Let’s boogie: Disco Burger’s second location opens in Brookside and these “food dorks” are ready to get creative
Disco Burger // Photo by Jordan Baranowski
Another contender for “Kansas City’s Best Burger” has arrived in Brookside.
Disco Burger, which began life as a smash burger pop-up and currently operates in permanent residence at Varsity Club in the River Market, just opened its second location, this time as a stand-alone spot. Located in what used to be The Flying Horse Taproom on 63rd and Cherry, the new Disco Burger is currently taking online orders for pick-up at their takeout window for the next few weeks while they finalize the interior space.
Then, the party can really get started.
Matt Chapman and Darren Carter, co-owners of Disco Burger, have no plans to change anything with their residency at Varsity Club. However, a stand-alone location has always been the ultimate goal and opens up several new opportunities. “Our spot at Varsity Club was a great way to get our name out there and refine our recipes with a lot less risk,” Chapman says. “It really allowed us to get creative and find out what our customers want from us—and our River Market location isn’t going anywhere.”
Having a second location, especially a place of their own, is only going to let them get more creative. Chapman says that creating menus and developing new recipes is a collaboration between himself, Carter, and a few other team members, namely Dustin Mays and operations manager Jake Smithmier. “We’re huge food dorks. We all love breaking down the food we like or have nostalgia for and then trying to improve on it. We’re always asking questions like ‘Why do we like this?’ and ‘How do we do this?’ Once we nail that down, we try to figure out how we can do it better,” Chapman explains.
The team’s food-science approach to recipe development has helped them create some top-notch flavors, and the expanded footprint of the stand-alone spot will let them dig even deeper into those nostalgic flavors. Their standards from the River Market location are all spinning up in Brookside.
Disco Burger at Varsity Club // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Their signature item is the namesake Disco Burger: a smash burger with one, two, or three patties, topped with cheese, pickles, onions, and Disco Sauce. Disco Burger’s patties are true smash patties; the team took inspiration from West Coast burgers to develop the recipe. Soft, squishy potato buns contrast the crispy, thin texture of the patty edges, and the Disco Sauce tang definitely rings the bell of a few childhood fast food memories.
Other items currently on the takeout menu in Brookside will look familiar to people who have visited the River Market. Disco Dogs (with spicy Cowboy Relish and Gold Sauce), patty melts, and crinkle-cut fries are all available, along with vegetarian and vegan versions of the signature burger.
Disco Burger at Varsity Club // Photo by Sarah Sipple
All these menu items may be the greatest hits, but the real showstoppers are going to drop when the dining room opens. That’s when Disco Burger will be able to start showcasing the new recipes they’ve been working on.
“We’re going to be introducing some really fun stuff once we’ve hit our stride,” Chapman says. “The new Disco Burger is going to have soft serve ice cream. We’ll have space to expand the menu with some really tasty stuff like steak frites and a dill Caesar salad. We’re working on a knock-your-socks-off fish filet sandwich, and we’re roadmapping our monthly specials. Most of our specials are going to feature fresh, seasonal ingredients to help balance out the meat-heavy focus of our regular menu.”
Once the full space opens, Chapman says there will be about 40 seats inside, along with patio seating for another 20–25 people and some picnic space in the back lot. The goal is to make Brookside’s Disco Burger more of a neighborhood hang, rather than the late-night party vibe that comes with their location at Varsity Club. Even still, they’ll be ready to party: The Brookside location will have a full bar once the interior is finished, including a handful of zesty, citrus-forward cocktails to help play up the warm-weather diner mentality. Chapman also worked as the GM for Big Mood Natural Wines before it shut its doors, and he plans on bringing his experience with natural wines to the bar program at Disco Burger.
Disco Burger // Photo by Jordan Baranowski
There are even bigger plans to continue the momentum of Disco Burger.
Right now, they’re only open for to-go orders from their takeout window for dinner on Thursday through Sunday. Once the dining room opens, they’ll expand to dinner more nights of the week, and they’ll also start opening earlier on weekends for a lunch crowd. There are even plans for a burger-focused brunch menu once they’ve got their main service locked in.
For Brookside residents who want to try out one of KC’s best smash burgers, lace up your dancing shoes and head to Disco Burger’s takeout window soon. Keep an eye out for the dining room opening in the next month.
Disco Burger’s second location is at 600 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64110. It is currently open for to-go orders from their takeout window on Thursday through Sunday from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Their dining room will open in the next month, and it will have more substantial hours when it does.
