Dish & Drink KC: Economical tamales at Three Bees and hefty brunches at The Shack
Strawberry Tamale at Three Bees Coffee and Pottery Shop. // Photo by Lauren Textor
Three Bees Pottery and Coffee is worth buzzing about
Everything about Three Bees feels cozy and inviting.
From the ivy climbing up the outside of the building to the scarred, drop-leaf tables, the building is imbued with character. Colorful, imported Mexican pottery covers the walls in the form of frogs and lizards. Natural, hand-poured candles are for sale alongside coasters and planters. The roomy parking lot next door scores this establishment extra points, despite the potholes.
House-made horchata is served in thick glasses in original ($4), dirty ($5), or seasonal fruit varieties ($5.50). All of the drinks are more than reasonably priced at $2.75 for a hot or iced coffee, $3.50 for a cold brew, $4.50 for a latte or cappuccino, and $5 for a mocha. The Tres Leches Latte, a summer special, is a whopping $5.
Two Tamale Meal at Three Bees Pottery and Coffee Shop. // Photo by Lauren Textor
The budget-friendly quality also extends to food. Tamales ($3 each, $17 for a half dozen, or $33 for a dozen) are available in beef, chicken, cheese and veggies, pork, Oaxaca, vegan-style, or roasted veggie. There’s even a strawberry dessert tamale, served steaming and super pink.
At $3, the house-made rice and beans are vegan-friendly comfort food—the height of bang for your buck.
Busy professionals and students alike will be pleased to know that free wifi is available and that there is a roomy parking lot next door (just watch out for the potholes!).
Three Bees Pottery and Coffee is located at 925 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66103.
Starchy & Cluck at The Shack Breakfast & Lunch. // Photo by Lauren Textor
Get brunching at The Shack Breakfast & Lunch
The Shack is anything but. The enormous, trendy brunch spot has indoor and outdoor seating at four locations across the Kansas City area. Its colossal menu is matched by heaping portions of all the breakfast staples: bacon, sausage, biscuits, hash browns, and eggs any way you like ‘em.
The cleverly named Starchy & Cluck is basically an enormous, well-rounded version of chicken and waffles with the addition of two eggs and a bed of buttery hash browns. The fried chicken breast is glazed with honey maple syrup and further savor-ized with chipotle aioli drizzle.
Everything Tastes Better in Denver omelet at The Shack Breakfast & Lunch. // Photo by Lauren Textor
According to the omelet section, Everything Tastes Better in Denver Kansas City. Ham, bacon, green and red pepper, and onion are folded into a blanket of eggs and then covered in cheddar. As someone who personally believes that an omelet can’t have too much filling, I’m a huge fan.
The ‘Merica is delicious and ironic. The red, white, and blue toppings cover soft and fluffy slices of French toast. The mascarpone honey glaze is an inspired choice to add extra sweetness.
‘Merica French toast at The Shack Breakfast & Lunch. // Photo by Lauren Textor
To top it all off, The Shack serves three different cereal-inspired boozy shakes: “I Do What I Want” (Cocoa Puffs with frozen yogurt, plus Irish cream and hazelnut liqueur), “Real or Fake” (frozen yogurt, vodka, Irish cream liqueur, iced coffee, and Golden Grahams), and “Captain Crunch” (frozen yogurt, RumChata, spiced rum, and Cap’n Crunch).
The portions will make it worth your while, but be prepared to wait in line, especially on the weekends. The Shack doesn’t take reservations, but you can join the waitlist online to save time.
The Shack Breakfast & Lunch fires up the griddle at nine locations in Kansas and Missouri. Locations in the Greater Kansas City area include 860 NW Blue Pkwy., Lee’s Summit, MO 64086; 7940 W 135th St., Overland Park, KS 66223; 7218 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210; and 9329 Harbinger St., Lenexa, KS 66219.
