Dish and Drink KC: A night out at The Hey! Hey! Club and curbing cravings at Ruby Jean’s Juicery

The Hey! Hey! Club // Photo By Tiffany Watts

The Hey! Hey! Club

Honestly, I’m a sucker for any speakeasy-like concept—especially one with handcrafted cocktails and roots in Kansas City’s historic Jazz scene. So when my friend invited me for drinks at The Hey! Hey! Club, I quickly said yes! 

Located in the historic east bottoms at J. Rieger & Co., The Hey! Hey! Club is a sexy underground cocktail bar known for its gourmet libations, delicious small plates, and elevated service.

The perfect spot for a low-key girl’s night out.

We were seated at the bar and immediately ordered drinks. In the mood for something light and tasty, I ordered one of their seasonal compositions. The Tenderfoot cocktail made with dry gin, Haitian rum, velvet falernum, coconut, and bergamot ($15). 

As a newly minted gin fan, the flavor combinations intrigued me and at first sip, I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh, sweet, and vibrant taste. It’s also garnished with a pickled grape which may sound questionable but when mixed in the cocktail and eaten, is actually quite heavenly.

The Hey! Hey! Club // Photo By Tiffany Watts

Since The Hey! Hey! Club is serving up J. Rieger’s finest whiskey, we also decided to a do mini-tasting of our own. 

We started with a taste of their Kansas City Whiskey, neat. This one is a blend of straight bourbon whiskey, light corn whiskey, and straight rye whiskey. As a blended whiskey, it had some sweetness to it and would be delicious in a homemade old-fashioned!

If you’d like to try this mixed in one of their delectable cocktails, try the Roger Dodger, one of their more tropical drinks, or the Smoke Wagon which they describe as sweet and spicy. 

We also had a taste of the straight Bourbon Whiskey and the straight Rye Whiskey. Both were rich and smooth and while I don’t typically gravitate towards whiskey on a night out, I could see myself searching for the Rye Whiskey in local bars and restaurants. Give me a 1.5 oz of the Rye Whiskey on ice and I could sip on that all night.

After laughs, drinks, and making friends with the mixologists behind the bar, we made our way upstairs to the ever-so-famous J. Rieger & Co. slide. After sliding down, we decided that we needed to make our way back soon. The entire J. Rieger & Co. space is an experience and now that we’ve had a taste, we’re ready to indulge!

The Hey! Hey! Club is located inside of J. Rieger & Co. at 2700 Guinotte Ave, Kansas City, MO 64120

Ruby Jean’s Juicery // Photo By Tiffany Watts

Ruby Jean’s Juicery

My daughter is growing up in a very different world than I did. 

When I was a kid craving something cold and sweet, we’d head to Quik Trip or  7-Eleven for an Icee or to Sonic for one of their infamous Sonic Blasts. These days, when my kiddo and I are craving something sweet, we head to our favorite juice bar for a fresh, handcrafted juice or a smoothie.

Things just aren’t what they used to be, and I love that for us.

My most recent craving for something sweet and fresh sent me to Ruby Jean’s Juicery on Troost for their No Sweat juice with watermelon, green apple, and lime ($9.50).

I also wanted a little something to bite into, so I ordered a Wave Burger, vegan style ($13). The vegan Wave Burger is topped with a Beyond Meatless Patty, grilled pineapple slices, grilled onions, avocado spread, spring mix, and sriracha drizzle on a vegan bun.

The No Sweat juice took my tastebuds through a triad of fresh flavors, giving me a hefty dose of sweet and a touch of sour and bitter. It completely satisfied my sweet tooth and hydrated me as I sat outside enjoying my lunch. 

As for the burger, I could talk about that all day! 

For starters, the bun was top-tier. I was vegan for over 10 years so I’m way too familiar with the struggle of buying and eating vegan buns. Some buns are too dry. Some are too earthy. Most of them simply aren’t burger-worthy. 

Ruby Jean’s Juicery // Photo By Tiffany Watts

So imagine how surprised I was when I took a bite of the Wave Burger… The bun was actually soft and delicious! 

Combine that tasty bun with a bite of the grilled onions and pineapple slices, a sriracha drizzle, and the other delicious toppings, and you’ve got an impeccable sandwich that’s only missing one thing: jalapenos. I mean, spicier is always better, right?

Maybe that’s just me. Either way, don’t count Ruby Jean’s Juicery out when you’re you’re looking for a bright, welcoming place to grab lunch or something refreshing to sip on. Juice bars aren’t just for fitness fanatics or the health-conscious anymore. They’re for us sweet lovers and burger eaters, too.

Ruby Jean’s Juicery has two locations at 3000 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64109, and inside Whole Foods Market at 301 E 51st St Kansas City, MO 64112.