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

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.

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.

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? http://www.babeschicken.com

How do they compare?

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.
[:o)]

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.

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.
[:o)]

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!

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

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

http://www.yarbroughrestaurant.com/