Drinking Coffee in Kansas City: Huey’s On The Square
We’ve revived the series that helped launch Explore–
we take our coffee seriously, over here!
Photos by Meredith Schneider
While Huey’s On The Square isn’t primarily known for its coffee, its welcoming staff and warm, friendly space is endearing for a morning cup of joe. (With a side of breakfast!)
Tucked into the northwest corner of Liberty Square, the striking sign and cute little outdoor seating area indicate you’ve reached your destination.
As you walk into Huey’s, you notice how many seats the notably small storefront can handle. Those who were around the area in the 1990s remember it as an ice cream shop with far less accommodations for guests.
Now, the extensive food menu almost hits you in the face from the back of the room when you walk in the door, hand-drawn - and so well done - for some quirky, classic small-town charm.
While many storefronts in Liberty Square are jam-packed with the colors of local high school, college, and professional sports teams and trending items, Huey’s is a breath of fresh air with its highly pigmented, gold walls and dark, natural shade of green painted onto the tin ceiling. The colors are clean, charming, and a great base for the decorative, gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
As mentioned, Huey’s On The Square is primarily a diner-style restaurant. They do serve classic caffeinated beverages, including drip coffee, lattes, Americanos, and more.
However, when I stopped in, their latte machine was down. So the cashier offered a quick splash of flavored syrup for me to doctor up my drip coffee in place of what would have been a similar latte. Like many classic diners, they keep sugar, honey, cream, cinnamon, and more out to the side for you to adjust the flavor of your beverage, so this was super helpful on such a frigid morning when a hot drink felt necessary.
The menu is extensive, and includes many options for breakfast and lunch. Buttermilk pancakes, steel cut oatmeal, belgian waffles, and a massive breakfast sandwich are highlights on the early menu. Philly cheesesteaks, chicken salad, grilled cheese, barbecue chicken, and more are served later in the day.
I opted in for a half order of the biscuits and gravy. The white gravy came with an abundance of sausage cut up in it, well-seasoned and really tasty. One biscuit was cut in half, smothered in this sausage gravy, with a little bit of strawberry, grape, and orange as vibrant plate decor.
While the biscuits and gravy was super budget-friendly and really tasty, I really enjoyed the reading material that was at the front of the shop. It’s been years since I’ve seen a stack of Coffee News out and about. Having something tangible to encourage reading or give solo diners something to do seems like such a friendly gesture.
Huey’s On The Square proudly displays gorgeous art on the walls, adding character to the exposed brick and inviting lively conversation around the different displays. Feel free to ask the workers for stories behind some of the art and decor in the space. The team always seems so friendly, and helps to make the environment one you kind of never want to leave.
