JBD had some major renovations over Covid and I am super impressed! The upstairs deck is updated with new tables and two bars. They have a new menu which is amazing! We tried the nachos and the fried chicken with the Nashville hot sauce. Great overall vibes and looking forward to frequenting again soon. read more

The bar was fun and packed! Whew there are stairs be prepared to walk then all for a fun filled table on the deck! Our table was great and the crow was welcoming. Our only complaint was our food was served cold because it was so busy . Our bartender kept us happy and we did not leave thirsty Over all we would definitely go again! read more

This is a great bar to take your drunk friends for a quick bite. We were there on a weeknight so the place was practically empty but it resulted in quick service. Our waitress was very attentive and had great recommendations, since we were from out of town and had only stumbled in via yelp reviews. The wings were amazing but the Cajun sandwich I ordered didn't sit well. The flavors were a little off but I appreciated their steak and shake sized fries. I wouldn't expect gourmet food or anything but I heard they have drink specials all the time and on Taco Tuesdays select beers are only $3. read more

John's Big Deck - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

My boyfriend and I ALWAYS come here when we are in KC, this is literally the GO TO spot, I've never had a shitty experience, the food is hella good. The drinks are good, if you don't know what to get, the have Deck Juice you never know what it is because they don't make it the same every-time It's always something different for $4-$5 shit I'm sold!! LOVE IT HERE read more

Awesome place to grab drinks with friends or watch the game! Great atmosphere, laid-back. The deck is great, even during the chilly season, fun. read more

I so wanted to love this place because its a big roof top deck in the middle of my favorite city but man it really misses the mark. First there is a super funky sewer smell that just kind of permeates the whole deck. Second the service is pretty terrible. My husband came later and literally sat there for 45 minutes and never got s chance to order a drink or food so we left. My friends and I shared some nachos and a pizza. The pizza was pretty good but the nachos were below average. read more

During a Saturday night at John's Upper Deck, I felt like I was attending a never-ending college frat party. My friends and I arrived at 7:30 PM and the place was dead until 9:30 came around and the top 40 mash ups were turned up to full volume... John's upper Deck is divided into 3 floors. The 1st floor is a quiet sports bar with lots of tables and a down-to-earth bar tender. This is the floor I wish we had stayed on. Alas, my friends were fond of the 2nd floor: where the music is so loud that I couldn't hear the person next to me screaming into my ear. My voice got so dry from yelling that I kept having to ask the bartender for water. Speaking of the 2nd floor bartender... My go-to drink at all bars is Malibu with Pineapple Juice. Every bar that I have patronized in the past has charged me $4.75. John's Upper Deck charged me $9.50 for a 6 ounce plastic cup. My drink was more than a plate of nachos. More than pretty much everything on the menu. I gave the girl $10 and she kept my fifty cents without asking. I'm all about tipping, but not when you assume you're going to get my money for simply pouring 2 shots into a plastic cup... Despite what other reviewers have said, we were able to order our food on the 2nd floor and were served the food on the 2nd floor which was much appreciated. The chicken fingers were good, but you only get 3. The beef nachos were good if you enjoy the taste of stale, old cheese. Did I mention that installed a stripper pole just this past week? And that every 30 something lady decided it was her turn to start a career? My last critique of the over priced, over loud 2nd floor is that there was a total of 1 pool table...in the ENTIRE building. Since my group came so early, we were able to keep the table to ourselves pretty much all night. Who calls themselves a decent bar with only 1 table!?! The 3rd floor: It had so much potential to be my favorite floor. There were warm, luring fire pits everywhere and a girl on a guitar trying to make a living by crooning Adele songs. The 3rd floor was perfect...if you don't mind cigarette smoke. The open-air environment allowed for smokers to enjoy themselves. I couldn't handle the smell for long, so I was forced to retreat back to the 2nd floor where I pretended to hear what everyone was saying all night. Not my type of scene. I won't be back. read more

If I'm going to pick a bar in KC to meet a group of friends for a drink, this is it. They have nightly specials on drinks and/or food. They have arcade games. They have live music on the weekends. They have a rooftop deck. In the winter, the deck is covered so you can still go up there and it's still a lot of fun although I admit, i tend to hang on the first floor when it's cold. This is a classy-ish dive bar. Not super sketch. But the bathrooms do smell like mold. And the stairs leading up to the second floor and the upper deck are steep, dark, and uneven. There is a door from the street leading straight up the stairs but they generally keep that locked because legend has it that too many people have drunkenly fallen down the stairs right out onto the street (this cannot be confirmed, however). But, want a cheap beer and to shoot some pool surrounded by the downtown skyline? This is the place. Want to bring a group of your friends somewhere for 75 cent tacos after playing a pick-up frisbee game on the lawn of the Nelson? Come to John's. Want to sip a $10 cocktail surrounded by beautiful people? Don't come to John's. Go to the Rieger. John's is about as laid back and cool as it gets. read more

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We ordered take out from them last night...will not do that again. The quality of the food was awful. The nachos were a handful a chips with a few pieces of dry chicken. The grilled cheese was not grilled- cheese not even melted and the fries were raw and flavorless. The only thing good out of our meal was the chipotle ranch dipping sauce. Very disappointed. read more

My husband and I stayed in the hotel around the corner from this dive bar and we're so glad we stopped in! The atmosphere was low-key and chill. The bartender was welcoming and easy to talk with. He was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and his drinks and really helped my husband and I feel like regulars. Their birria ramen bowl was everything I needed that night! Everything we order that night was packed with flavor! And we didn't even get a chance to check out the deck! I highly recommend! read more

I love John's Big Deck! It's the biggest deck I've ever seen! I could just sit on John's big deck all day long. Seriously though, I like this bar. Anytime I have out of town visitors I bring them here. It's not full of 20 somethings the way Power and Light District is and it always seems like each level has a different vibe and one usually suits my mood. read more

John's Big Deck - I love the historical buildings surrounding johns big deck - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Always looking for an outdoor place to sit on a nice evening! I have read reviews about this place before but have never been there so check mark off the bucket list. Really can't rate the food except for the queso dip and salsa which was delicious! Loved the thin tortilla chips that came with it. Sat on the rooftop and enjoyed the outdoors with an appetizer and cocktail! Very big rooftop and service was terrific. I would definitely go back and try some of their food off the menu. Great location in downtown Kansas City. read more

John's Big Deck - Queso and chips...yum!!! - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Loaded fries were runnin' empty. The drinks are flowing and are exactly what are looking for from a bar! Make sure that you eat before you come! Al read more

John's Big Deck - The "loaded fries" were runnin' empty. Great place for drinks and a good time. However, eat before you come. - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

watched the super bowl here and awesome atmosphere. our waitress did amazing helping us even through the busyness! good music and drinks. food was decent too! read more

We stopped in here around midnight on the Saturday night before Halloween. Surprisingly the bar wasn't very crowded. Initially we stopped on the second floor for a few drinks. There were maybe 10 people there. Of course, we made the most of it and started our own dance party. Eventually more people started dancing and we had a blast. The DJ was dressed like Run DMC, complete with bling and all. We eventually ventured to the "upper deck" where there are small fire pits and benches to sit on. There was a live band playing. I think people mainly come up here to smoke. Regardless, it's still fun up here, and it's nice that there are different music options available on the different levels. This bar has a great view of downtown, and I had a great time here. There was a $5 cover on this night. I'm not sure if there is always a cover or not. read more

All I know about John's Big Deck is they offer a very inexpensive lunch specials and you can usually catch a game if it's on. Plus it's close to while I work. I hear that the bar is three levels. Truthfully I've only been on the first one which is about as divey as anything can be divey. I do like their food, but I wouldn't test the five second rule in this place. They offer a daily special lunch special for $4.99 or you can choose a pulled pork sandwich or nine inch pizza at the same price. Burgers with noted toppings are $7.99 The bar does offer a full menu, but truthfully I've never ordered off of it, because of its lunch specials. That's about it. If you like quick, inexpensive and laid back, this is a good spot. read more

I can't review this place for the deck because it wasn't open until 4. We ate lunch here. We really only came for the deck, so that was slightly disappointing. A lot of people walked in wanting to go upstairs, but it was closed. I would think Sundays would be a great day to have the deck open all day. But it wasn't that big a deal. We brought a large group of 16 of us here to eat lunch. It wasn't busy when we showed up, so they were able to accommodate all of us. The place filled up quickly. It's a rather small place, so had we shown up 30-40 minutes later, they probably wouldn't have been able to accommodate us. I was a little concerned at first that there was only 1 bartender, working the bar and also serving a 16 top, but he did a fantastic job. Our drinks stayed full. The table was never too cluttered with empty plates. The food came out really quickly. Is it gourmet food? Absolutely not, but what do you expect at a bar? For bar food, it was decent. The fries were bland, but the nachos and the Philly Cheese Steak were pretty good. If you're looking for a dive place to grub and have some drinks, this isn't a bad option. Just don't expect anything fancy. And if you are looking for a big deck, just make sure you call to see if it's open first. read more

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I only came here for the taco nights on Tuesdays! These tacos were amazing and they kept them coming! They were $.49 a piece, and super delicious. Typical bar and grill atmosphere. Centrally located in Downtown KC. read more

John's Big Deck - $.49 tacos at taco night! - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Love this place! Three stories of fun! Bartenders are great, and the rooftop is awesome. Gets crowded but totally worth it. They have fire put tables up stairs. And the second floor has a dj booth, pool tables, and beer pong tables. The bathrooms are always clean. The only thing I don't like is that you can't transfer your tab from another floor and they pre authorize your card for 30$ each time you swipe it. read more

I can't think of any better place to spend a gorgeous evening than up on the 3rd floor of John's Big Deck. I love the view, including the guilty pleasure of looking in the windows of residents of the buildings that surround it. It can be crowded and noisy in good weather on weekend nights, but it's a very happy vibe. Anybody who says the food is average bar fare hasn't tried the salmon club. It's an enormous hunk of grilled salmon on fresh ciabatta bread topped with bacon and cheese; tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato come on the side so you can decorate as you please. I got waffle fries with it, which i'm sure came from a bag but were well executed. One of my dining companions got 3 burger sliders with fries, and declared it was actually more than he could comfortably eat. Although it took awhile for the food to come out, our waitress was nice and brought rounds of drinks out quickly. I don't recall seeing drink and beer prices posted anywhere, but everything's reasonable-2 salmon clubs and the sliders, a Coke and 4 mixed drinks amounted to less than $45. It's a great place to kick back on a nice evening with a few cold ones. Just be careful going back down those stairs! read more

John's Big Deck - Friday night on the Big Deck - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

My favorite happy hour spot in Kansas City! Even during the winter, the deck is the place to be. They have decent deals on quesadillas, nachos, etc. during happy hour and a fun atmosphere to go with it. read more

We really weren't impressed with our experience here. Our sandwich tasted like it had been dipped in super old grease and therefore we couldn't taste any other flavor than that. We found a piece of unidentifiable meat in our nachos that was rock hard and sounded like a quarter hitting our table when one of our guests coughed it up. The tots were okay. Out of tots, 4 orders of nachos, chicken wings, philly sandwich with fries, shrimp po boy with onion rings, and some tacos- our entire group would not recommend anything other than the beer specials. read more

John's Big Deck - Loaded tots - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

John's Big Deck is definitely a dive bar. Walking in on the main floor, it's dim and dingy. Entering the steep staircase, you start to be able to see the dirty carpet. Climbing the endless 50 steep steps to the deck seems insane. Then you pop out into the sunshine and a comfortable space. I was there for a large group happy hour. Tables were plentiful and there was room for groups other than ours, although we had 40-50 people. Service was a little slow, but to be fair we besieged the staff with the size of our group. I didn't order food, but food orders did take about an hour to come out. I did taste some tots and they were yummy, but cold. There were drinks specials for every taste. Altogether this is a nice dive and I'd probably go back. I'd go for sure if they had an elevator. Something about drunks and stairs seems like a bad choice. read more

Great bar food and cheap beer. The bar keep was friendly and attentive. The food was very good for bar food and the vibe was OK, but sometimes the music was loud. We had nachos, BBQ pizza, and tacos. All was very good for bar food. My only complaint would be the need for a drink menu so you knew what was on tap since some of the tappers were hard to read, and asking the bar keep about the beer took away service from other customers. I would definitely go back to John's Big Deck. read more

Went here last night for the Ingress Enlightened after party. We were on the second floor. It was a nice space. I had two drinks and a plate of pulled pork nachos. The nachos were typical bar food quality, but enjoyable. The music on floor two is too loud and you can't hear people next to you. The third floor (roof top deck) is pretty cool. There is a bar and plenty of seating. You can watch the game outside or play a giant size version of Jenga. All in all it was pretty fun! read more

John's Big Deck - Pulled pork nachos - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Dark, kind of beat up bar. (Don't believe the spacious bright pictures on Google). Basic food -- not terrible, but not great. Nice, friendly bar guy. read more

Look the views from the roof top are legit,, sometimes it's a bit smelly though the bathrooms are decent. && Taco Tuesday is unbeatable ((cheap af)) yet those margaritas from that long beard boyyyy.. smh he tops them off with sprite like sir.. you and I both know you don't need to be softening my MARGs!! I saw that and felt very cheated that's soo rude. Don't do that no more.. k thanks.. read more

John's Big Deck - Should at least be yellow pls #margherita - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

No one comes here for the customer service for sure! The gal that works downstairs during the afternoon has the worst manners, and attitude in the world! No personality at ALL!!! I'm not really for sure why she is dealing with customers to be honest. Before you say maybe she just had a bad day, everyone is entitled to a bad day for sure. However the 5-6 times I have been here she has been the server/bartender on duty and the service is always the same. The buffalo chicken salad here is great and it's walking distance from the hotel, So it makes for a great lunch, aside from her. Good Luck if you go here, however don't say I didn't warn you. But if you're looking for a good salad and don't care about service with a smile or manners this is definitely your spot!!!!' read more

Stopped by on a Saturday night after a wedding reception. Johns (Big?) Upper Deck pretty much made it a great evening. Saturday night + $5 cover + live band + rooftop patio + a thunderstorm brewing in the distance = awesome. Missing Kaufmann was the band, and I have to say that they rocked it. We could hear them a block away. In a good way. I was never tempted to hit up any of the other floors. I went straight to the top and never regretted it. I suppose if the live music was not up to par, it might not make for as enjoyable of an evening. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this place. read more

John's Big Deck - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

casey & courtney we're wonderful for our little lunch date on the deck!! very attentive and nice! perfect weather for these types of days!

Great Service, Friendly staff, and top notch environment. Outside is a cool vibe, also watched a Chiefs game, awesome sound, tons of screens. Will visit again when I'm local read more

We had a good time hanging out here after a conference. Smoking is allowed on the top deck, but the breeze was pretty good. Try the smoked wings. Best I've ever had. read more

Service: Impeccable, prompt and exceptionally easy on the eyes. So much so that you'd forgive them for murdering your neighbor. Sydney, a bartender as beautiful as the city of her namesake, is perhaps the most exceptional bartender this side of the Mississippi. Service so refined, she'll pick the credit card out of your wallet to use and fill out any remaining paperwork if you're too inebriated. Tacos: Balanced: A harmonious blend of sour cream and jalapenos. Although the messiest tacos I've seen, their taste remains unrivaled. Back of their head: Ridiculous. Egg rolls: (thumbs up) read more

This bar is a bunch of dumpy fun! 3 levels, 3 different atmospheres. The food sucks but the drinks are strong. Decent happy hour specials. You can't go wrong with taco Tuesdays. I bet this place is hoppin on the weekend! Downtown KC bar with access to the trolly and local bars and restaurants. read more

John's Big Deck - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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How do you rate no stars? Place is skeezy. They're so bad at following COVID protocols, the place smells like urine. We had horrible service the whole time and the security was awfully pushy on young girls for no reason. read more

The downstairs was warm and inviting, however, the deck smelled horrible. It smelled like trash or sewerage. I ordered a mixed drink and it wasn't great either. If you are ordering a beer and eating downstairs it will probably be a better experience. read more

The only thing this place has going is the fact that it has a deck with city views. The bartenders and their buddies took 2 rounds of shots while I waited at the counter with my credit card out. He obviously wasn't trying to serve anyone, so I went to the other side and a nice girl served me who was busting her butt and actually doing her job. Throughout the time I was there, the bartenders kept drinking alongside other customers. I wouldn't recommend any mixed drinks, stick with canned options. There's no drink menu or prices. If you just turned 21 or are already drunk, it will be easier to look past the poor management and bad drinks, otherwise save your $5 cover, $7 parking, and trade the city views for an actual bar. read more

Trash place. They left a girl I wasn't even with alone and stranded on the sidewalk. I watched them not even allow her back in. She was coherent and only wanted her belongings. So FUCKING dangerous to allow a seemingly single female be kicked to the curb. They deserved to be shut down. read more

Meh. Typical dive bar. Decent selection of beer. Food is ok but not spectacular. Nothing bad but nothing great either hence middle of road rating. Can be noisy and boisterous at peak times/seasons but again what you expect from this type of bar. read more

Me and my fellow folk, got to the restaurant and sat down at ~7:30pm, not a single waiter gave us the light of day for thirty minutes. At around 8 we finally got to order our food. At 9 I finally got my meal, and if you are expecting quality after waiting for an hour than you are sure to be disappointed. Out of all 9 people I was there with, none of us enjoyed the meal fully, the wings and the regular fries are the only decent meal on the menu. Don't bother going here if you want food when there are so many better alternatives within the nearest 200 miles. Also a blond waitress had a lot of attitude for making us wait for 17 business days for food that I can find in a landfill. read more