Varsity Club is more than just spaghetti and bangarang

Even for those with the most discerning tastes, there’s just something special about the perfect neighborhood bar. A place where you can meet up with your friends or just lounge at the bar and make new friends. A place where you feel just as comfortable ordering a cocktail as you do a Shot Beam and a Miller Lite. A place where you can satisfy your after-work cravings for top-notch bar food. That’s exactly the kind of place brothers Caleb and Levi Roye want to develop their new “neighborhood lounge,” the Varsity Club, into.

Located at 319 Delaware in the River Market, Varsity Club is a 1970s-style cocktail bar. The Royes both have experience at some of our favorite bars in Kansas City, including The Campground, Swordfish Tom’s, Hillsiders, The W, and The Mercury Room. When the two decided to develop a new concept together, they settled on a theme and location pretty quickly. “We both love craft cocktails, but we’ve spent so much time in upscale cocktail bars that we prefer the dive bar atmosphere,” says Caleb. “We wanted to bring the neighborhood feel you get somewhere like Strawberry Hill to a new location, and the River Market seemed like a perfect fit.”

The Royes had the idea and the drinks, but they wanted to put one final piece of the puzzle together. They discussed the concept with their buddy Matt Chapman – one of the owners of the popular pop-up food restaurant Disco Burger – and Chapman knew he wanted to be part of the Varsity Club. Disco Burger will have a permanent spot at the Varsity Club, offering its small but delicious menu – smash burgers, specialty hot dogs, etc. – to complement the bar’s cocktails and other drinks.

So what sets Varsity Club’s craft cocktails apart from others? For one thing, they’re trying to move away from the overly complex obscurity that many cocktail bars tend toward. “We still want to try new and interesting combinations with our drinks,” Levi says. “We just don’t want to force people to Google four different ingredients just to understand what they’re ordering.”

Photo by Darren Carter

The result is early favorites like the Grilled Olive Martini, which puts its own twist on the classic, sophisticated drink, and the Vodka Energy—a vodka Red Bull made with Blanc Vermouth for a slightly more enlightened age. If you really want the Varsity Club experience, the Royes recommend the Bangarang—a choose-your-own-liquor drink that features a homemade pear-citrus lemonade and is served in a branded plastic cup. One of the Royes says Irish whiskey is their preferred Bangarang liquor, while the other opts for mezcal. They both agree that rum is the surprise option, but “literally anything works well, depending on what you’re in the mood for.”

Another drink that the Royes are excited about is still in development but is nearly ready. “The spaghett has long been a hot summer favorite for connoisseurs,” Levi says. “As far as we know, we’ll be the first bar in Kansas City to offer this simple but delicious drink on tap.” Typically, a spaghett is made by drinking part of a Miller High Life and replacing the missing few ounces with Aperol and lemon juice. The Varsity Club will have that ideal ratio on tap at all times – the perfect porch pounder to pair with a Disco Burger Special.

Photo by Darren Carter

Overall, the Varsity Club staff will offer a selection of classics and favorites (around 6-10) that will always be on the menu, along with the half-dozen or so signature drinks. Of course, there will also be a selection of draft and canned beers. “We want the Varsity Club to be a place where all kinds of people can relax, form closer friendships and have a good time,” says Caleb.

The Varsity Club seats about 50 indoors and has room for another two dozen on the patio. The entire shop is being built from scratch and hasn’t opened its doors at the time of writing as the team awaits final approvals. “By July at the latest,” the Royes’ plan is, and they’ll be open five days a week. They’ll offer lunch on weekends and be open late, so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to try a bangarang for yourself. Keep an eye on their Instagram for more opening news and reserve us a spot at the bar.

The Varsity Club is located in the River Market at 319 Delaware Street, Kansas City, MO 64105.