Gizmos Tavern — Restaurant in Smithville

I really wanted to like this place. I had heard good things from friends and the reviews looked promising. I was so sad to be so disappointed. I normally don't leave reviews but I am hoping the management at Gizmo's will read this and use it to improve. First off, the atmosphere is awesome. I love the decor and the layout. But unfortunately that was the best part of my visit. It was fairly busy when we arrived with multiple groups waiting. They stated a 20 min wait time and we did wait about that long, no problem there. But there was an open table the whole time we were waiting and we finally did get sat at that table. Also, we approached the bar for drinks and the bartender definitely ignored me standing there for at least 5 mins. All I wanted was a drink menu. When she did finally acknowledge my presence she acted as if I was bothering her. When I asked for a drink menu, she gruffly said, we don't have a drink menu, we just have this. And tossed a piece of paper at me with a handful of wine selections. But the beer options were lengthy. I was disappointed by the lack of wine selection. And also, I would have thought they would have some specialty cocktail options on there drink menu but none were listed. There was a specialty drink advertised on the chalk board by the door but no explanation as to what was in the drink. The menu had lots of options on it and it all sounded pretty appetizing. I ordered the calamari as an appetizer and the East/West Chicken sandwich with a side salad with a white wine shallot dressing. Two others in my party ordered burgers. One was asked how they wanted theirs cooked and the other did not get asked...? The food took forever to come out. The waitress did not come to update us on our order and we had to ask. She stated the kitchen was running slow and orders are taking a while to come out. I asked if she could check on our calamari. The calamari came out shortly after that and it was cold and chewy. I asked if we could get a fresh hot order and they were happy to do that and it came out promptly. But it was still chewy and bland. They sauce that came with it was too salty. And the slaw on the side of the calamari was inedible because it also was too salty. Finally our orders came out, well three of them did. The 4th order came out about 5 mins later. 2 of us had the East/West Chicken sandwich and we both agreed it was terrible and we couldn't eat it. The chicken was very bland and the rest of the fixings on it tasted awful. The only thing I enjoyed about my meal was the side salad. My friend who ordered her burger well done, her burger was pink on the inside but charred black on the outside. The burger did have a good flavor to it though but the bun was burnt. The fries were not good and again way too salty. We had considered ordering the bread pudding for dessert but at this point we were all so disappointed we didn't want to waste any more money on the meal. The waitress was nice enough but could have been more attentive. She was kind enough to remove the calamari from my bill, so I really appreciated that. I really hope management reads this review and the others I have seen saying the food was not great and/or too salty. I feel this place could have potential but they definitely need to address the service issues and...

Gizmos is situated on a quaint street in downtown Smithville, and it’s the restaurant this town needed—it does not disappoint. The dining area is spacious, with great spacing between tables, making it feel comfortable even on a busy night.

We tried the restaurant on a Friday evening, and despite a short 20-25 minute wait, it was well worth it. We started with the salmon spread, served with an herb-grilled baguette. This was an excellent beginning—not too heavy, with the briny capers adding a delightful contrast to the creamy salmon. For the main course, my wife had the Shrimp Scampi, which came with linguini in a white wine and herbed butter sauce. Spinach, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, and pesto completed the dish, and the shrimp were large and perfectly cooked. The portion size was just right, and she paired it with a house salad that was hearty and fresh.

I opted for the Cioppino, a dish you rarely come across in the Midwest, especially in a small town like Smithville. I had initially wanted the roasted sea bass, but the Cioppino included sea bass, along with shrimp, mussels, calamari, and salmon, all served in a saffron tomato broth. The dish was packed with flavor, and I highly recommend ordering a side of grilled baguette to soak up that incredible broth. As a side, I had bok choy, which was cooked to perfection.

What made our experience even better was that after spending Saturday with family, we found ourselves back at Gizmos for dinner again. My family had heard about our positive experience the night before and was eager to try it out for themselves. This time, we started with the olive spread, which had been recommended to me previously—it was amazing! If you’re an olive fan, don’t pass this up. We also had the fried cheese curds with remoulade sauce, another recommendation that didn’t disappoint.

For our main course, I had the Greek salad, which was fresh and vibrant with mixed greens, olives, pickled shallots, and feta cheese. My wife had another salad that featured mixed greens, walnuts, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, and onions—she loved it, though I can’t recall the name. My sister, who is vegan, opted for sides of green beans, bok choy, and potatoes. She was impressed with the flavors, especially the crisp, flavorful green beans. My father had the house salad.

To finish off the meal, we shared two desserts: a rich sticky toffee bread pudding with popcorn ice cream, and a decadent chocolate torte with black raspberry ice cream. Though I initially claimed I was done, I couldn’t resist digging into the desserts. Both were excellent, and a perfect end to the meal.

What sets Gizmos apart is its menu. They offer a variety of seafood dishes you just don’t see in this area, in addition to staples like burgers, chicken sandwiches, steak, and pork. Whether you’re looking for comfort food or something more refined, there’s something for everyone.

The only slight drawback is that the music could be lowered a notch during the dinner hour. While the tavern vibe is charming, we found ourselves speaking louder than usual to keep up a conversation.

Despite that, if you’re in Kansas City, take a short trip to Gizmos—you won’t regret it! I look forward to...

Really wish I could give a good review, but sadly, I cannot. Been there a few times and the food was just OK. Last time had the shrimp, and it was not good at all. It looked a little ragged and the bland sauce didn't help. Shrimp needs a robust sauce, and the one that it was swimming in was like a bland Thousand Island. Had to ask for a cocktail sauce and that was also bland. We decided to try the prime rib night and, again was very disappointed. Three of the four of us had the prime rib and two of them were nice and thick. Unfortunately, my husband's was about half the size and only about 1/2 inch. The difference was stunning. I asked to speak to the manager and she said they all looked pretty much the same...wrong answer. It could not have been more apparent that his was half the size as the other two. I even took his piece and put it next to my friends as a comparison. She was nice but just assumed we were trying to get a discount. No matter the issue, the first thing out of her mouth should have been, I'm so sorry. After a little more discussion and assurances that we weren't just trying to get a discount, we finished our meal. When we got our bill, a discount was given to our friends instead of...