City: Kansas City, MO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (816) 471-8484

Address: 931 Broadway (Downtown)

Description: This slim three-story building once housed Fitzpatrick’s saloon and a bordello, making it a popular place for gangsters and political bigshots during the 1930s. Pressed tin ceilings, tile floors, and stained-glass lights reveal its turn-of-the-20th-century age and helped put it on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1993 the landmark has gone from making history to serving historically good steaks. The Majestic is justly proud of its dry-aged prime beef. True carnivores will simply point to the 12-ounce Kansas City strip. And here’s good news: unlike some steakhouses that serve a cut of beef looking forlorn and lonely on a plate, here diners get salads and side dishes. And new owners, Frank and Jolyn Sebree, have added a few French dishes from their time in Europe. One delectable example is the free-range chicken roasted with herbes de Provence. We’re not sure where the idea for fried green beans came from, but we’re not complaining. They appear on the lunch and dinner menu. At night, add a lobster tail to any item for around $26. The music hits all the right notes as well; there’s someone playing the circa 1910 piano in the front of the bar every night during happy hour. That’s a perfect excuse for an evening of lower-priced cocktails and a trio of sliders—miniature burgers in your choice of lamb, salmon, BLT, or filet mignon. Downstairs, live jazz is on tap Fri and Sat. More good news: parking is free in the lot at 919 Broadway.