"Nick Goellner's 20-seat Crossroads izakaya and a 2026 James Beard finalist — win the reservation for a first date."
About Anjin
Twenty seats, one counter, and a reservation the city's diners now chase. Anjin opened in the Crossroads in July 2025 as the izakaya from Nick Goellner and his wife and sommelier Leslie Newsam Goellner, the couple behind The Antler Room. By March 2026 it was a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country, fast company for a room that seats fewer people than most bars. The format is Japanese izakaya: small plates, skewers and sake, eaten at a counter over a busy open kitchen.
This is a counter meal built on many small dishes, not a one-big-plate dinner. For the rest of the city's tables by occasion, see our Kansas City dining guide.
The Kitchen
Nick Goellner, a Kansas City native and French Culinary Institute graduate with several James Beard Best Chef: Midwest nods, cooks a seasonal, globally-read izakaya menu. The dish people come back for is the pork-collar sandwich, miso egg salad on crisp Texas-toast-style milk bread, alongside rotating yakitori (the chicken-heart skewer is the one to order) and handcrafted udon. A puffed-rice-dusted beet salad with persimmon shows the vegetable-forward side, and black-sesame soft serve closes it out.
Pricing fits the small-plates format: cocktails run $12 to $15, Japanese beers $8 to $10, and the meal is built by stacking skewers and plates to share rather than ordering a single entrée. Sake flights, chosen by Leslie Newsam Goellner, are the way into the drinks list. The address is 1708 Oak Street, in the Crossroads, with most seating overlooking the kitchen.
The Room
The room is small and counter-led: twenty seats, most of them facing the open kitchen, so dinner is part meal and part front-row seat. Sound is lively but conversational, close enough to talk across the counter rather than a roar. Lighting is low and warm, the spacing is tight by necessity, and dress is relaxed Crossroads-casual. There is no bad seat, but the counter stools over the pass are the ones to request when you book.
Best for First Date
Anjin is a strong first-date room, because the counter seating gives you something to watch and talk about, the small plates keep the meal moving, and twenty seats make it feel like a shared secret. It also makes a memorable birthday for two or three, when working through the skewers and sake flights together is the event. It sits in our Kansas City dining guide as the city's hardest new reservation.
Not for
Not for a big group or a quiet private conversation — Anjin has just twenty mostly-counter seats and a shared-plates format, so it suits twos and threes, not a party or a deal you need to talk through.
Frequently Asked
Is Anjin worth it?
Yes — it is one of Kansas City's most talked-about restaurants and a 2026 James Beard Best New Restaurant finalist. Chef-owner Nick Goellner runs a 20-seat izakaya of skewers, handcrafted udon and the standout pork-collar sandwich, eaten at a counter over the open kitchen. The appeal is the intimacy and the cooking together. Go in willing to order several small plates and to trust the sake list.
How do I get a reservation at Anjin?
Book through Tock, where reservations release in batches and sell out quickly for a room of only twenty seats. Set a reminder for the booking release and aim for a weeknight, which is easier than a weekend. Request the counter stools over the kitchen when you reserve. If you miss a slot, watch Tock for cancellations closer to the date.
What should I order at Anjin?
Order the pork-collar sandwich, miso egg salad on crisp milk bread, and a round of yakitori starting with the chicken-heart skewer. Add the handcrafted udon and the puffed-rice beet salad with persimmon for the vegetable-forward side, and finish with the black-sesame soft serve. Ask for a sake flight chosen by Leslie Newsam Goellner; the drinks list is built to match the plates.
Is Anjin good for a first date?
Yes — it is one of the city's best first-date rooms. The counter seating gives you the kitchen to watch and talk about, the small-plates format keeps the night moving, and twenty seats make it feel intimate and a little exclusive. Book the counter and go on a weeknight. For a big group or a long private conversation, though, the tight room is the wrong fit.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Anjin
Book through Tock; reservations open in batches and go fast, so set a reminder for the release. The counter stools over the kitchen are the seats to request.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1708 Oak Street, Crossroads, Kansas City, MO 64108
NeighbourhoodCrossroads
CuisineJapanese izakaya
PriceSmall plates & skewers to share; cocktails $12–15, beer $8–10
Dress CodeCasual
Seating20-seat counter over the open kitchen
ReservationTock; reservations release in batches and sell out
