A round-up of KC game-day eats that aren’t wings

Courtesy Atomic Cowboy

Wings are a classic! And, sure, we love a crockpot dip and a store-bought veggie tray for an at-home Chiefs watch party. We’ll continue to cheer on uncle so-and-so and his precious smoked meats in the backyard. 

But here in Red Kingdom, we don’t do tailgating or watch parties halfway. And even though there is a BBQ spot on this list, we’ve round up a few suggestions that offer an alternative or an elevation–whether it’s a pop of color and crunch from local popcorn or a full meaty spread from a Kansas City butcher.

Atomic Cowboy

4144 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO

7101 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS

There’s nothing groundbreaking about pizza, but Fat Sully’s at Atomic Cowboy has a real crowd-pleaser of a kit. I should know–this was our fuel for game one. Winning by a TOE!? 

Among the smart Tailgating Packages is my choice–the First Down. This fed five of us, plus we had enough leftovers for one of us to have a big lunch on that sleepy Monday. The First Down tailgate package is $41.95 for one 20” Fat Sully’s pie (one topping), one salad for two, and an order of their seasoned chicken tenders with fries. 

French Custard

Courtesy French Custard

5905 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64113

A true treat for your watch-party… even your gluten-sensitive pals! French Custard in Brookside has plenty of tasty to-go options, but I’d like to specifically highlight the football brownie sandwiches. These cute lil sammies are housemade, gluten-free, and $7 each. Order up to 25 football sandwiches or scoopwiches (two gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies with vanilla custard, then half dipped in chocolate) for your next event. 

Yoli Tortilleria

1668 Jefferson St., Kansas City, MO 64108

Where there’s a game day, there’s a dip. Most dips are made better by Yoli Tortilleria chips, and if you’re getting the chips, you may as well snag some salsa, too. The Yoli difference comes down to the masa process and their fresh, small batches. In case you somehow missed it, Yoli Tortilleria won a James Beard Award in 2023. If you’re lucky, you’ll stop by the shop on a day when they have their special red and yellow corn chips!

Guy’s Snacks

Available at a variety of retail locations

Guy’s Tasty Mix. Enough said.

Tin Pan cinnamon rolls // Photo by Sarah Sipple

Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls

Delivery within 25 miles of downtown KC

I enjoy the cinnamon rolls from Tin Pan so much that I wrote about them for the September magazine last fall. Dan delivers them straight to you, still warm(!), which is perfect for the early afternoon games. If you’re having a traditional midwestern meal of chili and cinnamon rolls, upgrade the day with these cinnamon rolls. 

The Italian Sausage Co.

7315 N Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO 64118

Bring a taste of the K and Arrowhead home! To recreate the fan-favorite stadium eats, pick up some Italian Sausage Company sausage as sides or prepackaged. The Italian nachos are a favorite in my friend group, but the classic Italian sausage on a bun can’t be beat. To recreate the stadium nachos, start with tortilla chips in a large bowl, then top with mild Italian sausage crumbles, cheese sauce, black olives, pepperoncini, sweet roasted red peppers, and diced tomatoes.

Tiki Taco party pack // Photo by Sarah Sipple

Tiki Taco

7514 West 80th Street, Overland Park, KS 66204

5400 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110

1710 West 39th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111

Here’s another party pack I’ve brought to a few events. Tiki Taco’s taco 12-packs start at $29.99 and come in a party-ready aluminum pan. For me, the crunchy tacos stayed crunchy even after a 20-minute drive, but I recommend upgrading to the street taco for that extra bite of cilantro and lime! And if you’re feeling spicy, I recommend the Thai fried chicken taco–I order this at least once every couple of weeks.

Scott’s Kitchen 

11920 North Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153

For those who can swing a pickup in the northland, the Round Trip sampler platter feeds 4 – 6 people for $150 all-in. Seriously, Scott will hook you up with bread and pickles, a half-pound of brisket, burnt ends, turkey, ghost pepper jack sausage, pulled pork, a half-slab of ribs, four chicken thighs, four jumbo wings, beans, cheesy potatoes, jalapeno apple slaw, and Scott’s special potato salad.

Local Pig

20 East 5th Street, Kansas City, MO64106

Red kingdom, MEAT your easy game day spread. The Football Day Spread is one of many tailgating and watch party options from Local Pig in City Market. This one features your choice of a charcuterie board, a 20oz mac and cheese ready to heat and eat, your choice of appetizer (I’d pick the stuffed mushrooms), one pound of pork burnt ends, queso, and summer sausage all for $48.99. City Market is hoppin’ on a Sunday afternoon, but don’t let the parking situation scare you away from this local meat. 

Courtesy Popculture Gourmet Popcorn

Popculture Gourmet Popcorn

8004 Foster St, Overland Park, KS 66204

115 Main St, Parkville, MO 64152

Sweet, salty, spicy, savory… red, yellow, (or other colors if you dare to root for another team)… make a custom popcorn blend for the next football game! Popculture even offers free custom labels on orders over 15 bags. There are over 50 flavors to choose from–even vegan, gluten-free, and dye-free options. Besides the pop of color, it’s great to have something so munchable on hand for those intense moments!

Brain Freeze

Brain Freeze // Photo by Sarah Sipple

Bring the pop-up bar to you

Brain Freeze will bring the frozen daiquiri fun to you! These are fabulous–you may have had these at our last Brunched event–and truly level up the party atmosphere! If you’re feeling extra, book the pop-up bar, or go all out and book the trailer for an even more eye-catching display. Customize the menu with your choice of liquor, flavors, and colors.