Black Garlic Restaurant & Rum Bar — Restaurant in Kansas City

We arrived around 6:15 on a Friday night. We had tickets to a show at the Uptown at 8 and were looking forward to Mesob after reading the reviews. We waited in line to be seated and when we got to the front of the line the server rather rudely informed us they were reservations only. We stepped outside and I checked online to see if we could get a reservation in the next half hour or so since we were already near our destination venue, and there was a 6:30 reservation. By then that was just 7 minutes, so we went back in and a different server seated us without asking if we had a reservation.

Our server seemed great at first. We ordered drinks and it seemed they were definitely slow and likely understaffed. We ordered an appetizer and our entrees. Then, we waited. At no point were our waters refilled, or more drinks offered, or any kind of acknowledgement really. Although they were obviously just taking a while we still watched people around us get their food. At 7:30 I flagged our server down and asked if we could just pay for our cocktails and go as we had somewhere to be. She then said my entree was ready to come out and did I just want it to go. This seemed odd since we hadn't even gotten our appetizer but I accepted.

She brought it and our check out. It had the drinks and the appetizer we never received. I checked the menu to see if the appetizer was the same price as my meal so I could just pay and leave. As the appetizer was more I asked her to fix the check and gave her my card. She came back and said I should just leave it as the appetizer was cheaper. I pointed out that the menu said otherwise, so she left to fix the check. Then, she came back again without having updated the check or running my card to say that our appetizer was ready and ask if we wanted her to box it up. At this point it was 7:45, so our option would have been to leave it in the car and eat it after the show. As we ordered mussels, not a great option for this, so I declined. She seemed annoyed, but left. She brought the check back and said shortly that she just comped my meal.

I wanted to love this place, but this experience was terrible. We were there nearly an hour and a half, which even on a busy night should have been more than enough time to have a meal. Instead we tossed my entree in the car and went to our show hungry. Hindsight being 20/20 we should have left when we were rudely turned away by the first server.

The cocktails were good, but not worth $35. My food was good, but I'll stick...

We arrived with no reservation on Sunday night for dinner and requested seats at the bar, our wonderful bartender Terrie (sp?) was very accommodating. Vibes were good in a comfortable space that catered to all types- dates, celebrations, neighborhood regulars.

We shared two appetizers (Banan Peze and Carribean Fritters) both with very well considered flavors and textures, bright and enticing starters to our meal. The chef's attention to detail was apparent in the elegantly constructed platings, making us eager for more. I enjoyed a lovely Hatian lager (Ewo!) and my partner had a flawlessly executed Painkiller tiki cocktail shaken up by Terrie. Oh, they have an exceptional rum selection- able to rival any in the city.

We followed with the oxtail entree and....... oh, my. Friends, it is impossible to discuss the oxtails available here without seeming hyperbolic but it is one of the most decadent dishes currently available in KC. These oxtails are so good that I'm up at 2am three days later writing a review of the restaurant. Served in luxurious braising liquid with vegetables and a well balanced mushroom rice pilaf, it was hard to even give up the bones after cleaning our plates!

Even though we were quite full at that point, everything had been so good we rolled the dice on dessert with the Pineapple Upside Down (red velvet!) Rum Cake and it was one of the most satisfying finishes to a meal I've had in years. An absolute symphony of contrasting flavors, textures and temperatures, it was a testament to the high standard set by the rest of the...

So here are a few critiques I’d like to get out of the way: They stopped online ordering sometime around 8 last night. That’s fair, seeing as how they allegedly close at 10 but was a bit disappointing.

They stop answering their phones after 8 last night as well. It just went straight to voice mail. Not sure why but I was determined to try their food as I am not from Kansas City.

Once I arrived in person, I ordered 2 sides of djon djon (black mushroom rice). The order went to the kitchen. A word was not said about the fact that they were out until it was given to me. I received red beans and rice instead. When I asked were they out after receiving a different rice, I was told “the kitchen must’ve not informed me”. Ohh the disappointment. I get it, djon djon isn’t typically served in such large quantities to retain the flavor of the batch. It was later in the evening. I wasn’t surprised but very disappointed after waiting approximately 20+ minutes for a different type of rice that I can make at home and some plantain.

The waitress gave me sauce for it which was nice. But I walked out with my sweet plantains and my rice. The rice was good but I know the djon djon would be better. At least I left with something. As an out of town individual, I’m not sure that this is their process as far as communication but there’s room for improvement. Happy for the people that had great experiences. There definitely needs to be more Caribbean spots in the Midwest and hopefully that will happen one of these days. I wish them the...