Crooners Lounge

I rarely give a 5, so for this stop let’s say 4 ²⁄₃. Has to be the best meal in Fort Scott and vicinity. Yes, expensive, but the best all around none the less. Had a strip steak which I can recommend.

We went to Crooners while we were in Ft. Scott, KS. It’s locally owned and Jared, the owner, will stop by your table to see how you are doing. Our waitress was Jill and she was great. The food is very good and he has a great selection of wines in which if you are not a wine connoisseur that’s okay because Jill or Jared will help you choose the right one. He also owns the Liberty Theatre next door, so buy a ticket to an event there, but take your date first to Crooners.

Love this place. My family and I were down from KC. We loved everything. Great atmosphere and amazing food. Beef tips were perfect. Try that twice baked mash! You won’t be disappointed.

Food was good but a bit overpriced for the quality. Ambiance is okay (but I’m from a city so my expectations may be a bit different).
Overall, a nice spot in a unique part of town.

Excellent food, reasonably priced. Variety of fresh, well-​prepared dishes, primarily steaks, fish, and Italian fare. Fun ambience. Staff is friendly and accommodating. A perfect way to end a great day seeing the many sights this remarkable town offers. We look forward to an evening at Crooners whenever we visit with family in Fort Scott.

Crooners is a true bistro: the menu, which the chef writes on a large chalkboard, is different each week. However, you can count on finding at least 2 or 3 types of steak, of chicken, of seafood/​fish, of pasta, etc. (The weekly menu can be found on their Facebook page.)
While there are many standards on the menu –steaks, lasagna, etc– be prepared for an occasional gourmet surprise, like escargot, octopus salad, and other things not typically found in small-​town Kansas restaurants.
Entrées are served with salad and when appropriate, with veggies and a choice of starch. There’s good bread and real butter for the table. There’s usually a very nice (also changing) menu of appetizers/​starters and a limited selection of desserts. They serve beer, wine, and a full bar.
Everything is very good, and many dishes are excellent. «Chef Jimmy» (chef/​owner Jim Smith) is especially skilled at cooking fish perfectly. The steaks are also terrific. Many of the portions are large, so it’s easy to split or take home leftovers. (The $ 15 lasagna feeds 2 easily.) The chef is very accommodating when it comes to most food allergies, vegetarians, and other special needs.
The staff is wonderful. Paulette is the chef’s wife; Jill and Jared are employees who are clearly like family to the owners. All three wait tables and tend bar. There are usually another couple of servers, too.
Crooners is in an 1880s building in the Downtown Historic District. It’s rather small –seats maybe 50?– so reservations are a good idea. They’re open 5:00 to 9:00 pm, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. On rare occasions (when the theatre they own next door has a live music show) they are open on Saturday night. They do private parties on-​site and limited catering.
Perfect weather is rare in Kansas, but in the Summer if it’s not too hot, too windy, or too rainy, they will sometimes offer patio seating.
Crooners is by far the best choice for dinner in Fort Scott, and it’s amazing a town of 8000 people has such a wonderful restaurant. We eat there at least once a week, sometimes twice.