This place is incredible and probably one of the best food values around. You walk in and you can smell the wood burning, and the delicious wood fired meats and veggies. The atmosphere is dark, cozy, and rustic. Sometimes you’ll see a worker carting around more wood from the piles around the restaurant to add to the fire. The burger is one of the best I’ve ever had. Everything on the menu I’ve tried has been absolutely delicious. Can’t go wrong with the Russell bowl either. I tell everyone who hasn’t heard of it that they need to go ASAP. Especially if you’re considering other fast casual restaurants, or something just a little nicer than fast food. Just go here instead and it will be money well spent.

From the moment you walk in, you can tell this place is unique, warm and the food instantly smells great! We were welcomed by amazing staff who make you feel like you’ve known each other for a while and are ready to answer all your questions. The food was phenomenal, the hummus and baguette is a must try!!! A very special thank you to Peter and Brian who made our lunch experience unforgettable ! Also, the desserts!!!! One of the best brownies I’ve had!

My wife and I went here for the first time yesterday and were very impressed! The customer service was incredible, from all employees being welcoming, friendly, open in conversation and treating you like family, not just another customer. The food was prepared quickly, yet so delicious and fresh! This could easily become a new favorite in Kansas City and we can't wait to go back! (I highly recommend the Salmon bowl - so good!)

The Russell was very unexpected. It's not in an area of downtown that you think of as a destination spot. However, once you walk in you idea if that is completely changed. First let's start with the food. While the menu is small, all of the dishes looked delicious and inspired. We had the 1/2 chicken that was absolutely delicious, juicy, flavorful and severed with a half roasted avocado and handmade tortillas. We also had the Salmon Bowl. My wife said it was one of the most flavor filled bowls she had ever had. We finished with a few bakery items to take home. And let me tell you the Bourbon Brownie was superb. The process is simple. Order at the counter, find a seat, and they will bring your food to you. They have some small tables for an intimate setting as well as larger tables for large groups or community seating. The decor is rustic and comfortable with many cool things to look at and the staff are very kind, helpful and just genuinely pleasant. This is definitely a new destination spot for us in KC.

Disclaimer: I typically do not enjoy New-Age American pretentious sort of places. I had that expectation walking in here. I WAS REALLY WRONG. Very eclectically and well decorated with a very unique concept and menu.. this place was great. The food was so light but complex. So many different flavors with every bite... It may be the best lunch I've had in KC (minus Gates, but that's a totally different thing but also ironically next door) I'll let the pictures do the talking. This is a real gem.

I wish I dressed better than I did because the place was so well decorated. I felt like I walked into a more intimate scene, haha. Everything in there was well thought out from the decor, to the display case, to the food itself. Ordering was different than what I assumed, so I wanted to give a heads up that after your decision is made you go up to the register to place an order for food! After that everything is to be expected in terms of dining-in where they bring you the food, etc… as you can tell from the photos, the food looked and tasted phenomenal! Delicious! Who knew I would liked the roots on my green onions! Gonna have to fry me up some whole green onions at home. Overall, great experience, I would come again.

Where do I begin? If you’re searching around for a new lunch spot in KC that’s inviting, full of warmth, has culture, has incredible food that doesn’t make you feel guilty, and has gluten-free option, then you might as well stop looking now because The Russell has it all. The staffing also played such a huge role in the experience that I had, informing me about the menu, my dietary options, and a recommendation for what wine to order based on my meal. Highly highly highly recommend, you guys are amazing! For anybody that is looking for lunch and drinks, the owners already cleared a table for you. Head over to Tailleur (Taylor) on Main for your mid-afternoon refreshment. If you loved The Russell, you love getting a drink at their cocktail lounge.

Very odd place, in a charming way. You order yourself (like a normal fast food restaurant), and pay as you go. The service was great. The food came out in under 5 minutes after I ordered it, which is probably the fastest I've ever seen. Everything tasted delicious, and the portions were impressively large. Would totally recommend this little hole in the wall to anyone in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Our baby enjoyed the food as well 😊

Amazing lunch experience! I feel kinda terrible that it’s taken me so long to try this place out. We loved the food, the service and the atmosphere. Phenomenal flavors all around. I had the special brisket bowl and my partner had the burger and they both tasted great. The bread pudding dessert and monster cookie were also epic. Definitely going to have to return.

Very cool looking restaurant, comfortable seating with a good menu, lots of options on the menu. This chili bowl had a nice kick to it, nice and spicy. I had the lamb, a little over cooked but delicious. The plate is big enough to share.

Honestly best steak I’ve had, great staff, and awesome food. We got some dessert for later. Thanks for making our 26yr anniversary lunch, won’t forget it!!

Lovely meal. Fantastic atmosphere. My sandwich was divine. Absolutely loved the steak and aioli. The French onion was fantastic as well. The brisket/veggie bowl thing was a huge portion, but the brisket was only okay. The rest of the meal was fantastic. Overall, I’d give it a 4.5/5, simply because the brisket was lacking in a town known for its bbq. I would definitely return and try some other things though.

The first thing I saw when I walked into the company's Christmas party was the wonderful rustic atmosphere, the second was the phenomenal spread they had for us. The service staff had such a good amount of food for us, they kept it looking good and had us well-stocked with drinks. It was a wonderfully done dinner. I hope I get to eat here again soon!

Super rustic looking, very unique, cool space. The decor is very unique. It feels like you’re in an old sail boat or something haha. ⚓️You order at the front and then pick a table. They have huge comfy chairs. The food tasted great. 🥪Big portion. No complaints. Everything about this place is different than any other restaurant that so I liked that!

My adult children and I enjoyed our visit to the Russell. The building is a bit nondescript on the outside, and the parking is around back. The inside is decorated in a very eclectic manner and is very interesting and conducive to staying for a nice chat. We sat inside, but there was outside, seating as well. Orders are placed at the counter, and food is delivered by servers. The menu was interesting with a wide variety of options. All of us liked our entrées and even enjoyed a gluten-free walnut brownie afterwards. Highly recommend for a relaxed, casual evening.

I had the steak & greens bowl; it was amazing. It’s a hidden KC gem for sure. I ordered a salted caramel cookie for the road; it didn’t disappoint. Ah-mazing. Also, they have gluten free dessert items!!! 😍

One of our “go-to” restaurants when we have a special occasion or friends visiting. Truffle cheese toast is delicious, fav is the lamb chops, must try. We also had chicken sandwich, fish and chips, and shrimp skewer, all the items were amazing.

Dinner 8/1/22 Other reviews prompted us to try this place for dinner after long day in the car. Ordered the Russell burger, touted by one review as best burger ever eaten. Upgraded to creamy mushroom soup. Burger was just okay. The ingredients listed on the menu did not provide the expected flavors. Burger was cooked to medium instead of the requested medium well. Lettuce was bitter. No cheese flavor at all. No onion flavor. Mushroom soup was not in the neighborhood of what I consider a cream soup. It tasted more like gravy. The mushrooms were huge slices that had to be cut into quarters to fit on the spoon. Broth seemed to be spiced with red pepper flakes or Tabasco. The upgrade was $4.00. Not worth it, chips would have been better. Nice casual atmosphere, but pricy for the quality.

WOW! Went here for Valentine’s Day and 10/10 so impressed. I got the sumac bowl and it was DELICIOUS. When they say quality food they mean it. We also got a carrot cake cupcake with the perfect icing. The vibe was so comfortable, high class and casual at the same time. Cannot wait to come back here!

The Russell... wow! We just happened to be downtown and looking for a new place to try for dinner. We looked on Google and stumbled across The Russell. It sounded promising and mentioned home cooking, so we were in. We parked in the lot around back. There is an outdoor seating area in front, but it was a chilly October day, so we opted to eat indoors. The atmosphere is meticulously put together in such a beautiful way. There are countless antiques and random collections that provide a lot of conversation topics. The old display cases used as the foundation for the delicious dessert selections, as well as placing your order, provide a great view into the master chefs area. The chefs are working tirelessly over an open fire, and every soul working in this beautiful restaurant works together like a great symphony. The restrooms were well thought out and were a visual treat with their décor, copper sinks, sliding barn doors, and rustic plumbing. The service was very accommodating and thoughtful. The vintage license plates to set on your table as your order number and jelly/Mason jar glasses were extra sweet touches. The food was fresh and delicious. When I think of home cooking, I think of comfort food, like grandma used to make. That is not what you will get here. Everything we had was delicious, just more modern than we expected. I will say the stunning dessert selections were like grandmother used to make. It was difficult to choose, so we did a sampler to take home. The pretzel brownie is the stuff dreams are made of. The salted caramel cookie.... just WOW. Crispy, gooey, deliciousness. The pumpkin log roll was good. I had high expectations for the Whoopie Pie and was disappointed there was fruit (maybe raisins or cranberries) in there, so that was a no-go for us. Great experience. Good food. Highly recommended!

Amazing food! I highly recommend the coffee rubbed ribeye. It’s covered in a verde sauce over mashed potatoes and must be nearly 30 ounces. Great atmosphere and quality service for being a counter order place with no reservations required.

I liked it a lot… everything on the menu is good and healthy so it was hard to decide, what I had was yummy, I’ll be back to try their other entrees*. Cozy and hip atmosphere with plenty of parking behind the building situated evenly between Linwood and 31st on Main, outdoor seating available. * have returned 3 times,,, SO GOOD!👍🏼