Saddle Up, Partner: Chartreuse Saloon is the inclusive cowboy hang KC deserves

Hot dog at Chartreuse Saloon. // Photo by Lauren Textor

Chartreuse Saloon can be a bit of a sensory overload if you don’t know what to expect. As indicated by the name, the color scheme is yellow-green, and the theme is cowboy. Steer skulls and a single dart board are mounted on the walls. Green-and-black chess tables are arranged in a row by the outside wall. A small corner is neatly sectioned into a dining area with mini swinging saloon doors.

The menu is a paper list taped to the bar. It reads: Loaded Nachos ($12), Slappy Meal ($14), BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($8), Street Corn Dip ($8), Hummus ($8), Bag of Chips ($2), Snack Treat ($2), and Pickled Egg ($2).

After buzzing in and being IDed at the door, my friend leaned in close to me and asked, “Why are we here again?”

It was 7:30 p.m. on a Friday, and the only other bar patrons were a handful of middle-aged men shooting pool. I wasn’t deterred. I had already spotted a Black Lives Matter sign and multiple pro-choice stickers. Emboldened, I led the way to the bar.

We each ordered a seasonal cocktail (me, the Apricot Crumble, and my friend, the Poached Pear). Then, we filled out a paper slip to customize our nachos. We settled on chicken nachos with black beans, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime crema, and a side of spicy “Chartreuse Juice.” I wasn’t feeling adventurous enough to add pickled eggs ($2 each), though I noted that vegan cheez was available for an additional $2 charge.

We staked out a spot on the bench with our cocktails and a cup full of darts secured from the friendly bartender. Within a few minutes, our nachos were delivered. They were lukewarm but delicious, especially the shredded, smoked chicken.

Apricot Crumble at Chartreuse Saloon. // Photo by Lauren Textor

My Apricot Crumble ($10) was sweet and refreshing with just a hint of tartness, although it felt like more of a summer menu item. The bartender encouraged us to check in if we wanted the flavor tweaked, but I was more than satisfied with the chill, sippable drink. I preferred it to both of the other seasonal cocktails that I later taste-tested ($10 each).

The Poached Pear consists of port wine, pear brandy and liqueur, bitters, fall syrup, and lemon. Plum’s the Word is Rock & Bourbon with fig liqueur, plum liqueur, bitters, and lemon. The Apricot Crumble, as you might have guessed, is also fruity alcohol (apricot brandy) with a matching liqueur, fall syrup, bitters, and lemon. They’re similar, but the deciding factor is your desired level of sweet versus tart and bitter. Chartreuse Saloon also offers non-alcoholic beers and mocktails.

After we devoured the nachos, my friend ordered a customized hot dog, as she had fasted all day in preparation for our outing. After the first few bites, she declared it “decent.”

“It’s not a bad dog,” she said. “But I expected it to be better.”

Fair enough. Especially because the rest of Chartreuse Saloon sets the bar so high. Less than an hour in, we started listing other friends that needed to experience its queer cowboy vibe.

Chartreuse Saloon’s laidback yet inclusive aura may seem effortless, but it couldn’t be more intentional.

Jill Cockson is a hospitality consultant and the majority owner of the saloon, but she’s also one of the masterminds behind Swordfish Tom’s, Drastic Measures, and the newly opened Anna’s Place in Omaha. These other ventures are cocktail bars. With Chartreuse Saloon, Cockson had a different vision.

She was inspired by her Nebraskan upbringing, her certainty that she would be a circus freak in a different era, and the history of chartreuse, a color that is named after the spirit produced by Carthusian monks.

“My idea was, ‘Where would the circus performers come to hang out after a gig?’” Cockson says.

Loaded nachos at Chartreuse Saloon. // Photo by Lauren Textor

This question turned into a color-coordinated hangout with an emphasis on inclusivity, western flair, and food waste reduction.

“The food is all things that use a lot of the same products,” Cockson says. “That was important to me—one, from a cost perspective, and two, from a ‘we’re gross Americans and we waste way too much stuff’ perspective. I grew up with my dad, who ran grocery stores, so I grew up seeing how much stuff gets thrown away. On one hand, Americans need lots of choices. How do you create something that gives people enough options that they feel like they have choices, but not so many choices that you’re just throwing half your food away?”

Cockson and Kitchen Manager Emily Stranimier collaborated on the streamlined menu, which includes customizable hot dogs and nachos, along with vegetarian and vegan options. This creates enough overlap in ingredients to minimize food waste. It also allows Cockson to funnel money into other areas.

“The pool tables that we have are the best that money can buy,” Cockson says. “If you’re playing for a world championship, you’re playing on these. They’re 9-foot diamonds. When the pool players come in, they immediately recognize what these tables are. Part of the angle of keeping pool free is that anyone can challenge the table at any time, which means that professional pool players can’t come in and monopolize the tables all night long.”

Patrons can also borrow darts, checkers, and chess from the house, but that’s not the only entertainment Chartreuse Saloon has to offer. The saloon is teaming up with Burlesque Downtown Underground to offer the city’s only burlesque brunch.

Performer and owner of Kansas City Burlesque Madame MacKay says the shows are themed, which can mean anything from country, rockabilly, or Ransom cowgirl to steampunk or blues.

“Jill sought us out,” MacKay says. “She’s always had this feeling that burlesque belongs in the saloon, and I’m always up for an artistic venture.”

“I serve poison for a living, you know? I never want it to be about the poison,” Cockson says. “I don’t want it to be about people getting excessively drunk. I want them to have a good time and create lasting memories with the special people they chose to spend the night with.”

Chartreuse Saloon is located at 1625 Oak St., Kansas City, MO 64108. Pool tournaments are hosted on the second and fourth Thursday of the month with a $10 buy-in. Check in by 6:30 p.m. First through third place win a cash prize. Live music is played most Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Burlesque brunches are hosted every other month in collaboration with Burlesque Downtown Underground.