‘I’m devastated’: A favorite Kansas City fried fish restaurant closes prime location

The midtown Lutfi’s Fried Fish is permanently closed.

The restaurant, at 3037 Main St., opened in 2012. But the franchisee said she lost her lease and closed in late April.

“This absolutely took me for a loop. I don’t think I want to relocate at this time, but I’m going to look into owning my own building so this doesn’t happen again,” said Delereece Abdel-Khaliq, owner. “It’s unfortunate it came to an abrupt halt. I have my customers and I was providing jobs for my community. I’m devastated.”

Since founder Lutfi Khalifah opened his first location in the mid-1990s, the restaurants have gained a loyal following. Menu items include basa, shrimp, catfish, tilapia, smoked chicken, and red beans and rice.

“One thing that makes Lutfi’s better than some other fried fish joints is that they make everything to order,” said a 2011 review in The Star. “There are no warming trays and no heat lamps.”

Star sports columnist Sam Mellinger is a fan, placing Lutfi’s in his top 10 of “best bang for the buck” restaurants in KC.

Lutfi’s has several locations in the metro, as well as two restaurants in Omaha. A new one softly opened Monday at 1242 W. Foxwood Drive in Raymore, and a Liberty location is in the works.

But sitting on Main Street, the midtown location was among the most visible of the area franchises and one of the largest. The Kansas City streetcar extension is expected to open on that stretch of Main Street in 2025.

This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.