The Gusto Lounge

This place is cool and all but there is always a bunch of people grindin on the dance floor… the drinks are overly priced and I hate to say this but its kinda trashy… I don’t care for it I went a couple times and I’m not goin back!

Went here early in the night. The music was very good, not sure if the dj rotates but I would come back for his music. The drinks were good too. The place itself has seen better days but it’s got the club vibe without the prices. I would go back.

We went there for a few drinks Saturday night. It was the night there was a big storm and tons of rain. The ceiling started to leak in several places and it was pretty dangerous since it was near a step and by the dance floor. We informed the front door staff and they stated the could not do anything about it. They did not even put a wet floor sign. About an hour later I tried to go down to the bathroom and the whole back of the restaurant was flooded. About 2 inches of water took over the back of the bar including both bathrooms. I understand that maybe some excessive water from a storm could cause problems but this was insane. To stay open with no regards for the safety of the patrons is crazy. This is my second time coming and I don’t think I will be back. Both of the female bartenders are on meth or other strong drugs. The one girl is so skinny, has sores on her face and looks like she is in a different world. I have never been greeted with a smile or a thank you.

This is where you go to shake your booty to rap music on the weekends. I saw two people having sex on the dance floor here, they took «make love in this club» literally. The outside patio has a good place to chat with your friends.

During my visit to Westport I was backing in on a public street. A Gusto Lounge staff/​doorman/​aspiring parking attendant stepped out into the street and intentionally hit in the mirror on my vehicle trying to keep the spot open. I called over a police officer and he informed me it is a legal public parking spot. Obviously I moved as to avoid further damage to my vehicle. Attempted to contact GM about damages with no return call.
Needless to say the staff members have anger management issues. The bar itself. Mediocre.

Gusto is probably one of the best bars in the city. The staff is amazing the drinks are awesome and the music is alway good. If you haven’t been to this place you should check it out. Week nights are just busy enough to make you stay all night and weekends are super busy.

Nothing is wrong with this place. When I moved out here I got word from lots of people that this place is ghetto and dont go here. I think its great. Only place I been in Westport to get your groove on if you feel like busting a move. I really like it before midnight. It is empty and its a great place to sit and talk with friends without the loud noise and douchey bags that take up most of the space in Westport… Did that sound judgemental? Im sorry but I mean it! Im not sorry. Gustos is a cool place. They got new rules to help with the «ghetto» factor… No hats on the weekends… AND… No jumpsuits or baggy pants on the weekends. As for the bouncers… Theyre large yes… But theyre super cool. Theyll chat you up and dont give that attitude where you wanna test em to see if they got what it takes. Cool place… Dont judge!

This would of been my first time to The Gusto Lounge I have not heard anything about it and just kind of found it because all the other bars had lines and were packed with people. So we walk up and are greeted and asked for I.D.‘s then I am told my friend can not come in because of his baseball jersey there were no options for him to come into thier not so busy establishment. Well we all moved on and went to the Riot Room where we spent a good chunk of money and had a great time.
Being in the restaurant and bar business for a long time I know the most important part is getting a person to just take a look and come inside your establishment. We live about 3 hours away from Kansas City but will return soon. Riot Room, Flying Saucer (Flying Saucer is where we were earlier excellent place!) win. Gusto you better work on your customer service. If anyone have suggestions for great bars and food for my next visit to Kansas City feel free to comment! Cheers!

Gusto Lounge is the bar I like to go to relax and just talk to friends. I like going to Gusto for their long islands. It seems in the last year they have risen the price of their drinks. I use to get their long islands for $ 6 and now they are permanently raised to $ 7.
I like the remodeling of their bathrooms. They are nice and roomy. I wish Gusto had more seating around the bar. Earlier in the day they have the second half of the bar closed off.
They have a dance area at Gusto, but nobody is ever dancing. My boyfriend and I really like the comfy sofa you can seat at and the table next to the huge open window. It seems like Gusto is really lacking the business lately, but I still go. Plus, what is up with the 3 burly bouncers they have standing outside of Gusto at all times? Are they trying to intimidate people from coming into their bar?

This is one of my favorite bars in KC! They actually have two bars, one in front and one in back, so getting drinks is always fast, and the service is wonderful!!!

There is no real direction here. It’s a dance party in the front, and a pool hall in the back. It’s a weird scene, but it’s A-​OK for a few drinks and some dancing.

If Gusto is a hipster lounge, then I guess I don’t hate hipster lounges after all, and if it’s a dive, it’s the cleanest one I’ve ever been in. Historic space in Westport (aren’t they all?), fantastic space, and well-​used. Lots of nooks and crannies, fun dance floor, really nice bartenders, shockingly affordable drinks. I really liked the clientele, as well… great, laid back vibe, notable lack of assiness. Nice open area in the back. This is the bar that Westport needed. I’ll be back, and often.

I have to say that this is now one of my favorite places to hang out in KC. Picture this: a little dubstep, a variety of interesting people, cheap drinks, and a cozy dance floor. I never went to the old Gusto, so I have nothing to compare it to. However, I will say that this is definitely one of the best places in Westport.
I’ve been in here on a few occasions, all during weeknights. There is never any cover and there is seemingly always a DJ, or at least some good beats spinning in the background. Yes, there are hipsters, and yes there is PBR. That being said, that isn’t the only thing you’ll find in here.
The downstairs area is finished, complete with a few bar stools, over-​sized chairs, and even a sofa in the back room. The dance floor and DJ area is adjacent to the bar. Mind you, this isn’t a huge dance floor at all. Rather, it’s more like a dimly lit cement block with speakers that also serve as drink holders. If that sounds bad, it isn’t. It’s actually quite fun, and even better when you feel like jamming out and not minding looking like a fool. Chances are, there is someone else who will look more ridiculous than you, and nobody cares because everyone is having fun.
There is also an upstairs area in Gusto. To be honest with you, I still don’t know what it is. The stairway going up looks very inviting, but the upstairs area is largely unfinished. You’ll find a couple of tables with stools, perhaps some good conversation, and then there’s the restrooms. The women’s restroom can only be described as something akin to the Leaning Tower of Pisa meets plywood. It’s a little off kilter, but functional. In fact, it really doesn’t bother me, it just makes it more interesting.
Gusto, I adore you, and I’ll be back.

Oh man, all the people calling Gusto «hipster» makes me all ashamed and awkward and uncomfortable!
I’ve been to Gusto a few times now, and it’s a pretty cool place! The bar is nuts crowded like Union tends to be, and I like the overall eclectic crowd that I see hanging out.
The DJ (or DJs) tend to play different music from time to time, which is cool. My first visit was all 80s, and last time was all more modern, but not typical P&L stuff. It’s an overall very cool, laid back bar, and not at all pretentious or dirty.
Highly recommended for a chill time!

If I were writing a review of the old Gusto location, It’d be a 2 star review, and I’d feel charitable. The place wasn’t a dive, it was a dump. There’s a difference between being hipster and just being flat-​out wore-​out, and they were on the wrong side of that line.
But in moving into their new location, Gusto (sadly not said in the super fun Spanish pronunciation like I once thought) Lounge solidly earns 4 stars.
The drinks are fine, cheap beer and liquor. I wouldn’t expect some high falootin’ fancy cocktail here, but for the basics they got you covered.
The space is great, divided up into a few areas. There’s a loungy area in the back that is pretty chill, and the bathrooms are upstairs, in a rather odd setup. Nothing is fancy and there’s not much décor to speak of. Still, everything is clean and in good repair (something that most certainly cannot be said for many other bars that attract the same crowd)
My favorite thing about this bar? The dance floor for sure! Great DJs, fun twinkly blue lights, and just a whole hell of a lot of fun. I strongly approve.
Since the closing of Sanfords, this particular location has rotated through one crappy bar after another with little or no fanfare. But don’t worry, Gusto just won’t make it here, they will thrive. It’s another awesome ingredient in redefining the flavor of Westport, which is starting to taste pretty dang good.

Come here for «party in the attic» feel and The Union for «party in the basement» feel.
Gusto’s reminds me a lot of hipster college parties. Been there a couple times now, and I’ll consider it to be one of my main stops in Westport. The bartenders are nice and the patrons tend to be too. The dance floor area feels like you’re in an attic and the DJ fills the room up with some BEATS. It’s not trashy dance floor full of grindage, more like shakes your hips, jump around and/​or interpretive dance. Fun times.
There’s also a «quieter» seating area in the back. Wouldn’t know anything about it.

House music. Mid-​range drinks. Half-​baked design concept saved by the timeless exposed brick.
Sit back in the Harem-​nod lounge area and try to look like a cologne ad. Then, as all good nights end, stumble into Joe’s Pizza.

Gusto is a reinvention of what was the Lava Room in the Midtown neighborhood of KC. Friendly bartenders and very reasonable prices drive the crowd in here.
The neighborhood can drive some people away but with street parking and lot parking across the street in the Walgreen’s lot it really is pretty safe.
The pool table is 50 cents! Nobody has a table that cheap in Midtown and the best part is there are usually really good people playing every night of the week.
Old school video games are a nice touch but sometimes I wish they had more seating or some booths where the games sit. Great décor here, feels like a man cave before people knew what man caves were.
Give this place a try and remember you are going to a bar in Midtown and not Power and Light, the bartenders here are race horses not show ponies don’t expect flare when getting a drink. I assure you that drink with be ice cold, potent, and delicious.

Behhhhhhhhhhhhh…
OK. I wanted Gusto to do well. Midtown needs more options and I thought a new place with a hip, kitschy vibe would be awesome.
Well it would, if Gusto could pick a personality.
Techno DJ night. Blaring black metal. Groovy Motown-​esque tunes. Shitty top 40. All of these have been the background music in my visits to Gusto. What the???
I’m not sure what this place is trying to do anymore. I get the feeling they really bank on it being a dark, dimly-​lit bar so patrons can’t see the dirty atmosphere. I understand trying going for a mod, retro feel with the space upstairs, but it is pretty much a fail. Furniture is uncomfortable, space is weird. The bathrooms are still dismal.
A few friends and I decided to give Gusto another try again last night. It was a Thursday night, so we thought it would have a pretty decent-​sized crowd. Again, utter FAIL. Only a handful of people were at the downstairs bar, braving the screaming metal music that was on, and upstairs was a barren wasteland. I’m not sure this place has staying power, which is unfortunate from the local business aspect… but I personally wouldn’t miss it.

This place has been on my «to try» list for awhile. Was a big fan of its previous incarnation, The Lava Room, for its fun and cozy décor, good bartenders, and mishmash late-​night Midtown crowd.
Alas, all that remains now is the mishmash late-​night Midtown crowd. Most of the table seating has been stripped out of the downstairs, leaving just stools at the bar and a long table-​less stretch of vinyl sofa device along the wall. Not at all comfortable. Especially if you’re drinking something like a martini.
After walking in and finding nowhere to sit, I headed to the upstairs lounge, only to find it too has mostly been stripped of furniture (although a few retro garage sale/​public school salvaged chairs remain).
Finally finding a seat at the bar, I was thinking I’d get the usual very good extra dirty martini. Foiled again. The bartender was friendly but nonchalant about service. And didn’t quite seem to know what he was doing behind the bar. Taking a cue from this, I ordered a vodka tonic instead of a martini. What should have been a simple drink was not well executed.
To add to these problems, Gusto seems to have inherited the restroom stench from the Lava Room days. Except multiplied by about 100.
I paid $ 4 for a poorly mixed vodka tonic, lackluster service, and uncomfortable furniture. With bonus bathroom stink. The overall effect was like drinking cocktails made by a college freshman in a stinky dorm room.
Paid for the drink and snuck over to Chez Charlie’s instead. Yeah. Won’t be going back to Gusto. There are too many other places that do a much better job of the dive bar thing.