 Few restaurant openings were as anxiously awaited as the April 2008 opening of Stroud's Restaurant in Fairway, Kansas. The Stroud's restaurant tradition dates back to 1933, when Helen Stroud opened a barbecue restaurant in a shack at 85th Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. On a 4th of July, a few years later, skillet fried chicken was offered. Stroud's sold out of chicken that first night and it has been on the menu ever since. In time, Stroud's Restaurants were added in Manhattan & Wichita, Kansas, and a second Kansas City location opened north of the Missouri River. The Manhattan, Kansas location closed in 2003, and the original Troost location closed in 2005. Although the menu and food are still the same, today the Wichita and Kansas City locations have different ownership. But lets get back to this new location in Fairway, Kansas. While Stroud's Restaurant in Fairway lacks the rustic charm of the other two locations, the food is just as good and it has the advantage of being open for lunch on weekdays. Stroud's is famous for famous for skillet fried chicken, chicken fried steak, pork chops, and fried catfish, served family style along with very popular cinnamon rolls. I am particularly fond of their chicken soup, fried gizzards, gravy, and cottage fried potatoes. The gravy is made from the cracklings from the pan fried chicken. Complete meals run from $10 - 27, with most chicken dinners around $16-18. When Stroud's Restaurant first opened at this Fairway location, they were so busy that they wouldn't take phone in takeout orders. They do take phone in orders now. The wait for a table for diner is still about a an hour, but there is no wait at Saturday lunch. Stroud's has the same menu for lunch and diner and that can be a lot of food, particularly for a week day lunch when I recommend sharing a meal. Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor Restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas was featured on the August 11, 2010 espisode of TV's Man Vs Food. The TV show made the pan fried chicken and gravy look as wonderful as it is and I predict they will see a lot of business from the episode. The Man VS Food - Kansas City episode also featured Oklahoma Joe's BBQ and a food challenge at Papa Bob's BBQ, both located in Kansas City, Kansas. I've never had enough appetite left at the end of a meal to try Stroud's deserts.
Stroud's Restaurant web
site
copyright 2008-2010 by Keith Stokes |
