Kansas City’s Copa Room: A Fine Italian Restaurant
The best Italian food in Kansas City is right where you would least expect it – next to a Ford dealership on Broadway. Don’t let the location or the neighbor fool you, though, The Copa Room offers incomparable chow at prices so low they will make you suspicious.
The Copa Room is designed to feel like the kind of Vegas lounge the Rat Pack might have enjoyed back in their heyday. The furnishings are sleek and have that retro look that makes you feel like ordering a something in a highball glass and referring to your friends as “cats.” The walls are touched up with some pictures of Frankie, Dino and Sammy to complete the feel. Background music ranges from Louis Prima to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. The music is geared to the decor’s era and tends to come from Italian sources.
The Copa Room offers a full bar in addition to the dining space. The small bar usually has a throng about it, but the drinks are prepared quickly and are generous. The staff at The Copa Room make a peach Belini martini that gets rave reviews from female diners.
The appetizer menu isn’t extensive, but it doesn’t need to be. The staple antipasta platter and other traditional Italian pre-meal fare is offered. Want an appetizer hint: try the fried meatballs served with marinara sauce. Amazing. Dinner salads are award-winners featuring a special house dressing, sweet pepper strips and artichoke hearts. No basic iceberg lettuce and tomato “salads” at this Kansas City restaurant!
The Copa Room kitchen is watched over by the owners’ mother. That’s right, it’s a real Italian kitchen operated by a real Italian mom. You can probably guess what that means… Generous portions and a unique touch for every dish. The dinner menu itself is not long on options. Instead of trying to offer hundreds of novelty meals, The Copa Room has instead opted to focus on providing a somewhat limited range of Italian classics. The appeal is not in the variety – it’s in the quality.
First timers at this Kansas City Italian restaurant still may find it hard to make a decision. Luckily, it’s made easy for them. The Copa Room offers a combination plate featuring three of its signature items: chicken spedini, lasagne, and fettucine Alfredo. All are wonderful and remarkably filling. The kitchen’s attention to quality is particularly evident in their thick and rich Alfredo sauce. Creamy, cheesy and almost buttery, it might just make you swear off Alfredo from any other source!
Traditional deserts are offered, but unless you plan ahead you may not be able to handle one.
The waitstaff is always attentive, ready to make recommendations and able to provide customers with any information they may need. The Copa Room is a small restaurant and the focus is more upon quality and individual attention than it is on simply getting patrons in and out.
The Copa Room would be a remarkable find at virtually any price. Kansas City has its share of good Italian restaurants, but the Copa Room tops them all in terms of food quality. It also beats them in price. A first visit to The Copa Room may leave one perplexed. Why is the food so inexpensive? The quality is sufficient to justify prices twice as high. The bargains on the menu (almost every entree is available for under $15.00) just add to the enjoyment of the great Italian food.
If you are looking for a great Italian restaurant in Kansas City, you would be remiss if you didn’t give The Copa Room a try.
