Stroud’s in Kansas City

This well known Kansas City restaurant is a favorite with bloggers and food writers, and for good reason. It is one of a “Bucketful” of traditional home-style restaurants specializing in pan-fried chicken that is the way we remember it while growing up.

Starting as a barbecue stand in 1933, the Stroud family started serving chicken during WWII because of beef being rationed. The Oklahoma equivalents to the food here include Eischen’s in Okarche and the now closed Sleepy Hollow in OKC. There is no state that would have more than a short list of country style food on the same level that is served at Stroud’s. I think other entrees are served besides chicken, but I did not bother to look based on what I had heard about the chicken here (in my experience there are far more top notch steak restaurants, seafood restaurants, etc. than ones where you would go for chicken).

There is a review on Gil’s Thrilling Web Site documenting his experience. For the most part it would describe mine as well. Our similarities of experiences pretty much answer the question about whether the restaurant is consistent. I went to the location in far northeast Kansas City on a slow weeknight serving a few customers, while Gil’s experience was apparently at a much busier time. The food and service, though, seem to be the same any time you go.

A cozy bar at the restaurant’s entrance

The entrance and bar look like they are the original log cabin built in 1829 before it was expanded to a larger building, and you definitely know history is evident here. The more modern dining room is surrounded by picture windows that overlook a large green area with a large flock of geese claiming it as their territory. I liked the relaxing atmosphere almost as much as the food.

The Meal
The routine here is that you order their multi-course dinner, although there are some options. This is where the wise counsel of the waitress came into the picture starting with one of the most important items–ordering a salad.

Salad

This Salad was excellent, and its freshness is evident from this photo. I have to credit the waitress for knowing exactly what I needed to start out the meal. As much as I really didn’t need any extra food when all was said and done, I also would not have wanted to miss out on the salad.

Gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and some chicken

For every order you can get the number of pieces of Chicken you want, and can get as much white or dark meat as you want, but on larger orders the restaurant chooses the exact pieces (you cannot get five breasts, four thighs, etc.). This is the same as it would be at almost any chicken restaurant. It is just that here the chicken is more memorable than at most places.

The chicken

Pan fried chicken is at the top of the food chain as far as I am concerned.

Mashed potatoes

Perhaps even better than the chicken is the Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. I have had none better of either one of these than the ones here. I ended up taking some of the chicken home so I would have room for as much of the potatoes as possible. This was after trying to eat every bit of the salad that I could.

Green Beans were very good as well. If there were not so many truly memorable dishes I would have focused more on these.

My dining companion ordered cottage fries but I did not try them. There are many other menu items and it is truly a case that one type of meal here does not fit all customers.

Desserts

Cinnamon rolls (2 of them got snatched before I could take the picture)

Gil’s Thrilling and Filling Blog rightly states that the Cinnamon Rolls can be eaten with the meal as easily as for dessert (and in fact they are served at the same time as the other items). I think his point is that you don’t want to miss out on what might actually be the best part of the meal (although I still say it is the mashed potatoes).

Additional Comments
There are other locations of the restaurant in Kansas, but I think with food at this level they probably cannot get spread too thinly where they would lose the quality control. I think going on a Monday night and having this kind of a meal when the number of patrons is at its low point says a lot about the restaurant’s consistency and quality control.

Restaurant Web Site: Stroud’s

RATING: 27

Cuisine: American
Cost: $$$
Hours: Dinner daily; Lunch Fri. & Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Full Bar (I think)

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 8, 2026
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Pan-Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Green Beans, Salad, Cinnamon Rolls

Special Ratings

	Pan-Fried Chicken
	Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
	Green Beans
	Cinnamon Rolls