Golden Ox Restaurant & Lounge   

Many of Kansas City's steak houses have moved to more fertile ground near downtown, or out to Johnson County. This is not the case with the Golden Ox, which has stayed put in the West Bottoms, the area that housed KC's famous stockyards. Sure, even the Ox has a Johnson County outpost, but it's somehow heartening that the original Golden Ox still lives in the Bottoms, west of downtown. And the restaurant is still doing its grand steak house thing, though it may have lost some of its original opulence. However, the food on the menu is enough to make up for a lack of ambiance. Try aged beef steaks seared over a hickory charcoal broiler. Or go for the perfectly cooked prime rib. Fish lovers should be tempted by an array of choices, including salmon and shrimp. Can't decide? Then bring meat and seafood together with the filet mignon and lobster entree, two pieces of heaven on a plate. -- Anna Foote