It was brunch time and we were sitting in the bright alcove near the window pretending that we didn’t need a bloody mary. We ordered one anyways. The place was new, no sign above the entry new, and we were eager to try and see and taste to know it. After all, what’s a man or woman if not adventurous and desperate for something different and unknown. Cowards is what.

So here we sit in the bright alcove near the window of a place called The Pressed Penny Tavern hoping for the best.

Ok, now that I got that out of my system, let’s talk The Pressed Penny. It’s a new Bar/Restaurant that has a Earnest Hemingway motif. Thus, my attempt to write like a drunk madman boxer. Let’s start with drinks.

I ordered a Bloody mary.

It was good and spicy, like a sick text-sent burn, and came in a large water glass. Totally important when brunching. I don’t know how many breakfast drinks I’ve ordered that I’ve crushed in two sips. Leave my breakfast alcoholism out of it. I need value in my booze. And this felt like it was a good deal for the price. Only complaint is no bacon in it. The appeal of a Blood Mary is that you can eat your drinks. Needs bacon.

Worth noting is their classy AF water jug.

It definitely added to the “Stratford-on-Odeon” feel of everything. Google it.

From there we ordered some brunch.

I went with their Haystack with an added egg.

It was essentially brunch cheese fries. But that’s good. It was super different and super tasty. It’s all covered in chili verde queso and sits on top of a big piece of Texas toast. Very satisfying.

My one complaint would be that it was on the salty side. Which means it was fantastic at the start, then a little overpowering by the end. But I’d order it again. It did my taste buds a solid.

Katie went with the Hash.

Potatoes, ham, pinto beans, gravy and eggs. Honestly, the real MVP of this one were the potatoes. Super tender. Massive. Delicious. Great hangover food.

The Brunch menu was pretty limited but we both really enjoyed what we ordered. We’ll be back.

Overall this place has a good location, solid service (notable with a recent opening) and is a strong option to watch a game. The bar was impressive and the bones of the place has a bunch of potential.

Ok – constructive criticism time. We like the theme they are going for but it was thin in places. Mainly the tables. They felt a bit bare. We’d recommend maybe books on top of the tables or at least some old world small table lights. It would go a long way in cozying up the place. Brunch should feel like a warm blanket pulled over you while you sit close to a Harry Potter themed fireplace while some grandma signs a soothing song about cookies. So make it cozy.

And the bathrooms?

UPDATE: WE HAD THE WRONG BATHROOM IN HERE! THIS IS THE CORRECT ONE. SORRY. WE TAKE A LOT OF BATHROOM PHOTOS LOL.

Good. Clean. Reminds you of the old man and the sea while you pee.

So how would we rate it?

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Coziness: 6/10 with a potential 9/10

Drunken Madman Boxerness: 10/10

Verdict? Throw punctuation to the wind and come try this place out.

1511 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111