Kansas City Fried Chicken

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Barefootcountrygirl)

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:45:04 GMT

This whole thread has me giggling....it's going strong even in 2008! hehehe!!

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (jeepster4)

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:39:44 GMT

With the recent opening of the new Johnson County location, Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor in Clay County is relatively tourist and Yuppie free, and is again a delightful place to enjoy a traditional chicken dinner. The waiting period is now reasonable and the food is still as good as it gets.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (1bbqboy)

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:56:56 GMT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=26&entry_id=26452

........For more than a quarter of a century, I've made at least annual pilgrimages to the original location in Kansas City. In December 2005, the city declared eminent domain and bought the building to expand the roadway next to it. The owner, Mike Donegan, who has a second location in North Kansas City, had been looking since then for a new space, and finally found it in Fairway, Kan., just across the Missouri border. He tried to recreate the feel of the original place -- of course he could never replicate the sloped floors or the crooked window jams -- but he did mimic the original red and white checkered tablecloths and the frilly yellow cafe curtains.

I was there recently, less than a month after opening, and I'm pleased to report that the chicken is as good as ever. I peaked into the kitchen to see four large pans of chicken bubbling and spattering in oil to produce a distinctive crackling-crisp coating. I swear it's the best fried chicken I've ever eaten, and I'm always trying to find something to compare, which is hard in the Bay Area.

The new Stroud's has been fully embraced by locals too. Though it holds twice as many people, even at 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon the wait was more than 90 minutes, and often it stretches to two hours. People wait patiently, ordering a beer or cocktail in the bar and then hanging around outside. It feels almost like a neighborhood block party.

Another thing hasn't changed either: The staff still wears and sells the popular T-shirts with the retro Stroud's logo and the tag line scrawled on the back: "We choke our own chickens."

I've decided that when I finish up with pizza, I may just have to go on a quest for the best fried chicken (if I can wait that long). If you have your favorites, please let me know; it's never too early to start.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (MetroplexJim)

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:49:28 GMT

I'm curious.

Stroud's looks fantastic. http://www.stroudsrestaurant.com/

Has anyone eaten at both Stroud's and Babe's Chicken Dinner House(s) in the Dallas area? www.babeschicken.com

How do they compare?

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sfreader)

Thu, 29 May 2008 16:41:21 GMT

There is a good new place for chicken in KC: Granny's Chicken Ranch at the Legends in Kansas City, Kansas.

Granny's pan fried chicken is very good. As good or better than most of the big name chicken places in Kansas. I thought the drop biscuit, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy were all very good.

Keith

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (cwujd1)

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:15:46 GMT

The new Stroud's South is open! After all the previous speculation about possible locations (e.g., Stephenson's Apple Farm), they took over a building that has been several mediocre restaurants over the years at 4200 Shawnee Mission Parkway, right about where the towns of Fairway and Mission meet.

Business is apparently already good. I called as soon as I rented a car at the airport last week. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon and I asked if they took carry out orders. They said that they did and the next "window" for pickup was 7:30 PM! I called the Oak Ridge Manor location instead and was able to pick up immediately. Those iron skillets only hold so much chicken and the restaurant customers have to come first. Apparently, hours-long lines have been the norm since they opened. By the way, unlike the Northside location, this one is open for lunch every day and stays open through dinner.

So I can't vouch for the food at the new place but the chicken I picked up at what is now the "old" location (the original location closed to make way for street construction and is gone forever), is still the best anywhere (that I've had anyway). Crisp (even after the ride home), flavorful and still comes with those decadent cinnamon rolls.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (darenstevens)

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:07:34 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by bill voss

quote:
Originally posted by darenstevens

quote:
Originally posted by Bill B.

I lived in the KC area most of my life. Didn't know that Mrs. Peters had closed until I read this thread. Too bad.

Is the famous cook (can't remember the name) from the old Boots & Coates restaurant in KC still working? If so, that place would have some world-class fried chicken.

RC's in Martin City has pretty good chicken, and cottage fries with real chicken gravy.

For an antidote to KFC, try the original Go Chicken Go in KCK. Their chicken is OK, but their gizzards are killer. Order a pound with a cup of gravy, then sit in your car and dip the gizzards into the gravy. Good stuff! And open late at night.

Bill, I'm new to the site but thought I'd chime in on this. I left a vm for my Aunt to call me about Boots and Coats. My uncle who's since passed owned a small portion of Boots and Coates and his brother was the Boots part of it and the main partner in the place. When I would fake being sick as a kid my Aunt would take me in there for lunch.

I'll see if she has any info on the cook, etc....

Hope this helps.

Cool! Are you Darrin 1

or Darrin 2?

I'd probably fall more into the Daren 1 category. Years of sports have given me back problems but none as severe as Dick York had I'm sure.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (1bbqboy)

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:08:57 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by darenstevens

quote:
Originally posted by Bill B.

I lived in the KC area most of my life. Didn't know that Mrs. Peters had closed until I read this thread. Too bad.

Is the famous cook (can't remember the name) from the old Boots & Coates restaurant in KC still working? If so, that place would have some world-class fried chicken.

RC's in Martin City has pretty good chicken, and cottage fries with real chicken gravy.

For an antidote to KFC, try the original Go Chicken Go in KCK. Their chicken is OK, but their gizzards are killer. Order a pound with a cup of gravy, then sit in your car and dip the gizzards into the gravy. Good stuff! And open late at night.

Bill, I'm new to the site but thought I'd chime in on this. I left a vm for my Aunt to call me about Boots and Coats. My uncle who's since passed owned a small portion of Boots and Coates and his brother was the Boots part of it and the main partner in the place. When I would fake being sick as a kid my Aunt would take me in there for lunch.

I'll see if she has any info on the cook, etc....

Hope this helps.

Cool! Are you Darrin 1

or Darrin 2?

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (darenstevens)

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:44:25 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Bill B.

I lived in the KC area most of my life. Didn't know that Mrs. Peters had closed until I read this thread. Too bad.

Is the famous cook (can't remember the name) from the old Boots & Coates restaurant in KC still working? If so, that place would have some world-class fried chicken.

RC's in Martin City has pretty good chicken, and cottage fries with real chicken gravy.

For an antidote to KFC, try the original Go Chicken Go in KCK. Their chicken is OK, but their gizzards are killer. Order a pound with a cup of gravy, then sit in your car and dip the gizzards into the gravy. Good stuff! And open late at night.

Bill, I'm new to the site but thought I'd chime in on this. I left a vm for my Aunt to call me about Boots and Coats. My uncle who's since passed owned a small portion of Boots and Coates and his brother was the Boots part of it and the main partner in the place. When I would fake being sick as a kid my Aunt would take me in there for lunch.

I'll see if she has any info on the cook, etc....

Hope this helps.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (zataar)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:22:31 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by buffetbuster

Has anyone been to Yarbrough's in Shawnee, Kansas lately? If so, how was the fried chicken?

http://www.yarbroughrestaurant.com/

I haven't been to Leona's for a long time, but spoke recently with someone who has. Gentle food, were the words they used to describe it. They love Leona's, but realize that a diner with a more adventuresome palette may find it a bit lacking. It's very subtly flavored food. Not salty, spicy or intensely flavored in anyway.

I don't know if they still do it, but long ago you would write your own order on a ticket, just like in a dining car on a train.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (zataar)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:59:55 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by bill voss

I ate at Leona Yarbourgh's all the time as a kid. It was down the street a little ways in Fairway. I was amazed long ago it made it to the Stern's book,
not realizing that as a kid I got to eat at a quite a few signature places.

The Fairway location is a First Watch now. The location in Shawnee is one of the ugliest buildings around, but they still do a great business.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (1bbqboy)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:17:01 GMT

I ate at Leona Yarbourgh's all the time as a kid. It was down the street a little ways in Fairway. I was amazed long ago it made it to the Stern's book,
not realizing that as a kid I got to eat at a quite a few signature places.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (buffetbuster)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:18:52 GMT

Sfreader-
Thanks for the reply. It is one of the older Roadfood books and I was wondering if it was still good. I think I am going to try and get there on my trip.

By the way, I'm glad you are interested in sharing a meal while I am out there. I am still working on my itinerary, but should have it done today. I was going to let you knew where I'm going to be and when and see what works with your schedule.

By the way, I am a big fan of your Kansas restaurant website and it has been invaluable in planning my trip!

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sfreader)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:35:09 GMT

I haven't been there, but one of the reviewers on the Walt Bodine Show was saying good things about Yarnrough's a few months back.

Keith

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (buffetbuster)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:41:25 GMT

Has anyone been to Yarbrough's in Shawnee, Kansas lately? If so, how was the fried chicken?

http://www.yarbroughrestaurant.com/

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (kgummy)

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:58:17 GMT

Bill, thanks for the welcome. I'm in Prairie Village, but my stomach travels well. I think it's traveling to G-C-G at 51st and Troost tonight for gizzards...it's been 4 days and I'm gonna get cranky.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (1bbqboy)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:28:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by kgummy

THANNK YOU, folks, for introducing me to Go Chicken Go. I'm ashamed to have missed it all this time. I want to try the legs and thighs, but I started with gizzards and keep going back for more. Always hot, fresh tasting, buttery. YUM YUM YUM

The Pitch says K.T. Fryer's owner can't be contacted and the space is for rent, and that Stroud's will open at 4200 Shawnee Mission Parkway in February or March.

Has anyone been to R.C.'s lately? I believe it's the last place in town using Chicken Betty's recipe. I haven't had it in years, and personally prefer it to Stroud's. But that's why they have chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice creams. (And Neopolitan if you can't make up your mind.)

Wow!
2 new chicken advocates.

Welcome, Vanessamb & kgummy.
Where in KC do you reside?

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (kgummy)

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:18:09 GMT

THANNK YOU, folks, for introducing me to Go Chicken Go. I'm ashamed to have missed it all this time. I want to try the legs and thighs, but I started with gizzards and keep going back for more. Always hot, fresh tasting, buttery. YUM YUM YUM

The Pitch says K.T. Fryer's owner can't be contacted and the space is for rent, and that Stroud's will open at 4200 Shawnee Mission Parkway in February or March.

Has anyone been to R.C.'s lately? I believe it's the last place in town using Chicken Betty's recipe. I haven't had it in years, and personally prefer it to Stroud's. But that's why they have chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice creams. (And Neopolitan if you can't make up your mind.)

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sfreader)

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Other than the tradition, I've never seen the attraction of the food at Chicken Annie's and Chicken Mary's.

Kieth

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (vanessamb)

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:31:14 GMT

I'd like to mention Mama's on 39th and Southwest Tfwy in Kansas City has great fried chicken! The atmosphere is not as crazy as Stroud's which had a very long wait when I went on a Tuesday night a few months ago. The food was good, but I agree, overpriced.

Someone mentioned Chicken Annie's and Chicken Mary's at the beginning of this post. I used to work at Chicken Annie's Original in Southeast Kansas and we had many people making the 2 hour drive south to us from Kansas City for a fried chicken dinner. We also had a family that would drive up from Texas several times a year just to dine at Chicken Annie's.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Tdybr27)

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:47:36 GMT

Has K.T. Fryers reopened after the fire?

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Jaybird1000)

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:40:09 GMT

K.T. Fryers is pretty close to Strouds.
It's in Lenexa, Ks.,
a suburb of Kansas City.
The original Strouds on 85th is no more, I'm afraid.
However, one Strouds remains.
If you find yourself at Go Chicken Go,
don't forget the incredible hot sauce.
We buy bottles of it.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Zanshin)

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 13:16:10 GMT

It has been recently mentioned that Stroud's is considering buying the old Stephenson's Apple Barn location on US 40 and Lee's Summit Road. Would be a good location for them with the large Bass Pro going in down the road. Given that the old Apple Barn has poor accomodations for guests waiting in bad weather, it sounds just like what Strouds would be looking for.

We decided to try Stroud's again since it's been a few years, so yesterday we went to the North location. Arrived at 4:15 p.m. and it was after 5 p.m. before we were seated; meanwhile we were continually jostled in the lobby by the many others that kept pouring in. A woman standing next to us commented to her husband that it was always like this, and she didn't know why they kept coing back -- not a good sign, Usually the food and atmosphere qualifies the wait. The list when we were seated was claimed to be 90 minutes out.

We were seated in the small dining room off the front lobby, and it was so chilly nearly every person in the room had their coat on, and yet the fireplace was not in use -- perhaps it's inorperable, but at the rate they're packing customers in, I think it would be an affordable consideration for diners.

Service was friendly and prompt. The salad was very poor quality: a plate of withered and browning iceberg lettuce with a cucumber slice and a plastic packet of dressing. No butter served with the crackers, had to ask.

Despite waiting nearly 20 minutes from ordering, the chicken was not freshly cooked. Luke warm at best, and several pieces were dry inside, and undesirable. My wife's chicken breast was reasonably hot, so she was happy with it. The flavor was okay, but again, unremarkable considering the experience you endure to get to it. The gravy was excellent home-style. The green beens tasted right out of the can with some ham thrown in; they were very firm and almost undercooked. Odd, considering there were nearly a hundred people eating when we arrived, and they had been open for several hours.

The cinnamon rolls were Stroud's regular feature - a bicuit-like soft white bread with a cinnamon and sugar glaze. Tasty.

All in all, I can't recommend Stroud's to anyone, unless what you're looking for is an hour-long wait in a dangerously cramped room to pay almost twice what your dinner is worth. It's truly not much better than what you'd expect from a CrackerBarrel-type restaurant, and certainly not worth $14 a head for a three-piece chicken dinner and soft drink. The portions are generous, but an over-sized serving of average tasting and low-product cost food isn't worth the uncomfortable wait coupled with an extra $5 per person charge over what other equally tasty chicken dinners are selling for in the Kansas City area.

Somehow Strouds has gotten a name as the place to eat chicken in Kansas City, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. There have been numerous restaurants serving better dinners for less, and with a more enjoyable atmosphere, particularly in the wating area. I love country-style restaurants, and log cabins are a favorite, but the charm of the structure doesn't make up for the fact that Strouds seems to know they've cornered a market, and don't have to try anymore.

Why are there fewer KC-based chicken places? Easy -- restaurant owners want people to pay a minimum of $12 a seat to eat, even though a half-chicken dinner as served at Strouds barely has a $4 product cost. That's a lot of profit to expect. Considering you can get a lot more chicken at a fast-food place (or god-forbid, cook it yourself) for the money, people probably stop going to sit-down restaurants and dropping $60 and $70 to eat what you can get from KFC and Popeye's for $18-$22.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Zanshin)

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:41:02 GMT

New reader here, and a chicken-eatin' fanatic.

Stroud's South was okay, but I frankly never thought the food was worth the wait. I got in quick once at Saturday lunch after turning away half a dozen times after standing too long in line nut-to-butt with heavy drinkers. There were dead flies on the table and in the window, and once the hung-over waitress saw we weren't buying drinks at 11:30 a.m., she abandoned us for customers that would run up a bigger bill to base a tip on.

Recently closed, the Machine Shed restaurant had what I thought was the best fried chicken in KC area. 4 pieces, out of this world mashed potatoes and gravy, a couple different types of bread, and all the cottage cheese and slaw you could eat. We used to substitute cooked apples for the slaw, and it was like pie filling -- who needs dessert? Sadly, they told me once their marketing scheme was to only locate along I-35. I couldn't figure out why -- having been a truck driver, I know their delivery vehicles could have made a couple turns to get them over into a more country-meal focused area than S. Johnson County, KS. I'll have to try them further up north to see if it's a chain sensation, or if they only got it right in the Olathe location.

Po' Folks was great no matter where you enjoyed it -- my last meal from them was in Nashville, but I think they're all gone now. I met my wife at the one on Noland Road when she waited on me, and we're still happily looking for places to enjoy chicken together.

The Peach Tree buffet just off I-435 on Eastwood Trafficway has delicious chicken with a funny paprika-color to it, but no such taste. That place is a bargain for all you can eat and drink for under $10, and you better come hungry, cause everything they make is great.

Countyside Restaurant in Odessa, MO (out east of KC about 35 miles alongside I-70, across from the outlet mall) has reasonably-good chicken and no waits on Friday nights if you get there before 7 p.m. Served with a carrot-celery-pickle and cucmber relish tray, soup, all-you-can-eat tossed salad, 1/2 deep-fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, fresh rolls made in their bakey, and green beans, all for about $9. The sides are family-style, and eat as much as you want.

The Hardware Cafe on the square in Liberty, MO had a good 3-piece chicken special on Saturday's, but they've recently closed as well.

Niece's restaurant in Brywood Center on 63rd ST just off I-435 by Raytown has good-looking chicken wings and Waffles on the breakfast menu -- they're HUGE, but I haven't tried them. Last time I saw the place they had a sign saying they were doing fried chicken every day instead of just Sunday.

Both Big Biscuit restaurants (7 Hiway south of I-70 in Blue Springs, and Noland Rd and US 40 Hiway in Independence) serve fried chicken dinners on Sunday afternoons, but they're only open until 3 p.m. and I can't get my people together to eat that early, so I can't vouch for the food. If it's half as good as the breakfasts they kick out, it's worth eating. The Blue Springs location is newer and larger than the 40 Hiway spot, which unfortunately is a bit cramped. Worse, they bought the 40 Hiway location after the famous Stevenson family closed down the Red Mule Inn that was their "coffee house cafe" across the street from the main restaurant, and the Red Mule was one of our favorites, for fried chicken and Swiss Steak.

Sadly, despite their Southern heritage, Crackerbarrel doesn't carry real fried chicken on their menu. I haven't been to R.C.s for quite awhile, but it wasn't breath-taking by any means when I ate their chicken.

With the new Bass Pro's coming into KC area on both sides, I'm hoping we'll see a return of some good fried chicken places to serve the country appetites that will be visiting the metro. I love Popeye's, but I need a place where I can get an awesome fried chicken meal served to me on a dinner plate instead of in a box.

Darn -- now I'm really hungry!

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (zataar)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:16:09 GMT

I, for one, hope that Stroud's doesn't take the Snead's spot. It's in Belton, not KC and it's a really run down, nasty building. I can't imagine what it would take to rehab that place. It would be better to mow it down and start all over.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Tdybr27)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:55:17 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Sundancer7

I could read back 67 post to see what KC fried chicken is but perhaps someone can tell me what is the difference between KC fried chicken and southern fried chicken?

Thanks

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

It's just talk about fried chicken places in Kansas City, not a 'style' of fixing fried chicken.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sfreader)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:41:23 GMT

My original source about the sale, tells me that Mrs. Snead was the one that backed out. So perhaps the BBQ will be staying in business.

Keith

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sundancer7)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:14:09 GMT

I could read back 67 post to see what KC fried chicken is but perhaps someone can tell me what is the difference between KC fried chicken and southern fried chicken?

Thanks

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Hillbilly)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:11:40 GMT

I don't see why the Snead's location would be profitable for a restaurant that has other facilities near by. To entice people to hunt this out of the way place, a restaurant would have to offer something very special that is not otherwise available in the area.

RE: Kansas City Fried Chicken (Sfreader)

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:05:33 GMT

The KC Star says that the deal has fallen through. But it was in more of a "heard on the street" type column, rather than actual news and may not have been accurate.

Keith