La Bodega - Spanish restaurant in Kansas City - 703 Southwest Blvd, USA

I've been to Spain so I'm kind of biased when it comes to paella and sangria. So overall I would say I would try this restaurant again. The food was good. I did have a problem with the sangria because a traditional sangria in Spain does not have Sprite in it. But all of the tapas were really good. The chicken kabobs and potatoes were my favorite. The seafood and the paella was drastically overcooked, clams hard and chewy. But the flavor was really delicious. We made a reservation but ended up at a table where it was super cold and asked the hostess if we could move. They moved us to a different table but gave us a timeline on when we had to be done because the table was reserved for another party. Which I thought was a little bit rude because we had also made reservations. In the end they didn't end up making us move. Overall it was a good vibe and I will return.

Great atmosphere and area. I liked the potato artichoke creamy soup in a cup portion, just the right amount for appetizer, a bit sour artichoke and salty jamon to balance out the creaminess. The calamari tapas (and olives) were too salty for me, there were tomatoes and lemons but more of them would have been better (even tomatoes were salty in this case).

This place is mostly for drink and Tapas, portion was decent amount, nice service and beautiful patio, but very pricey. The paellera is the most disappointing dish tonight, most of the seafood on top were all over cooked, only the shrimps were fine, paellera wasn’t seasoning well either. As $48 for this dish I really expecting better quality than this. Again, their paellera probably just made for someone like me who really needs to have rice for dinner, I am not recommending this place unless you like good cocktails and tapas.

I’m passionate about a good tapas place after being in Spain many times. So visiting here for the first time, I decided to stick to Tapas. All great choices, croquetas de jamón, fried artichoke with ibérico ham, scallops and mussels with chorizo, to die for!! Kristin was our server, nice, friendly and the restaurant atmosphere, in winter time, very cozy. Would definitely repeat the visit in summer time. Enjoy your visit, excellent food!

If I lived in KC I'd come here all the time! The food and staff are amazing. The restaurant itself is beautiful and there's so much pride in the service and the food. We made a lunch reservation on a Sunday before the football game. They had brunch and lunch options as well as a sangria drink special. Our waiter was super knowledgeable and attentive even with all the customers. We ordered the dessert coffee that was prepared table side and it was lit on fire! On purpose mind you. It was very cool! They have a great selection of tapas. You can't go wrong!

Their seafood paella had actual seafood on it! Many places try to call a paella with 3 shrimp and 2 mussels a seafood paella, lol… this place actually had a generous amount. Great Spanish ceviche as well… would definitely come back.

If there's one thing to do, it's try something new. For an anniversary dinner, my wife and I wanted to go someplace she loved, but I had never been. We went to La Bodega for dinner, and then we went and saw a show at T-Mobile Center (review for that will be found elsewhere). We walked in without a reservation, so we didn't fully expect to get seated immediately. This is the risk one takes when going someplace as popular as this without planning ahead. Fully expecting to hear "Yes, we can seat you, in 45 minutes" we asked for a table, or bar spot, for two. After a few moments, the hostess looked at us and said "I have a table for you, but I need it back in 1 hour 15 minutes, is that alright?" My wife and I looked at each other and nodded simultaneously and in a "one of us" moment both said "Absolutely no problem!". A note here about atmosphere. I only gave four stars because it was loud. Loud can be a good thing, as it means the restaurant is popular. Lots of people happily chatting with their friends, loved ones, even with the table next to them on occasion. But, I have issues with auditory over exertion. I would recommend bringing a pair of earplugs with you if you have this same problem. This isn't the fault of the restaurant, it's a me issue, and if it's a you issue to, don't let the opportunity to go here slip by. A pair of light weight ear plugs will do you wonders here. I put my stomach in my wife's hands so to speak as she was going to order all of what we ate. I knew that La Bodega's "bread and butter" was small plates that could be shared. I loved this idea and was super excited! We aren't drinking, drinking, right now, but the drinks we had were excellent. A spiced Lemonade for her, and Mineral water for me. Both where excellent, refreshing (even on a 45 degree day) and light. I am going to save you some time, it's all really damn good. All of it. But here are a few highlights: We had the Tortilla Espanola to start, which was a delicious frittata like dish. I kept going back for the aioli even after done with the egg itself. The Elotes (with manchego of course) where like little pops of flavor. The best bite being a fair amount of corn drenched in the dressing, with a single shaving of the manchego on top! Queso de Cabra al Horno. The name is a mouthful, but so is this dish. The acid from the tomato fresco balances so freaking well with the rich fatty goat cheese that is baked in with the sauce. My only complaint was there wasn't enough of it. Finally: Lardo Iberico. Our "desert" before getting to the show. As I'm sure you know, Iberico ham is like champagne in that if it doesn't come from the right kind of pig, in the right region of spain, eating the right things (and so on), it isn't Iberico Ham. This dish was "simple". Cured back fat from Iberico pigs on sliced warm grilled baguette. Simple isn't the right word. I tasted the nutty diet of the pig, the fat dribbling a bit down my chin (which came back to me when watching someone ride a 3 story tall unicycle at the circus later that night when I covered my mouth and inhaled deeply, I tasted a hint of the fat again). The dish was multi layered, even there where only 2 things on it! I tasted the animal's diet. Salt, fat, heat, umami, it was all there! To sum up: go here, eat here, but probably get a reservation (or be better at general time management than I am).

I have come here so many times and every time is amazing. I always come during happy hour and I have never had a bad experience here. the food is so delicious and customizable to what you’re craving that day. Durning the summer I love to sit on their patio that is super comfortable. I stay craving their meatballs!