I Spent $241 at Travis Kelce’s Restaurant: Was It Worth It?
▼ Summary
– Travis Kelce’s restaurant 1587 Prime is an upscale steakhouse in Kansas City that was fully booked before opening and required significant effort to get a reservation.
– The restaurant features a football-themed design with NFL stadium-inspired elements, a strict business casual dress code, and premium decor with marble, leather, and brass details.
– Menu items include high-priced cocktails like the Swift-inspired “The Alchemy” and a $345 tomahawk steak, with notable dishes such as Wagyu carpaccio and a carrot cake from a local bakery.
– The dining experience includes theatrical drink presentations, live music, and attentive service, with the author’s meal totaling $241 before tip for two people.
– Despite its high costs and celebrity connections, the restaurant delivers expertly executed food and service, though its long-term appeal beyond the initial novelty remains uncertain.
Securing a table at Travis Kelce’s 1587 Prime felt like winning a small lottery. The steakhouse, a collaboration between Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and the hospitality group Noble 33, opened to instant demand, with reservations vanishing weeks in advance. After persistent effort, my editor landed a last-minute dinner for two. My husband, a teacher with an early bedtime, agreed to a late, lavish meal, so we snacked lightly and napped beforehand, pretending for one night to belong to a wealthier world.
While the restaurant’s launch coincides with Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift, it’s clearly designed for a broader audience. A cocktail named The Alchemy nods to Swift’s songwriting, and the upscale Noble 33 group, which operates venues where the couple has dined, brings a polished touch. A discreet VIP entrance and private dining space add to the allure, though these features could appeal to many, not just celebrity guests.
We arrived early, lingering in the hotel lobby to avoid seeming overeager. The entrance features a dramatic, tunnel-like corridor meant to evoke an NFL player’s stadium walk, though my attention went straight to the artfully lit meat display behind the host stand. Brass inlays on the floor mimic football field markings, but again, the meat commanded focus.
Upstairs, the dining room blends black-and-white marble, leather, brass, and warm wood. Soft lighting and servers in crisp, branded jackets create a “throwback fancy” atmosphere. The dress code is business casual, though Chiefs gear is allowed on game days. A manager mentioned they haven’t yet needed to loan anyone the complimentary branded polo offered to underdressed guests. Nearby, a young influencer filmed their meal, phone propped against a water glass, a reminder that even after hours, content creation never stops.
The crowd included birthday celebrants, women in sparkling pink outfits, executive types, and couples clearly treating themselves. Some may belong to Noble 33’s Noble Noir Club, which offers restaurant perks for a $2,000 annual fee. We examined the cocktail menu as if seeing it for the first time, though we’d scoured it online. The wine list spans twenty-plus pages, with bottles reaching $2,500, a stark contrast to Kansas City’s average $1,200 monthly rent.
I chose The Alchemy ($22), a refined Cosmo-style blend of citrus vodka, curaçao, cranberry, strawberry, lime, oolong, and aronia berry. My husband tried the Big Yeti ($24), a smoky twist on an old-fashioned. Both arrived with flair: smoke poured over a branded ice cube for his drink, while mine came with flaming steel wool wrapped around the stem. The Alchemy was light and elegant, like a sophisticated hard lemonade, while the Big Yeti leaned sweet but remained enjoyable.
Complimentary rolls arrived after we ordered, buttery, salty, and utterly satisfying. Our waiter apologized for entrée delays, though the bread made the wait trivial. A live singer ascended the marble staircase, performing “Knock on Wood” and other soul classics with impressive ease as she moved among the tables.
The Wagyu carpaccio ($33) featured delicate slices topped with pickled mushrooms, pine nuts, Parmesan, umami aioli, and black truffle. As a first-time raw beef eater, I found it rich, salty, and slightly sweet, so delicious I overindulged, leaving my stomach unsettled. Nearby, the influencer’s table ordered the $27 tableside flambé, while we tried the black-truffle grilled cheese and tomato soup. The sandwich was satisfying though not overly large, and its comforting cheesiness settled my stomach.
We felt compelled to order steak, opting for the 6-ounce petite filet ($59), the most affordable cut. Cooked medium-rare as recommended, it was tender and expertly prepared, one of the best steaks I’ve tasted. Eager to try the Mahomes ketchup flight ($15), we sampled three house-made varieties: original, spicy togarashi, and black truffle. They tasted like elevated ketchup, enjoyable but not revolutionary. We paired them with truffle fries ($16), bringing our ketchup-and-fries total to $31.
Dessert was a generous slice of carrot cake ($18), the meal’s standout for me. I was pleased to learn it comes from local bakery McLain’s, good news for future cravings. 1587 Prime partners with several Kansas City businesses, including Farm to Market Bread Co. and Betty Rae’s ice cream, offering local flavor even if you can’t snag a reservation.
We boxed the leftover cake, the only remnant of our feast, and received the check: $241 before tip, surpassing our last electric bill. Since opening, 1587 Prime has run smoothly, a rarity for celebrity ventures. The food is delicious, the service attentive, and the experience well orchestrated.
Still, I wonder about the restaurant’s long-term appeal, much like I questioned the themes of Swift’s latest album. Will it thrive once the newness fades? For now, if you seek an upscale, approachable dinner in a glamorous setting, where Swift has likely dined and might return, 1587 Prime delivers a memorable evening.
(Source: The Cut)
