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The Farmhouse: Brunch+Lunch+Dinner = Farm-Fresh Goodness

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After ten years of serving delicious farm-to-table food, The Farmhouse in Kansas City’s historic City Market district has established an outstanding reputation for brunch. I’d heard about it from just about everyone and read about it in just about everything. So, I was excited to sink my teeth into some fresh brunch fare, and I wasn’t disappointed one single bit when I left The Farmhouse after devouring a lineup of seasonal items on their new “lunch-ish” menu and traditional dinner menu.

In fact, after visiting The Farmhouse at 300 Delaware Street, situated at the corner of the cutest street in the City Market, I knew I wanted to return for brunch, lunch, dinner and every meal in between.

At The Farmhouse, chef owner Vincent Paredes and restaurant owner Marty Enslein are passionate about sourcing as much of their food and drinks from local farmers as possible. Because they have personal relationships with the local and regional food producers, they can be confident the food they serve is as fresh as possible by minimizing the distance the food had to travel, reducing the impact on the environment and limiting any use of growth hormones or preservatives. “We do everything we can to support local because it is our goal to create fresh entrees along with a menu that changes often as new produce becomes available,” said Vincent. “Specials are very big for us and it gives us the ability to always feature something new.”

The farm-to-table mission is the foundation of everything The Farmhouse is built on. A chalkboard on the prominent brick wall proudly spotlights local farmers who serve as The Farmhouse partners. These food producers understand that Marty and Vincent are looking for eggs, meat and produce that are fresh, ethically raised and locally sourced. “We do all of this so we can give our customers the best foods we possibly can. Our customers like to know where their food has come from, and so do we,” said Marty.

Even more exciting, The Farmhouse grows and uses its own produce and herbs from a micro farm just steps from the restaurant’s back door. The garden is a team effort just like everything is at The Farmhouse. Servers, bartenders and cooks assist in gardening, creative menu ideas and food prep.

The smart guys at The Farmhouse recognized the popularity of their brunch and incorporated a few of those top menu items into the new lunch-ish menu available now. Since COVID-19, the restaurant’s hours have changed to accommodate the shifting guidelines, and now they’re open Thursdays through Sundays with the new lunch-ish menu available weekdays. A separate brunch menu remains available weekends until 3:00 p.m. 

Starting with lunch-ish (brunch+lunch), we devoured the Country Fried Steak, a menu item that people are buzzing about because of Chef Vincent’s Latin-inspired white cheddar poblano grits. These aren’t your grandma’s grits! He’s found a way to gourmet-up the grits (secret recipe) transforming the whole plate into a delectable explosion of savory gusto. The steak is local, of course, a Barham Farm tenderized beef that’s lightly breaded and seasoned atop the almost indescribable pale-green grits that are garnished with sweet corn relish and shredded cheese for a rich, sweet flavor plus a couple of eggs.

Then for dinner (or lunch), you don’t want to miss the smashburger on the menu, the Daily Grind All Beef Burger. They might want to celebrate this entrée with a fancier name because they grind the beef daily from different KC-area ranchers, including brisket from one farm, chuck roll from another and short rib from a third as a way to showcase the best meat from the region. The result is a taste that is beyond heavenly. The sandwich is served with two four-ounce patties, cheddar cheese and the fixings. This is one true steak burger. Don’t miss the hand-cut fries and house-made ketchup.

Then for the Market Steak. Wowsa! There are a few things I want when I order a steak. One, I like when it is served sliced and this was. I’m lazy that way. Next, I need some flavors added to my steak and this was magnificent. The perfectly grilled steak was topped with something a little out of the ordinary: chimichurri, heirloom pico de gallo, queso fresco and a side of grilled vegetables. Amazing!

And even the bar at The Farmhouse features delicious and locally made simple syrups and juices with highlighted seasonal drinks too.

I couldn’t write about The Farmhouse and not talk about their famed brunch. My favorite was Chefe Lío, or Chef’s Mess. For flavor junkies, this type of entrée is our jam. Shredded chili-braised beef barbacoa, masa cakes topped with a poached egg, queso fresco and nothing’s better to top it off with than some farm-fresh pico de gallo. As the chef says, “This is fun to eat, colorful to look at and fun to make.”

When Marty tasted how The Farmhouse prepared its Eggs Benedict, he bought the place! In fact, it’s the menu item by which he gauges the quality of a restaurant’s overall cuisine. Two poached eggs, homemade hollandaise sauce, challah bread–not your average English muffins–local sliced smoked ham–which replaces the typical Canadian bacon. “We have elevated the food since then,” he noted. “Customers have told us that they have noticed the difference.”

With an in-house pastry chef, there’s no shortage of fresh cinnamon rolls and other freshly prepared pastries, including one of Chef Vincent’s childhood favorites that he made with this mother, Pumpkin Bread Butter Toast fresh off the griddle. It’s served with butter and jam.

Take the street car, drive in from the suburbs or walk from your downtown apartment, but The Farmhouse should become a regular lunch, lunch-ish, brunch and dinner spot for anyone in the Greater Kansas City area.

Visit eatatthefarmhouse.com for menu previews and reservations.

Written by: Megan Neher

Journalist-turned-PR-professional Megan Neher has never forgotten her true first love: writing. Today, Megan owns her own PR firm, Megan Neher Public Relations; she’s a wife, mom, marketer, student and spends a lot of time cleaning up after her four pets and two teenagers. Her dream is to live on a tropical beach somewhere where she can stroll barefoot to a nearby grass hut for a fish taco and margarita.