Cheap Dates in Kansas City

Ah, the joys of dating. The butterflies, the sweaty palms, the over-dousing of cologne. Oh yeah, and the absolute agony on your pocketbook. Swooning and lavishing that special someone can be thrilling…but it can also be very expensive. Between the appetizers, the entrée, the dessert and drinks, your little dinner date has done some serious damage on your wallet. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of inexpensive and still festive restaurants around town that provide the perfect setting for a first (or fifty-first) date that will keep your cash flow stocked for the next date. So take back that age-old notion of having to wine and dine your partner in order to score her, and instead impress her with these three thrifty spins on the classic date, dinner and a movie.

Westport Flea Market (The Flea) and the Tivoli
Who doesn't love a great cheeseburger and fries? Unless your date is a vegetarian - in which case she can snack on the Flea's equally yummy fried pickles and onion rings - then this is a surefire date success. After hours, this antique mall turns into a popular burger and sports bar joint where locals come to watch the big game and couples come to fill up for cheap. The Flea offers the best custom-made burger in town - don't take my word for it, it's been voted "Best Burger" for years by every publication in K.C. Two things: come early and bring cash - they don't take check, debit or credit. And because you're getting the best burger in town, you're going to have to wait.

When you have polished off your burger and fries, walk one block over to the Tivoli and show your date your intellectual side by taking her to an independent movie at the Tivoli. This theatre has an intimate feel but the theatre itself is the size of any other cinema, so you get the best of both worlds. And because Tivoli gets films that the big-name chains don't usually pick up, you won't be battling crowds for popcorn and candy and aisle seats. Check out the movie times when they come out on Friday and do a little Internet research on the film so you know what to expect, because these films run the gamut.