Fried chicken$$north-kansas-city
Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor is the Kansas City pan-fried chicken anchor, set inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead that became the second Stroud's in 1983 after the original 85th and Troost room opened in 1933.
Signature: Pan-fried chicken, Cinnamon rolls, Mashed potatoes and gravy
Order: Pan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, pan gravy and the legendary cinnamon rolls.
Tip: Mon to Sat dinner only, Sun lunch. Walk-in or call ahead; the line wraps the porch on Friday nights.
Chinese$$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 to 14:30. The Zona Rosa outpost runs the same menu without the lines.
New American$$midtown
The Russell on Main Street in Kansas City's Midtown is Amanda Lopez's all-day cafe and lunch counter, with house-baked biscuits and a strong veg programme.
Signature: Breakfast biscuits, Quiche, Sandwiches
Order: Egg-and-biscuit sandwich for breakfast, or the daily quiche with salad.
Tip: Open Tue to Sat 7:00 to 14:00, Sun 8:00 to 14:00, closed Mondays. Strong gluten-free and vegan options.
BBQ$$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 at the Brooklyn Avenue location in 1958.
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 to 20:00, Saturday 11:00 to 20:00, Sunday 11:00 to 19:00. Cash and card; sauce sold by the bottle.
BBQ$$18th-and-vine
Gates Bar-B-Q's Emanuel Cleaver II flagship in Kansas City has run the city's tomato-sweet sauce style since 1946, with the famous greeting at the door.
Signature: Burnt ends, Beef on bun, Mixed plate
Order: Beef on bun with extra sauce and a side of beans, plus burnt ends if you can get them.
Tip: Open Sun to Thu 11:00 to 23:00, Fri and Sat 11:00 to 24:00. Five metro locations; sauce sold retail.
BBQ$$kck
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que runs out of a working Shamrock gas station at 47th and Mission in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Stehneys opened in 1996 and invented the Z-Man sandwich.
Signature: Z-Man sandwich, Burnt ends, Carolina pulled pork
Order: The Z-Man sandwich, slow-smoked brisket with provolone, onion rings and barbecue sauce on a kaiser roll.
Tip: Open Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Walk-in only and the line moves; lunch sells out by 14:00 on weekends.
