Italian in the City – Team Blake’s Guide to 10 Kansas City Italian Restaurant Experiences That You Don’t Want to Miss
The Italian-American community has a rich history in Kansas City and the restaurants to prove it. If eating risotto in Milan isn’t something you plan to do in your immediate future, you can have the next best option right here in your home city with some of KC’s incredible and authentic Italian restaurants right around the corner (or you know, a 30-minute drive away).
Cascones
3733 N. Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO
Cascones has been owned and operated by the Cascone family since the 1950s with family origins in the southern coast of Sicily. You might be transported there when you taste their delicious Chicken Limonata Elaina or the slow-simmered Sicilian marinara sauce. With a menu full of all the traditional Italian favorites and their award-winning Sugo (Sunday pasta sauce), Cascone’s is a Kansas City favorite that you don’t want to miss.
Lidia’s
101 W 22nd St
Kansas City, MO
For an upscale Italian dining experience in the Crossroads, Lidia’s is a perfect choice. Serving authentic Northern Italian cuisine with elegance and finesse, it’s your ideal date night downtown. You can’t go wrong with their signature dish which is an unlimited daily pasta selection served tableside. Gnocchi, risotto, seared duck breast or bone-in rib eye are just a few of the selections on their well-rounded menu. You don’t want to skip dessert here! Finish your fabulous dinner with tiramisu or ricotta cheesecake. If brunch is your thing, Lidia’s also offers an incredible brunch.
Carollo’s Grocery and Deli
9 E 3rd St
Kansas City, MO
At Carollo’s Grocery and Deli in the River Market, you might forget for a minute that you are in Kansas City and not in a market somewhere on the Italian coast. Offering homemade Italian specialties such sausages, olive salad, chicken spiedini, and cannoli, Carollo’s is your one-stop shop for all things Italian in Kansas City. Try one of their delicious sub sandwiches and some gelato while you pick out all your favorite Italian delicacies to bring home.
Jasper’s Ristorante
1201 W 103rd St
Kansas City, MO
Jasper’s is not only an award-winning restaurant in Kansas City but has recently been named one of the top Italian restaurants in the United States by both Zagat, Travel and Leisure, and USA Today. Highly acclaimed Italian chef, Jasper J Mirabile Jr, creates masterpiece pastas, pizzas, soups, salads, hot sandwiches, and a wide variety of Italian desserts. Jasper’s is a must-try in the Kansas City Italian food scene.
Bella Napoli
6229 Brookside Blvd
Kansas City, MO
For homemade gnocchi on Thursdays, delicious pizza and innovative foodie pasta dishes give Bella Napoli a try. Authentic and cute, Bella Napoli offers a restaurant as well as a deli and market where you can have a perfect Italian sub for lunch, bring home meats, cheeses and pasta for an Italian feast at home, or have a fine dining dinner experience. With Bella’s small vineyard wine program, enjoy a unique wine with dinner or take a bottle home.
Ragazza
4301 Main St
Kansas City, MO
Located on Main Street, KCMO, Ragazza is a delicious Italian experience that you won’t want to miss. With an extensive pasta menu including options such as clam linguine and rigatoni bolognese as well as a gluten-free pasta bake and gluten-free meatballs, there is something for everyone on this menu. As said in the Kansas City Star, “Every neighborhood should have a cozy spot such as Cucina Della Ragazza.”
North Italia
4579 W 119th St
Leawood, KS
North Italia in Leawood boasts modern, gourmet Italian food with flavors to dazzle your tastebuds. Try creative dishes that will wow you such as squid ink mafaldine, diver scallops, and wagyu skirt steak tagliata, or a delicious handmade pizza. They also offer gluten-free options as well as vegetable noodles so you can enjoy all the flavor without all the calories. You’ll also want to check out the extensive cocktail menu. The unique flavors don’t stop with the food at this Italian favorite.
Garozzo’s
9950 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS
526 Harrison St
Kansas City, MO
Garozzo’s is an all-time Kansas City favorite with locations in downtown KC and in Overland Park. As authentic as it gets, Garozzo’s has been bringing delicious Italian food to Kansas City for over 32 years. Their signature dish is their well-known chicken spiedini but their menu doesn’t stop there but includes beef, veal, and shrimp spiedini as well as many other Italian favorites. Low carb and gluten-free options make it an experience that everyone can enjoy. Don’t skip dessert here, limoncello cake, tiramisu, and cannoli are just a few of the mouth-watering Italian favorites offered to end your Italian experience on a sweet and delicious note.
Farina
1901 Baltimore Ave
Kansas City, MO
- Farina in Kansas City, Missouri boasts Chef Michael Smith, a James Beard award-winning chef who has created a modern Italian menu with classics from every region of Italy. With the finest local ingredients and fresh seafood flown in daily, every dish is handcrafted to perfection. Hand-rolled pastas and dishes such as potato gnocchi with braised rabbit, leeks, shiitakes and grana padano and Michael Smith pork roast with saffron risotto, tomato marmalade, and crisp zucchini are just a few of the options that will take your tastebuds to Italy without ever leaving Kansas City. Try the Oyster Bar for a fun and fresh Italian experience.
Jovito’s Italian Café & Deli
7408 Wornall Rd
Kansas City, MO
10. Jovito’s Italian Café and Deli is the perfect stop for an authentic Italian sub or panini. Their menu features meatball grinders. Italian steak sandwiches, savory pastas, and fresh salads. They also offer family dinners for pickup that feed 4-6 people and include Italian bread and butter, a choice of salad, and an entree. Bring a delicious Italian meal home for the whole family to enjoy. This should definitely be your choice for the next take-out night!
