By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
May 3, 2017
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – One of the first things Pete Mesh did upon his opening of The North End KC (910 E. 5th St., KCMO 64106) in 2012 was to join the Northeast Chamber of Commerce. Community involvement was important to Mesh, who through the expert use of social media and business networking has grown The North End into one of the most iconic local eateries in the city. This month’s Northeast Chamber of Commerce Business Leaders feature spotlights The North End KC, which recently underwent an extensive expansion and upgrade project. This Dog’s take: If you haven’t been here for a while, you need to make plans to get here.

“Some of the upgrades you can see, others you can’t but you can taste,” says owner Pete Mesh.

One step through the door and the first new feature this News-dog noticed was the expanded line of tap beer, including the North End’s own signature brew. If their house brew doesn’t fit your taste, there are fifteen more beers, served up by some of the best bartenders and servers in the city at a cool, crisp 29 degrees. All of this is thanks to some new technology added in the recent expansion.

“That one goes on the unseen part, but definitely tastable,” says Mesh.

During the 25-day closure – which ironically is the same number of days the restaurant was closed for the conversion from the iconic LaSala’s Deli to the North End back in 2011-2012 – the restaurant expanded to the east, where a new enclosed patio space allows for greater seating capacity. The new space features a completely separate HVAC system, two new TV screens and three roll-up garage doors to allow for greater air circulation on those perfect weekend afternoons when ya just gotta have a quality cigar, an ice cold Boulevard and a ball game on the tube.

While the footprint of the old bar in the North End didn’t change, you may notice some extra headroom and some added display shelves behind the bar.

“We wanted to expose the 110 year old ceiling and kind of return it to its original roots,” says Mesh about the original pressed tin ceiling.

There’s probably a good chance that ceiling came from the W.F. Norman Company in Nevada, MO. They’ve been doing quality pressed ceilings since 1898. But the dog digresses. Some of the biggest upgrades took place back in the kitchen area, where some of the best grub in the city is created.

“We consulted with some larger restaurants here in town and created a kitchen with some pretty substantial updates, replacing aging equipment and creating a better flow at the same time,” says Mesh.

When we asked if there were any microwave ovens on site, we got “that look” back from Pete.

“One thing we do and do very well is fresh,” says Mesh, stressing the “fresh” part. “Come on down on any Saturday, have one bite of our fried chicken, and you’ll taste the difference.”

This Dog has had that fried chicken and we’re here to tell ya, best in the city. Period. Paragraph done.

Most of the sammiches available at the old deli, some paying homage to the rich Italian heritage of the Columbus Park neighborhood, have been carried over to the North End’s huge menu board. Mesh has been adding new items to that menu on a regular basis, including a cheeseburger that’s single-handedly re-defined the term “cheeseburger” in terms of magnitude and taste. Standing almost 7-inches tall and topped with all the fixins (called The Garden in North End parlayance) and a huge onion ring, this sammich is not for the faint of heart.

“Stay tuned,” says Mesh excitedly, “We’re launching a new, upgraded menu with about a dozen new items here in about thirty days.”

The News-Dog is already lickin her chops! The North End is open daily and features nightly specials throughout the week, including the restaurant’s fried chicken every Saturday starting at 4:00 p.m. Get there early because seating, even with the new dining room, is at a premium! If you can’t find it, just look for the only building in town painted like a three-story Italian flag.