we were on (non-bar side). It was so blatant that I checked the hours on the website once we got home. They just say 11a-Close. Yelp shows they are open to 1:30a.
(3)
Nikki H.
This restaurant is very over-rated! The prices are too high for the proportions you get. The menu is very hard to read and frustrating. The drinks were...ok but definitely not worth the price charges. The toast on my sandwich was burnt. The only dressing available for the salad was 1 vinaigrette dressing. This is not a place I will be coming back to.
(2)
Nyla K.
I normally hit up the southwest traffic way location but we were out here shopping and was craving for some tapas. The one thing this place has that beats the other location is the ample outdoor space. There's space in the front and on the side. It was very nice just to sit out and have a glass of sangria, which by the way is the best I've had. It's even better during happy hour! One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City. And as always the staff are super nice and friendly.
(5)
Azile Y.
This place has a really nice atmosphere/vibe. The service is kind (despite being a little pushy to go to this website and fill out this survey, blah blah...) But I've been to Spain- these are not authentic tapas, which are minimalistic by nature. Here they slather and dollop generously. There is little subtlety and nuance in the flavors- they are loud and 2 dimensional. I'd come back for a drink with friends on the patio, but the food doesn't wow me.
(3)
Dallas B.
I have not had a bad experience at La Bodega. I love the environment, especially when it is warm enough to do outside seating. Inside or out, the seating is comfortable and they are easy going when you request a particular section or even a specific table. The service is always friendly and prompt, and I am always satisfied with the answers I get when I ask questions about certain dishes. I have tried several different things, and have been pleased with everything. What I really thing about when I think about La Bodega, and the one things I would never not order when I go is the Papas Fritas con Ajo (Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli). Amazing. When you walk in you will notice the beautiful Sangria in a large glass beverage server. It tastes as good as it looks! I hear that the Sunday Brunch is really good. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but plan to go soon. To see their daily feature you can check out their Facebook page. For the same great food and service, but with a completely different vibe, they have another location on Southwest Blvd. You should try them both!
(5)
Ann W.
I really WANT to like La Bodega more. I have been here on a number of occasions since they opened and I have yet to be wowed. I love tapas, but just haven't had great tapas here in Kansas City and I feel like that's a big gaping hole in our food scene. I have had amazing tapas in other cities and La Bodega feels like a bit of a let-down every time I go. Last night I met up with a friend and we ordered four tapas. All of them were good, but only one of them was great: The Pintxos de Higo Roasted is grilled bread with roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig. The flavor combinations were really nice and I'll probably steal this idea and make something similar at home sometime. We also had the Crespelle de Feta y Puerros which is supposed to be thin crepes layered with goat cheese, but the "crepes" really seem more like phyllo dough. My friend commented that it just didn't seem that special, "like something I could easily whip up myself at home." I didn't have it, but they make a flaming Spanish Coffee and the tableside prep is something to see. Prices are fairly steep in relation to serving sizes. I have always had good to great service at La Bodega and last night was no exception. Our waiter was attentive and funny without being overbearing. This is the kind of place that I would never suggest as a place to go, but I wouldn't balk at if someone else wanted to go.
(3)
Gina M.
I love this place! I wish I could tell you my favorite tapa, but honestly, every one I have tried has always been delicious! Service is occasionally less than par, but for the most part, this is a great place to mix it up! Grab several different tapas and share them among friends.
(4)
Asima F.
A favorite for tapas and sangria! They also have the best happy hour in town. Lately we've been more than once a week for a pitcher of sangria and a couple tapas. Our favorites are Papas Fritas with a garlic aioli, Pan Tomate, and the pancetta wrapped, chorizo filled dates!
(5)
Dee B.
Probably the best patio in Johnson County. Try to get there early on a nice day to have some of their sangria. Food is good-especially the lunch buffet which is a great value.
(4)
Jason P.
Great food and drink variety. A nice getaway for this area. Al fresco here can not be topped.
(4)
Shaurna A.
Went for happy hour on a Saturday, where the dishes with the faces on the menu are 1/2 priced. (Best time to go for the best deal, these are tappas, small plate dishes) I ordered the goat cheese and tomatoes with crustinies. It was very good!! Others ordered the pork and apple skewers, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the squid, and the goat cheese and fig tappas. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We also ordered drinks. They were very good, nice and stiff. I ordered the Flirtini. *Prior to this evening, I did attend our annual Christmas party here. If you have a group event and want to take apart of their tappas bar, that is a cool, tasty option to try different things.
(5)
David W.
Undoubtedly, this is a dining experience that could not be replicated anywhere else. Aside from the food and atmosphere being superb, the staff was helpful and considerate. My favorite moment of the evening was when this waiter was preparing some Spanish Coffee for these two women at the table across from us. The creation of Spanish coffee is certainly a pleasure to watch, it involves lighting alcohol on fire and then sprinkling cinnamon on the flames, causing a rather spectacular image, then pouring Kahlua and coffee on top. This is then topped with whipped cream and more cinnamon. Whilst the waiter was performing this ritual, the two women he was serving decided their phones were more interesting and were not paying much attention. Sadly, the whipped cream container was malfunctioning, and shot out air instead of aforementioned, and the waiters hand was covered with boiling hot liquids. However, being a collected man of class and poise, he maintained calm and prepared another, all while the two women continued with indifference to be more involved with their cellular devices. This review goes out to you, good sir, I want you to know that there are still people who appreciate spectacle and beauty, as well as perseverance. Stay Strong.
(5)
Rhonda P.
This is more a 3.5 stars in overall experience. The staff was very friendly which makes it a pleasant place to dine. The food was good except we were disappointed in our steak. We asked for medium rare and got well done on one side of the steak and medium on the other half. The steak was $16 so... Other than that we would like to return bc the outdoor seating with the warming weather in KC is a great place to be.
(3)
Ophelia M.
This restaurant was a random open now find because the place we originally wanted to go was closed, and I'm so glad we decided to eat late. The food is delicious, the portions are just the right size for sharing, and the prices are great. Two people ate their fill for about $15 each. The patatas bravas is great, and I really like their take on stuffed dates. Next time I go I'm going to try a cocktail, since the food is so reasonably priced. The staff is very attentive. Our waitress was so sweet, refilling our water every time it hit the half way mark and offering suggestions about the menu. I will definitely be going back.
(4)
R M.
We went for dinner on a Saturday. It is a bustling tapas place in Leawood. The ambiance is casual and trendy. From the cold tapas selections, we had the pan plano con salmon ahumado, which was delicious and is a must try. We also had championes a la plancha and gambos a la plancha from the hot tapas selections, which were great too. Pinch de pollo wasn't that good. For the entree, we shared pechuga de pollo con queso, which is a goat cheese stuffed game hen with creamy potato parsnip puree, which was awesome and highly recommend trying. For dessert, we had the higos y pudin. It was out of the world and is also a must try. For drinks, we had a couple of cocktails: Tres amigos wasn't good. Abuelos reposado was excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and helped us with the menu. Overall, an experience worth repeating. Bon appetit !
(4)
James S.
It was about 9:45pm on a Monday night when we were driving down 119th after a long day of travel when we saw the little La Bodega. We decided to stop in and we were not disappointed. The kitchen was just getting ready to close but Restaurant Manager Rafael Cervantes invited us in and saw that we were well cared for. I will leave the critical review of the food to the connoisseurs because that late at night, anything would have tasted great to us. But the service is what really stood out to us at La Bodega. And that is why we will go back again!
(5)
Vina A.
Absolutely gorgeous space, really. I would totally love to hang out here, hold an event, just for the decor. BUT unfortunately nothing so beautiful can hide bad food. La Bodega was really really disappointing. Even if the food was served in a dingy hole in the wall it still didn't look or taste good. I can't believe they charge for so little. I can't believe people continue coming here for little pieces of reheated potato and defrosted seafood, squirted over with the same 2 sauces. The meat didn't taste bad but I did have to spit it out b/c I couldn't chew it down. Just had a ball of meat-gum in my mouth for a really long time. They would do better to get some frozen trader joe's appetizers from across the parking lot. Sounds harsh but true. Sad. I really would not recommend anyone go here for anything beyond a drink.
(1)
Leah P.
This is a lovely location. It was a really nice day, so all of their windows and doors were open. Our server was great and had helpful recommendations. The food was really tasty (lunch tapas del dia and a seared ahi tuna dish), and their iced tea and coffee was really good. I'd definitely recommend this la bodega location and will be back!
(4)
Dan N.
Good bar, great ambiance food over priced and over cooked I had high hopes and they were dashed
(2)
Lindsey M.
Awesome sangria and happy hour specials! The tapas we had tasted amazing and looked great. The atmosphere seemed very relaxed. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Billie H.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, my first choice would be Spain. The food, the culture, the free tapas as long as you are drinking..... La Bodega has always been a favorite. The KCMO location was an after work spot when I worked in the area. I love all the flavor packed small plates that you can choose from. Most of them are very simple dishes, but extraordinary when the flavors explode on your taste buds. Outside of the tapas options, the Cuban is absolutely delicious. It is only available during lunch hours, but a must try. This is possibly the best sandwich ever created and La Bodega does it right. The meats are packed with flavor. The pork nicely smoked. The mustard not overpowering, but compliments nicely. And the cabbage is a perfect topper, a bit of tang, but not too much. My only disappointment well, besides it not being available all day) is that the menu says it comes with chicharróns, but mine has always been served with fries. This is a mild complaint though because although a little too thin, the fries are amazing. Seasoned with garlic and parsley they have a nice little punch of flavor that is calmed by a delicious smoked aioli. If the fries were not close to shoestring fries these would be the best fries ever. If you are a sangria fan, La Bodega has a nice sangria. The happy hour specials are fantastic with a nice selection of half price tapas. Prices are moderate. Service can be a little lacking. This is a must stop if you like flavor!
(4)
G C.
Love this restaurant everything on the menu looks so good. Ordered a few Tapas and a main dish. Paella was flavorful and just the right amount. Dates wrapped with prosciuto (sp) stuffed with chorizo was an explosion of flavor. Highly recommend
(4)
Laurel S.
We came during happy hour which ends at 6 so its a stretch to get there in time to have more than one drink. During happy hour I'd give this place 4 stars but if I went there an paid full price for an order of meatballs and they brought out a plate of 3 meatballs I'd be a little less happy. $5 sangrias are delish! both the red and white version. I honestly can't remember all the tapas we tried but they were all good. I would go back during happy hour but there is no way I'd go for full priced dinner.
(3)
Barbara Becker M.
We always order several tapas and have a glass of white sangria. Try the chicken and chorizo, roasted peppers with tuna and rice and garlic sauce meatballs. You can't go wrong with tapas.
(5)
Lotus F.
Had the sangria only. It was delicious! Professional service and good, fun atmosphere to meet up with an old college friend!
(4)
Jessi B.
I love La Bodega! Their sangria is fabulous (although kind of weak, I can drink a pitcher myself and barely feel tipsy) and their blue cheese crusted tenderloin is to DIE for! I also love their fried potatoes with garlic aioli, the baguette with goat cheese and red pepper, the garlic sauteed mushrooms, the meatball, and chorizo. There are some dishes here that aren't so great, like the omelette thingy, blech. I think small plates is a fun way to eat and their happy hour is great and makes it very reasonable. I always enjoy myself here!
(4)
Sara D.
La Bodega is now one of my new favorite restaurants in Kansas City. Everything about our experience was incredibly fun. I came with a group of 5 girls for a birthday dinner. Our waitress treated us with such respect and kindness that I felt like she was a friend and part of our group by the end of the evening. We were seated at a gorgeous patio table with super comfortable seating and a giant umbrella. I ordered a Sangria because of all the raving via Yelp and I'm proud of you, Yelpers. The white wine sangria was very refreshing. We each ordered a Tapas plate and shared around the table. The favorite dish of the night (which just happened to be the one I picked) was dates wrapped in ham. The dates were sweet and literally melted in your mouth. When dessert time came, we told the waitress it was my friend's birthday and I jokingly mentioned that it would be cool if she had a tall, dark, and handsome stranger stowed away to serenade my friend. Completely joking. The waitress was all "I'll totally do that for you" and proceeded to go straight inside and find just that. A tall,dark, handsome waiter brought my friend a piece of cake with a candle and it was the highlight of the evening. That's above and beyond service right there. The waitress also empathized many times that if we didn't like a dish that she would have no problem taking it back to the kitchen and bringing something new. One friend couldn't handle the spiciness of her dessert, and without hesitation, no frown, no smirk at all, the waitress took the dessert back and brought her out something different. They have a great Happy Hour deal and I absolutely can not wait to go back to try more Tapas plates. The delicious food and exceptional customer service is bound to make me a regular here.
(5)
Matt C.
La Bodega is a great place to take a date. I always enjoy taking my wife there for happy hour. The service is quick, the small plates good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)
Whittney K.
Our favorite tapa was the leek, basil, and feta crepe, recommended by our server. "Crespelle de Feta y Puerros". Good sangria and BLVD Imperial stout on tap. Nice low-key environment. We like the idea of tasting many small dishes for a meal.
(4)
Bryan M.
It's been about 5 years since I had tapas. Maybe I'm intimidated by not being able to read Spanish. Yeah, it's generally a bit more expensive ... by some metrics. But, La Bodega puts together a nice experience and some excellent food. Service staff were great - from the bar tender to the waiter to the manager out on the floor. Loved the chicken skewer, the ahi was excellent, the breaded artichoke wrapped in a ham (I forget the specific variety) was also very good. Okay, everything I tried was very good. Ex drinks, it was probably about $40/per. Not crazy, but a bit on the high side. Seating was very casual. Mix of patrons - most probably from the affluent neighborhoods nearby.
(4)
Taylor M.
I came here in a group of five people to enjoy a couple of drinks in the beautiful bar area. It was turning into a blizzard outside, so it was nice to snuggle up next to the fireplace. However, once the drinks began flowing, I no longer needed the fireplace to keep me warm. The liquor did just fine on its own! I ordered the Jane and Hudson which was my favorite drink of the night. It was sweet and strong at the same time. I also ordered a Fresa-tini which was very potent. that was my finally drink of the night so I had to have them add some juice to tone it down a bit. Our server was awesome and super friendly, I wish I remembered his name so I could give him a shout out. We were able to describe the kind of drinks we liked to him and he would return with a drink on the menu that fit our tastes... and we all had very different tastes! We ordered on tapas plate because I really wanted to try the stuffed peppers. Apparently, this was not a big seller and they had to figure out how to make it in the kitchen. It took a while, but it was well worth the wait! I will be returning to La Bodega next time I am in KC!
(4)
Brenda D.
I really do love this place. The service is always good and food is excellent. The only downside is they have just 3 warm vegetarian tapas. It is my choice and it won't keep me from going back. The roasted potatoes are amazing for anyone!
(4)
Antoinette H.
Great place for lunch. Most people come here for their tapas and sangria which are great as well but their lunch menu is exceptional. I had the Ensalada Conquistador with Grilled Salmon and that was just amazing. Very flavorful and different. Nothing you can find at other restaurants in the area.
(5)
Kay L.
I just don't understand some of the negative reviews here -- La Bodega has knocked my socks off, both for lunch and happy hour. How can you not love walking into the chic and colorful bar area, with the huge windows and the bright walls? How can you not smile at the three gigantic & whimsical portraits of Spanish artists (Picasso, DalÃ, MÃro) on the back wall? How can you not love the patio on a balmy day? For lunch today, I couldn't make up my mind, so I ordered the tapas del dia -- a perfect sampler of four different tastes, the very essence of tapas. Today it was the pincho de buey, ensalatas de pepinos, albondigas caseras, and a potato dish that I don't remember because everything was so good that my brain stopped working. Pablo & Salvador beamed/glared down at me as I lost myself in the sunny, savory flavors. For happy hour, there's only one thing you need to know: Half-price pitchers of sangria. ¡Que bueno!
(5)
LeAnn A.
I went during their happy hour time and that is probably about the only time I would go, due to the prices. The food was extremely good but pricey for how small the portions were. When I was there it was extremely slow, and it took a while for someone to seat me, and I just sat at the bar. The bartender was nice but was absent a lot of my meal. So overall food was good but a little to pricey for my taste.
(3)
Terry C.
I went to this La Bodega location with some coworkers on Friday after work. The experience started out fine, we were seated quickly in the lounge and we told our server we would just be doing drinks. (This was after happy hour ended, but the dinner rush had not quite set in yet.) he was friendly, and after the three of us ordered mojitos, he kindly suggested that we simply order a pitcher, which is not on the menu but he assured us it would "be a much better deal." We ordered the pitcher and the drinks tasted great, but then our server disappeared. Another one of our friends ended up joining us and, after waiting 15 minutes without our server coming over to take his order, he ended up ordering at the bar. Between the three of us, our pitcher served us each about a glass and a half. Typically, sangria pitchers are $30, so we assumed that would be the price of our off-the-menu mojitos. Needless to say, we were pretty surprised to receive a $45 bill. When we told the server (after we had to ask the hostess to go get since he hadn't visited our table in almost an hour) we hadn't realized such a pitcher would be so expensive, his only reply was a very rudely-delivered "ok..." He took our money and never even apologized to us for leading us astray. I'm always reluctant to visit this La Bodega location because I've always thought their service was bad. Their other location on Southwest Boulevard is smaller and their waitstaff is significantly better. It's especially annoying because I love their food/drinks and it's very close to where I work. I will not be returning and I was sure to tell everyone at my work about the negative experience. If you're craving tapas, I recommend the SW blvd location. The atmosphere is more intimate, and the servers won't treat you like you are an annoyance to them. However, this experience has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, so I won't be visiting either location for a while...
(2)
Virginia E.
I was very disappointed by my first visit to La Bodega. We had the Valentine's Day special 4 course meal with wine pairing which was supposed to be $55 per person. The first course, beef tartare was so so. The next course was a salad which was terrible. The roots and stalk were still on the greens so a lot of the salad was inedible. The dressing had no flavor, just olive oil base. The crab was the best part, but there was only about 1 teaspoonful of it on the salad. The main course of lamb chop with polenta side was actually quite tasty. For dessert, the drink was the Spanish coffee. Having never been here I asked the waitress if it was sweet, because I don't like black coffee. She told me it wasn't sweet at all so I ordered a different drink to pair with the dessert. My husband stuck with the coffee. When it came out, it was amazing and quite sweet! Probably one of the best on the menu so I was very disappointed that the waitress mislead me. When the bill came out, it was over $200! The drinks were not included in the "4 course meal with wine pairing". I totally understand why they wouldn't include them, but the waitress should have informed us up front. I probably wouldn't have ordered a 3rd drink if I would have known and definitely didn't plan on spending $220 after tip for this subpar meal. I will never go to this restaurant again. It is over priced and the food is mediocre at best.
(2)
Courtney S.
One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City, La Bodega has some of the most unique tasting cuisines and conversational atmosphere that keep me coming back. Their happy hours are epic, and really the only way to go if you're looking to try a new dish without breaking your budget. My favorite tapa is the Queso de Cabra Al Horno, which is goat cheese baked in a tomato sauce that you dip toasted bread in. SO GOOD. The happy hour specials also include half-price pitchers of wine, which are oh-so-delicious but not very strong. I'd also recommend the fiery, cinnamon coffee drink (I cannot remember the name) as a "dessert", even though it's a drink. Overall this restaurant is perfect for wining and dining and enjoying a taste of Spain.
(5)
Beth B.
It's Labor Day and a friend of mine and I are trying to plan a happy hour in "the city" since we are suburbanites. However, many places either don't have a Monday HH or are closed for this Summer-ending holiday. So, we decide to go to La Bodega down the street. I look it up on Yelp to get an idea of what is good there. What? 3.5 stars? Why so harsh. Then, I look at some of the "2" and "1" reviews. Many were from over a year ago and gripe about poor service. Hopefully that wait staff has been canned. A couple of snobby San Franciscan's - OK - discount that. And one gal who was surprised when they said they wanted a couple of tapas yet when they ordered 8 that their bill was high. OK, maybe this place will be good after all. We were not disappointed. It was a bit warm that day, so we decided to sit inside. The first table we sat at had monsoon air conditioner blowing on us, so we moved. After that, everything was uphill. At our new table, the bartender waited on us. Service was very good. We each ordered a glass of red sangria - he told us we should probably order a pitcher, so we did. I can't remember what the HH price was, but it was cheap. And wonderful! Very light and fruity. We asked him what 1/2 price tapas he recommended. As with most tapas places, not all are on special for HH. Read the menu. If you don't know, ask. Who cares if you sound cheap. That's why you are there for HH. Jeez, people. He recommended the skewered chicken and chorizo with garlic cumin aioli and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread. They were both excellent. We also ordered the roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice. It was good, but not our favorite. We decided we like hot tapas better than cold., It also was not one of the recommendations from our server. Would we go back? Definitely. During HH it is a very good value. I would also like to go for dinner sometime and order off the regular menu. Thanks, La Bodega for closing out our summer very nicely!
(4)
Janis G.
The paella and the Spanish coffee were both great!
(4)
Aaron R.
Not bad food was good very bland...overpriced for what you got. Wait staff was superb. Friendly kind great. But price compared to serving size not good.
(3)
Tony A.
We have been to La Bodega no less than a dozen times in the past 6 months, each more disappointing than the last. My wife loves the food and me? Well, I'm not a tapas guy but there is (or I should say, was) a delicious chicken and spinach dish that always puts a smile on my face. The service has always been slow at La Bodega but I'm usually there to enjoy a few drinks first so I do not mind the wait. But over the last couple of months, the service has truly deteriorated. It is so bad, in fact that we actually walked out of the restaurant tonight after settling our drink bill at the bar. We will not be returning. So what happened? Well, it is typical at La Bodega for my wife and I to grab a high-top table near the bar area where the good people-watching is. It is also typical that we almost ALWAYS have to wait a good 5-10 minutes before a waiter even greets us at the table, usually ill-prepared (no waters, no menus). This happens so often it is predictable and tonight was no different. Tonight, however, our waitress seemed to find a reason to visit every other table before simply dropping off menus at our table. This restaurant has some serious front-of-the-house issues. There are almost always 2 hosts/hostesses at the very front who are usually doing nothing but playing with their phones or joking around with one another. In the dozens of times we have eaten here, we have never been approached by a manager and asked how things were going. On several occasions the service has been so bad I have scoped around the room for anyone who looked like they might be a manager so I could tell him/her how they have some very bad service issues; I have never seen a manager or anyone other than bartender, wait staff, and hosts. And the place just isn't as fun as it used to be. The clientele is trending older, more staid, less exciting. If you just absolutely have to have tapas then I guess you could do worse. But 1 minute after sitting down in an Italian restaurant a few doors down from La Bodega, we had a very attentive waiter who delivered excellent food and service, something we just do not get at La Bodega.
(2)
Daniel A.
I was up from Lawrence for a medical appointment and decided to give Drunken Fish a try. I walked in to the mostly empty around 1pm on a Wednesday and was extremely disappointing by the awful service. I was ignored by the entire waitstaff for over 5 minutes. Finally, after discussing it with an unsympathetic manager, I left and walked two doors down to La Bodega. Upon entering the building I was immediately greeted. I didn't love the revolving door, which reminded me of an airport or bus terminal, but the inside was nice. Since I was alone I decided to sit at the bar. The bar tender was friendly and knowledgeable. I ordered the Tapas del Dia which included a Spanish omelet, a rice and tuna stuffed picillo pepper, a Serrano ham croquette, and a curried chicken crostini. Everything was amazing, especially the crostini. The bar tender recommended an excellent beer to accompany my meal. I will definitely stop by La Bodega the next time I am around and I will recommend it to others. The employees of Drunken Fish should take some pointers from La Bodega. First impressions matter.
(5)
Dawn C.
This place had my full five stars within a few minutes of arriving. Every time I've come I've been treated to great service. Once the pitcher of sangria arrives that first sip transports me. (I've tried the red and white and prefer the red). Happy Hour is becoming a tradition here with some of the girls at work. We've sat outside and enjoyed the patio with the big shade umbrellas, and we've sat inside where its dark and cozy and the ambiance alone makes you relax. Try the Pintxos De Higo.... toasted bread with fig spread, goat cheese and red peppers. Tangy, crunchy, savory.... wonderful! Can't wait to go back,
(5)
Amber T.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Kansas City, and their mother store on SW BLVD is probably my least favorite. Weird, right? This place gets everything right...the atmosphere, the service, the price, and most importantly the food. The other location has none of that, but the price, going for it in my opinion. My ideal lazy day in KC has this place included in it. My boyfriend and I come here just about every other Saturday. Their Happy Hour (I should say Happy Four Hours as it runs from 2-6!) is the best in town, and allows you to try things you might not have at regular price. Plus they have windows in the dining room that open outward, and on a breezy 70 degree day there's no where I'd rather be than in their dining room, slightly stoned, chowing down on Pintxos de Higo, Patatas Bravas, and Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo while sipping on a White Sangria. Then we walk on over to the Roasterie for a Christopher Elbow Milk Chocolate Salted-Caramel Turtle and an Iced Hazelnut Mocha, and after that pop into Trader Joe's for a little non-essential shopping. Absolute perfection.
(5)
Kerry P.
Good food, beautiful decor (love the artwork). Wife loved the sangria. The Spanish coffees are a beautiful presentation. Was a pretty busy Saturday night that we were there, so I'm very glad we had a reservation.
(4)
Michele N.
I met a group of girlfriends for dinner/drinks. Our server started out awesome; great wine and food suggestions and even went as far as bringing tastes of wine. We each ordered a small plate to share around the table. Some of the dishes we ordered were served with three pieces, but since there were four of us the server said he could have an additional piece added (for a slight charge). I really appreciated that offer instead of having to buy a whole additional plate. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as good as it looked. We were still hungry though, so we ordered a second round of small plates! This turned out to be the perfect amount of food! I loved that you could taste so many different dishes and that they served you your food as it was prepared (not all at once). Our only complaint was that our server seemed to disappear after our first food order. By the time we finished our meal we were the last ones in the restaurant. Next time I'd try to nab a patio seat, weather permitting. I would for sure have the short ribs, the breaded artichoke hearts wrapped in ham, and the pancetta wrapped dates again. Everything was delicious, but those three items are definite repeats for me! Come hungry and with $$ in your wallet, as the small plates tend to add up...but it is well worth your dollar!
(4)
Zach G.
I really do like La Bodega. Yes, the one in KCMO is definitely better, but this one is still solid in my mind. I've been here about 3 times since it opened and really enjoyed my experiences. On this occasion, we just grabbed a couple seats at the bar on a busy Saturday evening. There were probably 4 people working behind the bar, which is quite a lot since the restaurant isn't huge. We did get very friendly service, but the poor guy next to us didn't. He sat down and wasn't even acknowledged by any of the 4 bartenders for almost 10 minutes. And unfortunately, the many bartenders were busy but not so busy that they couldn't have at least acknowledged him. I'm not going to say it was racial, that's not me, but it did cross my mind. Anyways, when they finally did get to the poor guy, he ordered a $130 bottle of champagne for himself. If I were him, with that kind of money, I would have let them know what they missed out on while walking away to another restaurant. Anyways, the food was fine - tasty as always. The goat cheese/tomato/crustini is always solid, the chicken/chorizo skewers were great and have an awesome sauce with it, and the mushrooms were delicious.
(4)
Yoie L.
After reading all these raved reviews about La Bodega, my friend and I finally ventured here on a Monday night for a post-midterm celebration. Sadly I don't think I will come back anymore. It's 75 deg today so we opted to sit outside. The interior decoration and the bar area actually looks nice and my love for tapas came from going to Cafe Ilberico way too many times when I used to live in Chicago. We shared some green beans and potatoes, calamares a la pancha, pincho de pollo y cherizo, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and garlic bread. Some our garlic bread was burnt, and while the goat cheese was tasty, the tomato sauce looks sad and straight out of a can. The calamares a la pancha was really disappointing. It was rubbery and not a la pancha! The potatoes were hard and accompanied by a few skinny green beans. My friend enjoyed the chicken skewers, but I personally thought the flavor was too strong. On the other hand, their sangria is reasonable and I would order those again for $7 a glass. I'm actually glad we came here during happy hour and paid half price for our food. Tapas can get expensive. We each ended up spending about $15. I would not want to pay full price for very mediocre food.
(2)
Marie F.
Our server was wonderful. He actually split our bill into fourths. I mean he split the cost of each plate...not just a final bill division. We had one person leave early and he accounted for that as well. He was personable and helped us make decisions on drinks and food. Be careful on that happy hour menu. If you look at the original price, then you will see that most of them aren't that great of a deal. Half price Sangrias puts the price about right. The chicken pork skewers were a hit with everyone. The rest of the food was just ok. It was a fun change to try new dishes. I don't recommend the flatbread or meatballs. Very blah. The cinnamon coffee with whipped cream was a delight...they present it with fire. So mesmerizing.
(4)
Kelly L.
Well.......I am changing my review.....but not completely. I wasn't a fan in the past with a 2 -star review after 4 visits but my last 2 visits have been pleasant with warm service and decent food.
(4)
Emily F.
I love the lunch menu and the service was awesome. I was downtown and in the Leawood this week. Personally I hear downtown is better but I ordered the same item and looked much better at Leawood not to say both were not amazing. You can go every day and get something new!
(5)
Colin B.
Where do I began. Let's start with the pluses of the place: - GREAT location in Leawood. - AMAZING design of the restaurant, inside and out. It is beautiful. - Great patio with heaters. And off to the bad stuff. First thing first, the service was terrible. We got there at 5:15 on a Saturday night and didn't leave until 6:45 and that was rushing it. When our server - Reuben, I believe - came to the table he dropped waters and said "I'll be right back." By this time, however, we already knew what we wanted to drink. Would it be too much trouble to grab a drink? You had already made us wait too long for you to get to the table in the first place. Then we order -- two drinks and three plates all at the same time. Nothing fancy, simple orders, off the menu. Drinks come a few minuets later -- again, no rush -- and the first plate follows. We finish the first plate and the second plate shows up, again with a wait in between. Strange, normally the slowly come out plate by plate, stacking up. Again, more waiting for us to get a 2nd and 3rd round of drinks, so much so that we're flagging him down at this point to order more drinks... read: spend more money. He is just plain slow. Finally, when ordering our third drink I say, "those meatballs we ordered, can we cancel them? It seems like you forgot them or the kitchen lost them." We get an excuse, but in short, he probably forgot to ring them in. (Not sure why, we ordered them with everything else.) All in all, it was frustrating. I always tip 20% even for mediocre service as I was a waiter all through college, but my wife made me tip 10%. I felt like an ass so we quickly ran to the car. But, had the service been good -- and we had a good sized bill with a lot of alcohol -- he would have made some okay money for an early table. On top of that, the food wasn't amazing. Presentation was lacking, flavors were just average. Catered food at best. Should have spent my $60 elsewhere.
(2)
Jim H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious food. And great wine selection. I look forward to a nice dinner at La Bodega when traveling to KC. It's the highlight of my visit, and I've never been disappointed.T
(5)
Shea C.
I've never been to the La Bodega downtown, but since moving to suburbia, this has become one of our go-to spots. It's almost like we still live in the city, right? First of all: THE MUSHROOMS. Holy crimini, these are delicious. Sauteed in garlic, parsley and white wine, these 'shrooms are always included in our order. The best part might actually be sopping up all of the tasty broth with the (admittedly sometimes not-so-fresh) bread brought to table. Other things we've enjoyed: roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig coulis on grilled bread, smoked salmon flatbread and, of course, the cheese plate. Oh how I love a good cheese plate. The wine selection is decent and the sangria is so good, a group of four of us may or may not have consumed four pitchers of it on one occasion. Service can be hit or miss, but the food has been consistently tasty and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from The Coug (aka Cougartown aka Leawood aka Johnson County) - lots of Real Housewives and dudes wearing Affliction tees. But so what? Eat some tapas and drink some sangria and for a brief minute, you might feel like a city girl once again.
Great atmosphere, amazing food and the sangria (red) is the best I've ever had! John is an amazing waiter and knows about every dish! I would give them 10 stars if I could!
(5)
Shana S.
I was here a couple nights ago for a fundraiser. So I had the opportunity to to drink their red wine sangria and eat many different types of tapas. It was delicious. Now I'll need to go back when I can choose the tapas that I loved the most. I didn't taste one tapa I didn't like, and I drank 3 glasses of sangria even though I rarely drink because I don't like the taste of alcohol. These I could handle. Now I see why people have such good things to say about the original La Bodega.
(5)
Dane S.
We found this to be a lovely dining spot. The garage-style windows make for a terrific atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Contrary to some of the other comments, our service was quite fast.
(4)
jennifer j.
I attended for a pre-opening event, so I shouldn't comment on the food...which was not the regular menu. I will comment on the drinks, space, location and service. If you hung out at ReVerse, you will notice a lot of familiar faces at the new La Bodega location. A location that, in my opinion, is still trying to find its identity. This strip mall has lost West Elm and J.P. 's Wine Bar in a short amount of time. There are a couple other retailers that seem to be hanging on by a thread. Giving La Bodega this space was a intelligent move. La Bodega has been packing them in downtown for years. Simply put, the food is great, that atmosphere is fun and there is nothing like it around town. All these great qualities can exist just as successfully in the second location. In fact the energy buzzing through the new location is just as infectious, the service is more swift and the ambience is more spacious and sexy. The owner brought in local metal artist Stretch to keep the decor consistent with his past concepts. Several rooms define this space. The outdoor room (patio) is huge, quiet and a nice break from the tail pipe fumes on Southwest Blvd. The patio is further enhanced by some cool metal fireplaces that adds atmosphere. The bar is huge and I always love the option of having a more casual dinner at a high top. A bar dinner at the downtown location is pretty much next to impossible in the SW Blvd location. The restaurant portion is slightly smaller then the SW location. A cool bonus is there is a glassed in private room that can become anything you want. This is a new location, so everyone wants to please you in the beginning. Many of the servers and bartenders already know what the owner expects from them, so that puts LB ahead of the curve. I think the service will remain strong. God knows the drinks are strong. Those mojitos kicked my butt! I love the polished style of the new version of La Bodega, but I know I will be hitting the downtown version more often. It's closer to where I live and there is something so authentic about a flagship. Still, this is a great alternative when I am out South and still want the food and energy of downtown. Congrats to La Bodega for sharing the fun!
(4)
Joyce B.
Since having my first 'Tapas' experience in Las Vegas, my husband and I have been wanting to find a good Tapas place in the KC area. After heard about La Bodegas from several peeps, we decided to give it a try. We went about 5:00 pm on a Tuesday. It happened to be during their Happy Hour which offered half price on a particular selection of Tapas plates. We tried five plates; the Roasted red pepper hummus, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the pork skewers, the meatballs and the mushrooms. The meatballs were excellent and were our favorite out of the five dishes. The sauce was so rich and flavorful! The hummus was also very good. Although the pork and chicken skewers had good flavor, they were a bit dry and overcooked. The wait staff were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(3)
L B.
I've been here a few times now and have had great food and service each time. My last visit we were fortunate enough to get into the private room since the reserved party didn't show up. It was perfect for our group of 7 - I think it could handle probably 10-12 if you want to get cozier. It was shut off from the rest of the rowdiness so it was great for old friends wanting to hear each other talk. I am more a fan of hot tapas vs cold tapas and that's all I've really tried. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp with horseradish sauce is a personal favorite as is the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). We tried chocolate cake (good) and churros (which we had to request since apparently it's generally only served to kids - but they were awesome). I also have to give a shout out to the best Sangria in town. I've had red and white and both are very yummy and not too sweet, so I can consume multiple glass. Sabroso!
(5)
Jerry B.
We really enjoy this place, but right up front, just let me say that we ONLY go there for happy hour. The servings are small but delicious. To have a full meal during normal menu hours can be really very expensive. So many friends complain bitterly about the prices and we always encourage them to go back for happy hour. The happy hour tapas prices are CRAZY cheap! Their food is great...such a wonderful array of flavors. We love both locations. I have to admit that for a while the Leawood location had some horrendous service problems. The waiters stood around the end of the bar chatting and totally ignoring the patrons. I think they got a new manager and that problem seems to have gone away. La Bodega is one of our favorite places in town.
(5)
Phon W.
Great atmostphere! Great food! Service is slow and all over the place. We had our waitress waiting on us but she'd show up once every 45 mins.....a hostess taking orders for our waitress....and the bartender helping out and bringing our drinks to our table. For a small space it was fairly busy but then it died down and everything was still very, very slow. The worst part was our waitress got our tickets all messed up, yes we had a big party, but she came over and clarified and wrote down what everyone ordered before she went to print the tickets out, came back about 20 mins later and it was wrong. Went to reprint the tickets which took another 20mins and came back it was wrong again! She went to print the tickets again but by then we just put whatever we owed down and left the joint! I'd like to go back..but maybe on a Monday afternoon. : /
(2)
Kelly S.
I went to this location of La Bodega on a Saturday evening after work with co-workers. I was actually there with Terry C, whose review is below. Long story short, our server (missed the name- tall, brown curly hair) suggested we get a pitcher of mojitos when all three of said that's what we were getting. Keep in mind, we were just going out for "one drink." He said it would be a better deal so we went with it. By our estimate, it seemed that we each got about a glass and a half from the pitcher. One mojito is $9, a pitcher turned out to be $45. When we finally tracked him down after not showing his face at our table for nearly an hour, I mentioned (kindly) to him that this did not seem like a better deal in the end. His response was "Okaaaaay..." with a look on his face like I was a giant moron, and he then proceeded to argue with me all of the reasons that he thought it was a better deal. No apology, nothing. Now, I have been a server before and I also worked for years in customer service. A good response here, whether he thought I was wrong or not, would have been "I apologize, I should have let you know up front how much the pitcher would cost since it's not listed on the menu." We wound up paying almost $20 each when all we signed on for was one drink.
(1)
Tahmeka T.
We stopped in for an early lunch and were very impressed. The service was decent. The servers were professional and attentive. Not super friendly but not rude. I loved the decor. We went on a nice day and the walls were open. It was inviting, made me want to stick around and drink and talk. We had the Pan Plano con Salmon Ahumado - awesome. Very flavorful and a great starter. Calamares y Chorizo a la Plancha - this was delicious with their crusty bread. I could have had a huge bowl of this by itself on a rainy day. One of my favorite dishes. Costillas Cortas- Perfectly cooked short ribs. The flavors were perfect. Great job. We will add La Bodega to our short list of go-to places. I loved it.
(4)
Jillian C.
A girlfriend and I hit up this place for a night out before Fourth of July. We enjoyed a range of tapas: steak with blue cheese, chicken and chorizo with cumin aioli, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, crispy potatoes, and pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. There was also the classic white bread with olive oil and balsamic. Nothing too special there. But the tapas, those were yummy. The chicken was moist, though the chorizo tastes like a Slim Jim that had been diced. Kind of disappointing but the cumin aioli did a good job making up for it. The steak was perfectly cooked and I'm a sucker for blue cheese so that was yummy. The goat cheese itself was creamy and delicious but the tomato sauce was watery. I would have preferred a smooth marinara rather than a watery, chunky tomato sauce but goat cheese just rubs me the right way, pretty much regardless. The potatoes were sooooo good. I would never think to baked crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce but they were fantastic. I didn't want to share! And finally, the pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. Oh, gosh, awesome. Again, I could have eaten the whole plate alone. They probably would have been the best thing on the table...that is, until dessert. We had this stellar concoction of chocolate cayenne spiced cookies topped with marzipan-almond-basil ice cream and whipped cream. I was a bit skeptical of the chocolate and spice combination but it turned out to be so understated that it was just enough to lend a tiny bit of heat. It was so good. And the tiny salt crystals in the cookie stood out like bright beacons of flavor. The ice cream, gosh that was a whole 'nother amazing component. We decided it tasted like Trader Joe's smells: richy, herby, and fresh. The combo of the cookie and cool cream was perfect. Again, and I know I sound like a broken record but I could have eaten the whole thing alone, probably three times over! Oh, and the red sangria was also smooth, sweet, and delicious.
(4)
Shiduna T.
I have been twice to this location with my husband. The first time was a Sunday afternoon, where the restaurant was still somewhat quiet. We both enjoyed a glass of white Sangria, which was absolutely delicious! Then we shared about three tapas, the chicken with chorizo was so good, we ordered it again on our second visit. On our second visit, we went on a Friday night and the place was packed, but not overly so and you could actually have a conversation without yelling. Of course we had Sangria again, the chicken & chorizo skewers, marinated mushrooms (really good), stuffed dates (missed the mark and way to sweet for both of us) and one more dish I can't remember. Our server was was attentive and informative, checking on us regularly and friendly. Though I like going here, I wouldn't be able to do so frequently due to the pricey food.
(3)
Michael C.
Swanky and harmless fun. Go there on a nice, cool summer night. They will open the front, "garage-doors" to let the breeze in. Lots of Sex-and-the-City wannabe types. Recommended drink: Caribbean Monk
(3)
Stephanie P.
If you care about freshest ingredients and/or flavor, or decent to superb cocktail mixology, give this place a skip. Full disclosure: I live in the SF Bay Area and have that fresh, farm-to-table palate that rejects things like Taco Bell, fast food, things out of cans, etc. If all that is acceptable to you, expect to spend $40/person here and maybe, MAYBE be sated. I came with my parents on a recent home visit and I cannot even tell you what we had, because it was so unmemorable. What I do remember is having two mediocre cocktails and the WORST paella I've EVER had in my life. We got both the seafood (which had little seafood, and tough) and the vegetarian. They tasted like flour because the rice was so poorly cooked with no flavor integration. It was yellow, but you couldn't taste the saffron. The food and service were SLOW SLOW SLOW and the other dishes we got, while not as memorably horrible as the paella, were memorably unmemorable. The bill was double what we would have/could have paid at so many other KC area establishments with better food and service. Return? No way. Recommend? Oh hell no. Oh, I'm now remembering a La Bodega on SW Boulevard years ago. That place was overrated but okay. I wonder if this place is connected? They'd have long way to go to get back to what the overrated place was, if so.
(1)
AJ C.
Went there one time for drinks and appetizers, and was very disappointed. Took forever to get served, and when we finally did we ordered a pitcher of margaritas. They said they normally don't do pitchers (?) but the they made an exception... we got the Margaritas and there was a fly in the pitcher. We checked the bar and more bottles had flies in them as well. Will not return since their food was nothing special, especially for the price.
(1)
John D.
Food was typical overpriced, small portion Tapas. Nothing too special. But the service was just irritating. Every time i was in the middle of a sentence our waitress would barge in, and interrupt me in mid-sentence. A word of advice to all servers: it is incredibly rude to interrupt anyone in mid-sentence but even more so when you are in the food service business, hoping to provide a good experience for your guests. And then we were sitting there waiting forever to pay and leave when we realized our server was literally sitting down with her friend chatting with her friend in the dining room. Talk about someone who doesnt get it. Definitely not going back, as t he food wasn't special enough to overcome our bad service level.
(2)
Troy L.
Ill keep this brief. We ordered Calamari a la Plancha and thus I expect calamari cooked on a plancha...cooked on a large stainless steel plate/grill thinner. I ended up with a plate of soggy, rubbery calamari submerged under white wine and parsley. When I asked the manager if they actually had a plancha, she said no they didn't. If I order something A La Plancha, I expect it to be cooked on a plancha! If I ordered a chargrilled burger, I expect it to be chargrilled! Instead, they just cook it in a sautee skillet and it's not the same. Liars! We ordered paella. I wouldn't want to eat it again. Rice texture was really unpleasant. Made me think they just par-cook their rice and then recook it to order. Rather disappointing. I can't go back to a restaurant that has items on the menu that they aren't equipped to properly prepare. Sorry, but at least you're all warned.
(1)
Amy B.
It was a great afternoon and we wanted a small snack. We stopped by La Bodega. Francisco was our server. We told him that we wanted "a couple of tapas" to start. The Sunday "special" is 1/2 price Sangria's and 1/2 price "selected" tapas (until 7 pm). Don't look at the main menu because that is not accurate. You will need to look at the smaller version that has the 1/2 price items. That one has the half price listed thus does not show 'normal' pricing thus allowing the feeling of getting them 50% under posted pricing. Due to this being our first visit, we were unsure of protocol and noticed that we were being served several items, but did not think to 'cancel' as we felt we were sampling items that were on the "selected" Happy Hour menu. Boy were we surprised by our bill! We had just had a small sampling to the tune of $115!! Needless to say, my husband asked to speak with our server and a manager and stated opening that we could have been more specific that stating a 'couple' of tapas, but when we learned that they delivered 8 tapas, only one of which was a Happy Hour special, my husband wanted to understand how the intention was missed so dramatically. After a couple emotional exchanges due to unprofessional language from the manager, it was still unclear how the term 'couple' could be interpreted to mean 8. In effort to have both parties feel 'closer' to what should have been, we agreed to a discount and were able to continue our wonderful afternoon as planned. Here is the long and short of it. Things happen sometimes that do not lend themselves to 'easy' correction. When all parties want to make things right, it is usually easy to find a meeting ground. What turned us off was the huge misunderstanding of the term couple and the manager attempting to place all blame on us as the consumer. We had, what is likely, an isolated incident and did enjoy the fare. So, the $100 question is 'will we go back'? To be fair, we would like to at some point, but we will wait until the sting of this day has blurred into the past.
(1)
Jennifer H.
The food is disappointing and the place feels gimmicky. The food does not taste freshly prepared, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of it was packaged. It's not bad, but it's not great. I won't be returning, because I wasn't impressed with the food quality and taste. The restaurant has a vibrant atmosphere. It also has a vibrant menu...at least, that's what I thought until I received my food. We ordered 4 small plates to share and were less than wowed by all of them. The meatballs did not taste house-made; if they are, you could fool me. They were bland and unexciting; if you're going to serve meatballs at a "Spanish" restaurant, set them apart from the Italian meatballs I can pick up in the freezer section of Costco. The goat cheese, pepper and fig coulis on crostini was lackluster as well. There was the teeniest smidge of goat cheese spread on the crostini, and one sad little pepper shaving on each piece. They were awfully generous with the glob of boring fig coulis, though. The chorizo was downright awful. It looked and tasted like a hot dog, and had zero flavor interest. They serve this silly flaming cinnamon coffee drink that they charge a premium for, probably only because they make a show out of preparing it table side. I will second the previous reviewer who said that it feels like it's full of real housewives and high schoolers on a date, but I don't think that's the restaurant's fault. It's south Jo Co, after all. I can also second the previous reviewer who was put off by the size of the wine pour. It's definitely a smallish glass of wine.
(2)
Kirun M.
I was really excited to write this review of La Bodega after a wonderful experience last night, and am disappointed to see so many negative reviews for this location. Due to the meticulous (can we say bordering on obsessive) planning of my friend, we had a reservation for four at 6pm and arrived on time to find the place relatively empty. While waiting for our guest of honor to arrive, we ordered some drinks. I was unsure which Sav Blanc to go with and our server offered to bring me each to sample. I ended up enjoying a lovely Chilean Sav Blanc... and then two...and then three. The others at our table had the white sangria, which they loved so much they had a pitcher. We were there for almost three hours- in true tapas fashion. We ordered five or six different plates to share amongst the four of us- and they were all awesome. We had the albondigas, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo, the bacon wrapped shrimp, and dates. The dish with the dates was too sweet for my taste, but everything else was very good. We had just enough room to split two desserts to round out the evening...and our bellies. Last but not least, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambiance at La Bodega. I guess I didn't expect outdoor seating and such an open feeling in the interior. There were no seats available outside when we arrived, but was pleased that the garage door style window was up and open. I am looking forward to coming back!
(4)
Tracie D.
Great food , service and atmosphere . They actually had a kids menu . My 8 year old daughter told me the " Don Quiote " pasta was the best she ever had . First time she finished bowl . The food wax authentic , unique and yummy ! We had the short ribs , ahi tuna on crostini , and blue cheese encrusted tenderloin ... All remarkable dishes we will come back for . It was my husband's birthday and they comp the dessert for celebrating there !
(5)
Liz T.
(from May 2011) Fun place to go with family. Got sangria and ordered away from the tapas list (cold and hot) Portions were reasonable and even though a couple dishes were a miss it was over-all satisfactory.
(3)
Meg L.
So my man took me here for my birthday dinner. We had 5 differing tapas, all of which were fresh and tasty. The fave is always the solomillo (blue cheese encrusted filet) which is crazy good. We also had the pancetta wrapped shrimp, the shrimp, scallop and squid salad, patatas bravas, and the goat cheese and tomato bruschetta. The restaurant is beautiful, and has a lively atmosphere. I ordered a mojito, and it was perfect. Great place for bdays and groups, as they have 2 "private" dining areas, including the chefs table. Very wonderful, food just as good as the original location on the boulevard, and the surroundings, even though its in a strip mall, are really gorgeous. Cant wait to sit on the patio in the sun and have a drink for happy hour!!
(5)
C L.
The patio looked snazzy, but my party opted to sit inside, and we were in the perfect spot - right beside the patio. The "garage" door was left open Saturday night, and it was fantastic. A breeze, candlelight, good food, great drinks, awesome atmosphere, and excellent company. Both the mojitos and Spanish coffee were delicious. Your Spanish coffee is served after a flamboyant little show, complete with a fiery gusto; so if you want a few moments' entertainment and a hot alcoholic beverage, try it! I list the tapas we shared below. calamares a la plancha - garlicky sauteed squid: Yummy! A decent portion, too. solomillo con cabrales - beef tenderloin crusted in blue cheese: Good stuff, particularly when ordered medium-rare. champinones a la plancha - mushrooms in another garlicky sauce: Now there's nothing wrong with this tapa, but they were just mushrooms. If you're looking for a fair portion of stuff to fill up on and share, this would be a good one. Otherwise, they were just mushrooms. paella valenciana - rice, cooked "al dente", with saffron and a variety of meats/seafood: I liked this more this time than when I'd had it at the other location. If you like the above-mentioned ingredients, give it a try. This was a hopping joint with dressed-up folks. The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to 60-sometings, and everyone seemed refined, but laid-back. I really loved the different types of seating they had - patio, indoor, bar. Our server seemed a little harried, but she obliged every request. Overall, this was a classy spot that facilitates a fun ambiance. So, like Arnold says, I'll be back.
(4)
Nancy S.
We went a week ago and I hated it. We typically sit at the bar and eat...my husband and I like to chat with people at the bar and we like the quick service. First off, we felt like we were invisible and had to flag down the bartender every time we needed anything: our initial drink, a menu, to order, for siverware, for another drink...and every time they acted like we were annoying them. Secondly, the food was so mediocre. The salad we ordered was just a big plate of lettuce with some stuff thrown on it swimming in salad dressing. The seared ahi tuna was mediocre...the one dish we did like was the grilled beef with blue cheese...we decided to order one more dish...after flagging down the annoyed bartender we ordered appetizer of assorted spainish meats and cheeses and were again disappointed to get a plate with a few little pieces of cheese and meat that was bland and nothing like a nice chorizo to be found. I won't go back.
(1)
Anthony D.
Went with a group of friends from work and it just happened to be Fat Tuesday. Our server was quite nice and upon explaining the beer selection I asked for the "hoppy" Goose Island beer that was on tap. What I got was something that was more of a spiced wheat and had no hop in any way shape or form. The server apologized and offered to bring me another beer which he did. We ordered 14 tapas dishes for the table and they were coming out rapid fire so we had to tell the server to slow it down. Around 7 the band started to play, it was a bit loud and kinda killed the reason we all came out to have some drinks. The tapas was ok but I've had better, I wouldn't avoid this place but I wouldn't rush back. There were plenty of dishes we didn't try and if there wasn't a loud band I'd be willing to try it again.
(3)
Dev V.
This is a great addition to the southern movement of established midtown and downtown restaurants. I went there last night for the second time, as I'm usually go to the one on SW Blvd. We were greeted by no less than three people, making sure we got our name in, told us the wait and offered us spots at the bar to get a drink. They take your phone number and text you when your table is ready, good concept. The decor is pretty cool here, bright colors, original artwork and metal work by local artist Stretch. All the windows are actually garage doors that open and give the place a really open air feel. The front bar has garage doors as well, so during warm weather, it can be a sort of indoor/outdoor bar. Last night the weather was surprisingly warm for February, so some of the garage doors were open. The bar was packed, but the bartenders were friendly and attentive. We saw the chocolate ale on tap and one of the bartenders, Tina, poured me a small glass just so I could try it. I also had a glass of wine at the bar and they two of the bartenders gave me five samples before I chose one. That type of service is above and beyond and definitely stuck out. We got our tapas, my favorite is always the beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese. The service was good and our drinks were always replenished. Great spot, can't wait for warmer weather and enjoying the open air atmosphere of La Bodega South.
(4)
S W.
I am a fan. I really enjoyed the food and drinks. There is tons to choose from and our waiter was super friendly and helped us make some good decisions. When we went it was warm enough to sit on the patio and it was perfect. Love the atmosphere of this place. I can't wait to go back.
Good atmosphere, but a little cramped in the dining room. Bartenders and servers were attentive, but the kitchen was a little slow. The seafood paella was very good, but not as flavorful as the paella valenciana. All in all it was well worth a return visit.
(4)
Gina D.
Went in for lunch with two girlfriends and had their unlimited lunch tapas bar. Such great food and totally filling! Service is fantastic and the atmosphere is one of the best in the area. I love La Bodega!
(5)
Amy G.
I have been to La Bodega a few times for lunch and have enjoyed it. I have found it to be a fun place. I had some out of towners in for my birthday and decided to go there for my birthday dinner. What a mistake! First, I reserved the chef's table. The manager called me the next day, and said that it was already reserved, and that it shouldn't have been given to me. I still wanted to eat there, so I said that we could eat in the dining room. We were seated at a very unpleasant long table in the bar. It was really noisy, and my husband had a plant hanging in his face. I felt that we were treated badly by the restaurant. Probably screwing up my reservation was a sign that I should not have given them my business. I think that it is probably fine for happy hour, but do not go there for any sort of a special occasion!
We visited at 7:30 on a Friday evening, so the house was packed. Luckily we made reservations. Our server (Feliz) was fantastic and that made the night. Otherwise, I thought it was so-so. The decor is classic Leawood, so not such a great match for something funky like Tapas. Very different from the downtown location. The ceasar salad was good, if conventional. The tapas were also good -- every plate was cleaned -- but not outstanding. My favorite was the meatballs; hearty for such small portions, and an excellent sauce. The patas fritas were also very good. They were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was excellent. The most interesting dish was a short corn on the cob (think KFC) decked with a variety of toppings, including a garlic creme sauce, chili powder and grated parmesan. You'll etiher hate it or love it -- I was more on the love side. All in all, worth a visit but won't be a regular on my list.
(3)
Gene T.
I am a huge fan of Tapas. I havent found good Tapas since I studied abroad and lived in Sevilla Spain. The ambiance was fantastic, The red Sangria was perfect. At first I though 30 bucks was steep for a pitcher of Sangria but then we had two pitchers lol. Try to go during happy hour for the best prices, they are a little much for a small plate of food, but so damn good.
(5)
Shannon W.
A friend and I decided to take a seat outside after getting my dog groomed next door. It wasn't particularly nice out but not raining...yet. They have dog bowls for water and it was filled promptly by a bus boy, which was really nice. (They allow dogs.) Unfortunately the bowl was filthy - yes, he's a dog...but he deserves a clean dish too. When our waitress came over to take our order, she quickly picked it up and went to rinse it out and brought it back with fresh, clean water. HOW NICE! And I didn't say a thing. I started off with a re:Pimm's Cucumber Cup drink and it was an alright flavor...but not as refreshing as suggested for the $10. My friend got the Flirtini ($8). It was extremely fruity and sweet. I really liked it but it was a bit too sweet for her. Not having been that impressed with my first time visit to the downtown La Bodega, I was a bit hesitant...but we ordered the calamari, the goat cheese crostinis, the meatballs, and the pancetta wrapped shrimp. Yum, Yum and Yum. Oh yeah...and Yum. If I had to rate any of them as just ok...it would be the calamari...the least flavor...but still good. It was happy hour so the prices weren't too bad...but I'd say the drink prices made up for that - a little high. When it started to rain there were 2 or 3 people to help us move everything to the outside/covered bar area (before our food came.) For my 2nd drink I asked our server about their Spanish Blanco and she brought me a taste. It was delish...I like that kind of service! She remained attentive and kind throughout our experience. I will go back most definitely. The outside patio is great and their bathrooms were clean and updated.
(4)
D B.
This place has a cool ambience, and is a great place to meet friends for tapas and drinks. Relaxed environment, with foods to satisfy almost anyone's palette. I say this confidently, as I watched my friends four year old, munching down the food with a smile.
(5)
Paul M.
Strongly recommend this location for lunch out. The tapas bar is excellent with freshly prepared food loaded with flavor! Clean, welcoming, and a wonderful staff. Everything you look for in a restaurant.
(5)
Chris C.
La bodega is one of my favorite KC restaurants. It's a good place to go with a group for dinner and drinks since it is always lively. Not recommended for a quiet dinner. I recommend the paella, patatas bravas (potatoes), and Queso de Cabra. The mojitos are also very good.
(5)
Phillip F.
Great place to eat and to have a nice evening. The atmosphere was very nice quiet and subdued in a classy sort of way. Not very noisy which is one of my pet peeves. Will go back again very soon, as there were so many delicious things to try out. My wife and I shared three Tapas and a dessert of Flan (Cinnamon and fig sauce *****). The idea is to be like Spain. Order a small plate of something and then to share it on small saucers with everyone at the table. All this while sharing a wine or some Sangria. Very extensive wine list. We were there on a Tuesday. All bottles of wine under $50 were 50% off the regular price. WOW! The waiter was very friendly and very helpful. I reccommend this place to everyone.
(5)
Gregg L.
We are longtime fans of La Bodega on the SW Blvd location. Tried the Leawood location for lunch over the holidays. Our party of four was uniformly unimpressed. I had the Monkfish, two had paella, one had chicken. Every dish was without spice. We all sort of looked at one another not knowing what to say. My wife hailed the waiter and asked for any sort of paprika- hot sauce they could summon. It was seriously like hospital food. The sangria was OK, but not as good as I expect based on past experience. We also enjoyed Spanish coffees, always a delicious desert. Bottom line was lunch was expensive, which is fine if the quality is there, unfortunately it was far from the mark. Maybe we just caught a bad lunch service, but it was so bland this location will not get a second chance from any of us. Atmosphere was great, wait-staff was terrific, but the food frankly sucked. Too bad, our expectations and past experiences were high. I would love to write a better report, and have a new favorite closed to home but jst can't do it.
(2)
Jeff H.
First time at restaurant. We went with the servers recommendations and the food was incredible. Atmosphere was a little noisy for a romantic dinner but a great place to get together with friends.
(4)
Lori T.
I SO wanted to love the southern location of La Bodega but something has been lost in translation. While I love heading to the city, there are times I enjoy the convenience of finding something great closer to home. That's why I love the 2nd versions of Blue Koi and Room 39 and was eager to eat at the JoCo version of La Bodega. It wasn't all I had hoped. When my husband and I popped in a couple of weeks ago I was surrounded by the dreaded HD (hipster dufus) crowd and loads of cocktail swilling cougars. Yikes. The bar was packed and I felt very sorry for the unlucky diners who had tables on the periphery- the bar partrons were almost in their laps. The atmosphere was not intimate or energetic -- just loud and crowded. We were seated after about 30 minutes but our table was tiny and quickly piled up with tapas plates. I had a nice coat and no one offered to check it - so it was crammed into our space. The poor person at the table next to ours was afraid of spilling something on it, so I ended up wearing it! Not so fun. Our server was polite but rushed - so we had orders ready. Didn't feel questions were welcome. Food was good -- not great -- and it did seem a little silly to pay $8 for some grilled bread. After just a few rounds - we took off. The next time I'm in the mood for tapas I'll head back to the original on SW Blvd.
(3)
courtney m.
I've been to the downtown La Bodega many times, came to visit and check out the new location. Very impressed. The decor is very true to the original La Bodega. Sangria is just as delicious also! Some of the food was not the exact same as the boulevards but still just as amazing. I'm sorry I keep comparing the two locations but, it seems a few reviewers have been a little hard on the new location and I'm here to tell you to go try it out, you will not be disappointed. As always I had the green beans with potatoes and fig, the mushrooms and the tomato dip with the goat cheese, yum! Service was also excellent. I can't wait for slightly warmer weather to experience the fire pit and patio. If you are looking for a place to share food and enjoy great atmosphere, here you go. Great job!
(5)
Shalia S.
The initial draw to the 119th Street location was to take advantage of the great weather and their happy hour. We were greeted immediately and advised we could dine on their patio at a table of our choice. Although the construction project of the new Trader Joe's is an eyesore, the patio is a nice one. I could easily imagine it during a summer evening as the place to be to dine and to sip back some great drinks. The happy hour menu is a typical happy hour. We were able to order almost one of everything off the menu to experience the cuisine. Unfortunately, the tapas did not blow me away with overall strong flavor. I was expecting a little bit more. I was expecting a unique taste and presentation to go along with the great decor. However, I was disappointed. I will say the Re:verse mojito is a great choice. The drinks listed on their regular menu would easily bring me back to the restaurant (as well as to enjoy the patio). Unfortunately, I don't think I would recommend the food as being the main focus of the evening. Definitely check out their patio on a weekend evening with a great drink in hand!
(2)
Uyen V.
Dined at LB on Saturday evening. Atmosphere: jovial, bright and loud. We dined mainly on the tapas dishes, which were very good - just as good as the items served at the original location. I think the glory must be given to the desserts - they were superb. Despite being ridiculously full from the main meal, we each found space for some sweet. Three stars due to a rather idiotic and arrogant moment on the part of the chef. Ordered paella and it came out uncooked. The rice was raw inside i.e. dry, chalky and raw. When we sent it back, the chef retorted that his kitchen made paella rather al dente. Al dente - ok. Raw - not acceptable. I've been to Spain, been to some top restaurants, and never had to crunch my way through any paella. Absolute codswallop - besides, the downtown LB never served it like that. Thankfully our waitress smoothed things over, advised that we skip the paella and focus wholly on the tapas which turned out to be just lovely.
(3)
Eugene K.
The atmosphere was really good and the service was decent. The food, however was a different story altogether. It was absolutely plain, looked cheap and cost an arm and a leg. I live in OP, so the price is not unusual, but usually you would have food that tastes better than rice cakes, and perhaps could feed someone other than a pigeon. We had 5 tapas and desert for 2, and ended up filling up on bread. I would not return again.
(2)
Kirun M.
I was really excited to write this review of La Bodega after a wonderful experience last night, and am disappointed to see so many negative reviews for this location. Due to the meticulous (can we say bordering on obsessive) planning of my friend, we had a reservation for four at 6pm and arrived on time to find the place relatively empty. While waiting for our guest of honor to arrive, we ordered some drinks. I was unsure which Sav Blanc to go with and our server offered to bring me each to sample. I ended up enjoying a lovely Chilean Sav Blanc... and then two...and then three. The others at our table had the white sangria, which they loved so much they had a pitcher. We were there for almost three hours- in true tapas fashion. We ordered five or six different plates to share amongst the four of us- and they were all awesome. We had the albondigas, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo, the bacon wrapped shrimp, and dates. The dish with the dates was too sweet for my taste, but everything else was very good. We had just enough room to split two desserts to round out the evening...and our bellies. Last but not least, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambiance at La Bodega. I guess I didn't expect outdoor seating and such an open feeling in the interior. There were no seats available outside when we arrived, but was pleased that the garage door style window was up and open. I am looking forward to coming back!
(4)
Tracie D.
Great food , service and atmosphere . They actually had a kids menu . My 8 year old daughter told me the " Don Quiote " pasta was the best she ever had . First time she finished bowl . The food wax authentic , unique and yummy ! We had the short ribs , ahi tuna on crostini , and blue cheese encrusted tenderloin ... All remarkable dishes we will come back for . It was my husband's birthday and they comp the dessert for celebrating there !
(5)
Liz T.
(from May 2011) Fun place to go with family. Got sangria and ordered away from the tapas list (cold and hot) Portions were reasonable and even though a couple dishes were a miss it was over-all satisfactory.
(3)
Meg L.
So my man took me here for my birthday dinner. We had 5 differing tapas, all of which were fresh and tasty. The fave is always the solomillo (blue cheese encrusted filet) which is crazy good. We also had the pancetta wrapped shrimp, the shrimp, scallop and squid salad, patatas bravas, and the goat cheese and tomato bruschetta. The restaurant is beautiful, and has a lively atmosphere. I ordered a mojito, and it was perfect. Great place for bdays and groups, as they have 2 "private" dining areas, including the chefs table. Very wonderful, food just as good as the original location on the boulevard, and the surroundings, even though its in a strip mall, are really gorgeous. Cant wait to sit on the patio in the sun and have a drink for happy hour!!
(5)
C L.
The patio looked snazzy, but my party opted to sit inside, and we were in the perfect spot - right beside the patio. The "garage" door was left open Saturday night, and it was fantastic. A breeze, candlelight, good food, great drinks, awesome atmosphere, and excellent company. Both the mojitos and Spanish coffee were delicious. Your Spanish coffee is served after a flamboyant little show, complete with a fiery gusto; so if you want a few moments' entertainment and a hot alcoholic beverage, try it! I list the tapas we shared below. calamares a la plancha - garlicky sauteed squid: Yummy! A decent portion, too. solomillo con cabrales - beef tenderloin crusted in blue cheese: Good stuff, particularly when ordered medium-rare. champinones a la plancha - mushrooms in another garlicky sauce: Now there's nothing wrong with this tapa, but they were just mushrooms. If you're looking for a fair portion of stuff to fill up on and share, this would be a good one. Otherwise, they were just mushrooms. paella valenciana - rice, cooked "al dente", with saffron and a variety of meats/seafood: I liked this more this time than when I'd had it at the other location. If you like the above-mentioned ingredients, give it a try. This was a hopping joint with dressed-up folks. The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to 60-sometings, and everyone seemed refined, but laid-back. I really loved the different types of seating they had - patio, indoor, bar. Our server seemed a little harried, but she obliged every request. Overall, this was a classy spot that facilitates a fun ambiance. So, like Arnold says, I'll be back.
(4)
Nancy S.
We went a week ago and I hated it. We typically sit at the bar and eat...my husband and I like to chat with people at the bar and we like the quick service. First off, we felt like we were invisible and had to flag down the bartender every time we needed anything: our initial drink, a menu, to order, for siverware, for another drink...and every time they acted like we were annoying them. Secondly, the food was so mediocre. The salad we ordered was just a big plate of lettuce with some stuff thrown on it swimming in salad dressing. The seared ahi tuna was mediocre...the one dish we did like was the grilled beef with blue cheese...we decided to order one more dish...after flagging down the annoyed bartender we ordered appetizer of assorted spainish meats and cheeses and were again disappointed to get a plate with a few little pieces of cheese and meat that was bland and nothing like a nice chorizo to be found. I won't go back.
(1)
Anthony D.
Went with a group of friends from work and it just happened to be Fat Tuesday. Our server was quite nice and upon explaining the beer selection I asked for the "hoppy" Goose Island beer that was on tap. What I got was something that was more of a spiced wheat and had no hop in any way shape or form. The server apologized and offered to bring me another beer which he did. We ordered 14 tapas dishes for the table and they were coming out rapid fire so we had to tell the server to slow it down. Around 7 the band started to play, it was a bit loud and kinda killed the reason we all came out to have some drinks. The tapas was ok but I've had better, I wouldn't avoid this place but I wouldn't rush back. There were plenty of dishes we didn't try and if there wasn't a loud band I'd be willing to try it again.
(3)
Dev V.
This is a great addition to the southern movement of established midtown and downtown restaurants. I went there last night for the second time, as I'm usually go to the one on SW Blvd. We were greeted by no less than three people, making sure we got our name in, told us the wait and offered us spots at the bar to get a drink. They take your phone number and text you when your table is ready, good concept. The decor is pretty cool here, bright colors, original artwork and metal work by local artist Stretch. All the windows are actually garage doors that open and give the place a really open air feel. The front bar has garage doors as well, so during warm weather, it can be a sort of indoor/outdoor bar. Last night the weather was surprisingly warm for February, so some of the garage doors were open. The bar was packed, but the bartenders were friendly and attentive. We saw the chocolate ale on tap and one of the bartenders, Tina, poured me a small glass just so I could try it. I also had a glass of wine at the bar and they two of the bartenders gave me five samples before I chose one. That type of service is above and beyond and definitely stuck out. We got our tapas, my favorite is always the beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese. The service was good and our drinks were always replenished. Great spot, can't wait for warmer weather and enjoying the open air atmosphere of La Bodega South.
Good atmosphere, but a little cramped in the dining room. Bartenders and servers were attentive, but the kitchen was a little slow. The seafood paella was very good, but not as flavorful as the paella valenciana. All in all it was well worth a return visit.
(4)
S W.
I am a fan. I really enjoyed the food and drinks. There is tons to choose from and our waiter was super friendly and helped us make some good decisions. When we went it was warm enough to sit on the patio and it was perfect. Love the atmosphere of this place. I can't wait to go back.
(4)
Gina D.
Went in for lunch with two girlfriends and had their unlimited lunch tapas bar. Such great food and totally filling! Service is fantastic and the atmosphere is one of the best in the area. I love La Bodega!
(5)
Amy G.
I have been to La Bodega a few times for lunch and have enjoyed it. I have found it to be a fun place. I had some out of towners in for my birthday and decided to go there for my birthday dinner. What a mistake! First, I reserved the chef's table. The manager called me the next day, and said that it was already reserved, and that it shouldn't have been given to me. I still wanted to eat there, so I said that we could eat in the dining room. We were seated at a very unpleasant long table in the bar. It was really noisy, and my husband had a plant hanging in his face. I felt that we were treated badly by the restaurant. Probably screwing up my reservation was a sign that I should not have given them my business. I think that it is probably fine for happy hour, but do not go there for any sort of a special occasion!
We visited at 7:30 on a Friday evening, so the house was packed. Luckily we made reservations. Our server (Feliz) was fantastic and that made the night. Otherwise, I thought it was so-so. The decor is classic Leawood, so not such a great match for something funky like Tapas. Very different from the downtown location. The ceasar salad was good, if conventional. The tapas were also good -- every plate was cleaned -- but not outstanding. My favorite was the meatballs; hearty for such small portions, and an excellent sauce. The patas fritas were also very good. They were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was excellent. The most interesting dish was a short corn on the cob (think KFC) decked with a variety of toppings, including a garlic creme sauce, chili powder and grated parmesan. You'll etiher hate it or love it -- I was more on the love side. All in all, worth a visit but won't be a regular on my list.
(3)
Gene T.
I am a huge fan of Tapas. I havent found good Tapas since I studied abroad and lived in Sevilla Spain. The ambiance was fantastic, The red Sangria was perfect. At first I though 30 bucks was steep for a pitcher of Sangria but then we had two pitchers lol. Try to go during happy hour for the best prices, they are a little much for a small plate of food, but so damn good.
(5)
Shannon W.
A friend and I decided to take a seat outside after getting my dog groomed next door. It wasn't particularly nice out but not raining...yet. They have dog bowls for water and it was filled promptly by a bus boy, which was really nice. (They allow dogs.) Unfortunately the bowl was filthy - yes, he's a dog...but he deserves a clean dish too. When our waitress came over to take our order, she quickly picked it up and went to rinse it out and brought it back with fresh, clean water. HOW NICE! And I didn't say a thing. I started off with a re:Pimm's Cucumber Cup drink and it was an alright flavor...but not as refreshing as suggested for the $10. My friend got the Flirtini ($8). It was extremely fruity and sweet. I really liked it but it was a bit too sweet for her. Not having been that impressed with my first time visit to the downtown La Bodega, I was a bit hesitant...but we ordered the calamari, the goat cheese crostinis, the meatballs, and the pancetta wrapped shrimp. Yum, Yum and Yum. Oh yeah...and Yum. If I had to rate any of them as just ok...it would be the calamari...the least flavor...but still good. It was happy hour so the prices weren't too bad...but I'd say the drink prices made up for that - a little high. When it started to rain there were 2 or 3 people to help us move everything to the outside/covered bar area (before our food came.) For my 2nd drink I asked our server about their Spanish Blanco and she brought me a taste. It was delish...I like that kind of service! She remained attentive and kind throughout our experience. I will go back most definitely. The outside patio is great and their bathrooms were clean and updated.
(4)
D B.
This place has a cool ambience, and is a great place to meet friends for tapas and drinks. Relaxed environment, with foods to satisfy almost anyone's palette. I say this confidently, as I watched my friends four year old, munching down the food with a smile.
(5)
Paul M.
Strongly recommend this location for lunch out. The tapas bar is excellent with freshly prepared food loaded with flavor! Clean, welcoming, and a wonderful staff. Everything you look for in a restaurant.
(5)
Chris C.
La bodega is one of my favorite KC restaurants. It's a good place to go with a group for dinner and drinks since it is always lively. Not recommended for a quiet dinner. I recommend the paella, patatas bravas (potatoes), and Queso de Cabra. The mojitos are also very good.
(5)
Phillip F.
Great place to eat and to have a nice evening. The atmosphere was very nice quiet and subdued in a classy sort of way. Not very noisy which is one of my pet peeves. Will go back again very soon, as there were so many delicious things to try out. My wife and I shared three Tapas and a dessert of Flan (Cinnamon and fig sauce *****). The idea is to be like Spain. Order a small plate of something and then to share it on small saucers with everyone at the table. All this while sharing a wine or some Sangria. Very extensive wine list. We were there on a Tuesday. All bottles of wine under $50 were 50% off the regular price. WOW! The waiter was very friendly and very helpful. I reccommend this place to everyone.
(5)
Gregg L.
We are longtime fans of La Bodega on the SW Blvd location. Tried the Leawood location for lunch over the holidays. Our party of four was uniformly unimpressed. I had the Monkfish, two had paella, one had chicken. Every dish was without spice. We all sort of looked at one another not knowing what to say. My wife hailed the waiter and asked for any sort of paprika- hot sauce they could summon. It was seriously like hospital food. The sangria was OK, but not as good as I expect based on past experience. We also enjoyed Spanish coffees, always a delicious desert. Bottom line was lunch was expensive, which is fine if the quality is there, unfortunately it was far from the mark. Maybe we just caught a bad lunch service, but it was so bland this location will not get a second chance from any of us. Atmosphere was great, wait-staff was terrific, but the food frankly sucked. Too bad, our expectations and past experiences were high. I would love to write a better report, and have a new favorite closed to home but jst can't do it.
(2)
Jeff H.
First time at restaurant. We went with the servers recommendations and the food was incredible. Atmosphere was a little noisy for a romantic dinner but a great place to get together with friends.
(4)
Lori T.
I SO wanted to love the southern location of La Bodega but something has been lost in translation. While I love heading to the city, there are times I enjoy the convenience of finding something great closer to home. That's why I love the 2nd versions of Blue Koi and Room 39 and was eager to eat at the JoCo version of La Bodega. It wasn't all I had hoped. When my husband and I popped in a couple of weeks ago I was surrounded by the dreaded HD (hipster dufus) crowd and loads of cocktail swilling cougars. Yikes. The bar was packed and I felt very sorry for the unlucky diners who had tables on the periphery- the bar partrons were almost in their laps. The atmosphere was not intimate or energetic -- just loud and crowded. We were seated after about 30 minutes but our table was tiny and quickly piled up with tapas plates. I had a nice coat and no one offered to check it - so it was crammed into our space. The poor person at the table next to ours was afraid of spilling something on it, so I ended up wearing it! Not so fun. Our server was polite but rushed - so we had orders ready. Didn't feel questions were welcome. Food was good -- not great -- and it did seem a little silly to pay $8 for some grilled bread. After just a few rounds - we took off. The next time I'm in the mood for tapas I'll head back to the original on SW Blvd.
(3)
courtney m.
I've been to the downtown La Bodega many times, came to visit and check out the new location. Very impressed. The decor is very true to the original La Bodega. Sangria is just as delicious also! Some of the food was not the exact same as the boulevards but still just as amazing. I'm sorry I keep comparing the two locations but, it seems a few reviewers have been a little hard on the new location and I'm here to tell you to go try it out, you will not be disappointed. As always I had the green beans with potatoes and fig, the mushrooms and the tomato dip with the goat cheese, yum! Service was also excellent. I can't wait for slightly warmer weather to experience the fire pit and patio. If you are looking for a place to share food and enjoy great atmosphere, here you go. Great job!
(5)
Shalia S.
The initial draw to the 119th Street location was to take advantage of the great weather and their happy hour. We were greeted immediately and advised we could dine on their patio at a table of our choice. Although the construction project of the new Trader Joe's is an eyesore, the patio is a nice one. I could easily imagine it during a summer evening as the place to be to dine and to sip back some great drinks. The happy hour menu is a typical happy hour. We were able to order almost one of everything off the menu to experience the cuisine. Unfortunately, the tapas did not blow me away with overall strong flavor. I was expecting a little bit more. I was expecting a unique taste and presentation to go along with the great decor. However, I was disappointed. I will say the Re:verse mojito is a great choice. The drinks listed on their regular menu would easily bring me back to the restaurant (as well as to enjoy the patio). Unfortunately, I don't think I would recommend the food as being the main focus of the evening. Definitely check out their patio on a weekend evening with a great drink in hand!
(2)
Uyen V.
Dined at LB on Saturday evening. Atmosphere: jovial, bright and loud. We dined mainly on the tapas dishes, which were very good - just as good as the items served at the original location. I think the glory must be given to the desserts - they were superb. Despite being ridiculously full from the main meal, we each found space for some sweet. Three stars due to a rather idiotic and arrogant moment on the part of the chef. Ordered paella and it came out uncooked. The rice was raw inside i.e. dry, chalky and raw. When we sent it back, the chef retorted that his kitchen made paella rather al dente. Al dente - ok. Raw - not acceptable. I've been to Spain, been to some top restaurants, and never had to crunch my way through any paella. Absolute codswallop - besides, the downtown LB never served it like that. Thankfully our waitress smoothed things over, advised that we skip the paella and focus wholly on the tapas which turned out to be just lovely.
(3)
Eugene K.
The atmosphere was really good and the service was decent. The food, however was a different story altogether. It was absolutely plain, looked cheap and cost an arm and a leg. I live in OP, so the price is not unusual, but usually you would have food that tastes better than rice cakes, and perhaps could feed someone other than a pigeon. We had 5 tapas and desert for 2, and ended up filling up on bread. I would not return again.
(2)
Christie R.
I got really lucky today and got to go to two wonderful Kansas City restaurants. La Bodega is an excellent tapas style Spanish restaurant, which makes it great for groups. There are two locations in the Kansas City area, and tonight I visited the newer Leawood location. I prefer the original location to the new one, as the newer one is quite dark on the inside and tends to cater to a different, richer crowd than the older location on Southwest Boulevard. Nevertheless, it is still fantastic, if not a bit more formal. The menu has about a zillion tapas to choose from, and I'm happy to say that a fair amount of them are vegetarian! I had the tortilla española, patatas bravas, judÃas verdes, papas fritas con ajo, crespelle de feta y puerros, pan con tomate, and queso de cabra al horno. The patatas bravas are a signature Spanish dish, and are basically potatoes in a cumin-y, slightly spicy, tomato sauce. They're pretty good, but if I were to recommend one potato dish, I would definitely say the papas fritas con ajo. These are fried potatoes that end up perfectly fried on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside, topped with a savory aioli sauce. The pan con tomate and queso de cabra al horno are very similar dishes, but the latter is by far the winner. The pan con tomate consists of two toasted slices of a crusty bread served with a cold bruschetta-type topping on the side. It's good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to order again. However, the queso de cabra al horno is amazing! If you get one vegetarian item off the menu, this one should be it. Slices of crispy bread are arranged around a dish filled with a similar oven-baked tomato/bruschetta-y chunky sauce topped with goat cheese. The tortilla española - a fritata like dish - once had my heart, but I'm not as fond of it as I once was. It's good, but a little plain. The crespelle de feta y puerros - a crepe filled with feta and leaks - is alright, but not great for sharing. I had so little of it that I don't think I can give it a fair review. And then there were the judÃas verdes - green beans served with feta, red onions, olives, and a vinaigrette - that turned out to be the underdog of the night! So fresh and crisp! Definitely recommend it. The staff was kind, helpful, and flexible. Do yourself a favor and try out La Bodega. I guarantee you a good time!
(5)
Josh Z.
We had 5 different dishes and two desserts. The food was pretty good for the most part. I wasn't a fan of one of the dishes, but that was mostly personal preference. Everything was well prepared and of high quality. It was well presented as well. The service, however, was a little on the slow side. Our waiter did not come by often enough and very rarely refilled drinks. We ate on the patio and apparently the lights were broken, so we ended up literally eating in the dark while getting eaten ourselves by mosquitos. All in all, I would go back. I would like to try some other dishes and the food makes the mediocre service a little more palatable.
(4)
Niosha T.
This place is always a good time. You really can't go wrong with Spanish tapas and Sangria! Not to mention the amazing Paella they serve. I haven't had a single tapa I didn't like on their menu. EVERYTHING is delicious and the staff is always on point.
(5)
Kimberly B.
My husband and I went with another couple and ordered ten tapas between the four of us. There were all pretty tasty, though overpriced for what you get. Let's be honest, you're paying a little more for the ambiance and fun experience. It's a trendy atmosphere and you're engulfed in soft yellow light and surrounded by cozy furniture and modern art. One of the selections that I liked in particular was the pancetta wrapped and chorizo stuffed figs. I also enjoyed the meatballs, though my dining partners didn't agree. We all, however, agreed on the pitcher of sangria. It's delicious, even though they try to make it look like you're getting more by overfilling the pitcher with ice even though your glasses start off topped with ice and fruit as well. Even so, the ambiance can't be beat, and the pitcher of watered sangria was worth the $30. Overall, our total bill before tip was ~$150. I wouldn't say the food itself was worth that because it wasn't, but it's a fun experience and I would recommend it as a good place to go with friends. It didn't make it into the short list of my favorite restaurants base on the food, but I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Adam S.
Recently had an opportunity to check out La Bodega. I thought it was a really fun experience. The tapas were super tasty, although I felt like they were slightly overpriced for the portion sizes. The restaurant itself felt hip and trendy, but also had an intimate and cozy feeling. This is a great place to meet friends, chat, share some food, and enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. The main reason this place isn't 5 star is because we really felt rushed towards the end of the meal. It became clear around 9:30p that the staff wanted us gone so they could close. We weren't the only people in there, but the crowd had thinned out on the side we were on (non-bar side). It was so blatant that I checked the hours on the website once we got home. They just say 11a-Close. Yelp shows they are open to 1:30a.
(3)
Nyla K.
I normally hit up the southwest traffic way location but we were out here shopping and was craving for some tapas. The one thing this place has that beats the other location is the ample outdoor space. There's space in the front and on the side. It was very nice just to sit out and have a glass of sangria, which by the way is the best I've had. It's even better during happy hour! One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City. And as always the staff are super nice and friendly.
(5)
Dallas B.
I have not had a bad experience at La Bodega. I love the environment, especially when it is warm enough to do outside seating. Inside or out, the seating is comfortable and they are easy going when you request a particular section or even a specific table. The service is always friendly and prompt, and I am always satisfied with the answers I get when I ask questions about certain dishes. I have tried several different things, and have been pleased with everything. What I really thing about when I think about La Bodega, and the one things I would never not order when I go is the Papas Fritas con Ajo (Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli). Amazing. When you walk in you will notice the beautiful Sangria in a large glass beverage server. It tastes as good as it looks! I hear that the Sunday Brunch is really good. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but plan to go soon. To see their daily feature you can check out their Facebook page. For the same great food and service, but with a completely different vibe, they have another location on Southwest Blvd. You should try them both!
(5)
Azile Y.
This place has a really nice atmosphere/vibe. The service is kind (despite being a little pushy to go to this website and fill out this survey, blah blah...) But I've been to Spain- these are not authentic tapas, which are minimalistic by nature. Here they slather and dollop generously. There is little subtlety and nuance in the flavors- they are loud and 2 dimensional. I'd come back for a drink with friends on the patio, but the food doesn't wow me.
(3)
Ann W.
I really WANT to like La Bodega more. I have been here on a number of occasions since they opened and I have yet to be wowed. I love tapas, but just haven't had great tapas here in Kansas City and I feel like that's a big gaping hole in our food scene. I have had amazing tapas in other cities and La Bodega feels like a bit of a let-down every time I go. Last night I met up with a friend and we ordered four tapas. All of them were good, but only one of them was great: The Pintxos de Higo Roasted is grilled bread with roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig. The flavor combinations were really nice and I'll probably steal this idea and make something similar at home sometime. We also had the Crespelle de Feta y Puerros which is supposed to be thin crepes layered with goat cheese, but the "crepes" really seem more like phyllo dough. My friend commented that it just didn't seem that special, "like something I could easily whip up myself at home." I didn't have it, but they make a flaming Spanish Coffee and the tableside prep is something to see. Prices are fairly steep in relation to serving sizes. I have always had good to great service at La Bodega and last night was no exception. Our waiter was attentive and funny without being overbearing. This is the kind of place that I would never suggest as a place to go, but I wouldn't balk at if someone else wanted to go.
(3)
Nikki H.
This restaurant is very over-rated! The prices are too high for the proportions you get. The menu is very hard to read and frustrating. The drinks were...ok but definitely not worth the price charges. The toast on my sandwich was burnt. The only dressing available for the salad was 1 vinaigrette dressing. This is not a place I will be coming back to.
(2)
Gina M.
I love this place! I wish I could tell you my favorite tapa, but honestly, every one I have tried has always been delicious! Service is occasionally less than par, but for the most part, this is a great place to mix it up! Grab several different tapas and share them among friends.
(4)
Asima F.
A favorite for tapas and sangria! They also have the best happy hour in town. Lately we've been more than once a week for a pitcher of sangria and a couple tapas. Our favorites are Papas Fritas with a garlic aioli, Pan Tomate, and the pancetta wrapped, chorizo filled dates!
(5)
Dee B.
Probably the best patio in Johnson County. Try to get there early on a nice day to have some of their sangria. Food is good-especially the lunch buffet which is a great value.
(4)
Jason P.
Great food and drink variety. A nice getaway for this area. Al fresco here can not be topped.
(4)
Ray B.
We have dined at this establishment 8-9 times and have found it to be delicious and fairly consistent. The sangria (red) gets 5 stars - especially during happy hour . The tapas vary depending on what you order - we love the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. The entrees are not quite as good as the tapas but the Spanish Cioppino is amazing. I have had a delicious lunch at La Bodega - ordered the special that included a selection of tapas. We also got a Spanish pizza that was Ah-mazing!!
(4)
Shaurna A.
Went for happy hour on a Saturday, where the dishes with the faces on the menu are 1/2 priced. (Best time to go for the best deal, these are tappas, small plate dishes) I ordered the goat cheese and tomatoes with crustinies. It was very good!! Others ordered the pork and apple skewers, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the squid, and the goat cheese and fig tappas. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We also ordered drinks. They were very good, nice and stiff. I ordered the Flirtini. *Prior to this evening, I did attend our annual Christmas party here. If you have a group event and want to take apart of their tappas bar, that is a cool, tasty option to try different things.
(5)
Michael M.
Met friends for drinks on Saturday. While the drinks were good, the air conditioning was not functioning. Not at all. Not even the fan for circulating the air. Given it was 98° outside (and not much cooler inside), they should have done more to get it fixed or closed the restaurant. Not fair to the staff nor the customers.
(3)
David W.
Undoubtedly, this is a dining experience that could not be replicated anywhere else. Aside from the food and atmosphere being superb, the staff was helpful and considerate. My favorite moment of the evening was when this waiter was preparing some Spanish Coffee for these two women at the table across from us. The creation of Spanish coffee is certainly a pleasure to watch, it involves lighting alcohol on fire and then sprinkling cinnamon on the flames, causing a rather spectacular image, then pouring Kahlua and coffee on top. This is then topped with whipped cream and more cinnamon. Whilst the waiter was performing this ritual, the two women he was serving decided their phones were more interesting and were not paying much attention. Sadly, the whipped cream container was malfunctioning, and shot out air instead of aforementioned, and the waiters hand was covered with boiling hot liquids. However, being a collected man of class and poise, he maintained calm and prepared another, all while the two women continued with indifference to be more involved with their cellular devices. This review goes out to you, good sir, I want you to know that there are still people who appreciate spectacle and beauty, as well as perseverance. Stay Strong.
(5)
Rhonda P.
This is more a 3.5 stars in overall experience. The staff was very friendly which makes it a pleasant place to dine. The food was good except we were disappointed in our steak. We asked for medium rare and got well done on one side of the steak and medium on the other half. The steak was $16 so... Other than that we would like to return bc the outdoor seating with the warming weather in KC is a great place to be.
(3)
Ophelia M.
This restaurant was a random open now find because the place we originally wanted to go was closed, and I'm so glad we decided to eat late. The food is delicious, the portions are just the right size for sharing, and the prices are great. Two people ate their fill for about $15 each. The patatas bravas is great, and I really like their take on stuffed dates. Next time I go I'm going to try a cocktail, since the food is so reasonably priced. The staff is very attentive. Our waitress was so sweet, refilling our water every time it hit the half way mark and offering suggestions about the menu. I will definitely be going back.
(4)
Michael E.
Great food. Really enjoyed the different flavors and the social presentation. It's a little different dining experience than the typical restaurant and the server was zero help in navigating the protocol. Overall, I would recommend the food and the ambiance but hope you get a more helpful and attentive service crew. Our waiter was very poor and the host acted like we were aliens when we entered the facility, even though we had reservations.
(3)
LeAnn A.
I went during their happy hour time and that is probably about the only time I would go, due to the prices. The food was extremely good but pricey for how small the portions were. When I was there it was extremely slow, and it took a while for someone to seat me, and I just sat at the bar. The bartender was nice but was absent a lot of my meal. So overall food was good but a little to pricey for my taste.
(3)
R M.
We went for dinner on a Saturday. It is a bustling tapas place in Leawood. The ambiance is casual and trendy. From the cold tapas selections, we had the pan plano con salmon ahumado, which was delicious and is a must try. We also had championes a la plancha and gambos a la plancha from the hot tapas selections, which were great too. Pinch de pollo wasn't that good. For the entree, we shared pechuga de pollo con queso, which is a goat cheese stuffed game hen with creamy potato parsnip puree, which was awesome and highly recommend trying. For dessert, we had the higos y pudin. It was out of the world and is also a must try. For drinks, we had a couple of cocktails: Tres amigos wasn't good. Abuelos reposado was excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and helped us with the menu. Overall, an experience worth repeating. Bon appetit !
(4)
James S.
It was about 9:45pm on a Monday night when we were driving down 119th after a long day of travel when we saw the little La Bodega. We decided to stop in and we were not disappointed. The kitchen was just getting ready to close but Restaurant Manager Rafael Cervantes invited us in and saw that we were well cared for. I will leave the critical review of the food to the connoisseurs because that late at night, anything would have tasted great to us. But the service is what really stood out to us at La Bodega. And that is why we will go back again!
(5)
Vina A.
Absolutely gorgeous space, really. I would totally love to hang out here, hold an event, just for the decor. BUT unfortunately nothing so beautiful can hide bad food. La Bodega was really really disappointing. Even if the food was served in a dingy hole in the wall it still didn't look or taste good. I can't believe they charge for so little. I can't believe people continue coming here for little pieces of reheated potato and defrosted seafood, squirted over with the same 2 sauces. The meat didn't taste bad but I did have to spit it out b/c I couldn't chew it down. Just had a ball of meat-gum in my mouth for a really long time. They would do better to get some frozen trader joe's appetizers from across the parking lot. Sounds harsh but true. Sad. I really would not recommend anyone go here for anything beyond a drink.
(1)
Leah P.
This is a lovely location. It was a really nice day, so all of their windows and doors were open. Our server was great and had helpful recommendations. The food was really tasty (lunch tapas del dia and a seared ahi tuna dish), and their iced tea and coffee was really good. I'd definitely recommend this la bodega location and will be back!
(4)
Dan N.
Good bar, great ambiance food over priced and over cooked I had high hopes and they were dashed
(2)
Lindsey M.
Awesome sangria and happy hour specials! The tapas we had tasted amazing and looked great. The atmosphere seemed very relaxed. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Billie H.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, my first choice would be Spain. The food, the culture, the free tapas as long as you are drinking..... La Bodega has always been a favorite. The KCMO location was an after work spot when I worked in the area. I love all the flavor packed small plates that you can choose from. Most of them are very simple dishes, but extraordinary when the flavors explode on your taste buds. Outside of the tapas options, the Cuban is absolutely delicious. It is only available during lunch hours, but a must try. This is possibly the best sandwich ever created and La Bodega does it right. The meats are packed with flavor. The pork nicely smoked. The mustard not overpowering, but compliments nicely. And the cabbage is a perfect topper, a bit of tang, but not too much. My only disappointment well, besides it not being available all day) is that the menu says it comes with chicharróns, but mine has always been served with fries. This is a mild complaint though because although a little too thin, the fries are amazing. Seasoned with garlic and parsley they have a nice little punch of flavor that is calmed by a delicious smoked aioli. If the fries were not close to shoestring fries these would be the best fries ever. If you are a sangria fan, La Bodega has a nice sangria. The happy hour specials are fantastic with a nice selection of half price tapas. Prices are moderate. Service can be a little lacking. This is a must stop if you like flavor!
(4)
G C.
Love this restaurant everything on the menu looks so good. Ordered a few Tapas and a main dish. Paella was flavorful and just the right amount. Dates wrapped with prosciuto (sp) stuffed with chorizo was an explosion of flavor. Highly recommend
(4)
Laurel S.
We came during happy hour which ends at 6 so its a stretch to get there in time to have more than one drink. During happy hour I'd give this place 4 stars but if I went there an paid full price for an order of meatballs and they brought out a plate of 3 meatballs I'd be a little less happy. $5 sangrias are delish! both the red and white version. I honestly can't remember all the tapas we tried but they were all good. I would go back during happy hour but there is no way I'd go for full priced dinner.
(3)
Barbara Becker M.
We always order several tapas and have a glass of white sangria. Try the chicken and chorizo, roasted peppers with tuna and rice and garlic sauce meatballs. You can't go wrong with tapas.
(5)
Lotus F.
Had the sangria only. It was delicious! Professional service and good, fun atmosphere to meet up with an old college friend!
(4)
Jessi B.
I love La Bodega! Their sangria is fabulous (although kind of weak, I can drink a pitcher myself and barely feel tipsy) and their blue cheese crusted tenderloin is to DIE for! I also love their fried potatoes with garlic aioli, the baguette with goat cheese and red pepper, the garlic sauteed mushrooms, the meatball, and chorizo. There are some dishes here that aren't so great, like the omelette thingy, blech. I think small plates is a fun way to eat and their happy hour is great and makes it very reasonable. I always enjoy myself here!
(4)
Sara D.
La Bodega is now one of my new favorite restaurants in Kansas City. Everything about our experience was incredibly fun. I came with a group of 5 girls for a birthday dinner. Our waitress treated us with such respect and kindness that I felt like she was a friend and part of our group by the end of the evening. We were seated at a gorgeous patio table with super comfortable seating and a giant umbrella. I ordered a Sangria because of all the raving via Yelp and I'm proud of you, Yelpers. The white wine sangria was very refreshing. We each ordered a Tapas plate and shared around the table. The favorite dish of the night (which just happened to be the one I picked) was dates wrapped in ham. The dates were sweet and literally melted in your mouth. When dessert time came, we told the waitress it was my friend's birthday and I jokingly mentioned that it would be cool if she had a tall, dark, and handsome stranger stowed away to serenade my friend. Completely joking. The waitress was all "I'll totally do that for you" and proceeded to go straight inside and find just that. A tall,dark, handsome waiter brought my friend a piece of cake with a candle and it was the highlight of the evening. That's above and beyond service right there. The waitress also empathized many times that if we didn't like a dish that she would have no problem taking it back to the kitchen and bringing something new. One friend couldn't handle the spiciness of her dessert, and without hesitation, no frown, no smirk at all, the waitress took the dessert back and brought her out something different. They have a great Happy Hour deal and I absolutely can not wait to go back to try more Tapas plates. The delicious food and exceptional customer service is bound to make me a regular here.
(5)
Whittney K.
Our favorite tapa was the leek, basil, and feta crepe, recommended by our server. "Crespelle de Feta y Puerros". Good sangria and BLVD Imperial stout on tap. Nice low-key environment. We like the idea of tasting many small dishes for a meal.
(4)
Matt C.
La Bodega is a great place to take a date. I always enjoy taking my wife there for happy hour. The service is quick, the small plates good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)
Bryan M.
It's been about 5 years since I had tapas. Maybe I'm intimidated by not being able to read Spanish. Yeah, it's generally a bit more expensive ... by some metrics. But, La Bodega puts together a nice experience and some excellent food. Service staff were great - from the bar tender to the waiter to the manager out on the floor. Loved the chicken skewer, the ahi was excellent, the breaded artichoke wrapped in a ham (I forget the specific variety) was also very good. Okay, everything I tried was very good. Ex drinks, it was probably about $40/per. Not crazy, but a bit on the high side. Seating was very casual. Mix of patrons - most probably from the affluent neighborhoods nearby.
(4)
Taylor M.
I came here in a group of five people to enjoy a couple of drinks in the beautiful bar area. It was turning into a blizzard outside, so it was nice to snuggle up next to the fireplace. However, once the drinks began flowing, I no longer needed the fireplace to keep me warm. The liquor did just fine on its own! I ordered the Jane and Hudson which was my favorite drink of the night. It was sweet and strong at the same time. I also ordered a Fresa-tini which was very potent. that was my finally drink of the night so I had to have them add some juice to tone it down a bit. Our server was awesome and super friendly, I wish I remembered his name so I could give him a shout out. We were able to describe the kind of drinks we liked to him and he would return with a drink on the menu that fit our tastes... and we all had very different tastes! We ordered on tapas plate because I really wanted to try the stuffed peppers. Apparently, this was not a big seller and they had to figure out how to make it in the kitchen. It took a while, but it was well worth the wait! I will be returning to La Bodega next time I am in KC!
(4)
Brenda D.
I really do love this place. The service is always good and food is excellent. The only downside is they have just 3 warm vegetarian tapas. It is my choice and it won't keep me from going back. The roasted potatoes are amazing for anyone!
(4)
Antoinette H.
Great place for lunch. Most people come here for their tapas and sangria which are great as well but their lunch menu is exceptional. I had the Ensalada Conquistador with Grilled Salmon and that was just amazing. Very flavorful and different. Nothing you can find at other restaurants in the area.
(5)
Kay L.
I just don't understand some of the negative reviews here -- La Bodega has knocked my socks off, both for lunch and happy hour. How can you not love walking into the chic and colorful bar area, with the huge windows and the bright walls? How can you not smile at the three gigantic & whimsical portraits of Spanish artists (Picasso, DalÃ, MÃro) on the back wall? How can you not love the patio on a balmy day? For lunch today, I couldn't make up my mind, so I ordered the tapas del dia -- a perfect sampler of four different tastes, the very essence of tapas. Today it was the pincho de buey, ensalatas de pepinos, albondigas caseras, and a potato dish that I don't remember because everything was so good that my brain stopped working. Pablo & Salvador beamed/glared down at me as I lost myself in the sunny, savory flavors. For happy hour, there's only one thing you need to know: Half-price pitchers of sangria. ¡Que bueno!
(5)
Terry C.
I went to this La Bodega location with some coworkers on Friday after work. The experience started out fine, we were seated quickly in the lounge and we told our server we would just be doing drinks. (This was after happy hour ended, but the dinner rush had not quite set in yet.) he was friendly, and after the three of us ordered mojitos, he kindly suggested that we simply order a pitcher, which is not on the menu but he assured us it would "be a much better deal." We ordered the pitcher and the drinks tasted great, but then our server disappeared. Another one of our friends ended up joining us and, after waiting 15 minutes without our server coming over to take his order, he ended up ordering at the bar. Between the three of us, our pitcher served us each about a glass and a half. Typically, sangria pitchers are $30, so we assumed that would be the price of our off-the-menu mojitos. Needless to say, we were pretty surprised to receive a $45 bill. When we told the server (after we had to ask the hostess to go get since he hadn't visited our table in almost an hour) we hadn't realized such a pitcher would be so expensive, his only reply was a very rudely-delivered "ok..." He took our money and never even apologized to us for leading us astray. I'm always reluctant to visit this La Bodega location because I've always thought their service was bad. Their other location on Southwest Boulevard is smaller and their waitstaff is significantly better. It's especially annoying because I love their food/drinks and it's very close to where I work. I will not be returning and I was sure to tell everyone at my work about the negative experience. If you're craving tapas, I recommend the SW blvd location. The atmosphere is more intimate, and the servers won't treat you like you are an annoyance to them. However, this experience has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, so I won't be visiting either location for a while...
(2)
Virginia E.
I was very disappointed by my first visit to La Bodega. We had the Valentine's Day special 4 course meal with wine pairing which was supposed to be $55 per person. The first course, beef tartare was so so. The next course was a salad which was terrible. The roots and stalk were still on the greens so a lot of the salad was inedible. The dressing had no flavor, just olive oil base. The crab was the best part, but there was only about 1 teaspoonful of it on the salad. The main course of lamb chop with polenta side was actually quite tasty. For dessert, the drink was the Spanish coffee. Having never been here I asked the waitress if it was sweet, because I don't like black coffee. She told me it wasn't sweet at all so I ordered a different drink to pair with the dessert. My husband stuck with the coffee. When it came out, it was amazing and quite sweet! Probably one of the best on the menu so I was very disappointed that the waitress mislead me. When the bill came out, it was over $200! The drinks were not included in the "4 course meal with wine pairing". I totally understand why they wouldn't include them, but the waitress should have informed us up front. I probably wouldn't have ordered a 3rd drink if I would have known and definitely didn't plan on spending $220 after tip for this subpar meal. I will never go to this restaurant again. It is over priced and the food is mediocre at best.
(2)
Courtney S.
One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City, La Bodega has some of the most unique tasting cuisines and conversational atmosphere that keep me coming back. Their happy hours are epic, and really the only way to go if you're looking to try a new dish without breaking your budget. My favorite tapa is the Queso de Cabra Al Horno, which is goat cheese baked in a tomato sauce that you dip toasted bread in. SO GOOD. The happy hour specials also include half-price pitchers of wine, which are oh-so-delicious but not very strong. I'd also recommend the fiery, cinnamon coffee drink (I cannot remember the name) as a "dessert", even though it's a drink. Overall this restaurant is perfect for wining and dining and enjoying a taste of Spain.
(5)
Beth B.
It's Labor Day and a friend of mine and I are trying to plan a happy hour in "the city" since we are suburbanites. However, many places either don't have a Monday HH or are closed for this Summer-ending holiday. So, we decide to go to La Bodega down the street. I look it up on Yelp to get an idea of what is good there. What? 3.5 stars? Why so harsh. Then, I look at some of the "2" and "1" reviews. Many were from over a year ago and gripe about poor service. Hopefully that wait staff has been canned. A couple of snobby San Franciscan's - OK - discount that. And one gal who was surprised when they said they wanted a couple of tapas yet when they ordered 8 that their bill was high. OK, maybe this place will be good after all. We were not disappointed. It was a bit warm that day, so we decided to sit inside. The first table we sat at had monsoon air conditioner blowing on us, so we moved. After that, everything was uphill. At our new table, the bartender waited on us. Service was very good. We each ordered a glass of red sangria - he told us we should probably order a pitcher, so we did. I can't remember what the HH price was, but it was cheap. And wonderful! Very light and fruity. We asked him what 1/2 price tapas he recommended. As with most tapas places, not all are on special for HH. Read the menu. If you don't know, ask. Who cares if you sound cheap. That's why you are there for HH. Jeez, people. He recommended the skewered chicken and chorizo with garlic cumin aioli and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread. They were both excellent. We also ordered the roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice. It was good, but not our favorite. We decided we like hot tapas better than cold., It also was not one of the recommendations from our server. Would we go back? Definitely. During HH it is a very good value. I would also like to go for dinner sometime and order off the regular menu. Thanks, La Bodega for closing out our summer very nicely!
(4)
Janis G.
The paella and the Spanish coffee were both great!
(4)
Tony A.
We have been to La Bodega no less than a dozen times in the past 6 months, each more disappointing than the last. My wife loves the food and me? Well, I'm not a tapas guy but there is (or I should say, was) a delicious chicken and spinach dish that always puts a smile on my face. The service has always been slow at La Bodega but I'm usually there to enjoy a few drinks first so I do not mind the wait. But over the last couple of months, the service has truly deteriorated. It is so bad, in fact that we actually walked out of the restaurant tonight after settling our drink bill at the bar. We will not be returning. So what happened? Well, it is typical at La Bodega for my wife and I to grab a high-top table near the bar area where the good people-watching is. It is also typical that we almost ALWAYS have to wait a good 5-10 minutes before a waiter even greets us at the table, usually ill-prepared (no waters, no menus). This happens so often it is predictable and tonight was no different. Tonight, however, our waitress seemed to find a reason to visit every other table before simply dropping off menus at our table. This restaurant has some serious front-of-the-house issues. There are almost always 2 hosts/hostesses at the very front who are usually doing nothing but playing with their phones or joking around with one another. In the dozens of times we have eaten here, we have never been approached by a manager and asked how things were going. On several occasions the service has been so bad I have scoped around the room for anyone who looked like they might be a manager so I could tell him/her how they have some very bad service issues; I have never seen a manager or anyone other than bartender, wait staff, and hosts. And the place just isn't as fun as it used to be. The clientele is trending older, more staid, less exciting. If you just absolutely have to have tapas then I guess you could do worse. But 1 minute after sitting down in an Italian restaurant a few doors down from La Bodega, we had a very attentive waiter who delivered excellent food and service, something we just do not get at La Bodega.
(2)
Aaron R.
Not bad food was good very bland...overpriced for what you got. Wait staff was superb. Friendly kind great. But price compared to serving size not good.
(3)
Dawn C.
This place had my full five stars within a few minutes of arriving. Every time I've come I've been treated to great service. Once the pitcher of sangria arrives that first sip transports me. (I've tried the red and white and prefer the red). Happy Hour is becoming a tradition here with some of the girls at work. We've sat outside and enjoyed the patio with the big shade umbrellas, and we've sat inside where its dark and cozy and the ambiance alone makes you relax. Try the Pintxos De Higo.... toasted bread with fig spread, goat cheese and red peppers. Tangy, crunchy, savory.... wonderful! Can't wait to go back,
(5)
Daniel A.
I was up from Lawrence for a medical appointment and decided to give Drunken Fish a try. I walked in to the mostly empty around 1pm on a Wednesday and was extremely disappointing by the awful service. I was ignored by the entire waitstaff for over 5 minutes. Finally, after discussing it with an unsympathetic manager, I left and walked two doors down to La Bodega. Upon entering the building I was immediately greeted. I didn't love the revolving door, which reminded me of an airport or bus terminal, but the inside was nice. Since I was alone I decided to sit at the bar. The bar tender was friendly and knowledgeable. I ordered the Tapas del Dia which included a Spanish omelet, a rice and tuna stuffed picillo pepper, a Serrano ham croquette, and a curried chicken crostini. Everything was amazing, especially the crostini. The bar tender recommended an excellent beer to accompany my meal. I will definitely stop by La Bodega the next time I am around and I will recommend it to others. The employees of Drunken Fish should take some pointers from La Bodega. First impressions matter.
(5)
Amber T.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Kansas City, and their mother store on SW BLVD is probably my least favorite. Weird, right? This place gets everything right...the atmosphere, the service, the price, and most importantly the food. The other location has none of that, but the price, going for it in my opinion. My ideal lazy day in KC has this place included in it. My boyfriend and I come here just about every other Saturday. Their Happy Hour (I should say Happy Four Hours as it runs from 2-6!) is the best in town, and allows you to try things you might not have at regular price. Plus they have windows in the dining room that open outward, and on a breezy 70 degree day there's no where I'd rather be than in their dining room, slightly stoned, chowing down on Pintxos de Higo, Patatas Bravas, and Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo while sipping on a White Sangria. Then we walk on over to the Roasterie for a Christopher Elbow Milk Chocolate Salted-Caramel Turtle and an Iced Hazelnut Mocha, and after that pop into Trader Joe's for a little non-essential shopping. Absolute perfection.
(5)
Kerry P.
Good food, beautiful decor (love the artwork). Wife loved the sangria. The Spanish coffees are a beautiful presentation. Was a pretty busy Saturday night that we were there, so I'm very glad we had a reservation.
(4)
Laura R.
Great atmosphere, amazing food and the sangria (red) is the best I've ever had! John is an amazing waiter and knows about every dish! I would give them 10 stars if I could!
(5)
Shana S.
I was here a couple nights ago for a fundraiser. So I had the opportunity to to drink their red wine sangria and eat many different types of tapas. It was delicious. Now I'll need to go back when I can choose the tapas that I loved the most. I didn't taste one tapa I didn't like, and I drank 3 glasses of sangria even though I rarely drink because I don't like the taste of alcohol. These I could handle. Now I see why people have such good things to say about the original La Bodega.
(5)
Dane S.
We found this to be a lovely dining spot. The garage-style windows make for a terrific atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Contrary to some of the other comments, our service was quite fast.
(4)
Michele N.
I met a group of girlfriends for dinner/drinks. Our server started out awesome; great wine and food suggestions and even went as far as bringing tastes of wine. We each ordered a small plate to share around the table. Some of the dishes we ordered were served with three pieces, but since there were four of us the server said he could have an additional piece added (for a slight charge). I really appreciated that offer instead of having to buy a whole additional plate. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as good as it looked. We were still hungry though, so we ordered a second round of small plates! This turned out to be the perfect amount of food! I loved that you could taste so many different dishes and that they served you your food as it was prepared (not all at once). Our only complaint was that our server seemed to disappear after our first food order. By the time we finished our meal we were the last ones in the restaurant. Next time I'd try to nab a patio seat, weather permitting. I would for sure have the short ribs, the breaded artichoke hearts wrapped in ham, and the pancetta wrapped dates again. Everything was delicious, but those three items are definite repeats for me! Come hungry and with $$ in your wallet, as the small plates tend to add up...but it is well worth your dollar!
(4)
Zach G.
I really do like La Bodega. Yes, the one in KCMO is definitely better, but this one is still solid in my mind. I've been here about 3 times since it opened and really enjoyed my experiences. On this occasion, we just grabbed a couple seats at the bar on a busy Saturday evening. There were probably 4 people working behind the bar, which is quite a lot since the restaurant isn't huge. We did get very friendly service, but the poor guy next to us didn't. He sat down and wasn't even acknowledged by any of the 4 bartenders for almost 10 minutes. And unfortunately, the many bartenders were busy but not so busy that they couldn't have at least acknowledged him. I'm not going to say it was racial, that's not me, but it did cross my mind. Anyways, when they finally did get to the poor guy, he ordered a $130 bottle of champagne for himself. If I were him, with that kind of money, I would have let them know what they missed out on while walking away to another restaurant. Anyways, the food was fine - tasty as always. The goat cheese/tomato/crustini is always solid, the chicken/chorizo skewers were great and have an awesome sauce with it, and the mushrooms were delicious.
(4)
Yoie L.
After reading all these raved reviews about La Bodega, my friend and I finally ventured here on a Monday night for a post-midterm celebration. Sadly I don't think I will come back anymore. It's 75 deg today so we opted to sit outside. The interior decoration and the bar area actually looks nice and my love for tapas came from going to Cafe Ilberico way too many times when I used to live in Chicago. We shared some green beans and potatoes, calamares a la pancha, pincho de pollo y cherizo, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and garlic bread. Some our garlic bread was burnt, and while the goat cheese was tasty, the tomato sauce looks sad and straight out of a can. The calamares a la pancha was really disappointing. It was rubbery and not a la pancha! The potatoes were hard and accompanied by a few skinny green beans. My friend enjoyed the chicken skewers, but I personally thought the flavor was too strong. On the other hand, their sangria is reasonable and I would order those again for $7 a glass. I'm actually glad we came here during happy hour and paid half price for our food. Tapas can get expensive. We each ended up spending about $15. I would not want to pay full price for very mediocre food.
(2)
Marie F.
Our server was wonderful. He actually split our bill into fourths. I mean he split the cost of each plate...not just a final bill division. We had one person leave early and he accounted for that as well. He was personable and helped us make decisions on drinks and food. Be careful on that happy hour menu. If you look at the original price, then you will see that most of them aren't that great of a deal. Half price Sangrias puts the price about right. The chicken pork skewers were a hit with everyone. The rest of the food was just ok. It was a fun change to try new dishes. I don't recommend the flatbread or meatballs. Very blah. The cinnamon coffee with whipped cream was a delight...they present it with fire. So mesmerizing.
(4)
Kelly L.
Well.......I am changing my review.....but not completely. I wasn't a fan in the past with a 2 -star review after 4 visits but my last 2 visits have been pleasant with warm service and decent food.
(4)
Colin B.
Where do I began. Let's start with the pluses of the place: - GREAT location in Leawood. - AMAZING design of the restaurant, inside and out. It is beautiful. - Great patio with heaters. And off to the bad stuff. First thing first, the service was terrible. We got there at 5:15 on a Saturday night and didn't leave until 6:45 and that was rushing it. When our server - Reuben, I believe - came to the table he dropped waters and said "I'll be right back." By this time, however, we already knew what we wanted to drink. Would it be too much trouble to grab a drink? You had already made us wait too long for you to get to the table in the first place. Then we order -- two drinks and three plates all at the same time. Nothing fancy, simple orders, off the menu. Drinks come a few minuets later -- again, no rush -- and the first plate follows. We finish the first plate and the second plate shows up, again with a wait in between. Strange, normally the slowly come out plate by plate, stacking up. Again, more waiting for us to get a 2nd and 3rd round of drinks, so much so that we're flagging him down at this point to order more drinks... read: spend more money. He is just plain slow. Finally, when ordering our third drink I say, "those meatballs we ordered, can we cancel them? It seems like you forgot them or the kitchen lost them." We get an excuse, but in short, he probably forgot to ring them in. (Not sure why, we ordered them with everything else.) All in all, it was frustrating. I always tip 20% even for mediocre service as I was a waiter all through college, but my wife made me tip 10%. I felt like an ass so we quickly ran to the car. But, had the service been good -- and we had a good sized bill with a lot of alcohol -- he would have made some okay money for an early table. On top of that, the food wasn't amazing. Presentation was lacking, flavors were just average. Catered food at best. Should have spent my $60 elsewhere.
(2)
Emily F.
I love the lunch menu and the service was awesome. I was downtown and in the Leawood this week. Personally I hear downtown is better but I ordered the same item and looked much better at Leawood not to say both were not amazing. You can go every day and get something new!
(5)
Jim H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious food. And great wine selection. I look forward to a nice dinner at La Bodega when traveling to KC. It's the highlight of my visit, and I've never been disappointed.T
(5)
Shea C.
I've never been to the La Bodega downtown, but since moving to suburbia, this has become one of our go-to spots. It's almost like we still live in the city, right? First of all: THE MUSHROOMS. Holy crimini, these are delicious. Sauteed in garlic, parsley and white wine, these 'shrooms are always included in our order. The best part might actually be sopping up all of the tasty broth with the (admittedly sometimes not-so-fresh) bread brought to table. Other things we've enjoyed: roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig coulis on grilled bread, smoked salmon flatbread and, of course, the cheese plate. Oh how I love a good cheese plate. The wine selection is decent and the sangria is so good, a group of four of us may or may not have consumed four pitchers of it on one occasion. Service can be hit or miss, but the food has been consistently tasty and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from The Coug (aka Cougartown aka Leawood aka Johnson County) - lots of Real Housewives and dudes wearing Affliction tees. But so what? Eat some tapas and drink some sangria and for a brief minute, you might feel like a city girl once again.
I attended for a pre-opening event, so I shouldn't comment on the food...which was not the regular menu. I will comment on the drinks, space, location and service. If you hung out at ReVerse, you will notice a lot of familiar faces at the new La Bodega location. A location that, in my opinion, is still trying to find its identity. This strip mall has lost West Elm and J.P. 's Wine Bar in a short amount of time. There are a couple other retailers that seem to be hanging on by a thread. Giving La Bodega this space was a intelligent move. La Bodega has been packing them in downtown for years. Simply put, the food is great, that atmosphere is fun and there is nothing like it around town. All these great qualities can exist just as successfully in the second location. In fact the energy buzzing through the new location is just as infectious, the service is more swift and the ambience is more spacious and sexy. The owner brought in local metal artist Stretch to keep the decor consistent with his past concepts. Several rooms define this space. The outdoor room (patio) is huge, quiet and a nice break from the tail pipe fumes on Southwest Blvd. The patio is further enhanced by some cool metal fireplaces that adds atmosphere. The bar is huge and I always love the option of having a more casual dinner at a high top. A bar dinner at the downtown location is pretty much next to impossible in the SW Blvd location. The restaurant portion is slightly smaller then the SW location. A cool bonus is there is a glassed in private room that can become anything you want. This is a new location, so everyone wants to please you in the beginning. Many of the servers and bartenders already know what the owner expects from them, so that puts LB ahead of the curve. I think the service will remain strong. God knows the drinks are strong. Those mojitos kicked my butt! I love the polished style of the new version of La Bodega, but I know I will be hitting the downtown version more often. It's closer to where I live and there is something so authentic about a flagship. Still, this is a great alternative when I am out South and still want the food and energy of downtown. Congrats to La Bodega for sharing the fun!
(4)
Joyce B.
Since having my first 'Tapas' experience in Las Vegas, my husband and I have been wanting to find a good Tapas place in the KC area. After heard about La Bodegas from several peeps, we decided to give it a try. We went about 5:00 pm on a Tuesday. It happened to be during their Happy Hour which offered half price on a particular selection of Tapas plates. We tried five plates; the Roasted red pepper hummus, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the pork skewers, the meatballs and the mushrooms. The meatballs were excellent and were our favorite out of the five dishes. The sauce was so rich and flavorful! The hummus was also very good. Although the pork and chicken skewers had good flavor, they were a bit dry and overcooked. The wait staff were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(3)
L B.
I've been here a few times now and have had great food and service each time. My last visit we were fortunate enough to get into the private room since the reserved party didn't show up. It was perfect for our group of 7 - I think it could handle probably 10-12 if you want to get cozier. It was shut off from the rest of the rowdiness so it was great for old friends wanting to hear each other talk. I am more a fan of hot tapas vs cold tapas and that's all I've really tried. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp with horseradish sauce is a personal favorite as is the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). We tried chocolate cake (good) and churros (which we had to request since apparently it's generally only served to kids - but they were awesome). I also have to give a shout out to the best Sangria in town. I've had red and white and both are very yummy and not too sweet, so I can consume multiple glass. Sabroso!
(5)
Phon W.
Great atmostphere! Great food! Service is slow and all over the place. We had our waitress waiting on us but she'd show up once every 45 mins.....a hostess taking orders for our waitress....and the bartender helping out and bringing our drinks to our table. For a small space it was fairly busy but then it died down and everything was still very, very slow. The worst part was our waitress got our tickets all messed up, yes we had a big party, but she came over and clarified and wrote down what everyone ordered before she went to print the tickets out, came back about 20 mins later and it was wrong. Went to reprint the tickets which took another 20mins and came back it was wrong again! She went to print the tickets again but by then we just put whatever we owed down and left the joint! I'd like to go back..but maybe on a Monday afternoon. : /
(2)
Jerry B.
We really enjoy this place, but right up front, just let me say that we ONLY go there for happy hour. The servings are small but delicious. To have a full meal during normal menu hours can be really very expensive. So many friends complain bitterly about the prices and we always encourage them to go back for happy hour. The happy hour tapas prices are CRAZY cheap! Their food is great...such a wonderful array of flavors. We love both locations. I have to admit that for a while the Leawood location had some horrendous service problems. The waiters stood around the end of the bar chatting and totally ignoring the patrons. I think they got a new manager and that problem seems to have gone away. La Bodega is one of our favorite places in town.
(5)
Kelly S.
I went to this location of La Bodega on a Saturday evening after work with co-workers. I was actually there with Terry C, whose review is below. Long story short, our server (missed the name- tall, brown curly hair) suggested we get a pitcher of mojitos when all three of said that's what we were getting. Keep in mind, we were just going out for "one drink." He said it would be a better deal so we went with it. By our estimate, it seemed that we each got about a glass and a half from the pitcher. One mojito is $9, a pitcher turned out to be $45. When we finally tracked him down after not showing his face at our table for nearly an hour, I mentioned (kindly) to him that this did not seem like a better deal in the end. His response was "Okaaaaay..." with a look on his face like I was a giant moron, and he then proceeded to argue with me all of the reasons that he thought it was a better deal. No apology, nothing. Now, I have been a server before and I also worked for years in customer service. A good response here, whether he thought I was wrong or not, would have been "I apologize, I should have let you know up front how much the pitcher would cost since it's not listed on the menu." We wound up paying almost $20 each when all we signed on for was one drink.
(1)
Tahmeka T.
We stopped in for an early lunch and were very impressed. The service was decent. The servers were professional and attentive. Not super friendly but not rude. I loved the decor. We went on a nice day and the walls were open. It was inviting, made me want to stick around and drink and talk. We had the Pan Plano con Salmon Ahumado - awesome. Very flavorful and a great starter. Calamares y Chorizo a la Plancha - this was delicious with their crusty bread. I could have had a huge bowl of this by itself on a rainy day. One of my favorite dishes. Costillas Cortas- Perfectly cooked short ribs. The flavors were perfect. Great job. We will add La Bodega to our short list of go-to places. I loved it.
(4)
Jillian C.
A girlfriend and I hit up this place for a night out before Fourth of July. We enjoyed a range of tapas: steak with blue cheese, chicken and chorizo with cumin aioli, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, crispy potatoes, and pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. There was also the classic white bread with olive oil and balsamic. Nothing too special there. But the tapas, those were yummy. The chicken was moist, though the chorizo tastes like a Slim Jim that had been diced. Kind of disappointing but the cumin aioli did a good job making up for it. The steak was perfectly cooked and I'm a sucker for blue cheese so that was yummy. The goat cheese itself was creamy and delicious but the tomato sauce was watery. I would have preferred a smooth marinara rather than a watery, chunky tomato sauce but goat cheese just rubs me the right way, pretty much regardless. The potatoes were sooooo good. I would never think to baked crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce but they were fantastic. I didn't want to share! And finally, the pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. Oh, gosh, awesome. Again, I could have eaten the whole plate alone. They probably would have been the best thing on the table...that is, until dessert. We had this stellar concoction of chocolate cayenne spiced cookies topped with marzipan-almond-basil ice cream and whipped cream. I was a bit skeptical of the chocolate and spice combination but it turned out to be so understated that it was just enough to lend a tiny bit of heat. It was so good. And the tiny salt crystals in the cookie stood out like bright beacons of flavor. The ice cream, gosh that was a whole 'nother amazing component. We decided it tasted like Trader Joe's smells: richy, herby, and fresh. The combo of the cookie and cool cream was perfect. Again, and I know I sound like a broken record but I could have eaten the whole thing alone, probably three times over! Oh, and the red sangria was also smooth, sweet, and delicious.
(4)
Shiduna T.
I have been twice to this location with my husband. The first time was a Sunday afternoon, where the restaurant was still somewhat quiet. We both enjoyed a glass of white Sangria, which was absolutely delicious! Then we shared about three tapas, the chicken with chorizo was so good, we ordered it again on our second visit. On our second visit, we went on a Friday night and the place was packed, but not overly so and you could actually have a conversation without yelling. Of course we had Sangria again, the chicken & chorizo skewers, marinated mushrooms (really good), stuffed dates (missed the mark and way to sweet for both of us) and one more dish I can't remember. Our server was was attentive and informative, checking on us regularly and friendly. Though I like going here, I wouldn't be able to do so frequently due to the pricey food.
(3)
Michael C.
Swanky and harmless fun. Go there on a nice, cool summer night. They will open the front, "garage-doors" to let the breeze in. Lots of Sex-and-the-City wannabe types. Recommended drink: Caribbean Monk
(3)
Stephanie P.
If you care about freshest ingredients and/or flavor, or decent to superb cocktail mixology, give this place a skip. Full disclosure: I live in the SF Bay Area and have that fresh, farm-to-table palate that rejects things like Taco Bell, fast food, things out of cans, etc. If all that is acceptable to you, expect to spend $40/person here and maybe, MAYBE be sated. I came with my parents on a recent home visit and I cannot even tell you what we had, because it was so unmemorable. What I do remember is having two mediocre cocktails and the WORST paella I've EVER had in my life. We got both the seafood (which had little seafood, and tough) and the vegetarian. They tasted like flour because the rice was so poorly cooked with no flavor integration. It was yellow, but you couldn't taste the saffron. The food and service were SLOW SLOW SLOW and the other dishes we got, while not as memorably horrible as the paella, were memorably unmemorable. The bill was double what we would have/could have paid at so many other KC area establishments with better food and service. Return? No way. Recommend? Oh hell no. Oh, I'm now remembering a La Bodega on SW Boulevard years ago. That place was overrated but okay. I wonder if this place is connected? They'd have long way to go to get back to what the overrated place was, if so.
(1)
AJ C.
Went there one time for drinks and appetizers, and was very disappointed. Took forever to get served, and when we finally did we ordered a pitcher of margaritas. They said they normally don't do pitchers (?) but the they made an exception... we got the Margaritas and there was a fly in the pitcher. We checked the bar and more bottles had flies in them as well. Will not return since their food was nothing special, especially for the price.
(1)
John D.
Food was typical overpriced, small portion Tapas. Nothing too special. But the service was just irritating. Every time i was in the middle of a sentence our waitress would barge in, and interrupt me in mid-sentence. A word of advice to all servers: it is incredibly rude to interrupt anyone in mid-sentence but even more so when you are in the food service business, hoping to provide a good experience for your guests. And then we were sitting there waiting forever to pay and leave when we realized our server was literally sitting down with her friend chatting with her friend in the dining room. Talk about someone who doesnt get it. Definitely not going back, as t he food wasn't special enough to overcome our bad service level.
(2)
Troy L.
Ill keep this brief. We ordered Calamari a la Plancha and thus I expect calamari cooked on a plancha...cooked on a large stainless steel plate/grill thinner. I ended up with a plate of soggy, rubbery calamari submerged under white wine and parsley. When I asked the manager if they actually had a plancha, she said no they didn't. If I order something A La Plancha, I expect it to be cooked on a plancha! If I ordered a chargrilled burger, I expect it to be chargrilled! Instead, they just cook it in a sautee skillet and it's not the same. Liars! We ordered paella. I wouldn't want to eat it again. Rice texture was really unpleasant. Made me think they just par-cook their rice and then recook it to order. Rather disappointing. I can't go back to a restaurant that has items on the menu that they aren't equipped to properly prepare. Sorry, but at least you're all warned.
(1)
Amy B.
It was a great afternoon and we wanted a small snack. We stopped by La Bodega. Francisco was our server. We told him that we wanted "a couple of tapas" to start. The Sunday "special" is 1/2 price Sangria's and 1/2 price "selected" tapas (until 7 pm). Don't look at the main menu because that is not accurate. You will need to look at the smaller version that has the 1/2 price items. That one has the half price listed thus does not show 'normal' pricing thus allowing the feeling of getting them 50% under posted pricing. Due to this being our first visit, we were unsure of protocol and noticed that we were being served several items, but did not think to 'cancel' as we felt we were sampling items that were on the "selected" Happy Hour menu. Boy were we surprised by our bill! We had just had a small sampling to the tune of $115!! Needless to say, my husband asked to speak with our server and a manager and stated opening that we could have been more specific that stating a 'couple' of tapas, but when we learned that they delivered 8 tapas, only one of which was a Happy Hour special, my husband wanted to understand how the intention was missed so dramatically. After a couple emotional exchanges due to unprofessional language from the manager, it was still unclear how the term 'couple' could be interpreted to mean 8. In effort to have both parties feel 'closer' to what should have been, we agreed to a discount and were able to continue our wonderful afternoon as planned. Here is the long and short of it. Things happen sometimes that do not lend themselves to 'easy' correction. When all parties want to make things right, it is usually easy to find a meeting ground. What turned us off was the huge misunderstanding of the term couple and the manager attempting to place all blame on us as the consumer. We had, what is likely, an isolated incident and did enjoy the fare. So, the $100 question is 'will we go back'? To be fair, we would like to at some point, but we will wait until the sting of this day has blurred into the past.
(1)
Jennifer H.
The food is disappointing and the place feels gimmicky. The food does not taste freshly prepared, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of it was packaged. It's not bad, but it's not great. I won't be returning, because I wasn't impressed with the food quality and taste. The restaurant has a vibrant atmosphere. It also has a vibrant menu...at least, that's what I thought until I received my food. We ordered 4 small plates to share and were less than wowed by all of them. The meatballs did not taste house-made; if they are, you could fool me. They were bland and unexciting; if you're going to serve meatballs at a "Spanish" restaurant, set them apart from the Italian meatballs I can pick up in the freezer section of Costco. The goat cheese, pepper and fig coulis on crostini was lackluster as well. There was the teeniest smidge of goat cheese spread on the crostini, and one sad little pepper shaving on each piece. They were awfully generous with the glob of boring fig coulis, though. The chorizo was downright awful. It looked and tasted like a hot dog, and had zero flavor interest. They serve this silly flaming cinnamon coffee drink that they charge a premium for, probably only because they make a show out of preparing it table side. I will second the previous reviewer who said that it feels like it's full of real housewives and high schoolers on a date, but I don't think that's the restaurant's fault. It's south Jo Co, after all. I can also second the previous reviewer who was put off by the size of the wine pour. It's definitely a smallish glass of wine.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ray B.
We have dined at this establishment 8-9 times and have found it to be delicious and fairly consistent. The sangria (red) gets 5 stars - especially during happy hour . The tapas vary depending on what you order - we love the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. The entrees are not quite as good as the tapas but the Spanish Cioppino is amazing. I have had a delicious lunch at La Bodega - ordered the special that included a selection of tapas. We also got a Spanish pizza that was Ah-mazing!!
(4)Michael M.
Met friends for drinks on Saturday. While the drinks were good, the air conditioning was not functioning. Not at all. Not even the fan for circulating the air. Given it was 98° outside (and not much cooler inside), they should have done more to get it fixed or closed the restaurant. Not fair to the staff nor the customers.
(3)Christie R.
I got really lucky today and got to go to two wonderful Kansas City restaurants. La Bodega is an excellent tapas style Spanish restaurant, which makes it great for groups. There are two locations in the Kansas City area, and tonight I visited the newer Leawood location. I prefer the original location to the new one, as the newer one is quite dark on the inside and tends to cater to a different, richer crowd than the older location on Southwest Boulevard. Nevertheless, it is still fantastic, if not a bit more formal. The menu has about a zillion tapas to choose from, and I'm happy to say that a fair amount of them are vegetarian! I had the tortilla española, patatas bravas, judÃas verdes, papas fritas con ajo, crespelle de feta y puerros, pan con tomate, and queso de cabra al horno. The patatas bravas are a signature Spanish dish, and are basically potatoes in a cumin-y, slightly spicy, tomato sauce. They're pretty good, but if I were to recommend one potato dish, I would definitely say the papas fritas con ajo. These are fried potatoes that end up perfectly fried on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside, topped with a savory aioli sauce. The pan con tomate and queso de cabra al horno are very similar dishes, but the latter is by far the winner. The pan con tomate consists of two toasted slices of a crusty bread served with a cold bruschetta-type topping on the side. It's good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to order again. However, the queso de cabra al horno is amazing! If you get one vegetarian item off the menu, this one should be it. Slices of crispy bread are arranged around a dish filled with a similar oven-baked tomato/bruschetta-y chunky sauce topped with goat cheese. The tortilla española - a fritata like dish - once had my heart, but I'm not as fond of it as I once was. It's good, but a little plain. The crespelle de feta y puerros - a crepe filled with feta and leaks - is alright, but not great for sharing. I had so little of it that I don't think I can give it a fair review. And then there were the judÃas verdes - green beans served with feta, red onions, olives, and a vinaigrette - that turned out to be the underdog of the night! So fresh and crisp! Definitely recommend it. The staff was kind, helpful, and flexible. Do yourself a favor and try out La Bodega. I guarantee you a good time!
(5)Josh Z.
We had 5 different dishes and two desserts. The food was pretty good for the most part. I wasn't a fan of one of the dishes, but that was mostly personal preference. Everything was well prepared and of high quality. It was well presented as well. The service, however, was a little on the slow side. Our waiter did not come by often enough and very rarely refilled drinks. We ate on the patio and apparently the lights were broken, so we ended up literally eating in the dark while getting eaten ourselves by mosquitos. All in all, I would go back. I would like to try some other dishes and the food makes the mediocre service a little more palatable.
(4)Niosha T.
This place is always a good time. You really can't go wrong with Spanish tapas and Sangria! Not to mention the amazing Paella they serve. I haven't had a single tapa I didn't like on their menu. EVERYTHING is delicious and the staff is always on point.
(5)Kimberly B.
My husband and I went with another couple and ordered ten tapas between the four of us. There were all pretty tasty, though overpriced for what you get. Let's be honest, you're paying a little more for the ambiance and fun experience. It's a trendy atmosphere and you're engulfed in soft yellow light and surrounded by cozy furniture and modern art. One of the selections that I liked in particular was the pancetta wrapped and chorizo stuffed figs. I also enjoyed the meatballs, though my dining partners didn't agree. We all, however, agreed on the pitcher of sangria. It's delicious, even though they try to make it look like you're getting more by overfilling the pitcher with ice even though your glasses start off topped with ice and fruit as well. Even so, the ambiance can't be beat, and the pitcher of watered sangria was worth the $30. Overall, our total bill before tip was ~$150. I wouldn't say the food itself was worth that because it wasn't, but it's a fun experience and I would recommend it as a good place to go with friends. It didn't make it into the short list of my favorite restaurants base on the food, but I'll definitely be back.
(4)Adam S.
Recently had an opportunity to check out La Bodega. I thought it was a really fun experience. The tapas were super tasty, although I felt like they were slightly overpriced for the portion sizes. The restaurant itself felt hip and trendy, but also had an intimate and cozy feeling. This is a great place to meet friends, chat, share some food, and enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. The main reason this place isn't 5 star is because we really felt rushed towards the end of the meal. It became clear around 9:30p that the staff wanted us gone so they could close. We weren't the only people in there, but the crowd had thinned out on the side we were on (non-bar side). It was so blatant that I checked the hours on the website once we got home. They just say 11a-Close. Yelp shows they are open to 1:30a.
(3)Nikki H.
This restaurant is very over-rated! The prices are too high for the proportions you get. The menu is very hard to read and frustrating. The drinks were...ok but definitely not worth the price charges. The toast on my sandwich was burnt. The only dressing available for the salad was 1 vinaigrette dressing. This is not a place I will be coming back to.
(2)Nyla K.
I normally hit up the southwest traffic way location but we were out here shopping and was craving for some tapas. The one thing this place has that beats the other location is the ample outdoor space. There's space in the front and on the side. It was very nice just to sit out and have a glass of sangria, which by the way is the best I've had. It's even better during happy hour! One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City. And as always the staff are super nice and friendly.
(5)Azile Y.
This place has a really nice atmosphere/vibe. The service is kind (despite being a little pushy to go to this website and fill out this survey, blah blah...) But I've been to Spain- these are not authentic tapas, which are minimalistic by nature. Here they slather and dollop generously. There is little subtlety and nuance in the flavors- they are loud and 2 dimensional. I'd come back for a drink with friends on the patio, but the food doesn't wow me.
(3)Dallas B.
I have not had a bad experience at La Bodega. I love the environment, especially when it is warm enough to do outside seating. Inside or out, the seating is comfortable and they are easy going when you request a particular section or even a specific table. The service is always friendly and prompt, and I am always satisfied with the answers I get when I ask questions about certain dishes. I have tried several different things, and have been pleased with everything. What I really thing about when I think about La Bodega, and the one things I would never not order when I go is the Papas Fritas con Ajo (Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli). Amazing. When you walk in you will notice the beautiful Sangria in a large glass beverage server. It tastes as good as it looks! I hear that the Sunday Brunch is really good. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but plan to go soon. To see their daily feature you can check out their Facebook page. For the same great food and service, but with a completely different vibe, they have another location on Southwest Blvd. You should try them both!
(5)Ann W.
I really WANT to like La Bodega more. I have been here on a number of occasions since they opened and I have yet to be wowed. I love tapas, but just haven't had great tapas here in Kansas City and I feel like that's a big gaping hole in our food scene. I have had amazing tapas in other cities and La Bodega feels like a bit of a let-down every time I go. Last night I met up with a friend and we ordered four tapas. All of them were good, but only one of them was great: The Pintxos de Higo Roasted is grilled bread with roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig. The flavor combinations were really nice and I'll probably steal this idea and make something similar at home sometime. We also had the Crespelle de Feta y Puerros which is supposed to be thin crepes layered with goat cheese, but the "crepes" really seem more like phyllo dough. My friend commented that it just didn't seem that special, "like something I could easily whip up myself at home." I didn't have it, but they make a flaming Spanish Coffee and the tableside prep is something to see. Prices are fairly steep in relation to serving sizes. I have always had good to great service at La Bodega and last night was no exception. Our waiter was attentive and funny without being overbearing. This is the kind of place that I would never suggest as a place to go, but I wouldn't balk at if someone else wanted to go.
(3)Gina M.
I love this place! I wish I could tell you my favorite tapa, but honestly, every one I have tried has always been delicious! Service is occasionally less than par, but for the most part, this is a great place to mix it up! Grab several different tapas and share them among friends.
(4)Asima F.
A favorite for tapas and sangria! They also have the best happy hour in town. Lately we've been more than once a week for a pitcher of sangria and a couple tapas. Our favorites are Papas Fritas with a garlic aioli, Pan Tomate, and the pancetta wrapped, chorizo filled dates!
(5)Dee B.
Probably the best patio in Johnson County. Try to get there early on a nice day to have some of their sangria. Food is good-especially the lunch buffet which is a great value.
(4)Jason P.
Great food and drink variety. A nice getaway for this area. Al fresco here can not be topped.
(4)Shaurna A.
Went for happy hour on a Saturday, where the dishes with the faces on the menu are 1/2 priced. (Best time to go for the best deal, these are tappas, small plate dishes) I ordered the goat cheese and tomatoes with crustinies. It was very good!! Others ordered the pork and apple skewers, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the squid, and the goat cheese and fig tappas. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We also ordered drinks. They were very good, nice and stiff. I ordered the Flirtini. *Prior to this evening, I did attend our annual Christmas party here. If you have a group event and want to take apart of their tappas bar, that is a cool, tasty option to try different things.
(5)David W.
Undoubtedly, this is a dining experience that could not be replicated anywhere else. Aside from the food and atmosphere being superb, the staff was helpful and considerate. My favorite moment of the evening was when this waiter was preparing some Spanish Coffee for these two women at the table across from us. The creation of Spanish coffee is certainly a pleasure to watch, it involves lighting alcohol on fire and then sprinkling cinnamon on the flames, causing a rather spectacular image, then pouring Kahlua and coffee on top. This is then topped with whipped cream and more cinnamon. Whilst the waiter was performing this ritual, the two women he was serving decided their phones were more interesting and were not paying much attention. Sadly, the whipped cream container was malfunctioning, and shot out air instead of aforementioned, and the waiters hand was covered with boiling hot liquids. However, being a collected man of class and poise, he maintained calm and prepared another, all while the two women continued with indifference to be more involved with their cellular devices. This review goes out to you, good sir, I want you to know that there are still people who appreciate spectacle and beauty, as well as perseverance. Stay Strong.
(5)Rhonda P.
This is more a 3.5 stars in overall experience. The staff was very friendly which makes it a pleasant place to dine. The food was good except we were disappointed in our steak. We asked for medium rare and got well done on one side of the steak and medium on the other half. The steak was $16 so... Other than that we would like to return bc the outdoor seating with the warming weather in KC is a great place to be.
(3)Ophelia M.
This restaurant was a random open now find because the place we originally wanted to go was closed, and I'm so glad we decided to eat late. The food is delicious, the portions are just the right size for sharing, and the prices are great. Two people ate their fill for about $15 each. The patatas bravas is great, and I really like their take on stuffed dates. Next time I go I'm going to try a cocktail, since the food is so reasonably priced. The staff is very attentive. Our waitress was so sweet, refilling our water every time it hit the half way mark and offering suggestions about the menu. I will definitely be going back.
(4)R M.
We went for dinner on a Saturday. It is a bustling tapas place in Leawood. The ambiance is casual and trendy. From the cold tapas selections, we had the pan plano con salmon ahumado, which was delicious and is a must try. We also had championes a la plancha and gambos a la plancha from the hot tapas selections, which were great too. Pinch de pollo wasn't that good. For the entree, we shared pechuga de pollo con queso, which is a goat cheese stuffed game hen with creamy potato parsnip puree, which was awesome and highly recommend trying. For dessert, we had the higos y pudin. It was out of the world and is also a must try. For drinks, we had a couple of cocktails: Tres amigos wasn't good. Abuelos reposado was excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and helped us with the menu. Overall, an experience worth repeating. Bon appetit !
(4)James S.
It was about 9:45pm on a Monday night when we were driving down 119th after a long day of travel when we saw the little La Bodega. We decided to stop in and we were not disappointed. The kitchen was just getting ready to close but Restaurant Manager Rafael Cervantes invited us in and saw that we were well cared for. I will leave the critical review of the food to the connoisseurs because that late at night, anything would have tasted great to us. But the service is what really stood out to us at La Bodega. And that is why we will go back again!
(5)Vina A.
Absolutely gorgeous space, really. I would totally love to hang out here, hold an event, just for the decor. BUT unfortunately nothing so beautiful can hide bad food. La Bodega was really really disappointing. Even if the food was served in a dingy hole in the wall it still didn't look or taste good. I can't believe they charge for so little. I can't believe people continue coming here for little pieces of reheated potato and defrosted seafood, squirted over with the same 2 sauces. The meat didn't taste bad but I did have to spit it out b/c I couldn't chew it down. Just had a ball of meat-gum in my mouth for a really long time. They would do better to get some frozen trader joe's appetizers from across the parking lot. Sounds harsh but true. Sad. I really would not recommend anyone go here for anything beyond a drink.
(1)Leah P.
This is a lovely location. It was a really nice day, so all of their windows and doors were open. Our server was great and had helpful recommendations. The food was really tasty (lunch tapas del dia and a seared ahi tuna dish), and their iced tea and coffee was really good. I'd definitely recommend this la bodega location and will be back!
(4)Dan N.
Good bar, great ambiance food over priced and over cooked I had high hopes and they were dashed
(2)Lindsey M.
Awesome sangria and happy hour specials! The tapas we had tasted amazing and looked great. The atmosphere seemed very relaxed. I will definitely be back!
(5)Billie H.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, my first choice would be Spain. The food, the culture, the free tapas as long as you are drinking..... La Bodega has always been a favorite. The KCMO location was an after work spot when I worked in the area. I love all the flavor packed small plates that you can choose from. Most of them are very simple dishes, but extraordinary when the flavors explode on your taste buds. Outside of the tapas options, the Cuban is absolutely delicious. It is only available during lunch hours, but a must try. This is possibly the best sandwich ever created and La Bodega does it right. The meats are packed with flavor. The pork nicely smoked. The mustard not overpowering, but compliments nicely. And the cabbage is a perfect topper, a bit of tang, but not too much. My only disappointment well, besides it not being available all day) is that the menu says it comes with chicharróns, but mine has always been served with fries. This is a mild complaint though because although a little too thin, the fries are amazing. Seasoned with garlic and parsley they have a nice little punch of flavor that is calmed by a delicious smoked aioli. If the fries were not close to shoestring fries these would be the best fries ever. If you are a sangria fan, La Bodega has a nice sangria. The happy hour specials are fantastic with a nice selection of half price tapas. Prices are moderate. Service can be a little lacking. This is a must stop if you like flavor!
(4)G C.
Love this restaurant everything on the menu looks so good. Ordered a few Tapas and a main dish. Paella was flavorful and just the right amount. Dates wrapped with prosciuto (sp) stuffed with chorizo was an explosion of flavor. Highly recommend
(4)Laurel S.
We came during happy hour which ends at 6 so its a stretch to get there in time to have more than one drink. During happy hour I'd give this place 4 stars but if I went there an paid full price for an order of meatballs and they brought out a plate of 3 meatballs I'd be a little less happy. $5 sangrias are delish! both the red and white version. I honestly can't remember all the tapas we tried but they were all good. I would go back during happy hour but there is no way I'd go for full priced dinner.
(3)Barbara Becker M.
We always order several tapas and have a glass of white sangria. Try the chicken and chorizo, roasted peppers with tuna and rice and garlic sauce meatballs. You can't go wrong with tapas.
(5)Lotus F.
Had the sangria only. It was delicious! Professional service and good, fun atmosphere to meet up with an old college friend!
(4)Jessi B.
I love La Bodega! Their sangria is fabulous (although kind of weak, I can drink a pitcher myself and barely feel tipsy) and their blue cheese crusted tenderloin is to DIE for! I also love their fried potatoes with garlic aioli, the baguette with goat cheese and red pepper, the garlic sauteed mushrooms, the meatball, and chorizo. There are some dishes here that aren't so great, like the omelette thingy, blech. I think small plates is a fun way to eat and their happy hour is great and makes it very reasonable. I always enjoy myself here!
(4)Sara D.
La Bodega is now one of my new favorite restaurants in Kansas City. Everything about our experience was incredibly fun. I came with a group of 5 girls for a birthday dinner. Our waitress treated us with such respect and kindness that I felt like she was a friend and part of our group by the end of the evening. We were seated at a gorgeous patio table with super comfortable seating and a giant umbrella. I ordered a Sangria because of all the raving via Yelp and I'm proud of you, Yelpers. The white wine sangria was very refreshing. We each ordered a Tapas plate and shared around the table. The favorite dish of the night (which just happened to be the one I picked) was dates wrapped in ham. The dates were sweet and literally melted in your mouth. When dessert time came, we told the waitress it was my friend's birthday and I jokingly mentioned that it would be cool if she had a tall, dark, and handsome stranger stowed away to serenade my friend. Completely joking. The waitress was all "I'll totally do that for you" and proceeded to go straight inside and find just that. A tall,dark, handsome waiter brought my friend a piece of cake with a candle and it was the highlight of the evening. That's above and beyond service right there. The waitress also empathized many times that if we didn't like a dish that she would have no problem taking it back to the kitchen and bringing something new. One friend couldn't handle the spiciness of her dessert, and without hesitation, no frown, no smirk at all, the waitress took the dessert back and brought her out something different. They have a great Happy Hour deal and I absolutely can not wait to go back to try more Tapas plates. The delicious food and exceptional customer service is bound to make me a regular here.
(5)Matt C.
La Bodega is a great place to take a date. I always enjoy taking my wife there for happy hour. The service is quick, the small plates good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)Whittney K.
Our favorite tapa was the leek, basil, and feta crepe, recommended by our server. "Crespelle de Feta y Puerros". Good sangria and BLVD Imperial stout on tap. Nice low-key environment. We like the idea of tasting many small dishes for a meal.
(4)Bryan M.
It's been about 5 years since I had tapas. Maybe I'm intimidated by not being able to read Spanish. Yeah, it's generally a bit more expensive ... by some metrics. But, La Bodega puts together a nice experience and some excellent food. Service staff were great - from the bar tender to the waiter to the manager out on the floor. Loved the chicken skewer, the ahi was excellent, the breaded artichoke wrapped in a ham (I forget the specific variety) was also very good. Okay, everything I tried was very good. Ex drinks, it was probably about $40/per. Not crazy, but a bit on the high side. Seating was very casual. Mix of patrons - most probably from the affluent neighborhoods nearby.
(4)Taylor M.
I came here in a group of five people to enjoy a couple of drinks in the beautiful bar area. It was turning into a blizzard outside, so it was nice to snuggle up next to the fireplace. However, once the drinks began flowing, I no longer needed the fireplace to keep me warm. The liquor did just fine on its own! I ordered the Jane and Hudson which was my favorite drink of the night. It was sweet and strong at the same time. I also ordered a Fresa-tini which was very potent. that was my finally drink of the night so I had to have them add some juice to tone it down a bit. Our server was awesome and super friendly, I wish I remembered his name so I could give him a shout out. We were able to describe the kind of drinks we liked to him and he would return with a drink on the menu that fit our tastes... and we all had very different tastes! We ordered on tapas plate because I really wanted to try the stuffed peppers. Apparently, this was not a big seller and they had to figure out how to make it in the kitchen. It took a while, but it was well worth the wait! I will be returning to La Bodega next time I am in KC!
(4)Brenda D.
I really do love this place. The service is always good and food is excellent. The only downside is they have just 3 warm vegetarian tapas. It is my choice and it won't keep me from going back. The roasted potatoes are amazing for anyone!
(4)Antoinette H.
Great place for lunch. Most people come here for their tapas and sangria which are great as well but their lunch menu is exceptional. I had the Ensalada Conquistador with Grilled Salmon and that was just amazing. Very flavorful and different. Nothing you can find at other restaurants in the area.
(5)Kay L.
I just don't understand some of the negative reviews here -- La Bodega has knocked my socks off, both for lunch and happy hour. How can you not love walking into the chic and colorful bar area, with the huge windows and the bright walls? How can you not smile at the three gigantic & whimsical portraits of Spanish artists (Picasso, DalÃ, MÃro) on the back wall? How can you not love the patio on a balmy day? For lunch today, I couldn't make up my mind, so I ordered the tapas del dia -- a perfect sampler of four different tastes, the very essence of tapas. Today it was the pincho de buey, ensalatas de pepinos, albondigas caseras, and a potato dish that I don't remember because everything was so good that my brain stopped working. Pablo & Salvador beamed/glared down at me as I lost myself in the sunny, savory flavors. For happy hour, there's only one thing you need to know: Half-price pitchers of sangria. ¡Que bueno!
(5)LeAnn A.
I went during their happy hour time and that is probably about the only time I would go, due to the prices. The food was extremely good but pricey for how small the portions were. When I was there it was extremely slow, and it took a while for someone to seat me, and I just sat at the bar. The bartender was nice but was absent a lot of my meal. So overall food was good but a little to pricey for my taste.
(3)Terry C.
I went to this La Bodega location with some coworkers on Friday after work. The experience started out fine, we were seated quickly in the lounge and we told our server we would just be doing drinks. (This was after happy hour ended, but the dinner rush had not quite set in yet.) he was friendly, and after the three of us ordered mojitos, he kindly suggested that we simply order a pitcher, which is not on the menu but he assured us it would "be a much better deal." We ordered the pitcher and the drinks tasted great, but then our server disappeared. Another one of our friends ended up joining us and, after waiting 15 minutes without our server coming over to take his order, he ended up ordering at the bar. Between the three of us, our pitcher served us each about a glass and a half. Typically, sangria pitchers are $30, so we assumed that would be the price of our off-the-menu mojitos. Needless to say, we were pretty surprised to receive a $45 bill. When we told the server (after we had to ask the hostess to go get since he hadn't visited our table in almost an hour) we hadn't realized such a pitcher would be so expensive, his only reply was a very rudely-delivered "ok..." He took our money and never even apologized to us for leading us astray. I'm always reluctant to visit this La Bodega location because I've always thought their service was bad. Their other location on Southwest Boulevard is smaller and their waitstaff is significantly better. It's especially annoying because I love their food/drinks and it's very close to where I work. I will not be returning and I was sure to tell everyone at my work about the negative experience. If you're craving tapas, I recommend the SW blvd location. The atmosphere is more intimate, and the servers won't treat you like you are an annoyance to them. However, this experience has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, so I won't be visiting either location for a while...
(2)Virginia E.
I was very disappointed by my first visit to La Bodega. We had the Valentine's Day special 4 course meal with wine pairing which was supposed to be $55 per person. The first course, beef tartare was so so. The next course was a salad which was terrible. The roots and stalk were still on the greens so a lot of the salad was inedible. The dressing had no flavor, just olive oil base. The crab was the best part, but there was only about 1 teaspoonful of it on the salad. The main course of lamb chop with polenta side was actually quite tasty. For dessert, the drink was the Spanish coffee. Having never been here I asked the waitress if it was sweet, because I don't like black coffee. She told me it wasn't sweet at all so I ordered a different drink to pair with the dessert. My husband stuck with the coffee. When it came out, it was amazing and quite sweet! Probably one of the best on the menu so I was very disappointed that the waitress mislead me. When the bill came out, it was over $200! The drinks were not included in the "4 course meal with wine pairing". I totally understand why they wouldn't include them, but the waitress should have informed us up front. I probably wouldn't have ordered a 3rd drink if I would have known and definitely didn't plan on spending $220 after tip for this subpar meal. I will never go to this restaurant again. It is over priced and the food is mediocre at best.
(2)Courtney S.
One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City, La Bodega has some of the most unique tasting cuisines and conversational atmosphere that keep me coming back. Their happy hours are epic, and really the only way to go if you're looking to try a new dish without breaking your budget. My favorite tapa is the Queso de Cabra Al Horno, which is goat cheese baked in a tomato sauce that you dip toasted bread in. SO GOOD. The happy hour specials also include half-price pitchers of wine, which are oh-so-delicious but not very strong. I'd also recommend the fiery, cinnamon coffee drink (I cannot remember the name) as a "dessert", even though it's a drink. Overall this restaurant is perfect for wining and dining and enjoying a taste of Spain.
(5)Beth B.
It's Labor Day and a friend of mine and I are trying to plan a happy hour in "the city" since we are suburbanites. However, many places either don't have a Monday HH or are closed for this Summer-ending holiday. So, we decide to go to La Bodega down the street. I look it up on Yelp to get an idea of what is good there. What? 3.5 stars? Why so harsh. Then, I look at some of the "2" and "1" reviews. Many were from over a year ago and gripe about poor service. Hopefully that wait staff has been canned. A couple of snobby San Franciscan's - OK - discount that. And one gal who was surprised when they said they wanted a couple of tapas yet when they ordered 8 that their bill was high. OK, maybe this place will be good after all. We were not disappointed. It was a bit warm that day, so we decided to sit inside. The first table we sat at had monsoon air conditioner blowing on us, so we moved. After that, everything was uphill. At our new table, the bartender waited on us. Service was very good. We each ordered a glass of red sangria - he told us we should probably order a pitcher, so we did. I can't remember what the HH price was, but it was cheap. And wonderful! Very light and fruity. We asked him what 1/2 price tapas he recommended. As with most tapas places, not all are on special for HH. Read the menu. If you don't know, ask. Who cares if you sound cheap. That's why you are there for HH. Jeez, people. He recommended the skewered chicken and chorizo with garlic cumin aioli and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread. They were both excellent. We also ordered the roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice. It was good, but not our favorite. We decided we like hot tapas better than cold., It also was not one of the recommendations from our server. Would we go back? Definitely. During HH it is a very good value. I would also like to go for dinner sometime and order off the regular menu. Thanks, La Bodega for closing out our summer very nicely!
(4)Janis G.
The paella and the Spanish coffee were both great!
(4)Aaron R.
Not bad food was good very bland...overpriced for what you got. Wait staff was superb. Friendly kind great. But price compared to serving size not good.
(3)Tony A.
We have been to La Bodega no less than a dozen times in the past 6 months, each more disappointing than the last. My wife loves the food and me? Well, I'm not a tapas guy but there is (or I should say, was) a delicious chicken and spinach dish that always puts a smile on my face. The service has always been slow at La Bodega but I'm usually there to enjoy a few drinks first so I do not mind the wait. But over the last couple of months, the service has truly deteriorated. It is so bad, in fact that we actually walked out of the restaurant tonight after settling our drink bill at the bar. We will not be returning. So what happened? Well, it is typical at La Bodega for my wife and I to grab a high-top table near the bar area where the good people-watching is. It is also typical that we almost ALWAYS have to wait a good 5-10 minutes before a waiter even greets us at the table, usually ill-prepared (no waters, no menus). This happens so often it is predictable and tonight was no different. Tonight, however, our waitress seemed to find a reason to visit every other table before simply dropping off menus at our table. This restaurant has some serious front-of-the-house issues. There are almost always 2 hosts/hostesses at the very front who are usually doing nothing but playing with their phones or joking around with one another. In the dozens of times we have eaten here, we have never been approached by a manager and asked how things were going. On several occasions the service has been so bad I have scoped around the room for anyone who looked like they might be a manager so I could tell him/her how they have some very bad service issues; I have never seen a manager or anyone other than bartender, wait staff, and hosts. And the place just isn't as fun as it used to be. The clientele is trending older, more staid, less exciting. If you just absolutely have to have tapas then I guess you could do worse. But 1 minute after sitting down in an Italian restaurant a few doors down from La Bodega, we had a very attentive waiter who delivered excellent food and service, something we just do not get at La Bodega.
(2)Daniel A.
I was up from Lawrence for a medical appointment and decided to give Drunken Fish a try. I walked in to the mostly empty around 1pm on a Wednesday and was extremely disappointing by the awful service. I was ignored by the entire waitstaff for over 5 minutes. Finally, after discussing it with an unsympathetic manager, I left and walked two doors down to La Bodega. Upon entering the building I was immediately greeted. I didn't love the revolving door, which reminded me of an airport or bus terminal, but the inside was nice. Since I was alone I decided to sit at the bar. The bar tender was friendly and knowledgeable. I ordered the Tapas del Dia which included a Spanish omelet, a rice and tuna stuffed picillo pepper, a Serrano ham croquette, and a curried chicken crostini. Everything was amazing, especially the crostini. The bar tender recommended an excellent beer to accompany my meal. I will definitely stop by La Bodega the next time I am around and I will recommend it to others. The employees of Drunken Fish should take some pointers from La Bodega. First impressions matter.
(5)Dawn C.
This place had my full five stars within a few minutes of arriving. Every time I've come I've been treated to great service. Once the pitcher of sangria arrives that first sip transports me. (I've tried the red and white and prefer the red). Happy Hour is becoming a tradition here with some of the girls at work. We've sat outside and enjoyed the patio with the big shade umbrellas, and we've sat inside where its dark and cozy and the ambiance alone makes you relax. Try the Pintxos De Higo.... toasted bread with fig spread, goat cheese and red peppers. Tangy, crunchy, savory.... wonderful! Can't wait to go back,
(5)Amber T.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Kansas City, and their mother store on SW BLVD is probably my least favorite. Weird, right? This place gets everything right...the atmosphere, the service, the price, and most importantly the food. The other location has none of that, but the price, going for it in my opinion. My ideal lazy day in KC has this place included in it. My boyfriend and I come here just about every other Saturday. Their Happy Hour (I should say Happy Four Hours as it runs from 2-6!) is the best in town, and allows you to try things you might not have at regular price. Plus they have windows in the dining room that open outward, and on a breezy 70 degree day there's no where I'd rather be than in their dining room, slightly stoned, chowing down on Pintxos de Higo, Patatas Bravas, and Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo while sipping on a White Sangria. Then we walk on over to the Roasterie for a Christopher Elbow Milk Chocolate Salted-Caramel Turtle and an Iced Hazelnut Mocha, and after that pop into Trader Joe's for a little non-essential shopping. Absolute perfection.
(5)Kerry P.
Good food, beautiful decor (love the artwork). Wife loved the sangria. The Spanish coffees are a beautiful presentation. Was a pretty busy Saturday night that we were there, so I'm very glad we had a reservation.
(4)Michele N.
I met a group of girlfriends for dinner/drinks. Our server started out awesome; great wine and food suggestions and even went as far as bringing tastes of wine. We each ordered a small plate to share around the table. Some of the dishes we ordered were served with three pieces, but since there were four of us the server said he could have an additional piece added (for a slight charge). I really appreciated that offer instead of having to buy a whole additional plate. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as good as it looked. We were still hungry though, so we ordered a second round of small plates! This turned out to be the perfect amount of food! I loved that you could taste so many different dishes and that they served you your food as it was prepared (not all at once). Our only complaint was that our server seemed to disappear after our first food order. By the time we finished our meal we were the last ones in the restaurant. Next time I'd try to nab a patio seat, weather permitting. I would for sure have the short ribs, the breaded artichoke hearts wrapped in ham, and the pancetta wrapped dates again. Everything was delicious, but those three items are definite repeats for me! Come hungry and with $$ in your wallet, as the small plates tend to add up...but it is well worth your dollar!
(4)Zach G.
I really do like La Bodega. Yes, the one in KCMO is definitely better, but this one is still solid in my mind. I've been here about 3 times since it opened and really enjoyed my experiences. On this occasion, we just grabbed a couple seats at the bar on a busy Saturday evening. There were probably 4 people working behind the bar, which is quite a lot since the restaurant isn't huge. We did get very friendly service, but the poor guy next to us didn't. He sat down and wasn't even acknowledged by any of the 4 bartenders for almost 10 minutes. And unfortunately, the many bartenders were busy but not so busy that they couldn't have at least acknowledged him. I'm not going to say it was racial, that's not me, but it did cross my mind. Anyways, when they finally did get to the poor guy, he ordered a $130 bottle of champagne for himself. If I were him, with that kind of money, I would have let them know what they missed out on while walking away to another restaurant. Anyways, the food was fine - tasty as always. The goat cheese/tomato/crustini is always solid, the chicken/chorizo skewers were great and have an awesome sauce with it, and the mushrooms were delicious.
(4)Yoie L.
After reading all these raved reviews about La Bodega, my friend and I finally ventured here on a Monday night for a post-midterm celebration. Sadly I don't think I will come back anymore. It's 75 deg today so we opted to sit outside. The interior decoration and the bar area actually looks nice and my love for tapas came from going to Cafe Ilberico way too many times when I used to live in Chicago. We shared some green beans and potatoes, calamares a la pancha, pincho de pollo y cherizo, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and garlic bread. Some our garlic bread was burnt, and while the goat cheese was tasty, the tomato sauce looks sad and straight out of a can. The calamares a la pancha was really disappointing. It was rubbery and not a la pancha! The potatoes were hard and accompanied by a few skinny green beans. My friend enjoyed the chicken skewers, but I personally thought the flavor was too strong. On the other hand, their sangria is reasonable and I would order those again for $7 a glass. I'm actually glad we came here during happy hour and paid half price for our food. Tapas can get expensive. We each ended up spending about $15. I would not want to pay full price for very mediocre food.
(2)Marie F.
Our server was wonderful. He actually split our bill into fourths. I mean he split the cost of each plate...not just a final bill division. We had one person leave early and he accounted for that as well. He was personable and helped us make decisions on drinks and food. Be careful on that happy hour menu. If you look at the original price, then you will see that most of them aren't that great of a deal. Half price Sangrias puts the price about right. The chicken pork skewers were a hit with everyone. The rest of the food was just ok. It was a fun change to try new dishes. I don't recommend the flatbread or meatballs. Very blah. The cinnamon coffee with whipped cream was a delight...they present it with fire. So mesmerizing.
(4)Kelly L.
Well.......I am changing my review.....but not completely. I wasn't a fan in the past with a 2 -star review after 4 visits but my last 2 visits have been pleasant with warm service and decent food.
(4)Emily F.
I love the lunch menu and the service was awesome. I was downtown and in the Leawood this week. Personally I hear downtown is better but I ordered the same item and looked much better at Leawood not to say both were not amazing. You can go every day and get something new!
(5)Colin B.
Where do I began. Let's start with the pluses of the place: - GREAT location in Leawood. - AMAZING design of the restaurant, inside and out. It is beautiful. - Great patio with heaters. And off to the bad stuff. First thing first, the service was terrible. We got there at 5:15 on a Saturday night and didn't leave until 6:45 and that was rushing it. When our server - Reuben, I believe - came to the table he dropped waters and said "I'll be right back." By this time, however, we already knew what we wanted to drink. Would it be too much trouble to grab a drink? You had already made us wait too long for you to get to the table in the first place. Then we order -- two drinks and three plates all at the same time. Nothing fancy, simple orders, off the menu. Drinks come a few minuets later -- again, no rush -- and the first plate follows. We finish the first plate and the second plate shows up, again with a wait in between. Strange, normally the slowly come out plate by plate, stacking up. Again, more waiting for us to get a 2nd and 3rd round of drinks, so much so that we're flagging him down at this point to order more drinks... read: spend more money. He is just plain slow. Finally, when ordering our third drink I say, "those meatballs we ordered, can we cancel them? It seems like you forgot them or the kitchen lost them." We get an excuse, but in short, he probably forgot to ring them in. (Not sure why, we ordered them with everything else.) All in all, it was frustrating. I always tip 20% even for mediocre service as I was a waiter all through college, but my wife made me tip 10%. I felt like an ass so we quickly ran to the car. But, had the service been good -- and we had a good sized bill with a lot of alcohol -- he would have made some okay money for an early table. On top of that, the food wasn't amazing. Presentation was lacking, flavors were just average. Catered food at best. Should have spent my $60 elsewhere.
(2)Jim H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious food. And great wine selection. I look forward to a nice dinner at La Bodega when traveling to KC. It's the highlight of my visit, and I've never been disappointed.T
(5)Shea C.
I've never been to the La Bodega downtown, but since moving to suburbia, this has become one of our go-to spots. It's almost like we still live in the city, right? First of all: THE MUSHROOMS. Holy crimini, these are delicious. Sauteed in garlic, parsley and white wine, these 'shrooms are always included in our order. The best part might actually be sopping up all of the tasty broth with the (admittedly sometimes not-so-fresh) bread brought to table. Other things we've enjoyed: roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig coulis on grilled bread, smoked salmon flatbread and, of course, the cheese plate. Oh how I love a good cheese plate. The wine selection is decent and the sangria is so good, a group of four of us may or may not have consumed four pitchers of it on one occasion. Service can be hit or miss, but the food has been consistently tasty and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from The Coug (aka Cougartown aka Leawood aka Johnson County) - lots of Real Housewives and dudes wearing Affliction tees. But so what? Eat some tapas and drink some sangria and for a brief minute, you might feel like a city girl once again.
(4)Stephen H.
The rain made the first part of this day look terrible, but it was lovely by the time I got there late in the afternoon with a friend. Half-price Sangria Sunday made my pitcher $14 instead of $28, and we happened to hit on happy hour so our 4 tapas order was also much cheaper than it would have normally been. What did I get? I stayed away from my old favorites (patatas bravas and chorizo stuffed dates) and ventured into new and mostly delicious territory: Papas Fritas con Ajo: Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli. A great twist on home fries. Espinacas de Catalanas: Sautéed spinach with orange juice, raisins, apricots and pine nuts. Texture and appearance make it look like a hot, wilted salad. Taste is much better. Albóndigas Caseras: Meatballs in a spicy garlic cream sauce. Sauce makes this dish. Meatballs are okay. Solomillo con Cabrales: Grilled beef tenderloin crusted with Spanish bleu cheese. One of those concepts that works great as an appetizer, but terribly as an entree (so I'm glad we got the tapas!) because the blue cheese is such a strong complement to the cooked-to-order tenderloin. Because weather is so unpredictable out here in the Midwest, when I can eat al fresco, I do; the environment is great even though the view is Sullivan's and the soon-to-be-open Trader Joe's parking lot.
(4)Laura R.
Great atmosphere, amazing food and the sangria (red) is the best I've ever had! John is an amazing waiter and knows about every dish! I would give them 10 stars if I could!
(5)Shana S.
I was here a couple nights ago for a fundraiser. So I had the opportunity to to drink their red wine sangria and eat many different types of tapas. It was delicious. Now I'll need to go back when I can choose the tapas that I loved the most. I didn't taste one tapa I didn't like, and I drank 3 glasses of sangria even though I rarely drink because I don't like the taste of alcohol. These I could handle. Now I see why people have such good things to say about the original La Bodega.
(5)Dane S.
We found this to be a lovely dining spot. The garage-style windows make for a terrific atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Contrary to some of the other comments, our service was quite fast.
(4)jennifer j.
I attended for a pre-opening event, so I shouldn't comment on the food...which was not the regular menu. I will comment on the drinks, space, location and service. If you hung out at ReVerse, you will notice a lot of familiar faces at the new La Bodega location. A location that, in my opinion, is still trying to find its identity. This strip mall has lost West Elm and J.P. 's Wine Bar in a short amount of time. There are a couple other retailers that seem to be hanging on by a thread. Giving La Bodega this space was a intelligent move. La Bodega has been packing them in downtown for years. Simply put, the food is great, that atmosphere is fun and there is nothing like it around town. All these great qualities can exist just as successfully in the second location. In fact the energy buzzing through the new location is just as infectious, the service is more swift and the ambience is more spacious and sexy. The owner brought in local metal artist Stretch to keep the decor consistent with his past concepts. Several rooms define this space. The outdoor room (patio) is huge, quiet and a nice break from the tail pipe fumes on Southwest Blvd. The patio is further enhanced by some cool metal fireplaces that adds atmosphere. The bar is huge and I always love the option of having a more casual dinner at a high top. A bar dinner at the downtown location is pretty much next to impossible in the SW Blvd location. The restaurant portion is slightly smaller then the SW location. A cool bonus is there is a glassed in private room that can become anything you want. This is a new location, so everyone wants to please you in the beginning. Many of the servers and bartenders already know what the owner expects from them, so that puts LB ahead of the curve. I think the service will remain strong. God knows the drinks are strong. Those mojitos kicked my butt! I love the polished style of the new version of La Bodega, but I know I will be hitting the downtown version more often. It's closer to where I live and there is something so authentic about a flagship. Still, this is a great alternative when I am out South and still want the food and energy of downtown. Congrats to La Bodega for sharing the fun!
(4)Joyce B.
Since having my first 'Tapas' experience in Las Vegas, my husband and I have been wanting to find a good Tapas place in the KC area. After heard about La Bodegas from several peeps, we decided to give it a try. We went about 5:00 pm on a Tuesday. It happened to be during their Happy Hour which offered half price on a particular selection of Tapas plates. We tried five plates; the Roasted red pepper hummus, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the pork skewers, the meatballs and the mushrooms. The meatballs were excellent and were our favorite out of the five dishes. The sauce was so rich and flavorful! The hummus was also very good. Although the pork and chicken skewers had good flavor, they were a bit dry and overcooked. The wait staff were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(3)L B.
I've been here a few times now and have had great food and service each time. My last visit we were fortunate enough to get into the private room since the reserved party didn't show up. It was perfect for our group of 7 - I think it could handle probably 10-12 if you want to get cozier. It was shut off from the rest of the rowdiness so it was great for old friends wanting to hear each other talk. I am more a fan of hot tapas vs cold tapas and that's all I've really tried. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp with horseradish sauce is a personal favorite as is the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). We tried chocolate cake (good) and churros (which we had to request since apparently it's generally only served to kids - but they were awesome). I also have to give a shout out to the best Sangria in town. I've had red and white and both are very yummy and not too sweet, so I can consume multiple glass. Sabroso!
(5)Jerry B.
We really enjoy this place, but right up front, just let me say that we ONLY go there for happy hour. The servings are small but delicious. To have a full meal during normal menu hours can be really very expensive. So many friends complain bitterly about the prices and we always encourage them to go back for happy hour. The happy hour tapas prices are CRAZY cheap! Their food is great...such a wonderful array of flavors. We love both locations. I have to admit that for a while the Leawood location had some horrendous service problems. The waiters stood around the end of the bar chatting and totally ignoring the patrons. I think they got a new manager and that problem seems to have gone away. La Bodega is one of our favorite places in town.
(5)Phon W.
Great atmostphere! Great food! Service is slow and all over the place. We had our waitress waiting on us but she'd show up once every 45 mins.....a hostess taking orders for our waitress....and the bartender helping out and bringing our drinks to our table. For a small space it was fairly busy but then it died down and everything was still very, very slow. The worst part was our waitress got our tickets all messed up, yes we had a big party, but she came over and clarified and wrote down what everyone ordered before she went to print the tickets out, came back about 20 mins later and it was wrong. Went to reprint the tickets which took another 20mins and came back it was wrong again! She went to print the tickets again but by then we just put whatever we owed down and left the joint! I'd like to go back..but maybe on a Monday afternoon. : /
(2)Kelly S.
I went to this location of La Bodega on a Saturday evening after work with co-workers. I was actually there with Terry C, whose review is below. Long story short, our server (missed the name- tall, brown curly hair) suggested we get a pitcher of mojitos when all three of said that's what we were getting. Keep in mind, we were just going out for "one drink." He said it would be a better deal so we went with it. By our estimate, it seemed that we each got about a glass and a half from the pitcher. One mojito is $9, a pitcher turned out to be $45. When we finally tracked him down after not showing his face at our table for nearly an hour, I mentioned (kindly) to him that this did not seem like a better deal in the end. His response was "Okaaaaay..." with a look on his face like I was a giant moron, and he then proceeded to argue with me all of the reasons that he thought it was a better deal. No apology, nothing. Now, I have been a server before and I also worked for years in customer service. A good response here, whether he thought I was wrong or not, would have been "I apologize, I should have let you know up front how much the pitcher would cost since it's not listed on the menu." We wound up paying almost $20 each when all we signed on for was one drink.
(1)Tahmeka T.
We stopped in for an early lunch and were very impressed. The service was decent. The servers were professional and attentive. Not super friendly but not rude. I loved the decor. We went on a nice day and the walls were open. It was inviting, made me want to stick around and drink and talk. We had the Pan Plano con Salmon Ahumado - awesome. Very flavorful and a great starter. Calamares y Chorizo a la Plancha - this was delicious with their crusty bread. I could have had a huge bowl of this by itself on a rainy day. One of my favorite dishes. Costillas Cortas- Perfectly cooked short ribs. The flavors were perfect. Great job. We will add La Bodega to our short list of go-to places. I loved it.
(4)Jillian C.
A girlfriend and I hit up this place for a night out before Fourth of July. We enjoyed a range of tapas: steak with blue cheese, chicken and chorizo with cumin aioli, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, crispy potatoes, and pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. There was also the classic white bread with olive oil and balsamic. Nothing too special there. But the tapas, those were yummy. The chicken was moist, though the chorizo tastes like a Slim Jim that had been diced. Kind of disappointing but the cumin aioli did a good job making up for it. The steak was perfectly cooked and I'm a sucker for blue cheese so that was yummy. The goat cheese itself was creamy and delicious but the tomato sauce was watery. I would have preferred a smooth marinara rather than a watery, chunky tomato sauce but goat cheese just rubs me the right way, pretty much regardless. The potatoes were sooooo good. I would never think to baked crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce but they were fantastic. I didn't want to share! And finally, the pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. Oh, gosh, awesome. Again, I could have eaten the whole plate alone. They probably would have been the best thing on the table...that is, until dessert. We had this stellar concoction of chocolate cayenne spiced cookies topped with marzipan-almond-basil ice cream and whipped cream. I was a bit skeptical of the chocolate and spice combination but it turned out to be so understated that it was just enough to lend a tiny bit of heat. It was so good. And the tiny salt crystals in the cookie stood out like bright beacons of flavor. The ice cream, gosh that was a whole 'nother amazing component. We decided it tasted like Trader Joe's smells: richy, herby, and fresh. The combo of the cookie and cool cream was perfect. Again, and I know I sound like a broken record but I could have eaten the whole thing alone, probably three times over! Oh, and the red sangria was also smooth, sweet, and delicious.
(4)Shiduna T.
I have been twice to this location with my husband. The first time was a Sunday afternoon, where the restaurant was still somewhat quiet. We both enjoyed a glass of white Sangria, which was absolutely delicious! Then we shared about three tapas, the chicken with chorizo was so good, we ordered it again on our second visit. On our second visit, we went on a Friday night and the place was packed, but not overly so and you could actually have a conversation without yelling. Of course we had Sangria again, the chicken & chorizo skewers, marinated mushrooms (really good), stuffed dates (missed the mark and way to sweet for both of us) and one more dish I can't remember. Our server was was attentive and informative, checking on us regularly and friendly. Though I like going here, I wouldn't be able to do so frequently due to the pricey food.
(3)Michael C.
Swanky and harmless fun. Go there on a nice, cool summer night. They will open the front, "garage-doors" to let the breeze in. Lots of Sex-and-the-City wannabe types. Recommended drink: Caribbean Monk
(3)Stephanie P.
If you care about freshest ingredients and/or flavor, or decent to superb cocktail mixology, give this place a skip. Full disclosure: I live in the SF Bay Area and have that fresh, farm-to-table palate that rejects things like Taco Bell, fast food, things out of cans, etc. If all that is acceptable to you, expect to spend $40/person here and maybe, MAYBE be sated. I came with my parents on a recent home visit and I cannot even tell you what we had, because it was so unmemorable. What I do remember is having two mediocre cocktails and the WORST paella I've EVER had in my life. We got both the seafood (which had little seafood, and tough) and the vegetarian. They tasted like flour because the rice was so poorly cooked with no flavor integration. It was yellow, but you couldn't taste the saffron. The food and service were SLOW SLOW SLOW and the other dishes we got, while not as memorably horrible as the paella, were memorably unmemorable. The bill was double what we would have/could have paid at so many other KC area establishments with better food and service. Return? No way. Recommend? Oh hell no. Oh, I'm now remembering a La Bodega on SW Boulevard years ago. That place was overrated but okay. I wonder if this place is connected? They'd have long way to go to get back to what the overrated place was, if so.
(1)AJ C.
Went there one time for drinks and appetizers, and was very disappointed. Took forever to get served, and when we finally did we ordered a pitcher of margaritas. They said they normally don't do pitchers (?) but the they made an exception... we got the Margaritas and there was a fly in the pitcher. We checked the bar and more bottles had flies in them as well. Will not return since their food was nothing special, especially for the price.
(1)John D.
Food was typical overpriced, small portion Tapas. Nothing too special. But the service was just irritating. Every time i was in the middle of a sentence our waitress would barge in, and interrupt me in mid-sentence. A word of advice to all servers: it is incredibly rude to interrupt anyone in mid-sentence but even more so when you are in the food service business, hoping to provide a good experience for your guests. And then we were sitting there waiting forever to pay and leave when we realized our server was literally sitting down with her friend chatting with her friend in the dining room. Talk about someone who doesnt get it. Definitely not going back, as t he food wasn't special enough to overcome our bad service level.
(2)Troy L.
Ill keep this brief. We ordered Calamari a la Plancha and thus I expect calamari cooked on a plancha...cooked on a large stainless steel plate/grill thinner. I ended up with a plate of soggy, rubbery calamari submerged under white wine and parsley. When I asked the manager if they actually had a plancha, she said no they didn't. If I order something A La Plancha, I expect it to be cooked on a plancha! If I ordered a chargrilled burger, I expect it to be chargrilled! Instead, they just cook it in a sautee skillet and it's not the same. Liars! We ordered paella. I wouldn't want to eat it again. Rice texture was really unpleasant. Made me think they just par-cook their rice and then recook it to order. Rather disappointing. I can't go back to a restaurant that has items on the menu that they aren't equipped to properly prepare. Sorry, but at least you're all warned.
(1)Amy B.
It was a great afternoon and we wanted a small snack. We stopped by La Bodega. Francisco was our server. We told him that we wanted "a couple of tapas" to start. The Sunday "special" is 1/2 price Sangria's and 1/2 price "selected" tapas (until 7 pm). Don't look at the main menu because that is not accurate. You will need to look at the smaller version that has the 1/2 price items. That one has the half price listed thus does not show 'normal' pricing thus allowing the feeling of getting them 50% under posted pricing. Due to this being our first visit, we were unsure of protocol and noticed that we were being served several items, but did not think to 'cancel' as we felt we were sampling items that were on the "selected" Happy Hour menu. Boy were we surprised by our bill! We had just had a small sampling to the tune of $115!! Needless to say, my husband asked to speak with our server and a manager and stated opening that we could have been more specific that stating a 'couple' of tapas, but when we learned that they delivered 8 tapas, only one of which was a Happy Hour special, my husband wanted to understand how the intention was missed so dramatically. After a couple emotional exchanges due to unprofessional language from the manager, it was still unclear how the term 'couple' could be interpreted to mean 8. In effort to have both parties feel 'closer' to what should have been, we agreed to a discount and were able to continue our wonderful afternoon as planned. Here is the long and short of it. Things happen sometimes that do not lend themselves to 'easy' correction. When all parties want to make things right, it is usually easy to find a meeting ground. What turned us off was the huge misunderstanding of the term couple and the manager attempting to place all blame on us as the consumer. We had, what is likely, an isolated incident and did enjoy the fare. So, the $100 question is 'will we go back'? To be fair, we would like to at some point, but we will wait until the sting of this day has blurred into the past.
(1)Jennifer H.
The food is disappointing and the place feels gimmicky. The food does not taste freshly prepared, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of it was packaged. It's not bad, but it's not great. I won't be returning, because I wasn't impressed with the food quality and taste. The restaurant has a vibrant atmosphere. It also has a vibrant menu...at least, that's what I thought until I received my food. We ordered 4 small plates to share and were less than wowed by all of them. The meatballs did not taste house-made; if they are, you could fool me. They were bland and unexciting; if you're going to serve meatballs at a "Spanish" restaurant, set them apart from the Italian meatballs I can pick up in the freezer section of Costco. The goat cheese, pepper and fig coulis on crostini was lackluster as well. There was the teeniest smidge of goat cheese spread on the crostini, and one sad little pepper shaving on each piece. They were awfully generous with the glob of boring fig coulis, though. The chorizo was downright awful. It looked and tasted like a hot dog, and had zero flavor interest. They serve this silly flaming cinnamon coffee drink that they charge a premium for, probably only because they make a show out of preparing it table side. I will second the previous reviewer who said that it feels like it's full of real housewives and high schoolers on a date, but I don't think that's the restaurant's fault. It's south Jo Co, after all. I can also second the previous reviewer who was put off by the size of the wine pour. It's definitely a smallish glass of wine.
(2)Kirun M.
I was really excited to write this review of La Bodega after a wonderful experience last night, and am disappointed to see so many negative reviews for this location. Due to the meticulous (can we say bordering on obsessive) planning of my friend, we had a reservation for four at 6pm and arrived on time to find the place relatively empty. While waiting for our guest of honor to arrive, we ordered some drinks. I was unsure which Sav Blanc to go with and our server offered to bring me each to sample. I ended up enjoying a lovely Chilean Sav Blanc... and then two...and then three. The others at our table had the white sangria, which they loved so much they had a pitcher. We were there for almost three hours- in true tapas fashion. We ordered five or six different plates to share amongst the four of us- and they were all awesome. We had the albondigas, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo, the bacon wrapped shrimp, and dates. The dish with the dates was too sweet for my taste, but everything else was very good. We had just enough room to split two desserts to round out the evening...and our bellies. Last but not least, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambiance at La Bodega. I guess I didn't expect outdoor seating and such an open feeling in the interior. There were no seats available outside when we arrived, but was pleased that the garage door style window was up and open. I am looking forward to coming back!
(4)Tracie D.
Great food , service and atmosphere . They actually had a kids menu . My 8 year old daughter told me the " Don Quiote " pasta was the best she ever had . First time she finished bowl . The food wax authentic , unique and yummy ! We had the short ribs , ahi tuna on crostini , and blue cheese encrusted tenderloin ... All remarkable dishes we will come back for . It was my husband's birthday and they comp the dessert for celebrating there !
(5)Liz T.
(from May 2011) Fun place to go with family. Got sangria and ordered away from the tapas list (cold and hot) Portions were reasonable and even though a couple dishes were a miss it was over-all satisfactory.
(3)Meg L.
So my man took me here for my birthday dinner. We had 5 differing tapas, all of which were fresh and tasty. The fave is always the solomillo (blue cheese encrusted filet) which is crazy good. We also had the pancetta wrapped shrimp, the shrimp, scallop and squid salad, patatas bravas, and the goat cheese and tomato bruschetta. The restaurant is beautiful, and has a lively atmosphere. I ordered a mojito, and it was perfect. Great place for bdays and groups, as they have 2 "private" dining areas, including the chefs table. Very wonderful, food just as good as the original location on the boulevard, and the surroundings, even though its in a strip mall, are really gorgeous. Cant wait to sit on the patio in the sun and have a drink for happy hour!!
(5)C L.
The patio looked snazzy, but my party opted to sit inside, and we were in the perfect spot - right beside the patio. The "garage" door was left open Saturday night, and it was fantastic. A breeze, candlelight, good food, great drinks, awesome atmosphere, and excellent company. Both the mojitos and Spanish coffee were delicious. Your Spanish coffee is served after a flamboyant little show, complete with a fiery gusto; so if you want a few moments' entertainment and a hot alcoholic beverage, try it! I list the tapas we shared below. calamares a la plancha - garlicky sauteed squid: Yummy! A decent portion, too. solomillo con cabrales - beef tenderloin crusted in blue cheese: Good stuff, particularly when ordered medium-rare. champinones a la plancha - mushrooms in another garlicky sauce: Now there's nothing wrong with this tapa, but they were just mushrooms. If you're looking for a fair portion of stuff to fill up on and share, this would be a good one. Otherwise, they were just mushrooms. paella valenciana - rice, cooked "al dente", with saffron and a variety of meats/seafood: I liked this more this time than when I'd had it at the other location. If you like the above-mentioned ingredients, give it a try. This was a hopping joint with dressed-up folks. The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to 60-sometings, and everyone seemed refined, but laid-back. I really loved the different types of seating they had - patio, indoor, bar. Our server seemed a little harried, but she obliged every request. Overall, this was a classy spot that facilitates a fun ambiance. So, like Arnold says, I'll be back.
(4)Nancy S.
We went a week ago and I hated it. We typically sit at the bar and eat...my husband and I like to chat with people at the bar and we like the quick service. First off, we felt like we were invisible and had to flag down the bartender every time we needed anything: our initial drink, a menu, to order, for siverware, for another drink...and every time they acted like we were annoying them. Secondly, the food was so mediocre. The salad we ordered was just a big plate of lettuce with some stuff thrown on it swimming in salad dressing. The seared ahi tuna was mediocre...the one dish we did like was the grilled beef with blue cheese...we decided to order one more dish...after flagging down the annoyed bartender we ordered appetizer of assorted spainish meats and cheeses and were again disappointed to get a plate with a few little pieces of cheese and meat that was bland and nothing like a nice chorizo to be found. I won't go back.
(1)Anthony D.
Went with a group of friends from work and it just happened to be Fat Tuesday. Our server was quite nice and upon explaining the beer selection I asked for the "hoppy" Goose Island beer that was on tap. What I got was something that was more of a spiced wheat and had no hop in any way shape or form. The server apologized and offered to bring me another beer which he did. We ordered 14 tapas dishes for the table and they were coming out rapid fire so we had to tell the server to slow it down. Around 7 the band started to play, it was a bit loud and kinda killed the reason we all came out to have some drinks. The tapas was ok but I've had better, I wouldn't avoid this place but I wouldn't rush back. There were plenty of dishes we didn't try and if there wasn't a loud band I'd be willing to try it again.
(3)Dev V.
This is a great addition to the southern movement of established midtown and downtown restaurants. I went there last night for the second time, as I'm usually go to the one on SW Blvd. We were greeted by no less than three people, making sure we got our name in, told us the wait and offered us spots at the bar to get a drink. They take your phone number and text you when your table is ready, good concept. The decor is pretty cool here, bright colors, original artwork and metal work by local artist Stretch. All the windows are actually garage doors that open and give the place a really open air feel. The front bar has garage doors as well, so during warm weather, it can be a sort of indoor/outdoor bar. Last night the weather was surprisingly warm for February, so some of the garage doors were open. The bar was packed, but the bartenders were friendly and attentive. We saw the chocolate ale on tap and one of the bartenders, Tina, poured me a small glass just so I could try it. I also had a glass of wine at the bar and they two of the bartenders gave me five samples before I chose one. That type of service is above and beyond and definitely stuck out. We got our tapas, my favorite is always the beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese. The service was good and our drinks were always replenished. Great spot, can't wait for warmer weather and enjoying the open air atmosphere of La Bodega South.
(4)S W.
I am a fan. I really enjoyed the food and drinks. There is tons to choose from and our waiter was super friendly and helped us make some good decisions. When we went it was warm enough to sit on the patio and it was perfect. Love the atmosphere of this place. I can't wait to go back.
(4)Brian H.
Tonight was the second "soft opening" night for La Bodega in Leawood. After spending many years working in the restaurant industry I understand how stressful and difficult these nights can be. If you did not see the large "training in progress" sign by the front door I do not think you would have known. The service was fantastic and the Tapa were spectacular! The stars of the meal were the Gambasala Plancha (Sautéed shrimp*with garlic) and the Datiles con Jamon y Chorizo (Pancetta-wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo) I am so excited to have this amazing restaurant so close to home!
(5)Timothy R.
Good atmosphere, but a little cramped in the dining room. Bartenders and servers were attentive, but the kitchen was a little slow. The seafood paella was very good, but not as flavorful as the paella valenciana. All in all it was well worth a return visit.
(4)Gina D.
Went in for lunch with two girlfriends and had their unlimited lunch tapas bar. Such great food and totally filling! Service is fantastic and the atmosphere is one of the best in the area. I love La Bodega!
(5)Amy G.
I have been to La Bodega a few times for lunch and have enjoyed it. I have found it to be a fun place. I had some out of towners in for my birthday and decided to go there for my birthday dinner. What a mistake! First, I reserved the chef's table. The manager called me the next day, and said that it was already reserved, and that it shouldn't have been given to me. I still wanted to eat there, so I said that we could eat in the dining room. We were seated at a very unpleasant long table in the bar. It was really noisy, and my husband had a plant hanging in his face. I felt that we were treated badly by the restaurant. Probably screwing up my reservation was a sign that I should not have given them my business. I think that it is probably fine for happy hour, but do not go there for any sort of a special occasion!
(1)Steve V.
Tapas del DÃa, included a small mixed greens garnish and a cucumber salad both very tasty, a slice of frittata, a fried artichoke and a beef skewer. Everything on the plate was flavorful but they seemed to use the same sauce on the frittata and artichoke, some type of flavored mayo. Saffron? rice rounded out the plate, it had a great yellow color but lacked the flavor of associated with the spice. The Jamón Ibérico was great, only comment, serve it at room temperature, the flavor of the ham really came out after sitting for 10 minutes. New bartender came on and told me about the half priced happy hour food from 2 to 6 so we ordered a Calamares a la Plancha, sautéed squid with garlic and olive oil. Major disappointment, rubbery and flavorless, no garlic, no seasoning and had the same yellow rice from above. Should have quit when we were ahead. Service was fast efficient and friendly, and will give then another try. Portions and prices were very reasonable. Want to give the assorted Spanish meats and cheeses platter a try.
(3)Andy W.
We visited at 7:30 on a Friday evening, so the house was packed. Luckily we made reservations. Our server (Feliz) was fantastic and that made the night. Otherwise, I thought it was so-so. The decor is classic Leawood, so not such a great match for something funky like Tapas. Very different from the downtown location. The ceasar salad was good, if conventional. The tapas were also good -- every plate was cleaned -- but not outstanding. My favorite was the meatballs; hearty for such small portions, and an excellent sauce. The patas fritas were also very good. They were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was excellent. The most interesting dish was a short corn on the cob (think KFC) decked with a variety of toppings, including a garlic creme sauce, chili powder and grated parmesan. You'll etiher hate it or love it -- I was more on the love side. All in all, worth a visit but won't be a regular on my list.
(3)Gene T.
I am a huge fan of Tapas. I havent found good Tapas since I studied abroad and lived in Sevilla Spain. The ambiance was fantastic, The red Sangria was perfect. At first I though 30 bucks was steep for a pitcher of Sangria but then we had two pitchers lol. Try to go during happy hour for the best prices, they are a little much for a small plate of food, but so damn good.
(5)Shannon W.
A friend and I decided to take a seat outside after getting my dog groomed next door. It wasn't particularly nice out but not raining...yet. They have dog bowls for water and it was filled promptly by a bus boy, which was really nice. (They allow dogs.) Unfortunately the bowl was filthy - yes, he's a dog...but he deserves a clean dish too. When our waitress came over to take our order, she quickly picked it up and went to rinse it out and brought it back with fresh, clean water. HOW NICE! And I didn't say a thing. I started off with a re:Pimm's Cucumber Cup drink and it was an alright flavor...but not as refreshing as suggested for the $10. My friend got the Flirtini ($8). It was extremely fruity and sweet. I really liked it but it was a bit too sweet for her. Not having been that impressed with my first time visit to the downtown La Bodega, I was a bit hesitant...but we ordered the calamari, the goat cheese crostinis, the meatballs, and the pancetta wrapped shrimp. Yum, Yum and Yum. Oh yeah...and Yum. If I had to rate any of them as just ok...it would be the calamari...the least flavor...but still good. It was happy hour so the prices weren't too bad...but I'd say the drink prices made up for that - a little high. When it started to rain there were 2 or 3 people to help us move everything to the outside/covered bar area (before our food came.) For my 2nd drink I asked our server about their Spanish Blanco and she brought me a taste. It was delish...I like that kind of service! She remained attentive and kind throughout our experience. I will go back most definitely. The outside patio is great and their bathrooms were clean and updated.
(4)D B.
This place has a cool ambience, and is a great place to meet friends for tapas and drinks. Relaxed environment, with foods to satisfy almost anyone's palette. I say this confidently, as I watched my friends four year old, munching down the food with a smile.
(5)Paul M.
Strongly recommend this location for lunch out. The tapas bar is excellent with freshly prepared food loaded with flavor! Clean, welcoming, and a wonderful staff. Everything you look for in a restaurant.
(5)Chris C.
La bodega is one of my favorite KC restaurants. It's a good place to go with a group for dinner and drinks since it is always lively. Not recommended for a quiet dinner. I recommend the paella, patatas bravas (potatoes), and Queso de Cabra. The mojitos are also very good.
(5)Phillip F.
Great place to eat and to have a nice evening. The atmosphere was very nice quiet and subdued in a classy sort of way. Not very noisy which is one of my pet peeves. Will go back again very soon, as there were so many delicious things to try out. My wife and I shared three Tapas and a dessert of Flan (Cinnamon and fig sauce *****). The idea is to be like Spain. Order a small plate of something and then to share it on small saucers with everyone at the table. All this while sharing a wine or some Sangria. Very extensive wine list. We were there on a Tuesday. All bottles of wine under $50 were 50% off the regular price. WOW! The waiter was very friendly and very helpful. I reccommend this place to everyone.
(5)Gregg L.
We are longtime fans of La Bodega on the SW Blvd location. Tried the Leawood location for lunch over the holidays. Our party of four was uniformly unimpressed. I had the Monkfish, two had paella, one had chicken. Every dish was without spice. We all sort of looked at one another not knowing what to say. My wife hailed the waiter and asked for any sort of paprika- hot sauce they could summon. It was seriously like hospital food. The sangria was OK, but not as good as I expect based on past experience. We also enjoyed Spanish coffees, always a delicious desert. Bottom line was lunch was expensive, which is fine if the quality is there, unfortunately it was far from the mark. Maybe we just caught a bad lunch service, but it was so bland this location will not get a second chance from any of us. Atmosphere was great, wait-staff was terrific, but the food frankly sucked. Too bad, our expectations and past experiences were high. I would love to write a better report, and have a new favorite closed to home but jst can't do it.
(2)Jeff H.
First time at restaurant. We went with the servers recommendations and the food was incredible. Atmosphere was a little noisy for a romantic dinner but a great place to get together with friends.
(4)Lori T.
I SO wanted to love the southern location of La Bodega but something has been lost in translation. While I love heading to the city, there are times I enjoy the convenience of finding something great closer to home. That's why I love the 2nd versions of Blue Koi and Room 39 and was eager to eat at the JoCo version of La Bodega. It wasn't all I had hoped. When my husband and I popped in a couple of weeks ago I was surrounded by the dreaded HD (hipster dufus) crowd and loads of cocktail swilling cougars. Yikes. The bar was packed and I felt very sorry for the unlucky diners who had tables on the periphery- the bar partrons were almost in their laps. The atmosphere was not intimate or energetic -- just loud and crowded. We were seated after about 30 minutes but our table was tiny and quickly piled up with tapas plates. I had a nice coat and no one offered to check it - so it was crammed into our space. The poor person at the table next to ours was afraid of spilling something on it, so I ended up wearing it! Not so fun. Our server was polite but rushed - so we had orders ready. Didn't feel questions were welcome. Food was good -- not great -- and it did seem a little silly to pay $8 for some grilled bread. After just a few rounds - we took off. The next time I'm in the mood for tapas I'll head back to the original on SW Blvd.
(3)courtney m.
I've been to the downtown La Bodega many times, came to visit and check out the new location. Very impressed. The decor is very true to the original La Bodega. Sangria is just as delicious also! Some of the food was not the exact same as the boulevards but still just as amazing. I'm sorry I keep comparing the two locations but, it seems a few reviewers have been a little hard on the new location and I'm here to tell you to go try it out, you will not be disappointed. As always I had the green beans with potatoes and fig, the mushrooms and the tomato dip with the goat cheese, yum! Service was also excellent. I can't wait for slightly warmer weather to experience the fire pit and patio. If you are looking for a place to share food and enjoy great atmosphere, here you go. Great job!
(5)Shalia S.
The initial draw to the 119th Street location was to take advantage of the great weather and their happy hour. We were greeted immediately and advised we could dine on their patio at a table of our choice. Although the construction project of the new Trader Joe's is an eyesore, the patio is a nice one. I could easily imagine it during a summer evening as the place to be to dine and to sip back some great drinks. The happy hour menu is a typical happy hour. We were able to order almost one of everything off the menu to experience the cuisine. Unfortunately, the tapas did not blow me away with overall strong flavor. I was expecting a little bit more. I was expecting a unique taste and presentation to go along with the great decor. However, I was disappointed. I will say the Re:verse mojito is a great choice. The drinks listed on their regular menu would easily bring me back to the restaurant (as well as to enjoy the patio). Unfortunately, I don't think I would recommend the food as being the main focus of the evening. Definitely check out their patio on a weekend evening with a great drink in hand!
(2)Uyen V.
Dined at LB on Saturday evening. Atmosphere: jovial, bright and loud. We dined mainly on the tapas dishes, which were very good - just as good as the items served at the original location. I think the glory must be given to the desserts - they were superb. Despite being ridiculously full from the main meal, we each found space for some sweet. Three stars due to a rather idiotic and arrogant moment on the part of the chef. Ordered paella and it came out uncooked. The rice was raw inside i.e. dry, chalky and raw. When we sent it back, the chef retorted that his kitchen made paella rather al dente. Al dente - ok. Raw - not acceptable. I've been to Spain, been to some top restaurants, and never had to crunch my way through any paella. Absolute codswallop - besides, the downtown LB never served it like that. Thankfully our waitress smoothed things over, advised that we skip the paella and focus wholly on the tapas which turned out to be just lovely.
(3)Eugene K.
The atmosphere was really good and the service was decent. The food, however was a different story altogether. It was absolutely plain, looked cheap and cost an arm and a leg. I live in OP, so the price is not unusual, but usually you would have food that tastes better than rice cakes, and perhaps could feed someone other than a pigeon. We had 5 tapas and desert for 2, and ended up filling up on bread. I would not return again.
(2)Kirun M.
I was really excited to write this review of La Bodega after a wonderful experience last night, and am disappointed to see so many negative reviews for this location. Due to the meticulous (can we say bordering on obsessive) planning of my friend, we had a reservation for four at 6pm and arrived on time to find the place relatively empty. While waiting for our guest of honor to arrive, we ordered some drinks. I was unsure which Sav Blanc to go with and our server offered to bring me each to sample. I ended up enjoying a lovely Chilean Sav Blanc... and then two...and then three. The others at our table had the white sangria, which they loved so much they had a pitcher. We were there for almost three hours- in true tapas fashion. We ordered five or six different plates to share amongst the four of us- and they were all awesome. We had the albondigas, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo, the bacon wrapped shrimp, and dates. The dish with the dates was too sweet for my taste, but everything else was very good. We had just enough room to split two desserts to round out the evening...and our bellies. Last but not least, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambiance at La Bodega. I guess I didn't expect outdoor seating and such an open feeling in the interior. There were no seats available outside when we arrived, but was pleased that the garage door style window was up and open. I am looking forward to coming back!
(4)Tracie D.
Great food , service and atmosphere . They actually had a kids menu . My 8 year old daughter told me the " Don Quiote " pasta was the best she ever had . First time she finished bowl . The food wax authentic , unique and yummy ! We had the short ribs , ahi tuna on crostini , and blue cheese encrusted tenderloin ... All remarkable dishes we will come back for . It was my husband's birthday and they comp the dessert for celebrating there !
(5)Liz T.
(from May 2011) Fun place to go with family. Got sangria and ordered away from the tapas list (cold and hot) Portions were reasonable and even though a couple dishes were a miss it was over-all satisfactory.
(3)Meg L.
So my man took me here for my birthday dinner. We had 5 differing tapas, all of which were fresh and tasty. The fave is always the solomillo (blue cheese encrusted filet) which is crazy good. We also had the pancetta wrapped shrimp, the shrimp, scallop and squid salad, patatas bravas, and the goat cheese and tomato bruschetta. The restaurant is beautiful, and has a lively atmosphere. I ordered a mojito, and it was perfect. Great place for bdays and groups, as they have 2 "private" dining areas, including the chefs table. Very wonderful, food just as good as the original location on the boulevard, and the surroundings, even though its in a strip mall, are really gorgeous. Cant wait to sit on the patio in the sun and have a drink for happy hour!!
(5)C L.
The patio looked snazzy, but my party opted to sit inside, and we were in the perfect spot - right beside the patio. The "garage" door was left open Saturday night, and it was fantastic. A breeze, candlelight, good food, great drinks, awesome atmosphere, and excellent company. Both the mojitos and Spanish coffee were delicious. Your Spanish coffee is served after a flamboyant little show, complete with a fiery gusto; so if you want a few moments' entertainment and a hot alcoholic beverage, try it! I list the tapas we shared below. calamares a la plancha - garlicky sauteed squid: Yummy! A decent portion, too. solomillo con cabrales - beef tenderloin crusted in blue cheese: Good stuff, particularly when ordered medium-rare. champinones a la plancha - mushrooms in another garlicky sauce: Now there's nothing wrong with this tapa, but they were just mushrooms. If you're looking for a fair portion of stuff to fill up on and share, this would be a good one. Otherwise, they were just mushrooms. paella valenciana - rice, cooked "al dente", with saffron and a variety of meats/seafood: I liked this more this time than when I'd had it at the other location. If you like the above-mentioned ingredients, give it a try. This was a hopping joint with dressed-up folks. The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to 60-sometings, and everyone seemed refined, but laid-back. I really loved the different types of seating they had - patio, indoor, bar. Our server seemed a little harried, but she obliged every request. Overall, this was a classy spot that facilitates a fun ambiance. So, like Arnold says, I'll be back.
(4)Nancy S.
We went a week ago and I hated it. We typically sit at the bar and eat...my husband and I like to chat with people at the bar and we like the quick service. First off, we felt like we were invisible and had to flag down the bartender every time we needed anything: our initial drink, a menu, to order, for siverware, for another drink...and every time they acted like we were annoying them. Secondly, the food was so mediocre. The salad we ordered was just a big plate of lettuce with some stuff thrown on it swimming in salad dressing. The seared ahi tuna was mediocre...the one dish we did like was the grilled beef with blue cheese...we decided to order one more dish...after flagging down the annoyed bartender we ordered appetizer of assorted spainish meats and cheeses and were again disappointed to get a plate with a few little pieces of cheese and meat that was bland and nothing like a nice chorizo to be found. I won't go back.
(1)Anthony D.
Went with a group of friends from work and it just happened to be Fat Tuesday. Our server was quite nice and upon explaining the beer selection I asked for the "hoppy" Goose Island beer that was on tap. What I got was something that was more of a spiced wheat and had no hop in any way shape or form. The server apologized and offered to bring me another beer which he did. We ordered 14 tapas dishes for the table and they were coming out rapid fire so we had to tell the server to slow it down. Around 7 the band started to play, it was a bit loud and kinda killed the reason we all came out to have some drinks. The tapas was ok but I've had better, I wouldn't avoid this place but I wouldn't rush back. There were plenty of dishes we didn't try and if there wasn't a loud band I'd be willing to try it again.
(3)Dev V.
This is a great addition to the southern movement of established midtown and downtown restaurants. I went there last night for the second time, as I'm usually go to the one on SW Blvd. We were greeted by no less than three people, making sure we got our name in, told us the wait and offered us spots at the bar to get a drink. They take your phone number and text you when your table is ready, good concept. The decor is pretty cool here, bright colors, original artwork and metal work by local artist Stretch. All the windows are actually garage doors that open and give the place a really open air feel. The front bar has garage doors as well, so during warm weather, it can be a sort of indoor/outdoor bar. Last night the weather was surprisingly warm for February, so some of the garage doors were open. The bar was packed, but the bartenders were friendly and attentive. We saw the chocolate ale on tap and one of the bartenders, Tina, poured me a small glass just so I could try it. I also had a glass of wine at the bar and they two of the bartenders gave me five samples before I chose one. That type of service is above and beyond and definitely stuck out. We got our tapas, my favorite is always the beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese. The service was good and our drinks were always replenished. Great spot, can't wait for warmer weather and enjoying the open air atmosphere of La Bodega South.
(4)Brian H.
Tonight was the second "soft opening" night for La Bodega in Leawood. After spending many years working in the restaurant industry I understand how stressful and difficult these nights can be. If you did not see the large "training in progress" sign by the front door I do not think you would have known. The service was fantastic and the Tapa were spectacular! The stars of the meal were the Gambasala Plancha (Sautéed shrimp*with garlic) and the Datiles con Jamon y Chorizo (Pancetta-wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo) I am so excited to have this amazing restaurant so close to home!
(5)Timothy R.
Good atmosphere, but a little cramped in the dining room. Bartenders and servers were attentive, but the kitchen was a little slow. The seafood paella was very good, but not as flavorful as the paella valenciana. All in all it was well worth a return visit.
(4)S W.
I am a fan. I really enjoyed the food and drinks. There is tons to choose from and our waiter was super friendly and helped us make some good decisions. When we went it was warm enough to sit on the patio and it was perfect. Love the atmosphere of this place. I can't wait to go back.
(4)Gina D.
Went in for lunch with two girlfriends and had their unlimited lunch tapas bar. Such great food and totally filling! Service is fantastic and the atmosphere is one of the best in the area. I love La Bodega!
(5)Amy G.
I have been to La Bodega a few times for lunch and have enjoyed it. I have found it to be a fun place. I had some out of towners in for my birthday and decided to go there for my birthday dinner. What a mistake! First, I reserved the chef's table. The manager called me the next day, and said that it was already reserved, and that it shouldn't have been given to me. I still wanted to eat there, so I said that we could eat in the dining room. We were seated at a very unpleasant long table in the bar. It was really noisy, and my husband had a plant hanging in his face. I felt that we were treated badly by the restaurant. Probably screwing up my reservation was a sign that I should not have given them my business. I think that it is probably fine for happy hour, but do not go there for any sort of a special occasion!
(1)Steve V.
Tapas del DÃa, included a small mixed greens garnish and a cucumber salad both very tasty, a slice of frittata, a fried artichoke and a beef skewer. Everything on the plate was flavorful but they seemed to use the same sauce on the frittata and artichoke, some type of flavored mayo. Saffron? rice rounded out the plate, it had a great yellow color but lacked the flavor of associated with the spice. The Jamón Ibérico was great, only comment, serve it at room temperature, the flavor of the ham really came out after sitting for 10 minutes. New bartender came on and told me about the half priced happy hour food from 2 to 6 so we ordered a Calamares a la Plancha, sautéed squid with garlic and olive oil. Major disappointment, rubbery and flavorless, no garlic, no seasoning and had the same yellow rice from above. Should have quit when we were ahead. Service was fast efficient and friendly, and will give then another try. Portions and prices were very reasonable. Want to give the assorted Spanish meats and cheeses platter a try.
(3)Andy W.
We visited at 7:30 on a Friday evening, so the house was packed. Luckily we made reservations. Our server (Feliz) was fantastic and that made the night. Otherwise, I thought it was so-so. The decor is classic Leawood, so not such a great match for something funky like Tapas. Very different from the downtown location. The ceasar salad was good, if conventional. The tapas were also good -- every plate was cleaned -- but not outstanding. My favorite was the meatballs; hearty for such small portions, and an excellent sauce. The patas fritas were also very good. They were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was excellent. The most interesting dish was a short corn on the cob (think KFC) decked with a variety of toppings, including a garlic creme sauce, chili powder and grated parmesan. You'll etiher hate it or love it -- I was more on the love side. All in all, worth a visit but won't be a regular on my list.
(3)Gene T.
I am a huge fan of Tapas. I havent found good Tapas since I studied abroad and lived in Sevilla Spain. The ambiance was fantastic, The red Sangria was perfect. At first I though 30 bucks was steep for a pitcher of Sangria but then we had two pitchers lol. Try to go during happy hour for the best prices, they are a little much for a small plate of food, but so damn good.
(5)Shannon W.
A friend and I decided to take a seat outside after getting my dog groomed next door. It wasn't particularly nice out but not raining...yet. They have dog bowls for water and it was filled promptly by a bus boy, which was really nice. (They allow dogs.) Unfortunately the bowl was filthy - yes, he's a dog...but he deserves a clean dish too. When our waitress came over to take our order, she quickly picked it up and went to rinse it out and brought it back with fresh, clean water. HOW NICE! And I didn't say a thing. I started off with a re:Pimm's Cucumber Cup drink and it was an alright flavor...but not as refreshing as suggested for the $10. My friend got the Flirtini ($8). It was extremely fruity and sweet. I really liked it but it was a bit too sweet for her. Not having been that impressed with my first time visit to the downtown La Bodega, I was a bit hesitant...but we ordered the calamari, the goat cheese crostinis, the meatballs, and the pancetta wrapped shrimp. Yum, Yum and Yum. Oh yeah...and Yum. If I had to rate any of them as just ok...it would be the calamari...the least flavor...but still good. It was happy hour so the prices weren't too bad...but I'd say the drink prices made up for that - a little high. When it started to rain there were 2 or 3 people to help us move everything to the outside/covered bar area (before our food came.) For my 2nd drink I asked our server about their Spanish Blanco and she brought me a taste. It was delish...I like that kind of service! She remained attentive and kind throughout our experience. I will go back most definitely. The outside patio is great and their bathrooms were clean and updated.
(4)D B.
This place has a cool ambience, and is a great place to meet friends for tapas and drinks. Relaxed environment, with foods to satisfy almost anyone's palette. I say this confidently, as I watched my friends four year old, munching down the food with a smile.
(5)Paul M.
Strongly recommend this location for lunch out. The tapas bar is excellent with freshly prepared food loaded with flavor! Clean, welcoming, and a wonderful staff. Everything you look for in a restaurant.
(5)Chris C.
La bodega is one of my favorite KC restaurants. It's a good place to go with a group for dinner and drinks since it is always lively. Not recommended for a quiet dinner. I recommend the paella, patatas bravas (potatoes), and Queso de Cabra. The mojitos are also very good.
(5)Phillip F.
Great place to eat and to have a nice evening. The atmosphere was very nice quiet and subdued in a classy sort of way. Not very noisy which is one of my pet peeves. Will go back again very soon, as there were so many delicious things to try out. My wife and I shared three Tapas and a dessert of Flan (Cinnamon and fig sauce *****). The idea is to be like Spain. Order a small plate of something and then to share it on small saucers with everyone at the table. All this while sharing a wine or some Sangria. Very extensive wine list. We were there on a Tuesday. All bottles of wine under $50 were 50% off the regular price. WOW! The waiter was very friendly and very helpful. I reccommend this place to everyone.
(5)Gregg L.
We are longtime fans of La Bodega on the SW Blvd location. Tried the Leawood location for lunch over the holidays. Our party of four was uniformly unimpressed. I had the Monkfish, two had paella, one had chicken. Every dish was without spice. We all sort of looked at one another not knowing what to say. My wife hailed the waiter and asked for any sort of paprika- hot sauce they could summon. It was seriously like hospital food. The sangria was OK, but not as good as I expect based on past experience. We also enjoyed Spanish coffees, always a delicious desert. Bottom line was lunch was expensive, which is fine if the quality is there, unfortunately it was far from the mark. Maybe we just caught a bad lunch service, but it was so bland this location will not get a second chance from any of us. Atmosphere was great, wait-staff was terrific, but the food frankly sucked. Too bad, our expectations and past experiences were high. I would love to write a better report, and have a new favorite closed to home but jst can't do it.
(2)Jeff H.
First time at restaurant. We went with the servers recommendations and the food was incredible. Atmosphere was a little noisy for a romantic dinner but a great place to get together with friends.
(4)Lori T.
I SO wanted to love the southern location of La Bodega but something has been lost in translation. While I love heading to the city, there are times I enjoy the convenience of finding something great closer to home. That's why I love the 2nd versions of Blue Koi and Room 39 and was eager to eat at the JoCo version of La Bodega. It wasn't all I had hoped. When my husband and I popped in a couple of weeks ago I was surrounded by the dreaded HD (hipster dufus) crowd and loads of cocktail swilling cougars. Yikes. The bar was packed and I felt very sorry for the unlucky diners who had tables on the periphery- the bar partrons were almost in their laps. The atmosphere was not intimate or energetic -- just loud and crowded. We were seated after about 30 minutes but our table was tiny and quickly piled up with tapas plates. I had a nice coat and no one offered to check it - so it was crammed into our space. The poor person at the table next to ours was afraid of spilling something on it, so I ended up wearing it! Not so fun. Our server was polite but rushed - so we had orders ready. Didn't feel questions were welcome. Food was good -- not great -- and it did seem a little silly to pay $8 for some grilled bread. After just a few rounds - we took off. The next time I'm in the mood for tapas I'll head back to the original on SW Blvd.
(3)courtney m.
I've been to the downtown La Bodega many times, came to visit and check out the new location. Very impressed. The decor is very true to the original La Bodega. Sangria is just as delicious also! Some of the food was not the exact same as the boulevards but still just as amazing. I'm sorry I keep comparing the two locations but, it seems a few reviewers have been a little hard on the new location and I'm here to tell you to go try it out, you will not be disappointed. As always I had the green beans with potatoes and fig, the mushrooms and the tomato dip with the goat cheese, yum! Service was also excellent. I can't wait for slightly warmer weather to experience the fire pit and patio. If you are looking for a place to share food and enjoy great atmosphere, here you go. Great job!
(5)Shalia S.
The initial draw to the 119th Street location was to take advantage of the great weather and their happy hour. We were greeted immediately and advised we could dine on their patio at a table of our choice. Although the construction project of the new Trader Joe's is an eyesore, the patio is a nice one. I could easily imagine it during a summer evening as the place to be to dine and to sip back some great drinks. The happy hour menu is a typical happy hour. We were able to order almost one of everything off the menu to experience the cuisine. Unfortunately, the tapas did not blow me away with overall strong flavor. I was expecting a little bit more. I was expecting a unique taste and presentation to go along with the great decor. However, I was disappointed. I will say the Re:verse mojito is a great choice. The drinks listed on their regular menu would easily bring me back to the restaurant (as well as to enjoy the patio). Unfortunately, I don't think I would recommend the food as being the main focus of the evening. Definitely check out their patio on a weekend evening with a great drink in hand!
(2)Uyen V.
Dined at LB on Saturday evening. Atmosphere: jovial, bright and loud. We dined mainly on the tapas dishes, which were very good - just as good as the items served at the original location. I think the glory must be given to the desserts - they were superb. Despite being ridiculously full from the main meal, we each found space for some sweet. Three stars due to a rather idiotic and arrogant moment on the part of the chef. Ordered paella and it came out uncooked. The rice was raw inside i.e. dry, chalky and raw. When we sent it back, the chef retorted that his kitchen made paella rather al dente. Al dente - ok. Raw - not acceptable. I've been to Spain, been to some top restaurants, and never had to crunch my way through any paella. Absolute codswallop - besides, the downtown LB never served it like that. Thankfully our waitress smoothed things over, advised that we skip the paella and focus wholly on the tapas which turned out to be just lovely.
(3)Eugene K.
The atmosphere was really good and the service was decent. The food, however was a different story altogether. It was absolutely plain, looked cheap and cost an arm and a leg. I live in OP, so the price is not unusual, but usually you would have food that tastes better than rice cakes, and perhaps could feed someone other than a pigeon. We had 5 tapas and desert for 2, and ended up filling up on bread. I would not return again.
(2)Christie R.
I got really lucky today and got to go to two wonderful Kansas City restaurants. La Bodega is an excellent tapas style Spanish restaurant, which makes it great for groups. There are two locations in the Kansas City area, and tonight I visited the newer Leawood location. I prefer the original location to the new one, as the newer one is quite dark on the inside and tends to cater to a different, richer crowd than the older location on Southwest Boulevard. Nevertheless, it is still fantastic, if not a bit more formal. The menu has about a zillion tapas to choose from, and I'm happy to say that a fair amount of them are vegetarian! I had the tortilla española, patatas bravas, judÃas verdes, papas fritas con ajo, crespelle de feta y puerros, pan con tomate, and queso de cabra al horno. The patatas bravas are a signature Spanish dish, and are basically potatoes in a cumin-y, slightly spicy, tomato sauce. They're pretty good, but if I were to recommend one potato dish, I would definitely say the papas fritas con ajo. These are fried potatoes that end up perfectly fried on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside, topped with a savory aioli sauce. The pan con tomate and queso de cabra al horno are very similar dishes, but the latter is by far the winner. The pan con tomate consists of two toasted slices of a crusty bread served with a cold bruschetta-type topping on the side. It's good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to order again. However, the queso de cabra al horno is amazing! If you get one vegetarian item off the menu, this one should be it. Slices of crispy bread are arranged around a dish filled with a similar oven-baked tomato/bruschetta-y chunky sauce topped with goat cheese. The tortilla española - a fritata like dish - once had my heart, but I'm not as fond of it as I once was. It's good, but a little plain. The crespelle de feta y puerros - a crepe filled with feta and leaks - is alright, but not great for sharing. I had so little of it that I don't think I can give it a fair review. And then there were the judÃas verdes - green beans served with feta, red onions, olives, and a vinaigrette - that turned out to be the underdog of the night! So fresh and crisp! Definitely recommend it. The staff was kind, helpful, and flexible. Do yourself a favor and try out La Bodega. I guarantee you a good time!
(5)Josh Z.
We had 5 different dishes and two desserts. The food was pretty good for the most part. I wasn't a fan of one of the dishes, but that was mostly personal preference. Everything was well prepared and of high quality. It was well presented as well. The service, however, was a little on the slow side. Our waiter did not come by often enough and very rarely refilled drinks. We ate on the patio and apparently the lights were broken, so we ended up literally eating in the dark while getting eaten ourselves by mosquitos. All in all, I would go back. I would like to try some other dishes and the food makes the mediocre service a little more palatable.
(4)Niosha T.
This place is always a good time. You really can't go wrong with Spanish tapas and Sangria! Not to mention the amazing Paella they serve. I haven't had a single tapa I didn't like on their menu. EVERYTHING is delicious and the staff is always on point.
(5)Kimberly B.
My husband and I went with another couple and ordered ten tapas between the four of us. There were all pretty tasty, though overpriced for what you get. Let's be honest, you're paying a little more for the ambiance and fun experience. It's a trendy atmosphere and you're engulfed in soft yellow light and surrounded by cozy furniture and modern art. One of the selections that I liked in particular was the pancetta wrapped and chorizo stuffed figs. I also enjoyed the meatballs, though my dining partners didn't agree. We all, however, agreed on the pitcher of sangria. It's delicious, even though they try to make it look like you're getting more by overfilling the pitcher with ice even though your glasses start off topped with ice and fruit as well. Even so, the ambiance can't be beat, and the pitcher of watered sangria was worth the $30. Overall, our total bill before tip was ~$150. I wouldn't say the food itself was worth that because it wasn't, but it's a fun experience and I would recommend it as a good place to go with friends. It didn't make it into the short list of my favorite restaurants base on the food, but I'll definitely be back.
(4)Adam S.
Recently had an opportunity to check out La Bodega. I thought it was a really fun experience. The tapas were super tasty, although I felt like they were slightly overpriced for the portion sizes. The restaurant itself felt hip and trendy, but also had an intimate and cozy feeling. This is a great place to meet friends, chat, share some food, and enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. The main reason this place isn't 5 star is because we really felt rushed towards the end of the meal. It became clear around 9:30p that the staff wanted us gone so they could close. We weren't the only people in there, but the crowd had thinned out on the side we were on (non-bar side). It was so blatant that I checked the hours on the website once we got home. They just say 11a-Close. Yelp shows they are open to 1:30a.
(3)Nyla K.
I normally hit up the southwest traffic way location but we were out here shopping and was craving for some tapas. The one thing this place has that beats the other location is the ample outdoor space. There's space in the front and on the side. It was very nice just to sit out and have a glass of sangria, which by the way is the best I've had. It's even better during happy hour! One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City. And as always the staff are super nice and friendly.
(5)Dallas B.
I have not had a bad experience at La Bodega. I love the environment, especially when it is warm enough to do outside seating. Inside or out, the seating is comfortable and they are easy going when you request a particular section or even a specific table. The service is always friendly and prompt, and I am always satisfied with the answers I get when I ask questions about certain dishes. I have tried several different things, and have been pleased with everything. What I really thing about when I think about La Bodega, and the one things I would never not order when I go is the Papas Fritas con Ajo (Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli). Amazing. When you walk in you will notice the beautiful Sangria in a large glass beverage server. It tastes as good as it looks! I hear that the Sunday Brunch is really good. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but plan to go soon. To see their daily feature you can check out their Facebook page. For the same great food and service, but with a completely different vibe, they have another location on Southwest Blvd. You should try them both!
(5)Azile Y.
This place has a really nice atmosphere/vibe. The service is kind (despite being a little pushy to go to this website and fill out this survey, blah blah...) But I've been to Spain- these are not authentic tapas, which are minimalistic by nature. Here they slather and dollop generously. There is little subtlety and nuance in the flavors- they are loud and 2 dimensional. I'd come back for a drink with friends on the patio, but the food doesn't wow me.
(3)Ann W.
I really WANT to like La Bodega more. I have been here on a number of occasions since they opened and I have yet to be wowed. I love tapas, but just haven't had great tapas here in Kansas City and I feel like that's a big gaping hole in our food scene. I have had amazing tapas in other cities and La Bodega feels like a bit of a let-down every time I go. Last night I met up with a friend and we ordered four tapas. All of them were good, but only one of them was great: The Pintxos de Higo Roasted is grilled bread with roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig. The flavor combinations were really nice and I'll probably steal this idea and make something similar at home sometime. We also had the Crespelle de Feta y Puerros which is supposed to be thin crepes layered with goat cheese, but the "crepes" really seem more like phyllo dough. My friend commented that it just didn't seem that special, "like something I could easily whip up myself at home." I didn't have it, but they make a flaming Spanish Coffee and the tableside prep is something to see. Prices are fairly steep in relation to serving sizes. I have always had good to great service at La Bodega and last night was no exception. Our waiter was attentive and funny without being overbearing. This is the kind of place that I would never suggest as a place to go, but I wouldn't balk at if someone else wanted to go.
(3)Nikki H.
This restaurant is very over-rated! The prices are too high for the proportions you get. The menu is very hard to read and frustrating. The drinks were...ok but definitely not worth the price charges. The toast on my sandwich was burnt. The only dressing available for the salad was 1 vinaigrette dressing. This is not a place I will be coming back to.
(2)Gina M.
I love this place! I wish I could tell you my favorite tapa, but honestly, every one I have tried has always been delicious! Service is occasionally less than par, but for the most part, this is a great place to mix it up! Grab several different tapas and share them among friends.
(4)Asima F.
A favorite for tapas and sangria! They also have the best happy hour in town. Lately we've been more than once a week for a pitcher of sangria and a couple tapas. Our favorites are Papas Fritas with a garlic aioli, Pan Tomate, and the pancetta wrapped, chorizo filled dates!
(5)Dee B.
Probably the best patio in Johnson County. Try to get there early on a nice day to have some of their sangria. Food is good-especially the lunch buffet which is a great value.
(4)Jason P.
Great food and drink variety. A nice getaway for this area. Al fresco here can not be topped.
(4)Ray B.
We have dined at this establishment 8-9 times and have found it to be delicious and fairly consistent. The sangria (red) gets 5 stars - especially during happy hour . The tapas vary depending on what you order - we love the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. The entrees are not quite as good as the tapas but the Spanish Cioppino is amazing. I have had a delicious lunch at La Bodega - ordered the special that included a selection of tapas. We also got a Spanish pizza that was Ah-mazing!!
(4)Shaurna A.
Went for happy hour on a Saturday, where the dishes with the faces on the menu are 1/2 priced. (Best time to go for the best deal, these are tappas, small plate dishes) I ordered the goat cheese and tomatoes with crustinies. It was very good!! Others ordered the pork and apple skewers, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the squid, and the goat cheese and fig tappas. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We also ordered drinks. They were very good, nice and stiff. I ordered the Flirtini. *Prior to this evening, I did attend our annual Christmas party here. If you have a group event and want to take apart of their tappas bar, that is a cool, tasty option to try different things.
(5)Michael M.
Met friends for drinks on Saturday. While the drinks were good, the air conditioning was not functioning. Not at all. Not even the fan for circulating the air. Given it was 98° outside (and not much cooler inside), they should have done more to get it fixed or closed the restaurant. Not fair to the staff nor the customers.
(3)David W.
Undoubtedly, this is a dining experience that could not be replicated anywhere else. Aside from the food and atmosphere being superb, the staff was helpful and considerate. My favorite moment of the evening was when this waiter was preparing some Spanish Coffee for these two women at the table across from us. The creation of Spanish coffee is certainly a pleasure to watch, it involves lighting alcohol on fire and then sprinkling cinnamon on the flames, causing a rather spectacular image, then pouring Kahlua and coffee on top. This is then topped with whipped cream and more cinnamon. Whilst the waiter was performing this ritual, the two women he was serving decided their phones were more interesting and were not paying much attention. Sadly, the whipped cream container was malfunctioning, and shot out air instead of aforementioned, and the waiters hand was covered with boiling hot liquids. However, being a collected man of class and poise, he maintained calm and prepared another, all while the two women continued with indifference to be more involved with their cellular devices. This review goes out to you, good sir, I want you to know that there are still people who appreciate spectacle and beauty, as well as perseverance. Stay Strong.
(5)Rhonda P.
This is more a 3.5 stars in overall experience. The staff was very friendly which makes it a pleasant place to dine. The food was good except we were disappointed in our steak. We asked for medium rare and got well done on one side of the steak and medium on the other half. The steak was $16 so... Other than that we would like to return bc the outdoor seating with the warming weather in KC is a great place to be.
(3)Ophelia M.
This restaurant was a random open now find because the place we originally wanted to go was closed, and I'm so glad we decided to eat late. The food is delicious, the portions are just the right size for sharing, and the prices are great. Two people ate their fill for about $15 each. The patatas bravas is great, and I really like their take on stuffed dates. Next time I go I'm going to try a cocktail, since the food is so reasonably priced. The staff is very attentive. Our waitress was so sweet, refilling our water every time it hit the half way mark and offering suggestions about the menu. I will definitely be going back.
(4)Michael E.
Great food. Really enjoyed the different flavors and the social presentation. It's a little different dining experience than the typical restaurant and the server was zero help in navigating the protocol. Overall, I would recommend the food and the ambiance but hope you get a more helpful and attentive service crew. Our waiter was very poor and the host acted like we were aliens when we entered the facility, even though we had reservations.
(3)LeAnn A.
I went during their happy hour time and that is probably about the only time I would go, due to the prices. The food was extremely good but pricey for how small the portions were. When I was there it was extremely slow, and it took a while for someone to seat me, and I just sat at the bar. The bartender was nice but was absent a lot of my meal. So overall food was good but a little to pricey for my taste.
(3)R M.
We went for dinner on a Saturday. It is a bustling tapas place in Leawood. The ambiance is casual and trendy. From the cold tapas selections, we had the pan plano con salmon ahumado, which was delicious and is a must try. We also had championes a la plancha and gambos a la plancha from the hot tapas selections, which were great too. Pinch de pollo wasn't that good. For the entree, we shared pechuga de pollo con queso, which is a goat cheese stuffed game hen with creamy potato parsnip puree, which was awesome and highly recommend trying. For dessert, we had the higos y pudin. It was out of the world and is also a must try. For drinks, we had a couple of cocktails: Tres amigos wasn't good. Abuelos reposado was excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and helped us with the menu. Overall, an experience worth repeating. Bon appetit !
(4)James S.
It was about 9:45pm on a Monday night when we were driving down 119th after a long day of travel when we saw the little La Bodega. We decided to stop in and we were not disappointed. The kitchen was just getting ready to close but Restaurant Manager Rafael Cervantes invited us in and saw that we were well cared for. I will leave the critical review of the food to the connoisseurs because that late at night, anything would have tasted great to us. But the service is what really stood out to us at La Bodega. And that is why we will go back again!
(5)Vina A.
Absolutely gorgeous space, really. I would totally love to hang out here, hold an event, just for the decor. BUT unfortunately nothing so beautiful can hide bad food. La Bodega was really really disappointing. Even if the food was served in a dingy hole in the wall it still didn't look or taste good. I can't believe they charge for so little. I can't believe people continue coming here for little pieces of reheated potato and defrosted seafood, squirted over with the same 2 sauces. The meat didn't taste bad but I did have to spit it out b/c I couldn't chew it down. Just had a ball of meat-gum in my mouth for a really long time. They would do better to get some frozen trader joe's appetizers from across the parking lot. Sounds harsh but true. Sad. I really would not recommend anyone go here for anything beyond a drink.
(1)Leah P.
This is a lovely location. It was a really nice day, so all of their windows and doors were open. Our server was great and had helpful recommendations. The food was really tasty (lunch tapas del dia and a seared ahi tuna dish), and their iced tea and coffee was really good. I'd definitely recommend this la bodega location and will be back!
(4)Dan N.
Good bar, great ambiance food over priced and over cooked I had high hopes and they were dashed
(2)Lindsey M.
Awesome sangria and happy hour specials! The tapas we had tasted amazing and looked great. The atmosphere seemed very relaxed. I will definitely be back!
(5)Billie H.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, my first choice would be Spain. The food, the culture, the free tapas as long as you are drinking..... La Bodega has always been a favorite. The KCMO location was an after work spot when I worked in the area. I love all the flavor packed small plates that you can choose from. Most of them are very simple dishes, but extraordinary when the flavors explode on your taste buds. Outside of the tapas options, the Cuban is absolutely delicious. It is only available during lunch hours, but a must try. This is possibly the best sandwich ever created and La Bodega does it right. The meats are packed with flavor. The pork nicely smoked. The mustard not overpowering, but compliments nicely. And the cabbage is a perfect topper, a bit of tang, but not too much. My only disappointment well, besides it not being available all day) is that the menu says it comes with chicharróns, but mine has always been served with fries. This is a mild complaint though because although a little too thin, the fries are amazing. Seasoned with garlic and parsley they have a nice little punch of flavor that is calmed by a delicious smoked aioli. If the fries were not close to shoestring fries these would be the best fries ever. If you are a sangria fan, La Bodega has a nice sangria. The happy hour specials are fantastic with a nice selection of half price tapas. Prices are moderate. Service can be a little lacking. This is a must stop if you like flavor!
(4)G C.
Love this restaurant everything on the menu looks so good. Ordered a few Tapas and a main dish. Paella was flavorful and just the right amount. Dates wrapped with prosciuto (sp) stuffed with chorizo was an explosion of flavor. Highly recommend
(4)Laurel S.
We came during happy hour which ends at 6 so its a stretch to get there in time to have more than one drink. During happy hour I'd give this place 4 stars but if I went there an paid full price for an order of meatballs and they brought out a plate of 3 meatballs I'd be a little less happy. $5 sangrias are delish! both the red and white version. I honestly can't remember all the tapas we tried but they were all good. I would go back during happy hour but there is no way I'd go for full priced dinner.
(3)Barbara Becker M.
We always order several tapas and have a glass of white sangria. Try the chicken and chorizo, roasted peppers with tuna and rice and garlic sauce meatballs. You can't go wrong with tapas.
(5)Lotus F.
Had the sangria only. It was delicious! Professional service and good, fun atmosphere to meet up with an old college friend!
(4)Jessi B.
I love La Bodega! Their sangria is fabulous (although kind of weak, I can drink a pitcher myself and barely feel tipsy) and their blue cheese crusted tenderloin is to DIE for! I also love their fried potatoes with garlic aioli, the baguette with goat cheese and red pepper, the garlic sauteed mushrooms, the meatball, and chorizo. There are some dishes here that aren't so great, like the omelette thingy, blech. I think small plates is a fun way to eat and their happy hour is great and makes it very reasonable. I always enjoy myself here!
(4)Sara D.
La Bodega is now one of my new favorite restaurants in Kansas City. Everything about our experience was incredibly fun. I came with a group of 5 girls for a birthday dinner. Our waitress treated us with such respect and kindness that I felt like she was a friend and part of our group by the end of the evening. We were seated at a gorgeous patio table with super comfortable seating and a giant umbrella. I ordered a Sangria because of all the raving via Yelp and I'm proud of you, Yelpers. The white wine sangria was very refreshing. We each ordered a Tapas plate and shared around the table. The favorite dish of the night (which just happened to be the one I picked) was dates wrapped in ham. The dates were sweet and literally melted in your mouth. When dessert time came, we told the waitress it was my friend's birthday and I jokingly mentioned that it would be cool if she had a tall, dark, and handsome stranger stowed away to serenade my friend. Completely joking. The waitress was all "I'll totally do that for you" and proceeded to go straight inside and find just that. A tall,dark, handsome waiter brought my friend a piece of cake with a candle and it was the highlight of the evening. That's above and beyond service right there. The waitress also empathized many times that if we didn't like a dish that she would have no problem taking it back to the kitchen and bringing something new. One friend couldn't handle the spiciness of her dessert, and without hesitation, no frown, no smirk at all, the waitress took the dessert back and brought her out something different. They have a great Happy Hour deal and I absolutely can not wait to go back to try more Tapas plates. The delicious food and exceptional customer service is bound to make me a regular here.
(5)Whittney K.
Our favorite tapa was the leek, basil, and feta crepe, recommended by our server. "Crespelle de Feta y Puerros". Good sangria and BLVD Imperial stout on tap. Nice low-key environment. We like the idea of tasting many small dishes for a meal.
(4)Matt C.
La Bodega is a great place to take a date. I always enjoy taking my wife there for happy hour. The service is quick, the small plates good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)Bryan M.
It's been about 5 years since I had tapas. Maybe I'm intimidated by not being able to read Spanish. Yeah, it's generally a bit more expensive ... by some metrics. But, La Bodega puts together a nice experience and some excellent food. Service staff were great - from the bar tender to the waiter to the manager out on the floor. Loved the chicken skewer, the ahi was excellent, the breaded artichoke wrapped in a ham (I forget the specific variety) was also very good. Okay, everything I tried was very good. Ex drinks, it was probably about $40/per. Not crazy, but a bit on the high side. Seating was very casual. Mix of patrons - most probably from the affluent neighborhoods nearby.
(4)Taylor M.
I came here in a group of five people to enjoy a couple of drinks in the beautiful bar area. It was turning into a blizzard outside, so it was nice to snuggle up next to the fireplace. However, once the drinks began flowing, I no longer needed the fireplace to keep me warm. The liquor did just fine on its own! I ordered the Jane and Hudson which was my favorite drink of the night. It was sweet and strong at the same time. I also ordered a Fresa-tini which was very potent. that was my finally drink of the night so I had to have them add some juice to tone it down a bit. Our server was awesome and super friendly, I wish I remembered his name so I could give him a shout out. We were able to describe the kind of drinks we liked to him and he would return with a drink on the menu that fit our tastes... and we all had very different tastes! We ordered on tapas plate because I really wanted to try the stuffed peppers. Apparently, this was not a big seller and they had to figure out how to make it in the kitchen. It took a while, but it was well worth the wait! I will be returning to La Bodega next time I am in KC!
(4)Brenda D.
I really do love this place. The service is always good and food is excellent. The only downside is they have just 3 warm vegetarian tapas. It is my choice and it won't keep me from going back. The roasted potatoes are amazing for anyone!
(4)Antoinette H.
Great place for lunch. Most people come here for their tapas and sangria which are great as well but their lunch menu is exceptional. I had the Ensalada Conquistador with Grilled Salmon and that was just amazing. Very flavorful and different. Nothing you can find at other restaurants in the area.
(5)Kay L.
I just don't understand some of the negative reviews here -- La Bodega has knocked my socks off, both for lunch and happy hour. How can you not love walking into the chic and colorful bar area, with the huge windows and the bright walls? How can you not smile at the three gigantic & whimsical portraits of Spanish artists (Picasso, DalÃ, MÃro) on the back wall? How can you not love the patio on a balmy day? For lunch today, I couldn't make up my mind, so I ordered the tapas del dia -- a perfect sampler of four different tastes, the very essence of tapas. Today it was the pincho de buey, ensalatas de pepinos, albondigas caseras, and a potato dish that I don't remember because everything was so good that my brain stopped working. Pablo & Salvador beamed/glared down at me as I lost myself in the sunny, savory flavors. For happy hour, there's only one thing you need to know: Half-price pitchers of sangria. ¡Que bueno!
(5)Terry C.
I went to this La Bodega location with some coworkers on Friday after work. The experience started out fine, we were seated quickly in the lounge and we told our server we would just be doing drinks. (This was after happy hour ended, but the dinner rush had not quite set in yet.) he was friendly, and after the three of us ordered mojitos, he kindly suggested that we simply order a pitcher, which is not on the menu but he assured us it would "be a much better deal." We ordered the pitcher and the drinks tasted great, but then our server disappeared. Another one of our friends ended up joining us and, after waiting 15 minutes without our server coming over to take his order, he ended up ordering at the bar. Between the three of us, our pitcher served us each about a glass and a half. Typically, sangria pitchers are $30, so we assumed that would be the price of our off-the-menu mojitos. Needless to say, we were pretty surprised to receive a $45 bill. When we told the server (after we had to ask the hostess to go get since he hadn't visited our table in almost an hour) we hadn't realized such a pitcher would be so expensive, his only reply was a very rudely-delivered "ok..." He took our money and never even apologized to us for leading us astray. I'm always reluctant to visit this La Bodega location because I've always thought their service was bad. Their other location on Southwest Boulevard is smaller and their waitstaff is significantly better. It's especially annoying because I love their food/drinks and it's very close to where I work. I will not be returning and I was sure to tell everyone at my work about the negative experience. If you're craving tapas, I recommend the SW blvd location. The atmosphere is more intimate, and the servers won't treat you like you are an annoyance to them. However, this experience has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, so I won't be visiting either location for a while...
(2)Virginia E.
I was very disappointed by my first visit to La Bodega. We had the Valentine's Day special 4 course meal with wine pairing which was supposed to be $55 per person. The first course, beef tartare was so so. The next course was a salad which was terrible. The roots and stalk were still on the greens so a lot of the salad was inedible. The dressing had no flavor, just olive oil base. The crab was the best part, but there was only about 1 teaspoonful of it on the salad. The main course of lamb chop with polenta side was actually quite tasty. For dessert, the drink was the Spanish coffee. Having never been here I asked the waitress if it was sweet, because I don't like black coffee. She told me it wasn't sweet at all so I ordered a different drink to pair with the dessert. My husband stuck with the coffee. When it came out, it was amazing and quite sweet! Probably one of the best on the menu so I was very disappointed that the waitress mislead me. When the bill came out, it was over $200! The drinks were not included in the "4 course meal with wine pairing". I totally understand why they wouldn't include them, but the waitress should have informed us up front. I probably wouldn't have ordered a 3rd drink if I would have known and definitely didn't plan on spending $220 after tip for this subpar meal. I will never go to this restaurant again. It is over priced and the food is mediocre at best.
(2)Courtney S.
One of my favorite restaurants in Kansas City, La Bodega has some of the most unique tasting cuisines and conversational atmosphere that keep me coming back. Their happy hours are epic, and really the only way to go if you're looking to try a new dish without breaking your budget. My favorite tapa is the Queso de Cabra Al Horno, which is goat cheese baked in a tomato sauce that you dip toasted bread in. SO GOOD. The happy hour specials also include half-price pitchers of wine, which are oh-so-delicious but not very strong. I'd also recommend the fiery, cinnamon coffee drink (I cannot remember the name) as a "dessert", even though it's a drink. Overall this restaurant is perfect for wining and dining and enjoying a taste of Spain.
(5)Beth B.
It's Labor Day and a friend of mine and I are trying to plan a happy hour in "the city" since we are suburbanites. However, many places either don't have a Monday HH or are closed for this Summer-ending holiday. So, we decide to go to La Bodega down the street. I look it up on Yelp to get an idea of what is good there. What? 3.5 stars? Why so harsh. Then, I look at some of the "2" and "1" reviews. Many were from over a year ago and gripe about poor service. Hopefully that wait staff has been canned. A couple of snobby San Franciscan's - OK - discount that. And one gal who was surprised when they said they wanted a couple of tapas yet when they ordered 8 that their bill was high. OK, maybe this place will be good after all. We were not disappointed. It was a bit warm that day, so we decided to sit inside. The first table we sat at had monsoon air conditioner blowing on us, so we moved. After that, everything was uphill. At our new table, the bartender waited on us. Service was very good. We each ordered a glass of red sangria - he told us we should probably order a pitcher, so we did. I can't remember what the HH price was, but it was cheap. And wonderful! Very light and fruity. We asked him what 1/2 price tapas he recommended. As with most tapas places, not all are on special for HH. Read the menu. If you don't know, ask. Who cares if you sound cheap. That's why you are there for HH. Jeez, people. He recommended the skewered chicken and chorizo with garlic cumin aioli and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread. They were both excellent. We also ordered the roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice. It was good, but not our favorite. We decided we like hot tapas better than cold., It also was not one of the recommendations from our server. Would we go back? Definitely. During HH it is a very good value. I would also like to go for dinner sometime and order off the regular menu. Thanks, La Bodega for closing out our summer very nicely!
(4)Janis G.
The paella and the Spanish coffee were both great!
(4)Tony A.
We have been to La Bodega no less than a dozen times in the past 6 months, each more disappointing than the last. My wife loves the food and me? Well, I'm not a tapas guy but there is (or I should say, was) a delicious chicken and spinach dish that always puts a smile on my face. The service has always been slow at La Bodega but I'm usually there to enjoy a few drinks first so I do not mind the wait. But over the last couple of months, the service has truly deteriorated. It is so bad, in fact that we actually walked out of the restaurant tonight after settling our drink bill at the bar. We will not be returning. So what happened? Well, it is typical at La Bodega for my wife and I to grab a high-top table near the bar area where the good people-watching is. It is also typical that we almost ALWAYS have to wait a good 5-10 minutes before a waiter even greets us at the table, usually ill-prepared (no waters, no menus). This happens so often it is predictable and tonight was no different. Tonight, however, our waitress seemed to find a reason to visit every other table before simply dropping off menus at our table. This restaurant has some serious front-of-the-house issues. There are almost always 2 hosts/hostesses at the very front who are usually doing nothing but playing with their phones or joking around with one another. In the dozens of times we have eaten here, we have never been approached by a manager and asked how things were going. On several occasions the service has been so bad I have scoped around the room for anyone who looked like they might be a manager so I could tell him/her how they have some very bad service issues; I have never seen a manager or anyone other than bartender, wait staff, and hosts. And the place just isn't as fun as it used to be. The clientele is trending older, more staid, less exciting. If you just absolutely have to have tapas then I guess you could do worse. But 1 minute after sitting down in an Italian restaurant a few doors down from La Bodega, we had a very attentive waiter who delivered excellent food and service, something we just do not get at La Bodega.
(2)Aaron R.
Not bad food was good very bland...overpriced for what you got. Wait staff was superb. Friendly kind great. But price compared to serving size not good.
(3)Dawn C.
This place had my full five stars within a few minutes of arriving. Every time I've come I've been treated to great service. Once the pitcher of sangria arrives that first sip transports me. (I've tried the red and white and prefer the red). Happy Hour is becoming a tradition here with some of the girls at work. We've sat outside and enjoyed the patio with the big shade umbrellas, and we've sat inside where its dark and cozy and the ambiance alone makes you relax. Try the Pintxos De Higo.... toasted bread with fig spread, goat cheese and red peppers. Tangy, crunchy, savory.... wonderful! Can't wait to go back,
(5)Daniel A.
I was up from Lawrence for a medical appointment and decided to give Drunken Fish a try. I walked in to the mostly empty around 1pm on a Wednesday and was extremely disappointing by the awful service. I was ignored by the entire waitstaff for over 5 minutes. Finally, after discussing it with an unsympathetic manager, I left and walked two doors down to La Bodega. Upon entering the building I was immediately greeted. I didn't love the revolving door, which reminded me of an airport or bus terminal, but the inside was nice. Since I was alone I decided to sit at the bar. The bar tender was friendly and knowledgeable. I ordered the Tapas del Dia which included a Spanish omelet, a rice and tuna stuffed picillo pepper, a Serrano ham croquette, and a curried chicken crostini. Everything was amazing, especially the crostini. The bar tender recommended an excellent beer to accompany my meal. I will definitely stop by La Bodega the next time I am around and I will recommend it to others. The employees of Drunken Fish should take some pointers from La Bodega. First impressions matter.
(5)Amber T.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Kansas City, and their mother store on SW BLVD is probably my least favorite. Weird, right? This place gets everything right...the atmosphere, the service, the price, and most importantly the food. The other location has none of that, but the price, going for it in my opinion. My ideal lazy day in KC has this place included in it. My boyfriend and I come here just about every other Saturday. Their Happy Hour (I should say Happy Four Hours as it runs from 2-6!) is the best in town, and allows you to try things you might not have at regular price. Plus they have windows in the dining room that open outward, and on a breezy 70 degree day there's no where I'd rather be than in their dining room, slightly stoned, chowing down on Pintxos de Higo, Patatas Bravas, and Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo while sipping on a White Sangria. Then we walk on over to the Roasterie for a Christopher Elbow Milk Chocolate Salted-Caramel Turtle and an Iced Hazelnut Mocha, and after that pop into Trader Joe's for a little non-essential shopping. Absolute perfection.
(5)Kerry P.
Good food, beautiful decor (love the artwork). Wife loved the sangria. The Spanish coffees are a beautiful presentation. Was a pretty busy Saturday night that we were there, so I'm very glad we had a reservation.
(4)Laura R.
Great atmosphere, amazing food and the sangria (red) is the best I've ever had! John is an amazing waiter and knows about every dish! I would give them 10 stars if I could!
(5)Shana S.
I was here a couple nights ago for a fundraiser. So I had the opportunity to to drink their red wine sangria and eat many different types of tapas. It was delicious. Now I'll need to go back when I can choose the tapas that I loved the most. I didn't taste one tapa I didn't like, and I drank 3 glasses of sangria even though I rarely drink because I don't like the taste of alcohol. These I could handle. Now I see why people have such good things to say about the original La Bodega.
(5)Dane S.
We found this to be a lovely dining spot. The garage-style windows make for a terrific atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Contrary to some of the other comments, our service was quite fast.
(4)Michele N.
I met a group of girlfriends for dinner/drinks. Our server started out awesome; great wine and food suggestions and even went as far as bringing tastes of wine. We each ordered a small plate to share around the table. Some of the dishes we ordered were served with three pieces, but since there were four of us the server said he could have an additional piece added (for a slight charge). I really appreciated that offer instead of having to buy a whole additional plate. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as good as it looked. We were still hungry though, so we ordered a second round of small plates! This turned out to be the perfect amount of food! I loved that you could taste so many different dishes and that they served you your food as it was prepared (not all at once). Our only complaint was that our server seemed to disappear after our first food order. By the time we finished our meal we were the last ones in the restaurant. Next time I'd try to nab a patio seat, weather permitting. I would for sure have the short ribs, the breaded artichoke hearts wrapped in ham, and the pancetta wrapped dates again. Everything was delicious, but those three items are definite repeats for me! Come hungry and with $$ in your wallet, as the small plates tend to add up...but it is well worth your dollar!
(4)Zach G.
I really do like La Bodega. Yes, the one in KCMO is definitely better, but this one is still solid in my mind. I've been here about 3 times since it opened and really enjoyed my experiences. On this occasion, we just grabbed a couple seats at the bar on a busy Saturday evening. There were probably 4 people working behind the bar, which is quite a lot since the restaurant isn't huge. We did get very friendly service, but the poor guy next to us didn't. He sat down and wasn't even acknowledged by any of the 4 bartenders for almost 10 minutes. And unfortunately, the many bartenders were busy but not so busy that they couldn't have at least acknowledged him. I'm not going to say it was racial, that's not me, but it did cross my mind. Anyways, when they finally did get to the poor guy, he ordered a $130 bottle of champagne for himself. If I were him, with that kind of money, I would have let them know what they missed out on while walking away to another restaurant. Anyways, the food was fine - tasty as always. The goat cheese/tomato/crustini is always solid, the chicken/chorizo skewers were great and have an awesome sauce with it, and the mushrooms were delicious.
(4)Yoie L.
After reading all these raved reviews about La Bodega, my friend and I finally ventured here on a Monday night for a post-midterm celebration. Sadly I don't think I will come back anymore. It's 75 deg today so we opted to sit outside. The interior decoration and the bar area actually looks nice and my love for tapas came from going to Cafe Ilberico way too many times when I used to live in Chicago. We shared some green beans and potatoes, calamares a la pancha, pincho de pollo y cherizo, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and garlic bread. Some our garlic bread was burnt, and while the goat cheese was tasty, the tomato sauce looks sad and straight out of a can. The calamares a la pancha was really disappointing. It was rubbery and not a la pancha! The potatoes were hard and accompanied by a few skinny green beans. My friend enjoyed the chicken skewers, but I personally thought the flavor was too strong. On the other hand, their sangria is reasonable and I would order those again for $7 a glass. I'm actually glad we came here during happy hour and paid half price for our food. Tapas can get expensive. We each ended up spending about $15. I would not want to pay full price for very mediocre food.
(2)Marie F.
Our server was wonderful. He actually split our bill into fourths. I mean he split the cost of each plate...not just a final bill division. We had one person leave early and he accounted for that as well. He was personable and helped us make decisions on drinks and food. Be careful on that happy hour menu. If you look at the original price, then you will see that most of them aren't that great of a deal. Half price Sangrias puts the price about right. The chicken pork skewers were a hit with everyone. The rest of the food was just ok. It was a fun change to try new dishes. I don't recommend the flatbread or meatballs. Very blah. The cinnamon coffee with whipped cream was a delight...they present it with fire. So mesmerizing.
(4)Kelly L.
Well.......I am changing my review.....but not completely. I wasn't a fan in the past with a 2 -star review after 4 visits but my last 2 visits have been pleasant with warm service and decent food.
(4)Colin B.
Where do I began. Let's start with the pluses of the place: - GREAT location in Leawood. - AMAZING design of the restaurant, inside and out. It is beautiful. - Great patio with heaters. And off to the bad stuff. First thing first, the service was terrible. We got there at 5:15 on a Saturday night and didn't leave until 6:45 and that was rushing it. When our server - Reuben, I believe - came to the table he dropped waters and said "I'll be right back." By this time, however, we already knew what we wanted to drink. Would it be too much trouble to grab a drink? You had already made us wait too long for you to get to the table in the first place. Then we order -- two drinks and three plates all at the same time. Nothing fancy, simple orders, off the menu. Drinks come a few minuets later -- again, no rush -- and the first plate follows. We finish the first plate and the second plate shows up, again with a wait in between. Strange, normally the slowly come out plate by plate, stacking up. Again, more waiting for us to get a 2nd and 3rd round of drinks, so much so that we're flagging him down at this point to order more drinks... read: spend more money. He is just plain slow. Finally, when ordering our third drink I say, "those meatballs we ordered, can we cancel them? It seems like you forgot them or the kitchen lost them." We get an excuse, but in short, he probably forgot to ring them in. (Not sure why, we ordered them with everything else.) All in all, it was frustrating. I always tip 20% even for mediocre service as I was a waiter all through college, but my wife made me tip 10%. I felt like an ass so we quickly ran to the car. But, had the service been good -- and we had a good sized bill with a lot of alcohol -- he would have made some okay money for an early table. On top of that, the food wasn't amazing. Presentation was lacking, flavors were just average. Catered food at best. Should have spent my $60 elsewhere.
(2)Emily F.
I love the lunch menu and the service was awesome. I was downtown and in the Leawood this week. Personally I hear downtown is better but I ordered the same item and looked much better at Leawood not to say both were not amazing. You can go every day and get something new!
(5)Jim H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious food. And great wine selection. I look forward to a nice dinner at La Bodega when traveling to KC. It's the highlight of my visit, and I've never been disappointed.T
(5)Shea C.
I've never been to the La Bodega downtown, but since moving to suburbia, this has become one of our go-to spots. It's almost like we still live in the city, right? First of all: THE MUSHROOMS. Holy crimini, these are delicious. Sauteed in garlic, parsley and white wine, these 'shrooms are always included in our order. The best part might actually be sopping up all of the tasty broth with the (admittedly sometimes not-so-fresh) bread brought to table. Other things we've enjoyed: roasted red peppers stuffed with ahi tuna and rice, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fig coulis on grilled bread, smoked salmon flatbread and, of course, the cheese plate. Oh how I love a good cheese plate. The wine selection is decent and the sangria is so good, a group of four of us may or may not have consumed four pitchers of it on one occasion. Service can be hit or miss, but the food has been consistently tasty and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from The Coug (aka Cougartown aka Leawood aka Johnson County) - lots of Real Housewives and dudes wearing Affliction tees. But so what? Eat some tapas and drink some sangria and for a brief minute, you might feel like a city girl once again.
(4)Stephen H.
The rain made the first part of this day look terrible, but it was lovely by the time I got there late in the afternoon with a friend. Half-price Sangria Sunday made my pitcher $14 instead of $28, and we happened to hit on happy hour so our 4 tapas order was also much cheaper than it would have normally been. What did I get? I stayed away from my old favorites (patatas bravas and chorizo stuffed dates) and ventured into new and mostly delicious territory: Papas Fritas con Ajo: Refried-roasted potatoes with garlic, parsley and garlic-cumin aioli. A great twist on home fries. Espinacas de Catalanas: Sautéed spinach with orange juice, raisins, apricots and pine nuts. Texture and appearance make it look like a hot, wilted salad. Taste is much better. Albóndigas Caseras: Meatballs in a spicy garlic cream sauce. Sauce makes this dish. Meatballs are okay. Solomillo con Cabrales: Grilled beef tenderloin crusted with Spanish bleu cheese. One of those concepts that works great as an appetizer, but terribly as an entree (so I'm glad we got the tapas!) because the blue cheese is such a strong complement to the cooked-to-order tenderloin. Because weather is so unpredictable out here in the Midwest, when I can eat al fresco, I do; the environment is great even though the view is Sullivan's and the soon-to-be-open Trader Joe's parking lot.
(4)jennifer j.
I attended for a pre-opening event, so I shouldn't comment on the food...which was not the regular menu. I will comment on the drinks, space, location and service. If you hung out at ReVerse, you will notice a lot of familiar faces at the new La Bodega location. A location that, in my opinion, is still trying to find its identity. This strip mall has lost West Elm and J.P. 's Wine Bar in a short amount of time. There are a couple other retailers that seem to be hanging on by a thread. Giving La Bodega this space was a intelligent move. La Bodega has been packing them in downtown for years. Simply put, the food is great, that atmosphere is fun and there is nothing like it around town. All these great qualities can exist just as successfully in the second location. In fact the energy buzzing through the new location is just as infectious, the service is more swift and the ambience is more spacious and sexy. The owner brought in local metal artist Stretch to keep the decor consistent with his past concepts. Several rooms define this space. The outdoor room (patio) is huge, quiet and a nice break from the tail pipe fumes on Southwest Blvd. The patio is further enhanced by some cool metal fireplaces that adds atmosphere. The bar is huge and I always love the option of having a more casual dinner at a high top. A bar dinner at the downtown location is pretty much next to impossible in the SW Blvd location. The restaurant portion is slightly smaller then the SW location. A cool bonus is there is a glassed in private room that can become anything you want. This is a new location, so everyone wants to please you in the beginning. Many of the servers and bartenders already know what the owner expects from them, so that puts LB ahead of the curve. I think the service will remain strong. God knows the drinks are strong. Those mojitos kicked my butt! I love the polished style of the new version of La Bodega, but I know I will be hitting the downtown version more often. It's closer to where I live and there is something so authentic about a flagship. Still, this is a great alternative when I am out South and still want the food and energy of downtown. Congrats to La Bodega for sharing the fun!
(4)Joyce B.
Since having my first 'Tapas' experience in Las Vegas, my husband and I have been wanting to find a good Tapas place in the KC area. After heard about La Bodegas from several peeps, we decided to give it a try. We went about 5:00 pm on a Tuesday. It happened to be during their Happy Hour which offered half price on a particular selection of Tapas plates. We tried five plates; the Roasted red pepper hummus, the chicken and chorizo skewers, the pork skewers, the meatballs and the mushrooms. The meatballs were excellent and were our favorite out of the five dishes. The sauce was so rich and flavorful! The hummus was also very good. Although the pork and chicken skewers had good flavor, they were a bit dry and overcooked. The wait staff were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(3)L B.
I've been here a few times now and have had great food and service each time. My last visit we were fortunate enough to get into the private room since the reserved party didn't show up. It was perfect for our group of 7 - I think it could handle probably 10-12 if you want to get cozier. It was shut off from the rest of the rowdiness so it was great for old friends wanting to hear each other talk. I am more a fan of hot tapas vs cold tapas and that's all I've really tried. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp with horseradish sauce is a personal favorite as is the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). We tried chocolate cake (good) and churros (which we had to request since apparently it's generally only served to kids - but they were awesome). I also have to give a shout out to the best Sangria in town. I've had red and white and both are very yummy and not too sweet, so I can consume multiple glass. Sabroso!
(5)Phon W.
Great atmostphere! Great food! Service is slow and all over the place. We had our waitress waiting on us but she'd show up once every 45 mins.....a hostess taking orders for our waitress....and the bartender helping out and bringing our drinks to our table. For a small space it was fairly busy but then it died down and everything was still very, very slow. The worst part was our waitress got our tickets all messed up, yes we had a big party, but she came over and clarified and wrote down what everyone ordered before she went to print the tickets out, came back about 20 mins later and it was wrong. Went to reprint the tickets which took another 20mins and came back it was wrong again! She went to print the tickets again but by then we just put whatever we owed down and left the joint! I'd like to go back..but maybe on a Monday afternoon. : /
(2)Jerry B.
We really enjoy this place, but right up front, just let me say that we ONLY go there for happy hour. The servings are small but delicious. To have a full meal during normal menu hours can be really very expensive. So many friends complain bitterly about the prices and we always encourage them to go back for happy hour. The happy hour tapas prices are CRAZY cheap! Their food is great...such a wonderful array of flavors. We love both locations. I have to admit that for a while the Leawood location had some horrendous service problems. The waiters stood around the end of the bar chatting and totally ignoring the patrons. I think they got a new manager and that problem seems to have gone away. La Bodega is one of our favorite places in town.
(5)Kelly S.
I went to this location of La Bodega on a Saturday evening after work with co-workers. I was actually there with Terry C, whose review is below. Long story short, our server (missed the name- tall, brown curly hair) suggested we get a pitcher of mojitos when all three of said that's what we were getting. Keep in mind, we were just going out for "one drink." He said it would be a better deal so we went with it. By our estimate, it seemed that we each got about a glass and a half from the pitcher. One mojito is $9, a pitcher turned out to be $45. When we finally tracked him down after not showing his face at our table for nearly an hour, I mentioned (kindly) to him that this did not seem like a better deal in the end. His response was "Okaaaaay..." with a look on his face like I was a giant moron, and he then proceeded to argue with me all of the reasons that he thought it was a better deal. No apology, nothing. Now, I have been a server before and I also worked for years in customer service. A good response here, whether he thought I was wrong or not, would have been "I apologize, I should have let you know up front how much the pitcher would cost since it's not listed on the menu." We wound up paying almost $20 each when all we signed on for was one drink.
(1)Tahmeka T.
We stopped in for an early lunch and were very impressed. The service was decent. The servers were professional and attentive. Not super friendly but not rude. I loved the decor. We went on a nice day and the walls were open. It was inviting, made me want to stick around and drink and talk. We had the Pan Plano con Salmon Ahumado - awesome. Very flavorful and a great starter. Calamares y Chorizo a la Plancha - this was delicious with their crusty bread. I could have had a huge bowl of this by itself on a rainy day. One of my favorite dishes. Costillas Cortas- Perfectly cooked short ribs. The flavors were perfect. Great job. We will add La Bodega to our short list of go-to places. I loved it.
(4)Jillian C.
A girlfriend and I hit up this place for a night out before Fourth of July. We enjoyed a range of tapas: steak with blue cheese, chicken and chorizo with cumin aioli, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, crispy potatoes, and pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. There was also the classic white bread with olive oil and balsamic. Nothing too special there. But the tapas, those were yummy. The chicken was moist, though the chorizo tastes like a Slim Jim that had been diced. Kind of disappointing but the cumin aioli did a good job making up for it. The steak was perfectly cooked and I'm a sucker for blue cheese so that was yummy. The goat cheese itself was creamy and delicious but the tomato sauce was watery. I would have preferred a smooth marinara rather than a watery, chunky tomato sauce but goat cheese just rubs me the right way, pretty much regardless. The potatoes were sooooo good. I would never think to baked crispy potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce but they were fantastic. I didn't want to share! And finally, the pancetta wrapped dates with fig jam. Oh, gosh, awesome. Again, I could have eaten the whole plate alone. They probably would have been the best thing on the table...that is, until dessert. We had this stellar concoction of chocolate cayenne spiced cookies topped with marzipan-almond-basil ice cream and whipped cream. I was a bit skeptical of the chocolate and spice combination but it turned out to be so understated that it was just enough to lend a tiny bit of heat. It was so good. And the tiny salt crystals in the cookie stood out like bright beacons of flavor. The ice cream, gosh that was a whole 'nother amazing component. We decided it tasted like Trader Joe's smells: richy, herby, and fresh. The combo of the cookie and cool cream was perfect. Again, and I know I sound like a broken record but I could have eaten the whole thing alone, probably three times over! Oh, and the red sangria was also smooth, sweet, and delicious.
(4)Shiduna T.
I have been twice to this location with my husband. The first time was a Sunday afternoon, where the restaurant was still somewhat quiet. We both enjoyed a glass of white Sangria, which was absolutely delicious! Then we shared about three tapas, the chicken with chorizo was so good, we ordered it again on our second visit. On our second visit, we went on a Friday night and the place was packed, but not overly so and you could actually have a conversation without yelling. Of course we had Sangria again, the chicken & chorizo skewers, marinated mushrooms (really good), stuffed dates (missed the mark and way to sweet for both of us) and one more dish I can't remember. Our server was was attentive and informative, checking on us regularly and friendly. Though I like going here, I wouldn't be able to do so frequently due to the pricey food.
(3)Michael C.
Swanky and harmless fun. Go there on a nice, cool summer night. They will open the front, "garage-doors" to let the breeze in. Lots of Sex-and-the-City wannabe types. Recommended drink: Caribbean Monk
(3)Stephanie P.
If you care about freshest ingredients and/or flavor, or decent to superb cocktail mixology, give this place a skip. Full disclosure: I live in the SF Bay Area and have that fresh, farm-to-table palate that rejects things like Taco Bell, fast food, things out of cans, etc. If all that is acceptable to you, expect to spend $40/person here and maybe, MAYBE be sated. I came with my parents on a recent home visit and I cannot even tell you what we had, because it was so unmemorable. What I do remember is having two mediocre cocktails and the WORST paella I've EVER had in my life. We got both the seafood (which had little seafood, and tough) and the vegetarian. They tasted like flour because the rice was so poorly cooked with no flavor integration. It was yellow, but you couldn't taste the saffron. The food and service were SLOW SLOW SLOW and the other dishes we got, while not as memorably horrible as the paella, were memorably unmemorable. The bill was double what we would have/could have paid at so many other KC area establishments with better food and service. Return? No way. Recommend? Oh hell no. Oh, I'm now remembering a La Bodega on SW Boulevard years ago. That place was overrated but okay. I wonder if this place is connected? They'd have long way to go to get back to what the overrated place was, if so.
(1)AJ C.
Went there one time for drinks and appetizers, and was very disappointed. Took forever to get served, and when we finally did we ordered a pitcher of margaritas. They said they normally don't do pitchers (?) but the they made an exception... we got the Margaritas and there was a fly in the pitcher. We checked the bar and more bottles had flies in them as well. Will not return since their food was nothing special, especially for the price.
(1)John D.
Food was typical overpriced, small portion Tapas. Nothing too special. But the service was just irritating. Every time i was in the middle of a sentence our waitress would barge in, and interrupt me in mid-sentence. A word of advice to all servers: it is incredibly rude to interrupt anyone in mid-sentence but even more so when you are in the food service business, hoping to provide a good experience for your guests. And then we were sitting there waiting forever to pay and leave when we realized our server was literally sitting down with her friend chatting with her friend in the dining room. Talk about someone who doesnt get it. Definitely not going back, as t he food wasn't special enough to overcome our bad service level.
(2)Troy L.
Ill keep this brief. We ordered Calamari a la Plancha and thus I expect calamari cooked on a plancha...cooked on a large stainless steel plate/grill thinner. I ended up with a plate of soggy, rubbery calamari submerged under white wine and parsley. When I asked the manager if they actually had a plancha, she said no they didn't. If I order something A La Plancha, I expect it to be cooked on a plancha! If I ordered a chargrilled burger, I expect it to be chargrilled! Instead, they just cook it in a sautee skillet and it's not the same. Liars! We ordered paella. I wouldn't want to eat it again. Rice texture was really unpleasant. Made me think they just par-cook their rice and then recook it to order. Rather disappointing. I can't go back to a restaurant that has items on the menu that they aren't equipped to properly prepare. Sorry, but at least you're all warned.
(1)Amy B.
It was a great afternoon and we wanted a small snack. We stopped by La Bodega. Francisco was our server. We told him that we wanted "a couple of tapas" to start. The Sunday "special" is 1/2 price Sangria's and 1/2 price "selected" tapas (until 7 pm). Don't look at the main menu because that is not accurate. You will need to look at the smaller version that has the 1/2 price items. That one has the half price listed thus does not show 'normal' pricing thus allowing the feeling of getting them 50% under posted pricing. Due to this being our first visit, we were unsure of protocol and noticed that we were being served several items, but did not think to 'cancel' as we felt we were sampling items that were on the "selected" Happy Hour menu. Boy were we surprised by our bill! We had just had a small sampling to the tune of $115!! Needless to say, my husband asked to speak with our server and a manager and stated opening that we could have been more specific that stating a 'couple' of tapas, but when we learned that they delivered 8 tapas, only one of which was a Happy Hour special, my husband wanted to understand how the intention was missed so dramatically. After a couple emotional exchanges due to unprofessional language from the manager, it was still unclear how the term 'couple' could be interpreted to mean 8. In effort to have both parties feel 'closer' to what should have been, we agreed to a discount and were able to continue our wonderful afternoon as planned. Here is the long and short of it. Things happen sometimes that do not lend themselves to 'easy' correction. When all parties want to make things right, it is usually easy to find a meeting ground. What turned us off was the huge misunderstanding of the term couple and the manager attempting to place all blame on us as the consumer. We had, what is likely, an isolated incident and did enjoy the fare. So, the $100 question is 'will we go back'? To be fair, we would like to at some point, but we will wait until the sting of this day has blurred into the past.
(1)Jennifer H.
The food is disappointing and the place feels gimmicky. The food does not taste freshly prepared, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of it was packaged. It's not bad, but it's not great. I won't be returning, because I wasn't impressed with the food quality and taste. The restaurant has a vibrant atmosphere. It also has a vibrant menu...at least, that's what I thought until I received my food. We ordered 4 small plates to share and were less than wowed by all of them. The meatballs did not taste house-made; if they are, you could fool me. They were bland and unexciting; if you're going to serve meatballs at a "Spanish" restaurant, set them apart from the Italian meatballs I can pick up in the freezer section of Costco. The goat cheese, pepper and fig coulis on crostini was lackluster as well. There was the teeniest smidge of goat cheese spread on the crostini, and one sad little pepper shaving on each piece. They were awfully generous with the glob of boring fig coulis, though. The chorizo was downright awful. It looked and tasted like a hot dog, and had zero flavor interest. They serve this silly flaming cinnamon coffee drink that they charge a premium for, probably only because they make a show out of preparing it table side. I will second the previous reviewer who said that it feels like it's full of real housewives and high schoolers on a date, but I don't think that's the restaurant's fault. It's south Jo Co, after all. I can also second the previous reviewer who was put off by the size of the wine pour. It's definitely a smallish glass of wine.
(2)