Blayney's of Westport   

421 Westport Rd
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-561-3747
www.blayneys.com

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Don't drink or you'll miss it. Nearly hidden between the Japanese restaurant and the flower shop, a staircase descends beneath Westport Avenue into a cavernous speakeasy that seems from another era. And indeed it is. The building that houses this longtime blues bar allegedly dates back to the Civil War era. It's said to be the third oldest building in Kansas City. The low ceiling, dim lighting and rough stone walls make the place feel simultaneously venerable, authentic, moody and slightly illicit. In short, it's the perfect forum for the blues. Since opening in 1974, Blayney's has established itself as Westport's premier blues bar, hosting live local and regional bands six nights a week. A couple of pool tables and TVs provide nonmusical amusements to beer-drinking patrons more interested in Bud Light than Buddy Guy. A pile of women's bras behind the bar are perhaps a testament to the place's reputation as a spirited late-night retreat -- the manager insists they were all thrown there by actual patrons -- but don't show up hoping for a below-ground Mardi Gras. The place is one of Westport's more laid-back joints, for the most part.