Jasper's Restaurant

This legendary place serves up some of the best Italian fare in the Midwest. Chef Jasper Mirabile and his crew have curated his folks authentic Sicilian recipes from the 40s and 50s and given each of 'em their own culinary spin. From the minute you walk in, it's like being immersed in a big ol' Italian family. The vibes are comforting and inviting and the food is flavorful and filling. Hands-down, his famed shrimp livornese is the best thing on the menu. I could bathe in that sauce. But his award-winning lobster bisque is a close second. (Fun fact: Chef Jasper is one of only a handful of restaurants in the country that also feature Shrimp DeJonghe. But ... shhh ... it's only on Jasper's secret menu and only available if he's there.)If you don't save room for his homemade desserts, well ... that's on you. His dessert cart is almost as famous as he is. (Get the coconut cake. Full stop.)The thing I love best about this place is the sheer tradition and spectacle of Jasper's. I've been going here (and raving about this restaurant) for decades. Jasper never ceases to amaze me with his hospitality and graciousness. It's a Kansas City staple ... and we're lucky to have him.

Food 3/5Portion Size 2/5Ambiance 3/5Service 3/5Value for your Money 3/5I had no issues making reservations for Jasper's, we were even sat at a table as soon as we checked in which was great! As far as the feel of the restaurant, it was quite busy but did not feel hectic at all. We were sat in their patio area which allowed for a calmer dinner than I would have expected for the time of year. As far as the food goes, I ordered the veal parmigiana which came with a house salad. I will give bonus points for the option of having bleu cheese in the salad, which I enjoyed a great deal but they did not mention that this was an additional charge. As someone who cannot eat pork, having a single pepperoni in the salad was odd and a bit off-putting. The veal was great, nothing too fancy aside from being veal but it was pleasant and leftovers were not an option. My wife ordered the Linguini Fra'Diavolo. She seemed to enjoy it, but found it very lacking in spice; she also mentioned that the shrimp were overcooked and very tough and rubbery. My brother-in-law ordered a Caesar salad as his main and asked for shrimp to be included. He seemed to have had a better experience with the shrimp but this did cause for the $8 salad to now be $23 which we all felt was overboard. Reviewing the menu now, I see that there is an $8 charge to add shrimp to a pasta dish, but $15 for a salad just seems like sneaking in charges to get more money.As far as drinks go, I definitely would just go elsewhere. Of the various drinks that were ordered, only one was enjoyable; my wife's limoncello martini. My brother-in-law's blood orange old fashioned smelled like floor cleaner and was very bland; my pera siciliana had spice to it, but the drink did not feel balanced at all, too much base, too acidic, not enough sweet. The other aspect of this that I did not enjoy was that our waiter never once bothered to ask if any of us wanted another drink. He was consistent in refilling our water while our cocktail glasses sat empty. On the topic of our server, we hardly saw him despite seeing him walk around to other tables near us. I do not feel a party of 8, as we were, should demand attention but anything more would have been decent at best. After waiting a while to get our salads, waiting to have it cleared off, waiting felt like the theme of the night. It felt like we had long intermissions between everything. Getting our plates cleaned off from the salad was long, getting our main dishes took a while after that, having those plates cleaned off took even longer. We were not wanting dessert because we already had a good idea as to how much longer it would be before we got those. The waiter did not bother to ask if we even wanted dessert, he just began setting the table for everyone with new forks and spoons. After he did this, he finally asked if anyone wanted more to drink, but not what we had already ordered, limoncello. We all quickly declined. He did not mention whether it would be for free or for a fee, but we all figured it would not be worth our time if it took another 30 minutes to get that back to our table. He then did the dessert showcase, which he had already done 2-3 to neighboring tables. Only two things were ordered from the cart but they were nothing much worth noting upon. If I could offer points for improvement, I would definitely say the service needs to be much more attentive and move with purpose and urgency to start. The portion sizes were just a step up from Plate, which are very minimal to speak of. As an Italian restaurant, I would expect larger portion sizes, even Olive Garden has bigger portions than here. The drinks need to be redone, not even saying what is for offer, more so just the taste of them needs much improvement. When it comes to pricing, any restaurant should be more transparent with additional fees such as adding shrimp (way overboard) or adding bleu cheese.

Pros: Great food! - The food is authentic & delicious. Fresh produce, prepared perfectly, much is purchased locally. Clean - Always clean and smelling of delicious Italian food. Cons: Some (not all, mostly the older guys) of the wait staff are pompous jerks - Depending on who you get is how you'll be treated. Fancy clothing helps, but doesn't always do the trick. Wait time - I'm not exaggerating when I say you'll be there for 3 hours or more. There are several courses and a LOT of waiting between each. It's an event, not just a meal.Expensive - Drinks & side table mozzarella with your meal? Be prepared to pay. Our table of 5 was over $400 and one was a child. To sum up: Dress up (don't forget your thickest skin), come early & plan to stay late, don't forget your wallet $$, & come hungry, you'll definitely love the food and possibly the service...possibly.

First time in for a friends birthday. It's Fazzoli's trying to be fancy. I had theLinguini Fra'Diavolo. The only spice was the red pepper flakes. The marinara was some of the sweetest I've ever had. Not good at all. The waiter was a cocky kid training another guy who should have been the waiter. When he did come to our table it was a rush and at dessert he said "listen up I'm only going to say this once". I said excuse me. He adjusted his attitude. Kid shouldn't be working the service industry. We were in the far back room on the right 11/21/24 at 6:30. I won't be back.

Our first time here for a birthday dinner. The restaurant was cozy and comfortable! Our waiter was okay. We had to ask for refills but they were busy! The bread they served prior to our meals was great! All the rolls were warm and soft! However, our meals left more to be desired. While the flavor was okay, the temperature of the food was subpar. It was room temperature and that was disappointing. My sauce had almost congealed due to maybe the temperature and sitting for a while? We paid $6 for extra chicken, but it was maybe an ounce? The pieces were cut up and mixed in. Anyways, we left somewhat disappointed but would be willing to try again.

Jasper's is an all time favorite place to dine. Special occasions or just a random Tuesday. Every dish is spectacular and tasty!! We love talking with Kasper as he wanders around the dining room. We recommend Jasper's any chance we get.

Oh! How awful... I am a proud woman. I am a grown adult woman. Despite my waitress being a very kind young woman, I was seated near the bar and could overhear the young men in the back discussing my dear daughter. The horrible things they were saying... how atrocious. Lude remarks to no end regarding my daughter's cleavage. And with no regard to me or to my daughter's wellbeing. The shame and embarrassment I felt on their behalf was palpable. My food was cold at the center, to boot, and the prices were outrageous. Never will I dine here again. Never again, Jasper. Goodbye.

Went to Jaspers with a friend. We got the burrata for an app and it was delicious. It came with a fig jam and some greens. I had the Tortellini Romano and it was very delicious. I would get it again. The server was kind and attentive.

This is some of the best Italian in Kansas City. Make sure you save room for dessert because the dessert cart is a must. I love all their offerings of wines. They have a great pasta selection and everything that tastes very authentic. The whole space transforms you. Parking is easy to navigate. The chef is great and I love how Jasper comes around to talk to his guests.

Love the traditional Italian family vibes. It's like having dinner at grandmas every weekend. Jasper is always there and making it known he loves his customers.