Clay & Fire — Restaurant in Kansas City

I can't say enough good things about Clay & Fire. I went as part of a large group and our server, Brooklyn, told us that for large groups they offer a family style tasting menu that encompasses most of their menu for $45ish apiece. I'm SO glad we went that route, as we got to try some truly incredible dishes we wouldn't have ordered otherwise.

We had the mezze platter and enjoyed several different spreads, my personal favorite being the girit ezme (a feta, pistachio, and basil spread). There was also a fantastic spicy yogurt I loved but honestly, you couldn't go wrong with any of them. We also tried their Greek salad and a yummy cauliflower/green bean side, which were both great.

We enjoyed both their Grandma's Pizza (which was yummy and so fresh) and trabzom pide (with a runny egg in the middle, so unexpected and so good)! Finally, we got two dishes of kharcho to share and a kebab platter with chicken, koobideh, and lamb. I loved the chicken and koobideh, and my friends who eat lamb said that was really good too.

Personally, my favorite thing we ate was the kharcho. It was delicious beef short rib over polenta with a tomato sauce and I'm already making plans to come back so I can eat it again.

I wish we could've tried the desserts, but I'm sure you understand why we were just too full. The cocktails were also great and we were told they infuse their alcohols in house, which definitely showed.

I mentioned Brooklyn earlier, but I have to shout her out again - she was AMAZING. Her recommendations and knowledge were on point and she was so kind and attentive to our large party, even though she was busy. We sincerely appreciated her.

I also got to speak to the owner of the restaurant, who was so nice and even recommended another restaurant for us to try during our next group dinner. Clay & Fire is a great place for anyone who likes Middle Eastern food. Definitely...

I had high hopes for my visit to Clay and Fire, but unfortunately, it turned out to be quite underwhelming. I made reservations for a Saturday evening, looking forward to indulging in some delicious food. However, my expectations were shattered as soon as I realized they were out of most menu items, including their supposedly famous pizza. How can a restaurant run out of essential dishes on a busy weekend? It was incredibly disappointing.

The only dish I managed to try was the trio spread, and I must admit it was the highlight of the evening. The flavors were quite enjoyable, and it provided a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. But when the best thing about a meal is a single dish out of an entire menu, it's safe to say that something went wrong.

One aspect that did receive some praise was the atmosphere. I found the ambiance to be pleasant, creating a cozy and inviting space. However, that's where the positives end. The service, or lack thereof, was a significant letdown. Despite specifically requesting olives, they never bothered to bring them to our table. Such a simple request should not have been overlooked.

To add to the frustration, the kebabs that my friends ordered took an excruciatingly long time to be prepared. Waiting for over 30 minutes for a dish is unacceptable, especially when the restaurant wasn't particularly crowded. The delay disrupted the flow of the meal and left us feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

Overall, my experience at Clay and Fire left a lot to be desired. The limited availability of dishes, slow service, and failure to fulfill basic requests significantly overshadowed the positive aspects, such as the tasty trio spread and pleasant atmosphere. Considering the high expectations I had for this restaurant, it was a disappointing and...

After hearing so many great things about Clay & Fire over the years, we were excited to finally try it. Unfortunately, our experience was a letdown.

While waiting to be seated, a man (who we initially assumed was kitchen staff) sat at a nearby table and began having a loud, explicit conversation on speakerphone. I’ll spare the full details, but he was saying things like how much he “wanted to have midday sex” with the woman on the other end, and describing her breasts and figure in graphic detail. This went on for at least 10 minutes at a volume where everyone seated in this area could hear. We were seated right next to him, and shockingly, no one from the staff stepped in to ask him to move until it became so disruptive our server could barely take our order. It wasn’t until midway through the meal that I learned this man was actually the owner of the restaurant.

I also have a dietary restriction and had been looking forward to trying the vegan pizza, but was told they were out of the acuka and couldn’t make it, which was disappointing. That left just two dairy-free entree options: the kofte and the za’atar chicken. I ordered the kofte, which was $24 for six gristly meatballs and a bean salad — not impressive, especially for the price.

The highlights of the night were the hummus and pita, the drinks, and our kind server. Maybe we caught the restaurant on an "off" night, but nothing about the food or atmosphere lived up...