Elite Escape at Breakout KC!

Adam keeps out doing himself! This was a fantastic Elite Unilocal event. IL Lazzarone was fantastic. They honestly have the best pizza in Kansas City. You can tell that they put a lot of quality ingredients and love into their pizza.
Not only were the pizzas well crafted but also very unique. One of my favorite pizzas was the Uovo which came with a delicious egg in the middle. Their cocktails were as delicious as their artisan pizza, but what really topped off the night was the Frito Nutella desert with fried dough, nutella, and powdered sugar. It will melt your heart on a cold night in KC.
For the second part of the evening (nice use of the area Adam!) we walked across the street to Breakout KC. I want to say we made it out alive but I’d be lying. We got on of the hardest rooms and although I can’t divulge any of the secrets I can definitely say it was a blast! Working together as a team to try and solve the puzzles was a lot of fun. The room felt cramped at times but we had quite a few people packed in there and we were all able to work together and each of us always had a task to do. I would absolutely go back with a group of 4 or 5. This was a terrific evening!

Ok, I feel awful for taking so long to get this review done; especially because this event was a few weeks ago and it was amazing! But better late than never right?
I had a little bit of trouble navigating to il Lazzarone since I’ve only lived in KC for 3 years and don’t venture farther north than P&L. But once I made it… I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and food of il Lazzarone. I ended up ordering a full sized drink of one of the ones they’d provided us (can’t remember what it was, but damn was it yummy and STRONG!), and enjoying their pizzas and dessert. Will definitely need to be back again to sit down for dinner!
Now, going to Breakout KC. OMG so much fun! We ended up in the Szechuan Room and Adam was on our team! Won’t give anything away, just be prepared for tons puzzles and sometimes you’ll need to ask for help! We weren’t able to get out in time (a couple of more minutes would have been awesome) but we still had a blast. I want to get a bunch of my engineering friends together to try this place out. How many engineers does it take to escape a room at Breakout KC?
Great event Adam!!!

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this event and the two businesses involved!
Starting out the night at il Lazzarone with pizzas and some craft cocktails was the perfect start to any evening out. I was so pleasantly surprised at the owners hard work and dedication to excellent, personal service. He was bringing out pizzas that you could tell he had a love for from start to finish. The ingredients were top notch and the flavors blended together perfectly. His knowledge and bits of information were quite helpful too. I am so glad that we got a chance to check this place out. I had heard good things about the pizzas since they opened but with the disclaimer that it was a bit pricey. After going there and trying some of the pizzas and seeing the menu, I can say it is not pricey — it is average price for the size and style — BUT these pizzas are far better than any of their competitors. These are pizzas to CRAVE, which is a hard thing to accomplish with so much pizza overload from cheap convenience pizza.
Breakout KC… We were told we were going to the Truman room for our group but ended up in the Szechuan Secret room. Without saying too much, let me just say this was hard! But in a really great way. We went in far too confident that we had two scientists and an engineer or two in our group. We didn’t make it out in time because there were a few bumps in the road. 95% of it was our own faults but there was a couple of things about the «rules» that kept us from trying a couple of things we should have — like removing get something from the wall and trying to lightly force open something else. The clues were quite helpful though. I was so impressed at how it was all put together.
Knowing a how it works now, I can’t wait to get a good group of people together to try again and go for both pizza at il Lazzarone and an hour at Breakout KC. I actually tell everyone I know about it if anything like it comes up (like when a group went to the haunted houses, I mentioned Breakout KC).

I don’t think I’ve ever jumped on an Elite event as fast as I did for Breakout KC. I’ve been dying to try an escape room and it more than exceeded my expectations!
My team did the Casino room and going in, I had NO idea what to expect. The staff did a great job explaining how it works and I didn’t realize that someone is watching you the entire time! This makes the game a lot more fun, you don’t have to spend all of your time agonizing over one piece, they know exactly where you are at and they can customize the help they give you. We had 6 people in our group which was a good number, but I would recommend 4 – 5 (depending on how smart your friends are, ha!). There are a couple times when I felt like there was TOO much going on with everyone running around, but it was still a blast! I can’t wait to bring my friends here and this would make a great event for co-​workers. Bonus: My team even managed to escape in time!
Thanks Adam for an awesome evening!

Great event! The pizza and drinks were fabulous. Their balsamic is incredible. They start with a top brand and then reduce it with cane sugar for hours. They should bottle this stuff!
Breakout was a lot of fun. It is not easy and truly a team effort. The staff was great. I feel like I can’t say much without giving secrets away. I highly recommend checking them out.
Great event Adam! You keep hitting home runs!

This was a wonderful event. I loved the fact that we were paired up into groups. I didn’t know everyone in my group. I’ve met everyone before but I didn’t know them per se. It was a wonderful opportunity to break out of the normal groups and get to know other people.
We were grouped together when we got to il Lazzarone so it gave us a little bit of time to get to know each other. The pizza there was fabulous. I’m so glad that we got to sample it. I’ll definitely go back. I really enjoyed their salad too. Scrumptious!
Breakout KC! was everything that I didn’t think it would be. I’ll be honest. I was worried because I hate the thought of being locked into somewhere. The game was exciting, the challenge was great. I kept being surprised. I love the fact that we all had to depend on each other’s strengths. I didn’t think I’d like it but I came home thinking about when can I go back.
Adam really knocked it out of the park with this pairing. I am so impressed. He constantly keeps me on my toes. Thanks for all of the hard work, Adam!

What a wonderful event! An evening of delicious food and an engaging group activity.
I’d heard about Breakout KC through news articles, online posts, and friends’ events, but it was something that I had squirreled into the back of my mind — while I enjoy puzzle-​solving, I knew that this is something that would need a team. Instead of needing an elite A-​Team type squad, it turns out that Breakout KC works really well with Unilocal associates.
Our evening began at il Lazzarone, a newer restaurant and pizzeria near City Market. Mrs. R and I got our information crossed a little bit, so we showed up early while another team was preparing. No matter, we just had more time to enjoy drinks and pizza. The pizza at il Lazzarone is Neapolitan style — thin, crispy, from a hot wood-​fired oven. I overheard the employee-​manager say that the pizzas fire in the oven for about 90 seconds, and I can say that the result is a crispy and chewy delight. We sampled several pizzas, though the standout was the Crepa («crack»), which featured a heavenly balsamic vinegar reduction that was sweet and tart at the same time. Additionally, we had a couple of drinks, including a delightful Negroni.
As for the event at Breakout KC, I obligated not to give any details about the puzzle-​room, though I did like the setup. Basically, a team is put into a room and has 60 minutes to «escape» by determining the answer to puzzle that opens the door from the clues that are in the room. The team is monitored throughout on closed-​circuit cameras and can ask for clues to help out. Additionally, the staff can give clues if they see the team is struggling. The six of us had a really good time, and though we did not meet the 60-​minute deadline, we were probably about 5 – 10 minutes from getting out. I felt like the whole of it was a good mix of puzzles, and that each member of the team was engaged in solving.
This was a great event, and I am thankful to our CM for organizing it and to il Lazzarone and Breakout KC for the great times. I would definitely recommend both places to anyone looking for a good evening out.

AMAZING. I keep thinking events can’t get any better, then Adam blows it out of the park again!
The food and atmosphere at il Lazzarone was fantastic. The smell when you walked through the door was enough to make anyone happy. They were super and had several pizzas, salads, cocktails, and a scrumptious nutella dessert. I’ve already started planning the next trip here.
Breakout KC was exhilarating! I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. We had the casino room and all worked great together. We got out with time to spare! I can’t wait to go back and try again with some friends.
I’m so glad I was able to make it to this event… top notch Adam, top notch!

Oh my gosh this was a blast! I don’t want to give away any secrets by discussing the room, but we were in an Asian room and it was incredibly difficult! We had a lot of fun roaming and rummaging around the room. Just when I thought we were progressing, they hit you with more! We did not escape, sadly. But the puzzles were incredibly challenging! My five stars were for the event itself. A total blast, the food at lazzarone pizza was delicious and worth trying out! They also have a wonderful beer list that I was surprised to see. These places are both located in the river market. It was the perfect setup to eat at lazzarone then March over to breakout KC. A few things breakout KC could improve upon is the introduction into the game. It would be great to see the staff in a full character at the beginning and end. It was very structured rather than imaginative at the beginning, which is one way to do it. Another thing was that some of the clues and props were starting to get beat up already, it might be a learning process for them on how to maintain quality and longer lasting materials. Other than that, it was a total blast! A great team building exercise or just for a family for fun! If love to do it again!

I have always loved brain games and puzzles, so Breakout KC was absolutely right up my alley! I loved the challenge to find and figure out the clues, racing the clock, working with my team to find the code out. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it in the allotted 1-​hour period. Wah Wuh… But I had soo much fun. I can’t wait to come back with a group (of 8 friends) and challenge ourselves to another great session at Breakout KC. With the 4 different rooms, we have plenty of options to keep us busy. This place is a great place for a fun social outing. Glad Adam introduces us to it!
Il Lazzarone was a great start to evening also. The authentic Naples style pizza, with very thin, brick oven cooked crust, was very tasty. I loved the Uovo pizza, topped with an egg. I’ll be back for brunch before hitting the City Market for use. It’s a nice addition to the Delaware street area, offering very tasty cocktails too. Their twist on a Negroni, with barrel aged spirits and Antica sweet vermouth was excellent. Yum! The owner was so friendly and passsionate about his product — loved it. The Crepa was very tasty, with balsamic and the fried dough with Nutella — let’s face it, put Nutella on just about anything and you have a winner. Great to be introduced to this hip pizzeria. Thanks, Adam, for another great Elite Event!

Such a great event! I had been dying to try the breakout/​escape rooms for a while now, so of course I was excited to finally get to.
First things first, Il Lazzarone — you guys are amazing. The pizza was fantastic, salads were great, drinks were well prepared by GREAT mixologists, and come on. the dessert? Its nutella. you just can’t go wrong. Seriously though, it was refreshing to see a place take such pride in what they were producing and make sure they really hit the nail on the head when it comes to quality. The owner was very friendly, and seems truly excited to have us Unilocalers there.
As for Breakout KC. After enjoying the delicious offerings of our foodie-​joint, we took a quick jut to Breakout KC. It was awesome to see a place revamping and giving new life to an old building. The staff was friendly, and ready to roll the second we walked in. We did the Quay Casino room — made it out successfully with 4 minutes and 14 seconds to spare — largely in part to an AMAZING team I got put in with. The puzzles and riddles were hard, but it was extremely fun. A little nutso at first, not really having any idea where to start, but it all played out well.
Thanks for another fantastic event!

This was such a fun event! We started with pizza and drinks at il Lazzarone and I really enjoyed everything I tried. The Crepa was definitely my favorite: mozzarella, extra-​virgin olive oil, basil, sea salt, applewood smoked bacon, and balsamic glaze. That was a really good balsamic glaze, I wanted to put that one everything! I was hoping to try one of the desserts, but it came out as it was time for my group to leave for Breakout KC.
My team, The Mavericks, was locked in the Truman Room and unfortunately we didn’t break out. While we were all a bit bummed we didn’t make it out we all had a lot of fun figuring out all of the codes. I can’t wait to go again this weekend with some friends!
Huge thanks to Adam for another great event!

A great way to get to know a few of my fellow Elites a little better.
The evening started out with an amazing sampling of pizza, salads, and dessert at il Lazzarone. The staff was super amazing and very informative about the food. The Crepa, with the balsamic glaze and bacon, and the La Rughetta, with Parmesan and arugula, were my favorites. The owner/​pizza chef was super friendly and welcoming, going so far to make our table a pizza and ensured we also got to try the yummy fired dough with honey, ricotta, nutella, and whipped cream. The cocktails were also delicious, the mint and rum was may favorite, but i know that my companions also love the more bitter nigroni interpretation. The food, cocktails, and atmosphere at il Lazzarone would have been a satisfactory event… but wait, there is more!
6 of my favorite Unilocalers and I headed over to Breakout with full stomachs and optimistic attitudes. Team Royals was in Room 13 and it was so much fun! We were able to work together to try to get out… we did not make it out in the allotted 30 minutes, but we did make it out with some new friends:) We were so close to making it out… I am going to have to head back with some friends and try a different room.
I wanted to thank Adam using a code or something, but after all the effort to escape this evening, I’ll settle for a simple «Thanks Adam” – great event!

I had a really good time. I had been to the il Lazzarone in St. Joe before so I was a bit eager to pay a visit to the KC location. I really like the rustic look of the place and they continued the design aesthetic from the original location. I love that the pizzas remind me of pizza I would get in Italy. Really nice.
However the highlight of the night was the escape rooms. It was a lot harder than I expected. It was a bit panicky at first since there were really no set rules. You just have to figure it out. I think teaming up strangers in a room together and seeing who leads the flow of the brainstorming and thinking and strategizing was interesting. But we did it, we made it out if the room with 4 minutes to spare! And winners get their photo taken and posted with the rest of the winners!
I’m coming back this weekend and I can’t wait!

I didn’t get a chance to sample the food at il Lazzarone, but it looked delicious! I totally missed out but will be back soon to check it out! I had one cocktail and it was delicious.
Loved the look of the place, too!
Breakout KC was awesome! We were in the Casino Room and it was tough, but we made it through with 4 minutes to spare! I’m already getting a group of friends together to go this weekend! It was really fun working together with complete strangers (it was my first Elite event), and I can’t wait to hang with everyone again! The staff was great, too. I’ll be back soon!

I had a great time at this event! The pizzas at il Lazzarone were fantastic. I only had an opportunity to sample one slice, but it has left me anxious to return and try more on my own.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at Breakout, but I had a blast! Our team was able to escape with 4 minutes to spare, but it was a really challenging set of puzzles. The room was well designed and it was awesome exploring more and more of our scene. I really like how they used the monitor to communicate between the staff and us. I’ve already told my partner we’re going back to try some of the other rooms :).
This was my first Elite event and it was a great introduction to the group. I enjoyed getting to know the others on my team and I’m looking forward to the next event!

What a clever and unique Unilocal Event! Not only were our tummies well-​fed, but our minds were challenged, too.
The night started out with some fantastic pizza and cocktails from il Lazzarone. There was no shortage on the pizza and each pie was delicious. After eating, each group left in shifts and headed over to Breakout KC. I was on the Mavericks team. Go Mavericks!
Unfortunately, our team was not able to escape out of the Truman Room on time. The last puzzle tripped us up too much. But the experience as a whole was really fun and not as scary as I thought it would be! I plan on going back again and trying another room,
Never thought I’d literally be trapped in a room with other Unilocalers. Loved this event; please keep more unique events like this coming our way!

What a clever event. It started with pizzas which were fab, at il Lazzarone. These pizza’s were really Italian, not your standard boring pizza. They served us drinks, mine had a huge mint leaf and it was good. The pizzas kept coming. My favorite was the bacon pizza and I don’t know it’s name. I would never just order it, but I would now. Oh my goodness, maybe I do like bacon more than I think.
After a little while, Adam led us to Breakout KC. Our group, The Mavericks. (I was paired with a few of my best Unilocal friends, and a couple of new one’s). We were locked in the Truman Room. I can’t give much details about the room, but I felt like I was in a Rupe Goldberg meets Davinci Code cartoon. Kudos to BreakoutKC, cause it was really hard. One of our group didn’t show. Heck, I thought we did pretty darned good. You’re not allowed to take pictures in the room, but Breakout KC… I memorize codes and numbers, so Truman room, next time (if there is a next time.). haha Or maybe I’d try another room.
Another great event. Adam.