9 Foodie-Recommended Restaurants in Joplin, MO
When Luke Gibson launched his career in commercial real estate in Joplin, MO, he knew he needed to make connections in the city, and he did so in the tastiest way possible. The Carthage native grew up in the region, but says, “I needed to ingrain myself into Joplin city limits and the community. One of the first ways I did that was fully investing in my stomach and Joplin, MO’s, restaurant scene.”
In addition to making those personal connections, he also developed a wide knowledge of the area’s expanding, diverse dining landscape.
“Whenever you think of Joplin, I bet you don’t think there’s a good sushi place or a good Thai place; you think diner or Midwestern-type food,” he says. “But we have a lot of folks here doing a lot of cool and unique things.”
Per Gibson, here are nine notable restaurants serving up some of the best food Joplin, MO, has to offer, not to mention they provide stellar service and a personal touch.
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The Bruncheonette
“My favorite restaurant,” Gibson says enthusiastically about breakfast-and-lunch spot The Bruncheonette. “Just show up ready to eat some life-changing food.”
He reels off a list of excellent entrees, many with punny names: Korean-inspired noodles and pulled pork (Off the Chang), a trio of Benedicts, breakfast tacos (B.A. Baracus Tacos), and pancakes topped with syrup made with IPA from Missouri’s own Mother’s Brewing Co. The small Joplin, MO, restaurant draws a league of regulars – Gibson and his family dine there weekly – and doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait (although, he says tables open quickly).
Mythos
“We have other places you can get gyros, but I’d say with confidence, ‘I’m going to go to Mythos,’” Gibson says of Greek cuisine in Joplin. He consistently opts for lamb at the upscale spot, either tucked in gyros for lunch or beautiful lamb chops served with herby, garlicky demi-glace for dinner.
Owner George Michalopoulos “is a really great member of our community, and he knows how to run a restaurant,” Gibson says. “Running a restaurant, especially a local restaurant, is a lot more than making nice food. It’s about the customer service you provide and instill in your staff, and Mythos has some of the best in Joplin, MO.”
Wilder’s Steakhouse
“Whenever you think of signs in Joplin, you think of Wilder’s Steakhouse,” Gibson says.
The swooping, retro, turquoise-and-red neon signage is a testament to the Joplin, MO, restaurant’s history (it’s been in operation for nearly a century) and even bears the tagline, “Recommended by Duncan Hines.” Inside, “you feel like it’s the 1920s, but not from a super kitschy point of view, like they did some cornyknock three times thing,” Gibson says. It’s his top pick for a Joplin date night, and a must-do for travelers who appreciate good food.
“You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu,” he says.
Crabby’s
Another reliable date-night spot for Gibson is Crabby’s, an upscale seafood restaurant in Joplin, MO.
“Crabby’s is without a doubt the right choice for seafood every time,” he says.
In addition to his regular order of Chilean sea bass, he says, the spot doesn’t skimp on steak (it serves 28- and 45-day aged beef), snow and Alaskan king crab legs, and pastas, like seafood linguine in a lemony Parmesan sauce.
Downtown Burgers
Gibson’s favorite style of hamburger needs instructions: “Don’t let it be in the bag too long, or it’ll fall through the bottom,” he says with a laugh. For his rich, hefty, slightly messy burger fix, he hits up Downtown Burgers, a simple takeout-only joint on Main Street. Despite the lack of seating or vibes, the spot stays busy serving a tiny menu of burgers and fries.
“They do a few things, but they do them all incredibly well,” he says. “I really like going to fine dining and experimental places, but I also like places that are just exactly what they need to be. My order is the Pig n’ Bull (burger topped with ham) every time.”
Ghetto Tacos
With a brick-and-mortar location in nearby Webb City and food trucks serving the entire region, Ghetto Tacos is the place to grab Mexican street food. In Joplin, Gibson visits a truck parked at 22nd and Main streets weekly for Taco Tuesday and downtown for the monthly Third Thursday celebration from March through October.
“Ghetto always has the longest line,” he says. “The al pastor is my way to go. It’s the way to my heart.” In addition to tacos, the kitchen also turns out mulitas, a quesadilla-like dish that earned it the honor of Best Bite In Town on Guy Fieri’s eponymous Food Network show.
Latin Fusion
“I am so glad to have been introduced to Honduran food,” Gibson says of Joplin, MO, restaurant Latin Fusion, which opened on Main Street in spring 2024. The spot bills itself as Honduran-Mexican cuisine, and while it does serve tacos and enchiladas, the stars of the show are its classic Honduran bites, like pastelitos, pupusas and baleadas. All three can be found on the Honduran Tour platter, which is Gibson’s regular order.
“It has all the greatest hits, and I love them all,” he says. “The people who run it are really great people. They take great care in coming out and talking to everyone.”
Kinnaree Thai Cuisine
Gibson freely admits he doesn’t love super spicy food, so when he first visited Kinnaree Thai Cuisine and was asked how spicy he wanted his food, he didn’t know what to expect. Like many Thai restaurants, Kinnaree allows diners to choose their heat on a scale of one to five. Gibson opted for a three only to discover, he says, “I thought I liked spice more than I do.” But the heat hasn’t dissuaded him from returning to enjoy the eatery’s mouthwatering dishes.
“It’s great,” he says of the food – now that he knows his preferred spice level is a one or two.
Woody’s Wood-Fire Pizza Bar & Oven
Perched on the north side of former Route 66, Woody’s Wood-Fire Pizza Bar & Oven boasts a roadhouse vibe that may be surprising, given that it’s owned by chef and restaurateur Damien Tiregol, who also owns the upscale Crabby’s.
“It’s a nice, homey pizza place,” Gibson says of the Joplin, MO, restaurant, which has the vibe of a local fave that’s been added onto multiple times during its 26-year history.
The eatery boasts a sizable outdoor patio in addition to its dining room, though Gibson often opts for carrying out his order of burrata and half Meatzilla, half pepperoni pie.
“Every Friday, my wife and I do horror movies and pizza,” he says. Woody’s is one of the two spots in town where the pair pick up scarily good food.
This article is sponsored by Choose Joplin, which is actively supported by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Joplin.