Dish & Drink KC: Pride cocktails at Goat & Rabbit and full spice at Khop Jai Der

Some bars celebrate Pride with a rainbow flag in the window. Goat & Rabbit decided to put the rainbow in your glass. This West 39th St gem is known for slinging handcrafted cocktails, cold local beers, and consistently good vibes—but this Pride Month, they’ve truly outdone themselves.

To celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community, Goat & Rabbit created a limited-edition Pride menu. A vibrant lineup of cocktails inspired by the colors of the rainbow. Each one is a playful, thoughtful nod to the spectrum of identity and expression, and a portion of proceeds from every Pride cocktail sold goes directly to PFLAG Kansas City. PFLAG KC is a vital organization offering education, advocacy, and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth, their families, and the broader community. 

Drinks that support queer joy? Yes, please.

The menu runs through June 30 and truly has something for everyone, from savory, briny sippers to candy-colored confections. But the one that completely stole my heart (and tastebuds) was the Brain Freeze ($16). It’s a cocktail made with Don Q white rum, mint, green grapes, and lime, served over ice with a house-made Very Berry Citrus Tea Popsicle on top. 

The popsicle alone is a work of art, infused with mint, limes, honey, and rosewater, but here’s where it gets magical: once you swirl the pop into your drink, the color shifts and the flavor deepens. Suddenly, your refreshing and subtly sweet patio cocktail transforms into a juicy, complex, berry-forward beauty. 

On the opposite end of the flavor spectrum, the B.P.E. ($15) or Big Pickle Energy easily became a favorite, too. It’s made with roasted black garlic and serrano pepper gin, a vermouth spritz, and a hefty splash of pickle brine from Cosmo Burgers, garnished with actual pickles. It’s savory, a little spicy, and overall pickle-forward. If you love a dirty martini or anything briney and bold, and you’re a fan of pickles, this is the drink you didn’t know you needed. 

Sure, these were our top picks, but we worked our way through the full Pride cocktail menu. From the glittery, low-ABV Friend of Dorothy ($14) to the tropical and dreamy Ube Mai-Tai ($18), each drink brought its own personality. There’s even a cocktail called You’re So Samantha ($16) that comes with a strawberry-egg white rainbow foam cap, which looked a lot like a flirty queer cloud. 

Every detail, from the infused vodkas to the house-made syrups, shows that the Goat & Rabbit team put serious care into making each drink meaningful.

Off-menu, I have to shout out one of their staples: their Espresso Martini. They’re sort of known for it, and now I see why. It’s bold and rich without being overly sweet, with a perfect layer of crema and just the right kick of bitterness. If you love a good espresso martini, this one should absolutely be on your Kansas City cocktail bucket list.

All in all, Goat & Rabbit nailed it. This Pride Month, they’ve managed to craft a menu that’s delicious, celebratory, and community-centered, while still keeping things fun and approachable. 

Goat & Rabbit is located at 1804 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111.

Khop Jai Der, Lao & Vietnam // Photo by Tiffany Watts

At Khop Jai Der, comfort food comes with heat, depth, and sometimes, a generous pour of coconut curry. This Lao and Vietnamese restaurant in Overland Park may fly under the radar, but what it’s serving is anything but ordinary. 

Normally, I play it safe with pho (because who doesn’t love a steamy bowl of noodles and broth?), but this time, I stepped out of the box and into a whole new level of delicious. I ordered Mee Ka Tii, listed as NS12 on their in-store menu, and I can confidently say it’s unlike anything I’ve tasted at any other Vietnamese restaurant in Kansas City. This dish comes in a generous bowl packed with rice noodles, all swimming in a rich red curry-coconut broth. It’s layered with cabbage, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, mint, peanuts, and cilantro, each ingredient playing its part without overpowering the others.

We went full spice mode and ordered ours Lao Hot, which is the highest level of heat they offer. And listen, they mean it. It’s the kind of spicy that makes your nose run a little, but you keep going because the flavor is just that good. If your spice tolerance is low, start a little lower on their scale. You’ll still get all the depth without the heat tears.

The food came out fast, piping hot, and beautifully fragrant. The broth was creamy but light, with the red curry giving it a kick and the coconut milk balancing it out with a touch of sweetness. Texturally, it was well balanced. Cunchy cabbage, soft noodles, fresh herbs. It felt comforting and adventurous at the same time.

What really added to the experience, though, was the service. Every single staff member we interacted with was kind, patient, and attentive. They checked in on us throughout the meal, offered suggestions when we were stuck on what to order, and made sure our table was stocked with everything we needed without hovering. It’s clear that hospitality is just as important to them as the food, and that’s saying something, because the food is phenomenal.

Khop Jai Der, Lao & Vietnam is located at 11920 W 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66213.