You Just Got SERVed: Review of SERV, Overland Park’s newest pickleball venue

I’m running late for school. In a scramble to brush my teeth, change my clothes and stuff my backpack into my car, I don’t think twice about throwing on my East Pickleball Club sweatshirt. 

However, when I rush to tennis practice after school, my tennis coach seems to notice every time — glaring at the sweatshirt and announcing that pickleball is taking over the world. 

He has a point — the popularity of pickleball has exploded since COVID-19, growing nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021 to become America’s fastest-growing sport, according to usapickleball.org.

Though Naples, Florida has claimed the unofficial title of Pickleball Capital of the World, Kansas City is also home to numerous pickleball facilities — the newest being SERV, a cashless play-and-dine venue located on 9051 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

I grabbed the Niupipo brand paddle and ball set my mom ordered through Amazon during the pandemic, my Pickleball Club doubles partner and two worthy opponents to try out SERV.

Because it was cloudy with temperatures in the mid 30s, the outside area wasn’t too appealing, though I can imagine the hanging lights, wooden food stands, bar area and two large movie screens to be highly enjoyable on a cool, summer evening.

In contrast to the barren outdoors, the indoor area was booming with loud conversation coming from visitors of all ages sitting at booths, tables and the bar area which was stacked with colorful drinks. The numerous TVs surrounding the dining area broadcasting the KU game resembled a lively sports bar. 

We decided we’d play before eating, so we walked through aromas of American bar food and opened a door to get to a large, open area with six dark blue pickleball courts giving a totally different feel than the seating area. 

I opened the door and was caught by a whoosh of air followed by the dense whacking sound of pickleballs bouncing on the courts. A wide mural of yellow pickleballs and blue and gray lines cover one wall and amusing phrases like “#pickleballislife” and “You Just Got SERVed” are printed on others, creating an environment that screams pickleball. 

Privacy was minimal since the place was packed with families and players ages 5-60, but I didn’t mind — though it was a little awkward playing while 6-year-olds peered at us through the black fence around the boundaries of the court. 

The courts also didn’t have an area to place our belongings, so we had to lay our sweatshirts and water bottles on the ground between the fence and the court. I would’ve appreciated a small bench or cubby for our things instead.

However, there were gray mats on the wall behind the court, a precautionary soft surface for hard-core pickleballers to crash into after hitting a Professional Pickleball Association National Championship winning forehand. 

After a good 50 minutes of playing, we reentered the dining area and packed ourselves into the closest booth for dinner.

Unlike Chicken N Pickle, another pickleball venue in Overland Park, SERV offers a variety of local food options from Ibis Bakery croissants to Meat Mitch BBQ. I ordered buffalo wings with a side of fries from the Original Dinks Pizza + Wings. I always appreciate when businesses partner with local vendors, emphasizing KC’s small town charm with big city amenities.

Our group of four attempted to talk while waiting for our meals, but what felt like millions of echoing conversations happening all at once made it difficult to chat. The dining area was packed with families and recreational pickleball players.

Thankfully, my food only took about five minutes to arrive — our waitress setting a plastic to-go box in front of me. Though the fast-food look didn’t make the food seem all that appetizing, the wings and fries themselves were thoroughly cooked and satisfactorily seasoned and I assume the lid was there to keep my food warm.

The pleasurable play and dine experience I received from SERV makes me believe that the popularity of pickleball has yet to reach its peak.