Steakhouse$$$$plaza
The Capital Grille on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts to order, with a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.
Signature: Dry-aged porterhouse, Lobster mac and cheese, Crab cakes
Order: Dry-aged porterhouse for two with lobster mac and cheese, and a bottle from the cellar.
Tip: Mon to Fri from 11:00, Sat from 11:30, Sun 16:00-21:00. Bar lunch is the easier seat at noon.
Steakhouse$$$west-bottoms
Golden Ox in Kansas City's West Bottoms opened in 1949 inside the Live Stock Exchange as the birthplace of the KC strip steak, reopened in 2018.
Signature: Kansas City strip, Bone-in ribeye, Shrimp cocktail
Order: The Kansas City strip, with the shrimp cocktail starter and old-school sides.
Tip: Reservations via Tock. The stockyards-era room is a destination unto itself.
Fried Chicken$$north-kansas-city
Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor is the Kansas City pan-fried chicken anchor, set inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead that became the second Stroud's in 1983.
Signature: Pan-fried chicken, Cinnamon rolls, Mashed potatoes and gravy
Order: Pan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, pan gravy and the legendary cinnamon rolls.
Tip: Mon to Sat dinner only, Sun lunch. Walk-in or call ahead; the line wraps the porch on Friday nights.
Chinese$$plaza
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service citywide.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30-14:30. The Zona Rosa outpost runs the same menu without the lines.
New American$$midtown
The Russell on Main Street in Kansas City's Midtown is Amanda Lopez's all-day cafe and lunch counter, with house-baked biscuits and a strong veg programme.
Signature: Breakfast biscuits, Quiche, Sandwiches
Order: Egg-and-biscuit sandwich for breakfast, or the daily quiche with salad.
Tip: Open Tue to Sat 7:00-14:00, Sun 8:00-14:00, closed Mondays. Strong gluten-free and vegan options.
Bbq$$18th-and-vine
Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue in Kansas City is the canonical BBQ address, with roots back to Henry Perry's 1908 pit and the Bryant family's takeover.
Signature: Burnt ends, Beef brisket sandwich, Pork ribs
Order: Burnt ends sandwich on Wonder Bread with the rust-coloured original sauce.
Tip: Open Monday through Friday 10:00-20:00, Saturday 11:00-20:00, Sunday 11:00-19:00. Cash and card; sauce sold by the bottle.