This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Voltaire is the West Bottoms global eatery and cocktail bar at 1617 Genessee St, opened 2013 by chef Wes Gartner and Jill Myers (Moxie Catering, est. 2002) in the former R Bar. Same owners later revived The Golden Ox (2018) next door in the Livestock Exchange Building; the group now also runs Ox Cafe and Lemonade Park. Seasonal plates, classic/contemporary cocktails, Thursday jazz, Saturday–Sunday brunch. Tier 1 chef-owner, KC-based.1234

Description

First-party frames Voltaire as a laid-back global eatery and “purveyor of libations”: rotating seasonal food, cocktails, and music in a Dada/Art Deco room. Thursday is jazz night on the house stage (8–11pm, $10/PWYC) plus all-night happy hour; Wednesday is Service Industry Night. Brunch is back Saturday and Sunday. Parking is street plus the Golden Ox lot/garage south of the Livestock Exchange Building. Corkage $20/bottle with menu restrictions. Private events route to moxiecatering@gmail.com.25

Pitch (Aug 2026) was still treating Voltaire as a live kitchen — Eat This Now on pommes frites with port-wine ketchup.6

Ownership and history

Gartner and Myers ran Moxie Catering (2002) before opening Voltaire in the old R Bar at 1617 Genessee. The Pitch tracked a Valentine’s-then-mid-April 2013 target and, on June 27, 2013, described a room that had been open about seven weeks. In 2015 they signed the remaining Golden Ox dining room; the steakhouse reopened after renovation (2018 per Golden Ox’s own about page). The current Voltaire site is branded under Moxie Industries with sister links to Golden Ox, Ox Cafe, and Lemonade Park (Wyoming & 17th, with a recordBar outdoor-event partnership noted in the FAQ).3425

menu_status: pending — first-party offerings pages are seasonal and not priced this pass. Offerings: https://www.voltairekc.com/offerings · Tock: https://www.exploretock.com/voltairekc

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Voltaire first-party home (accessed 2026-08-12). Asserts: Stockyards / KC; brunch Sat 10–2 & Sun 10–3; globally inspired cuisine, classic and contemporary cocktails. ↩

  2. Voltaire — About (accessed 2026-08-12). Asserts: laid-back atmosphere; rotating music/cocktails/food; Jazz Thursdays 8–11pm $10/PWYC starting July; all-day happy hour Thursdays; Service Industry Night Wednesday 5pm–12am (about page states 50% off small plates / highballs / bottles under $50 — FAQ on the contact page states 25% / plates under $17; both recorded, not reconciled); Moxie Industries sisters Golden Ox, Ox Cafe, Lemonade Park. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. The Pitch — “Voltaire to open in former R Bar space…now in mid-April” (Mar 11, 2013) and “Voltaire starts its own movement in the West Bottoms” (June 27, 2013) thepitchkc.com — asserts: Gartner/Myers; 1617 Genessee; former R Bar; ~April–May 2013 open (seven weeks before the June 27 piece). ↩ ↩2

  4. Golden Ox — About (accessed 2026-08-12). Asserts: revived 2018 by Wes Gartner and Jill Myers, owners of Voltaire; 2.5-year renovation. Corroborated by Pitch Dec 15, 2015 (1617 Genessee, Moxie 2002): thepitchkc.com ↩ ↩2

  5. Voltaire — Contact (accessed 2026-08-12). Asserts: 1617 Genessee St, Kansas City, MO 64102; dinner Wed–Thu 5–10 / Fri–Sat 5–11; bar Wed–Thu 5–11 / Fri–Sat 4–1am; brunch Sat 10–2 / Sun 10–3; (816) 472-1200; inquiries@voltairekc.com; Tock reservations; parking via Golden Ox lot; corkage $20; events moxiecatering@gmail.com. Header “HAPPY HOUR 4pm to 6PM” vs FAQ 5–6 Wed/Thu and 4–6 Fri/Sat — both on-page. ↩ ↩2

  6. The Pitch — “Eat This Now: Pommes frites with port wine ketchup at Voltaire” (Aug 2026) — asserts: Voltaire operating as a current kitchen as of Aug 2026. ↩

See also

Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/voltaire · record updated 2026-08-12