Eat This Now: Apple Butter & Brie at The Brick
Photo by Sarah Sipple
The Brick welcomes you with mismatched furniture and contradicting motifs—beer signs, mermaids, and Kansas City iconography, plus scribbled signatures filling in the blank spaces. Are people carrying around Sharpies? Are they asking their server for one? Whatever you may be thinking, the food menu will surprise you. From a Guy Fieri-approved meatloaf special to soy hot dogs or a sriracha bacon burger to a Fluffernutter sandwich, the place is full of pleasant surprises.
A menu staple is the Apple Butter & Brie sandwich. Melted brie, sliced tart apples, and apple butter on buttered rye bread are served with a choice of house-cut or sweet potato fries, cottage cheese, hummus and veggies, tater tots, or coleslaw for under $10. The sandwich is a masterclass in simplicity and balance. No single element shines brighter than others—it is perfectly melty, savory, and sweet.
Perhaps it is because memories of my grandma making apple butter from her fruit trees bring a wave of delicious nostalgia, but this dive-bar surprise sandwich has warmed me in the dead of winter just as much as it has brightened my hot June day. This summer, pair it with a Jazzman dark lager from Vine Street Brewing to be uplifted by the effervescence and notes of cola. If you’re concerned it won’t be a filling meal, share it as an appetizer and dig into a heartier plate, like the Monday Meatloaf special that includes sides and a piece of carrot cake for under $9.
The Brick opened in 1999 and proudly sources from local spots like Oddly Correct Coffee, Rain Crow Ranch for grass-fed beef, M&M Bakery, Farm to Market, Roma Bakery, and Scimeca’s Italian. Guy Fierei has even featured The Brick in two episodes Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
Clearly, The Brick is no everyday dive bar. Any night of the week, you may see live original music or performance art. In fact, each Monday, the joint transforms into a welcoming and warm bustle as Rural Grit takes over with dozens of banjos, guitars—even a washboard or two. On July 28, catch the Cosmic Tody Brothers performing on the small but sufficient stage.
The Brick is located at 1727 McGee St., Kansas City, MO 64108, and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. – 12 a.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.
