Getting Down with Uptown KC: East Bottoms

Sandwiched between two sets of railroad tracks near East Riverside hides two small shops on the corner of Guinotte Avenue. The brick building that they rest in is outwardly held together at the seams. An unexpected duo, the butcher shop and local provisions company provide a look into the culture of the Kansas City East Bottoms.

From locally made chips and sandwiches to some of the best meat in the city, the butcher shop on the corner’s name is well earned; The Local Pig.  It’s butter yellow walls are plastered in minimalistic diagrams of the animals whose meat is served in both the butcher shop and the food truck called Pigwich parked outside.

While the rust-covered trailer might not seem like an ideal place to grab a bite to eat, it offers a pleasant surprise. Not only does “Pigwich” serve typical burgers perfectly topped with a tomato jam, it has bahn mi, cheesesteaks, and falafel for those who want something a little different, all accompanied with perfectly crispy, homemade potato chips.

Take a few steps around the poorly-paved corner and open the brightly-painted turquoise door into a whirlwind of everything that screams Uptown KC. There is so much happening within the small shop that you almost cannot process all of it, a look to your right and you are hit with an entire wall of locally made candles, a look to your left shows a full office space with everything replaced by beautiful plants and stepping straight ahead leads you to walls of prints of downtown Kansas City or one-of-a-kind jewelry.

If the shop itself is not quite doing it for you, the workers placeit over the bar. I was greeted when I walked in by a sweet, old dog fully decked out for the Royals game taking place that day. The man at the front desk not only gave me insight into the homemade rice crispy treats sitting in an vintage-looking locker next to us, and also told me all about the roasters of the best coffee beans in the Crossroads.

As I walk away from the corner shops, a can of Coca Cola from the Local Pig in hand, the streets fall quiet from everything but the rumbling of a train in the distance. Guinotte Avenue truly is a hidden gem of Uptown Kansas City and I think some SM Easters should head down to the East Bottoms soon. After all, it is named after us.

And here’s a playlist perfect for biting into burgers and blowing money on plants: