KC Restaurant Review: Slice Deli and Bistro

On a recent short trip to Kansas City, we decided to try some place different for breakfast. I read about Slice Deli on Urbanspoon: it was rated 95%, and reviewers raved about how great the sandwiches are, and about how they smoke and roast all the meat on site. And given the name, I was expecting something bistro-ish. So we went with high hopes.

Which was a mistake.

Now, given all the positive reviews, I'd be willing to try it again at lunch time. And if you go in with realistic expectations, it would be just fine. (Except for the coffee. More on that in a minute.)

First the atmosphere: The space is bright and clean, with toys and games available to play while you wait. But Slice is adjoined to a convenience store, with a large open doorway between the two, and there is no change in ambiance from one to the other. "Deli" is an appropriate description. "Bistro" is not.

My husband and I both ordered "The Beater:" two eggs any style; two slices of bacon, sausage or ham; hash browns and toast. I thought the sausage and eggs (which I ordered over medium) were perfect. The hubs considered the sausage overcooked. The toast came without butter -- and without an offer of butter from the waitress -- and there was none sitting out. The hash browns were perfectly adequate.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, but my husband is. Big coffee snob, really, if we're going to be honest here. He buys locally-roasted Sumatra beans which he grinds fresh every morning, and perks it in a French press. Get the picture? He described the coffee at Slice as "the worst coffee I've ever had anywhere." Given that ringing endorsement, I didn't try it, so I can't give the alternate opinion. If coffee is coffee to you, you might think it's perfectly fine. If you're a coffee connoisseur, you might want to skip it.

So the bottom line is: go for lunch, go in with reasonable expectations, and if you're picky, skip the coffee.