South Kansas City’s Newest Restaurant

By Paul Edelman

Newly-renovated Southside Bar & Grille at 103rd & State Line opened its doors on Monday, March 6. As a South Kansas City restaurant with a clean and modern aesthetic, Southside caught our attention. I spoke with one of the co-owners, Ann Alexiou.

Ann and her husband Matt plan to hit the ground running for Southside’s first week of official opening.

Many may know Ann from the Waris family of St. Thomas More Parish. She is acutely acquainted with the community. Having originally grown up in this area, Alexiou returned to south KC to open a new kind of restaurant. She and her husband’s mission was to create an establishment that was a “neighborhood eatery with a good happy hour.” On the topic of happy hour, she said “it will be a long happy hour from 3 to 7,” with some drinks up to 75 percent off.

She stated that the restaurant hopes to serve a wide customer base: everyone from someone stopping in for a drink while watching the game to families settling down for a home style Sunday lunch.

Regarding food, she said 95 percent of the dishes are whipped up from scratch. The menu comprises primarily of general American cuisine such as chicken tenders, burgers, salad, etc with daily specials and some interesting additions such as gyros, a Tommy’s Up all Night Burger and Grandma’s Fried Artichokes to mention a few.
Whatever dish one orders from Southside, Alexiou assures that it will be served fresh. She says preparation and commitment to quality are paramount. For instance, the freshly made pizza contains cheese aged in-house with complementing fresh tomatoes.

The customer’s experience also dictates the Alexiou approach to restaurateuring. Alexiou states that she wants each and every guest to feel welcome at Southside Bar & Grille, becoming acquainted and remembered by the servers, bartenders, and owners. “I want each customer to feel like they’re part of the family, not just another guest,” she said. This approach will drive the relationship between customer and restaurant for Southside.

For those looking for a new restaurant experience, the Southside Bar & Grille is just a walk across the parking lot from Johnny’s Hairstyling and Price Chopper.