Zephyr Kitchen and Bourbon Bar — Restaurant in Overland Park

TLDR; Food was great! Bartender Samantha was terrible.

I recommend the cheesecake, so good! Includes caramel and candied nuts which was a first for us. I gotta say the salmon dinner looks amazing as well. We were not at all impressed with the service. Samantha displayed one of the worst examples of customer service I’ve ever encountered.

My husband who is one of the most laid back people you could meet said, “The food was amazing but she really ruined the atmosphere.”

We sat down and she walked passed at least twice, I think it was three times, without acknowledging us in any way. When she asked what she can get us I lightheartedly said, we’re looking for a sugar high. She had a stern look and did not react. My husband half laughed and said we’re looking for dessert. She said, we have a brownie, cheesecake- when he interrupted and said, yes that! I jokingly replied, wow way to interrupt the woman. Again, him and I were all smiles and she was not having it. Keep in mind this is a bar. At a hotel. Where people vacation. She walked away as she asks if we want one or two. My husband asked what the other options were on my behalf and she just straight out seemed annoyed with us. We were completely polite and not out of line in any way. The bar wasn’t anywhere close to closing either, which wouldn’t even justify this. We thanked her when she brought us water and plates as we would anyone else and her seriousness continued. The worst part is after that she addressed a man at the bar with smiles in what we both agreed to be a flirtatious manner. He seemed like a regular or a manager that worked there. He had paid for a retired service member’s drinks while we waited which I thought was honorable. Then she proceeded to the other side of the bar and showed her phone to someone and chatted while she checked her notifications. We were ready for our bill but didn’t mind waiting. It was such an odd interaction. The only time she seemed any amount of nice or normal was at the end when she presented the bill.

The cheesecake we shared was $8. We had planned on tipping a 20 dollar bill. After our experience we reluctantly left two bucks, then proceeded to the hotel’s front desk where the gentleman there was so very kind and professional and we gave him the 20 dollar bill instead. We are not well off by any means but an acquaintance had just recently paid for our dinner and we wanted to pay it forward. Glad it went to someone who knows how to compose themselves.

I’ve provided customer service on one of the worst days of my life and still have never treated someone with anything less than my absolute best, but hey everyone deals with life differently I...

Zephyr Kitchen and Bourbon Bar is really working to break the stigma of hotel bars. Zephyr is a stunning, open-concept space located in the Marriott Overland Park. They offer bourbon (of course!), cocktails, beer, wine, and have a small kitchen menu. The cocktail menu does rotate seasonally!

If you're a bourbon lover (or looking to try something new) this is definitely the spot to visit. The bar boasts over 130+ options of bourbons and whiskies, including several local selections and some allocated options. Prices are a little high, but it should be taken into consideration that all pours are 2 ounces, rather than the typical 1.

Our first visit we had an old fashioned (not on menu, but able to select what whiskey/bourbon you want) and a few snacks - a charcuterie board and fries. The board had a good variety of meats and cheese and we loved the garlic aioli with the fries. My husband opted to taste a few bourbons (unfortunately I don't remember which!).

Our second visit we just grabbed some drinks. I had the Marg My Words, and it was as gorgeous as it was delicious! It had Solerno blood orange liqueur (a staple in our home bar) and a red wine float - it was tart and sweet and perfectly balanced. My husband had their featured cocktail, a maple black walnut old fashioned. He said it was balanced and that the maple was on the subtle side (making it not overly sweet).

There's a variety of seating options from tables for larger groups, booths, smaller tables, and more private couches/chairs, making it an option for more intimate dates or grabbing a drink with a few friends.

Service does vary from time to time. Bartenders will come check in at your table, but you can also go up to the bar to place and order. It was busy our second visit, so staff didn't check in as much, but that said, we were there for a date and appreciated not being interrupted as much.

Zephyr does have live music from time to time! The music was loud enough to enjoy without being too loud to where I couldn't have a conversation...

Great Drinks, Ok Food, Terrible Attitude.

I found out about Zephyr when I looked up restaurants nearby. The Whiskey-centric theme appealed to us, so we decided to give it a shot. How surprised we were to discover it was in a hotel lobby, and yet, we persisited. The drinks were DELICIOUS, a veritable cornucopia of whiskeys and wines to choose from, not to mention the delectable cocktails. Our appetizer was fair, over cooked and under seasoned. Our entrees were well constructed but poorly prepared. The blackened shrimp was only soaked in hot sauce. The short rib was stringy and bland. But they worked well in their dishes.

What really stuck with me was the way we were treated. A credit card or room number was requested before our order would be entered. Which wouldn't be a big deal if I'd seen the customers that came after us were being asked the same thing. When it came time to pay our bill, our server assumed we'd be paying with the card and had to redo our ticket. After we paid in cash, he left the extra 20s we left as a tip in the book, infer from that what you will.

In short, if you want some delicious drinks served with mediocre food and condescension, Zephyr flies high above most. But be sure you look like you...