Charlie Hoopers

Charlie hoopers is just ok in my book. We’ve had alright service but nothing spectacular. The food is just a general bar food. Again nothing special. It seems to hold a spot in the brookside natives hearts for some reason and they have many followers and regulars, but I just don’t see the pull. They have some games in there like shuffleboard, which is fun, but everything is just a little sticky and a little dingy. It’s not divey enough to fall in that category, so the place is needing a facelift real quick. But for a quick happy hour, the location works and the beer is cold.

Dammit, Charlie Hoopers. I really wanted to fall in love with you since we share the same last name. But we have a few things that are really slowing us down on our road to 5Stars.
As what happens with most recommendations from people, you tend to have high expectations of a place that you have heard others rant and rave about. I try to keep my experiences as objective as possible. But come on, everyone said this was a Brookside classic, you can’t go wrong. I’ve been here three times now to try and make my experience better. Once for drinks after work with co-​workers, once for dinner with a co-​worker, and once for lunch with family from out-​of-​town.
Drinks with co-​workers went off without a hitch other than the fact that the atmosphere is just not for me. Dark, low ceilings, lots of wood, tv’s with the volume just a hair too loud, and that old bar smell. It happens, a neighborhood favorite that you don’t want to change for fear that it won’t «be the same Charlie Hoopers». But can a brother get a good scrub down of the place and maybe one of those tree-​shaped air fresheners?
Diner with a co-​worker was unimpressive. It was a warm afternoon and people were enjoying the outdoor seating. None were left so we sat at a high top inside. However they kept the doors open supposedly because of the nice weather. But they also had the AC running on full blast. And that AC vent? Right above our table. So for those of you who haven’t the most basic comprehension of energy efficiency… don’t leave the door open and the AC running. I think people in the 1950’s even understood that? I digress. It was the only table. So we froze our asses off while service was understandably so… again it was the only table left. She got a chicken salad and I got the hummus platter. Nothing to write home about but we were glad to get back outside as soon as we could scarf down our food.
Lunch was decent. We got there right after they opened and were one of the first tables sat. Didn’t seem like the wait staff really had a handle on whose section was whose and the cooks didn’t know how to make the Peanut Butter Stuffed French Toast (they comp’ed us for that). Again, I just don’t have the palate for the atmosphere and the food is lack-​luster.
Hummus Plate
BBQ Pork Nachos

With the new staff quality has gone way down. They need to taste their food. It’s terrible and flavorless. So much salt that my coworkers and I couldn’t eat our lunches. We had been coming here for 15 years and will never be back after bad service and bad food five times in a row over this past year.

We went there today between soccer games with a group of 5 adults and 4 kids. Both the service and the food were amazing. Everything was very prompt and accurate. The server didn’t hesitate when we asked for separate checks, and he always checked in with us. We will definitely go back there next time we’re at Swope Soccer Village!

This was the first time I’ve been to Charlie Hooper’s since it changed ownership. Like its sister restaurants, Lew’s and The Well, the food was overpriced (appetizers were $ 9 and entrees were $ 10 – 15), but it was tasty (unlike Lew’s) and the crowd was bearable (unlike The Well).
I had the Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich, which is a buffalo chicken breast served on Texas toast with a blue cheese spread. The sandwich really pulled together the favors and textures of buffalo wings — I would definitely order it again. The fries are advertised as «hand cut» and they taste like real potatoes.
When I want a burger in Waldo/​Brookside I’ll stick with Walsch’s Corner Cocktails on 85^th Street, which still offers shuffleboard (as Hooper’s once did).

On Wednesdays, the joint offers trivia night and discounted craft bottles. While the quiz master was a little unpolished, the atmosphere was jovial. Our tables tried 11 different beers (and there were so many!), one appetizer (black bean dip — yum!), and two entrees (beautiful Cobb salad and the avocado veggie burger masterpiece). Altogether it was an enjoyable evening. The quiz room is small so come a little early to get a good table.

I’ve been dragged here on a number of occasions and have never once had a good time. I think it’s a local college bar. If you didn’t go to Rockhurst, you’re shunned. The staff and management is fine, I am simply commenting on the patrons.

If I could give it zero I would. One of their cheap chairs feel over while I was trying to sit down because of a heavy purse (I was sober and not even a half drink in) and instead of asking to see if I was ok one of their male employees came over and attacked me and accused our table of being inappropriate and rude to other customers (which no one were offended, more laughing at the accident or concerned for me). If you want to have fun this is not the place to have it. If you wanna be attacked and chastised for trying to have a relaxing time with friends and family then this is the place for you. All that came out of this experience were bruises and the certainty I will never be coming back. I will be making sure everyone I know will never be coming here either.

I have eaten good burgers all over the country but the charburger patty melt on marble rye was one of the best I’ve ever had. My wife had the red, white and lew burger with buffalo sauce and blue cheese and it was incredible too. For sides I had the Mac and cheese which I would recommend to anyone. This is how Mac and cheese should always be served. Great melted cheese with bacon and dark bread toast crumbles. Wow! My wife had the sweet potato tots. They were great and a perfect counterpoint to her spicy burger. We just had water but I saw a great selection of beers on tap.
The only drawback to the bar and grille is the smell of tobacco smoke even though I didn’t see anyone smoking. We are visiting Kansas City so I don’t know their smoking laws. But if you can handle a little smoke smell you will love this place.

Do not go for dinner on a Friday night! The atmosphere is awesome the building is pretty cool but they were way understaffed. Our server had 11 tables and was running slow on all of them. It started out good the apps were great we had nachos and wings. We had a party of 4. For some reason 2 people’s food came out before mine and the other person. I ordered a salad with fried chicken on it and everyone else had burgers. The tomato on my salad was old and mushy the chicken cold and sauce dried to it. The bread on the last burger was hard and you can tell it died under a lamp. I would try it again on a not so busy night because the service was awesome for how much she had to do and the food that was fresh was really good!

We went last night for Restaurant Week. (Our favorite week of the year).
To be honest, he really doesn’t usually dig going to Brookside because «it’s snooty» and… yeah it can be.
HOWEVER — that being said, we very much enjoyed the dinner. He was so excited to find Strongbow in a can. He hasn’t had one since he moved to the States. The Malbec I had was very nice.
The server was very nice, but it was trivia night so «oh just sit anywhere» can leave you a little out in the cold. We sat at our table for nearly 15 minutes before she showed up with menus and a «hello» The menu was a little moot tho, honestly, because we fully intended on RW menu.
The food was delicious. I am not a huge fan of salmon normally but i went with the closest choice to «healthy» …
Overall, it was a great time and we’ll definitely go back there.

A Brookside classic. Great place to hangout or watch a Royals game. Their food is also great now since the Llewellyns took over. Great place!

Great local place! We were looking for something to do outside of downtown two nights ago. And stumbled upon this Brookside bar.
They have some nice appetizers. We enjoyed the jalapeño poppers. And they were really reasonably priced.
We also all had drinks. They have a decent cocktail menu and beer selection. The cocktails are under 10 which is nice. The beers are around 4 – 6 for craft brews. Not bad.
Overall, we’ll most likely be back. We really enjoyed it!

Fantastic beer selection! The atmosphere is great, and the crowd is usually chill and friendly.

My go-​to bar when hanging out in Brookside. Almost every time I come to town I end up walking down the street to the neighborhood bar and grille, Charlie Hooper’s. The service is typically good but there is a lack of energy during the afternoon hours. For the price, you cant go wrong with ½ lb. hot dogs. An excellent selection and crisp toasted buns make the dogs an easy choice. With daily food and drink specials, you do not have to spend a lot of money to have a good meal and a few cold beverages. If you are not too hungry, you cannot go wrong with a basket of fries. The fries are seasoned to perfection and you might be surprised when you forget to cover them in ketchup. With a plethora of domestic and craft beers, Charlie Hooper’s is a great place to grab a few cold ones with some friends or to watch a game. I will keep coming back and if you don’t have a local watering hole take a short walk down to Charlie Hooper’s.

I’ve been to Hooper’s on several occasions. I used to go with friends in the evening for a beer or two when I lived in the area, though now that I’ve gotten older (okay, old), I don’t get to the bar there as often as I used to. Now that I’m old – older, darnit! – I mostly go for lunch, most recently today. It was perfectly fine, I will go back for lunch since I work nearby, and I would recommend it, and in fact have recommended it, to others. However, it’s not a destination that I would necessarily drive across town for, if that makes sense. I like it, it’s just not my joint. I’d recommend trying it out, though.
Starting off today, the parking: well, it’s Brookside, so the parking is not great. No better way to put it. There’s spots both on the street and in the lot around back, which were full, as they also serve several other businesses. Certainly I do not hold this against Hooper’s, but just giving a warning. If you see a spot, grab it, because there may not be another.
The service: our waitress, Kat (I’m guessing on the spelling, sorry if I spelled it wrong), was great. She was friendly and engaging, and, while she did have a lot of tables to cover, she kept us up on refills. She also joked a bit with us, teasing me about how I am wrong for not getting cheese on my burger. (It was funny, but you kind of had to be there.)
The food: I had a burger, which was good, though it didn’t stand out as «best burger in Kansas City.» I had the potato chips, which I believe they make there – they were the thick kettle style, and tasted fresh. Those were really good. In the past I have had their fries, and like the seasoning they put on them. One of the people I had lunch with had the tenderloin, which was huge – certainly a place to go if you’re a tenderloin fan.
The price: very reasonable. Nobody’s was over $ 10, and that was not lunchtime specials but normal price. Certainly a value.
Okay, so overall this doesn’t sound like a glowing review, which is probably unfair of me. Hooper’s is a good place to hit for a bite or a beer. Like I said, I recommend it, and would suggest to others to try it.

Had to update my review after tonight’s sliders lol. Looked like someone took a bite on each one. Little tiny glob of cheese. Very odd.

Charlie Hoopers is great. I recently discovered it and now it’s my favorite place to get a beer in Brookside. And they do have great drink specials and a decent happy hour. I really enjoy that they have tables out front on the sidewalk and they also have a deck in the back. I’m a big fan of sitting outside and watching the world go by when it’s nice! They also have a bike rack in back which is killer because it’s located just off the trolley trail and it’s a great spot to ride to for a drink or a bite to eat. I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a ton of nice summer nights here, that’s for sure!

Second time I’ve been here and the first time I’ve eaten. Monday is burger specials night and it is really a good deal. Any one of the special burgers for $ 5.50. I had the blue cheese burger with fries and it was done to medium just as I asked. The fries were well done which is how I prefer them. It took a little longer than expected for the burgers to come out but overall the service was good.
It is a good place to meet and talk with above average food and drinks.

Most of my experiences here are from biking on the Trolley Trail and stopping here to see whatever the nightly special is. Monday it was American whiskey at half price. Sitting outside with a neat Jack in the cool spring weather in Brookside is just this side of perfect.
The staff is cool, and the hummus is good. Come watch a Royals game here!

Not sure about the changes after new ownership. I’ll update as things develop… please see my tips

Hooper’s is getting 3 stars from me because of the beer list. They have a great beer selection and dominate the Brookside area in this category; however, the food service is a different story. If you plan on getting food, you better make sure you have at least a couple hours to spare. The service is not quick by any means and the food is just mediocre, but they’ll definitely make sure you have a beer in hand while you wait. Overall good place for a few beers, but don’t take a date here.

@CharlieHoopers Came in on Monday night for half off burgers. The waitress’s was really nice and helpful. We ordered the homemade Jalapeño Poppers & 3 burgers, 2 with fries & 1 with salad. Fries were huge, but nothing special. Poppers were good, not spicy at all & tons off cream cheese. The burgers were tasty, but a little under done, closer to Medium Rare. Next time I’ll make sure to ask for it Well Done… Overall good value!

The beer selection is one, if not the best, in Kansas City. They provide a drink special seven days a week. Plus ‘import night’ on Wednesdays are a real treat if you enjoy foreign bottled beers:) As far as the food goes, I have always had pretty decent bar grub! I have a friend that absolutely loves the ‘Chihuahua’, 2 chili cheese dogs:) But they also have a nice selection of sandwiches and apps all which are of good quality. The service has always impressed and I have never had any complaints:) The only drawback is that some nights Hoopers gets a bit ‘frat boyish’ & can be kind of obnoxious. All in all, I definitely recommend C. Hoopers:)!

My review for Charlie Hooper’s is long overdue. I really, really like Hooper’s. It’s a place you can go to grab dinner, a drink or happy hour after work, or visit on a Saturday night. I actually had a birthday party in the back room years ago. It’s really a great neighborhood joint, I wish it were in my neighborhood.
Hooper’s has several beers on tap, along with a variety of bottles available. They have daily food specials as well as a decent happy hour special. Over the years I have tried a lot of the food, from a pot pie daily special, to hot dogs on game day, pita and hummus, burgers, and many, many other food options. I have never had a complaint about the food or service.
Hooper’s is a great place to meet friends, watch a game, or just grab a beer. Brookside is lucky to have a neighborhood joint like Hooper’s, and for a neighborhood bar, I think it’s as good as it gets.

Hung out here last night and continue to love the atmosphere, outdoor deck/​patio, and the ambiance. A little disappointed several of my favorite imported beers (that had previously been on the menu) were no longer available, but still an outstanding selection of both domestic and imported brews.
Was really surprised there wasn’t more of a crowd here. Wednesday nights used to attract a big crowd for import night ($ 2.50 bottles).
They have also been sold to the Lewellen brothers, owners of Lew’s and the Well. Not sure what that will mean for CH, but hopefully they can continue it’s proud history in Brookside.

A just meh college type bar with food. Went here after getting into to Kansas City late and famished. It was a Thursday night and they had $ 3 drafts. They even had Angry Orchard on tap! Score! The service was very slow and pretty much sucked.
We ordered the pretzel (which us not on the menu but great) and nachos. Both were huge portions. We also ordered jalapeño popper but couldn’t even eat them. I like spicy, but these bad boys were painful and just tasted like burning.