20 reviews of Chappell’s Restaurant & Sports Museum
No registration required
Suzi V.
Place rating: 4 Papillion, NE
In town for a family WOF vacation. Thought this would be neat to see, the Kids LOVED it! Could hardly get them to sit long enough to order.(4 kids, ages 10 – 14) they were so excited to see all the memorabilia. Food was good, normal tasty bar food. Would go again for the atmosphere!
Barbara K.
Place rating: 3 Kansas City, MO
Bought a Groupon for here because years ago I had gone here to eat and it was great. So I went this last Saturday and it was dead. My friend and I ordered two appetizers liver and gizzards and potato skins. The livers we’re good together we’re very very chewy which they are anyway but these were terrible you couldn’t even bite into them. And the potato skins we’re okay they were just very old you could tell they were probably cook the day before. We just kind of let that go and we ordered a sandwich between the two of us a Reuben comma and it was fairly good not the best I’ve had but good. And the service was great.
Matt G.
Place rating: 4 Overland Park, KS
I’ve been here many times, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal. The food is consistently good and the service is generally excellent. I love all of the soups I’ve tried, and it’s really hard to pick a favorite menu item, because they have been consistently good. Oh, and if you’re looking for local sports history and memorabilia, this is your place!
D P.
Place rating: 4 Grain Valley, MO
It definitely lives up to the Sports Museum in it’s name. Sports memorabilia from every decade and area of the sports world covers the walls and ceilings! Lots of local items too which makes it pretty neat for a Kansas City native. Jim Chappell, the owner is very nice and can usually be found sitting on the corner bar greeting folks and making sure everything is satisfactory. The food is slightly above average bar food, but it’s quality. I always go with the Chappell burger(½ lb burger with swiss cheese and bacon between an english muffin) and curly fries. The tenderloin and anything fried is also pretty solid. As others have said it looks and feels like Cheers with old wood paneling. I like the atmosphere and come here for lunch every so often. The service is hit or miss and the prices are decent so I keep coming back. The draw really is the Sport’s Museum itself, one of a kind!
Justin H.
Place rating: 5 Kansas City, MO
I’m giving this place five stars, not for the food(which is fine, average to above average bar food, but nothing overly special), but for the atmosphere. You cannot beat this place if you are a sports fan. Wall-to-wall history and a beautiful eating space; you owe it to yourself to see this place. After you take the out of town guests to all the BBQ place, make this your next stop.
Kimberly D.
Place rating: 3 Topeka, KS
We came here for dinner we had onion rings appetizer and fish with curly fries for the meal. It was good. I thought some of the prices were a little high. Nice environment. We were there on week night and it was quiet. I don’t like sports even so it was interesting to see all the memorabilia. but I’m sure it would be really great for someone who does.
Steven H.
Place rating: 5 New Britain, CT
A word of caution for you foodie people: this review is from the perspective of someone who only sits at the bar for a drink or two and a quick man-dinner on nights when an NFL game is on. I’ve not experienced wait service at a typical table. That said… I LOVE this place. It’s comfortable, the friendly and fascinating proprietor is almost always present on evenings when I’m in and the food is very good when compared to similar types of establishments. Every inch of the place is covered with fascinating sports memorabilia, the source of endless conversations. I guarantee you’ll notice something different and unique every time you’re here if you take the time to carefully look. This place belongs on the National Registry of Historic places. Long live Chappell’s!
Stacy V.
Place rating: 1 Kansas City, KS
My husband and I came here for lunch and did not enjoy our experience. All the wait staff were teenagers who clearly don’t care whether or not you have what you need. Ordered a coffee, it was served with a dirty spoon and it took the waitress several minutes to find creamer after she’d brought the coffee. Opened my silverware to find a piece of what I believe to be lettuce stuck to my knife. My husband stopped a waiter to ask for clean silverware and the waiter didn’t even act like it was out of the norm to have to exchange out. The food was nothing extraordinary. It was warm and it seemed to be OK, but the lack of cleanliness throughout the restaurant left me without much of an appetite. We showed our waitress the dirty utensils and she did apologize but no one seemed concerned about it. The décor is extremely outdated and dingy, the carpet was in need of a good vacuuming, and the waitstaff only came to the table when called, when delivering food, or bringing the check. Not worth the money.
William H.
Place rating: 4 Kansas City, MO
This place is a Kansas City icon that any sports fan will LOVE!!! Trust me when I tell you that I don’t care how great your local sports bar is, it doesn’t stack up to this place. It really is a sports museum like it says. Never seen a collection of sports memorabilia even close to this large owned by one individual in my lifetime. Everything from football helmets to olympic torches and authentic World Series trophies. The atmosphere is what makes this place but the food isn’t bad either. It’s nothing stand outish but just good, simple, comfort food done right. Crispy fried gizzards and gravy, good burgers etc. The vegetables in the salads are very crispy and fresh. Portion sizes are definitely fair. If I were critiquing this place based on the food alone I would probably give it three stars. It’s good but not uncommonly good. But it’s also very inexpensive. Less than you would pay in quite a few places for similar offerings. I think I had an appetizer, main course, and four draft beers for around 20 bucks. The service was good and the owner is always present checking on customers and offering up great stories behind the memorabilia on the walls. Besides all of that, I have been told by some of the regulars that it’s quite common for celebrities of the athletic variety to drop in. All in all, it’s a must stop for any sports fanatic.
Craig C.
Place rating: 5 Lincoln, NE
We’re from Lincoln, Nebraska and discovered this place a few years back after a tip from a co-worker. After our first visit … it’s one of our favorite places when in the Kansas City area. We visit often and try to hit Chappell’s every time we’re in town. First of all, the collection of memorabilia is just outstanding! So … if you’re a sports fan you just gotta stop in and wander around. FASCINATING … especially if you’re my age … which may be a bit older than most of you reading this. Let’s move on … Most importantly, they have a varied menu with something for everyone. It isn’t overwhelming, but plenty of options to choose from. They have THEBEST wings and the sweet potato fries are awesome. The food is aways hot and prepared in a timely fashion. Portions will satisfy your hunger and the prices are very reasonable. Service is always great! Chappell’s is easy to find and get to … plus you’ll usually find parking right in front of the place.
Eric D.
Place rating: 4 Kansas City, MO
I’ve never had bad food here. They have a huge menu, and a great atmosphere. Local TV channels have done episodes about them. Local sports icons, including hall of famers have been known to take a seat at the bar. You’ll have to dine in to see their extensive display of sports memorabilia. It’s impressive, and displayed throughout the establishment.
Kevin T.
Place rating: 3 Olathe, KS
This place is equal parts sports memorabilia museum and early 90s bar. The walls are filled with autographed photos, equipment and helmets hang from the ceiling. Surprisingly though everything was maintained and not littered with cobwebs or dust. With carpeted floors, a large oak bar and wood wainscoting on the walls it felt like Cheers, you know that place where everybody knows your name! The food was average bar grub. A mushroom and Swiss burger with curly fries is what I decided to have for lunch. The burger was your run of the mill hamburger with the usual fixings, nothing too special. The curly fries good but not great. Our waitress was the bright spot with above average service. This place really is a 3.5 better than A-OK but I can’t quite say I’m a fan. Worth a visit if you are a sports fan, but I would say skip it if you are looking for a truly amazing food experience.
M D.
Place rating: 2 Kansas City, MO
Food was good and service was ok for such a busy dau until a waitress chased us out claiming that we did not tip when actually we tipped over 20% we will not be returning
Craig L.
Place rating: 4 Kansas City, MO
This is a really nice place, especially if you like memorabilia. The food is tasty and the meat is quality. I really enjoyed the London Broil. I’ve been a couple of times and the only negative is that the service could be little better.
W F.
Place rating: 2 Papillion, NE
Pretty straight forward bar food. Nothing really worth writing home about. My sons devoured a couple of burgers and curly q fries. They said, «eh…not bad.» which means… they are pretty average. I had a King Club sandwich. Nothing amazing about each… just bar food. Meanwhile — met the owner who spent about 10 minutes talking about all of the celebrity signings in the room. He’s also quite the name dropper! Kinda amusing! The museum aspect of the restaurant was probably the best part. Of course, they also have Boulevard on tap.
Mike M.
Place rating: 4 Kansas City, MO
Hello, I hope this reaches him, but I just spoke not long ago tonight 3⁄21 with the owner. The food was great, I was just trying to inform you about the service. It wasn’t that it was untimely or anything like that, it was just rude and rushed. When I asked about what the groupon discount involved, I was just told to look it up and that she couldn’t help me in reference to the deal. She asked for drinks, I was met with some disappointment when I asked if there were drink specials and then she got our order and left in a hurry. Service was timely and the food was hot, fresh and met my expectation. It was that the service was very lack luster. I was on my phone and someone walked up and said«let me have it.» I asked what and then it was with a huge sigh that I needed to show my groupon on my phone. Something that I wasn’t even sure what it involved if I used it and when I asked for help it seemed as if I was putting the girl out just asking for help in the first place. Thankfully we didn’t need anything for service, because when our appetizer, salads and food was dropped it was with no confirmation of leaving food at the table and no one asked if we needed anything. The server had given up on us because I asked about the discount, is how I feel. When the check was dropped, the server didn’t ask us how things were and when she picked up my card and dropped it off, the same. I asked for a manager before I left and ended up talking to the owner, I wrote some quick comments on my tab and left the tip as well, I just wanted the manager or whomever to know about the attitude. Nothing more. Food, again… was actually better than I expected. Maybe it’s the opposite effect, someone tells you how great a movie is and then when you see it you think it kind of sucks because of the hype. Well, the server was in such a piss poor mood that I expected the food to be the same as her attitude and it wasn’t, it was really good. Before the discount, my check would have been $ 48 and I left $ 10. I think that’s good considering. I’m not trying to act like some hero because of that, but I left it, because I got everything on time, it was hot and it was good. After talking to the owner, he informed me that they were short staffed and I have to say that if they were short staffed, I am impressed with how timely everything was. The reason that I am writing this is because, when I walked out, the server came to the front to call me an «ass» in front of my ten year old son and the manager. My back was turned and I was walking out the door, but my ten year old son was the one that picked up the comment and told me before we reached the second set of doors. If I were any other customer, I would probably be more upset than I am. I just want you to know how unprofessional that was. I would appreciate the feedback if it were one of my employees, so I would assume the same for you. I’m guessing that since you are using groupon, you are trying to drum up business. Good food + bad service = might get a second chance. OK food + bad service = no way I’m coming back. OK food + great service = I’ll give you at least a few tries. Great food + great service = loyal customer. Sorry for the long rant, but I don’t see why you would need to drum up business with food as good as yours unless the service is what needs work.
Ted K.
Place rating: 4 The Plaza, Kansas City, MO
Great food, reasonable price, questionable service. So the food is fantastic. Lots of options with the whole menu very centered around steak. Steak wrap is fantastic, and the curly fries are amazing. The prices for the food are very reasonable and some items are cheaper than what you might expect, especially their steak items. The one questionable part was service. Almost no one there on the Saturday we were there, and still took ages to get our food. No idea why, maybe slow kitchen? Not enough servers? Just amazed me how slow lunch service was. Overall, good experience. Definitely fun place to visit, tons of sports memorabilia. Lots of stuff to look at and the food is worth the visit.
Andi E.
Place rating: 1 Kansas City, MO
My boyfriend and I visited Chappell’s for a Friday night date. We only had an hour for dinner before the movie started across the street, and usually an hour is more than enough time for pub food. It took a few minutes before the hostess noticed we were waiting. It was only 6:30 but there were already guys drunk as skunks at the bar. They were loud and harassing the waitresses. The bartender was ignoring it. Finally, the hostess came and took us to a bar-style(high) table near the kitchen. There weren’t many people at tables(but there were tons of tables) so it seemed like an odd choice to put us in such a noisy and busy area. The waitress rolled her eyes when I said I wanted to start with a water. I hadn’t had a chance to look at the beer menu yet so I was planning to order more. I didn’t because the reaction was a terrible first impression. After the waitress took our order, she never came back to the table… ever. We didn’t get refills and no one checked on us. She walked by several times and ignored us when we tried to flag her down. The busboy delivered our plates about 25 minutes after we ordered. He just set them down and walked away without saying anything. The food was decent, but nothing special. We got a good amount of food for the money. We had to flag down a different waitress to ask for our check after we had been done eating for 10 minutes. I handed her my credit card and told her we were in a hurry so to just bring back the receipt to sign. It took her several minutes to bring it back. We ended up missing the previews on the movie because everything took so long. The only upside to Chappell’s was the memorabilia. Every spare surface was covered with sports collectibles, including things from the small local colleges. However, when we tried to ask about some of the things, no one seemed to have any information and there were no plaques. It’s not quite the museum-level of display that they purport on their website, it’s more like is a hoarder opened a restaurant. So if you’re a sports fan, it’s worth a look — but go for a beer, not a meal.
Reed N.
Place rating: 3 Kansas City, MO
If you like to eat in a sport museum, check this place out! I came for lunch and had excellent service. My food selection was the pork tenderloin sandwich. It was obviously homemade and tasty enough. The sweet potato fries that I opted for were good, but needed salt. Instead, that give you an asian sweet dipping sauce for them. I was not a fan of that.
Daniel H.
Place rating: 3 Kansas City, MO
This place was interesting because the area where my friend and I sat had football helmets hanging from the ceiling. In fact, most of the interior had some kind of sports memorabilia from team jerseys to team flags etc. It was a little busy during lunch. I ordered the Steak Wrap($ 8.49) with curly-Qs(curly fries) and my friend ordered the Heartland Salad($ 9.59). The salads on the menu all sounded pretty good but I didn’t order any. Our waiter took our orders and then we waited for awhile before our food came out. It wasn’t bad because I was talking with my friend so I didn’t pay attention just how long we waited for our food. My Steak Wrap was okay but I felt like there should have been more meat in mine. The Chipotle-Mayo was not bad as well. The amount of curly fries I received was a lot and I ended up not finishing them. I tried a little bit of my friend’s Heartland Salad and it was alright. Our waiter came to check on us a couple of times which was nice. I didn’t notice anything that was amazing about this place but it also wasn’t bad at all. It would be a good place to grab a bite for lunch and enjoy the sports memorabilia.