These are some of the restaurant chains we wish were in Kansas City
Though it offers a wide selection of fast-casual eateries, Kansas City doesn’t have everything.
That’s not to shade the city I’ve grown to love. Nowhere can have it all.
Still, several popular chains have sadly evaded the KC metro. As a native of the Plains myself, I have my own opinions of what I’d like to see, but I decided to reach out to my colleagues for a more rounded perspective. Since many have lived outside the region, I thought it would be best to ask them what chains they think would elevate the food game.
Their answers range from convenience stores to burger joints to — gasp! — Carolina barbecue.
Here are the chains we think ought to make their way to KC.
Braum’s
Burger joint, dairy market and ice cream shop Braum’s has amassed a cult following across its restaurants in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Born in Oklahoma in 1968, Braum’s is known for its double bacon cheeseburgers, bags of burgers, turtle sundaes and more.
It has entertained spots in Lawrence and Topeka, which have yet to open, but there are no plans for a location in Kansas City.
Service reporter Joseph Hernandez says this: “Every time I’m in the Springfield area (which at least twice a year now), me and my girlfriend make it a point to stop at Braum’s. The burgers are fresh and incredible, and the ice cream is some of the best I’ve had. Maybe one day it’ll come here.”
I hate to break it to you, Joseph, but Braum’s has a hard-and-fast rule that it’ll never stray more than 330 miles from its 10,000 acre family farm in Tuttle, Oklahoma. The reason, spokeswoman Amanda Beuchaw told me last year, is to maintain freshness.
In-N-Out
In-N-Out Burger, easily one of the most cherished burger chains in the country, has been serving Californians since 1948. Today it has hundreds of restaurants across California, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, Washington and a few other states. None of its locations are in the Midwest.
Its most popular menu items include its “double-double” burger and animal-style fries, which are topped with cheese and onions. If you Google “animal-style fries,” you’ll find roughly 1 million copycat recipes. Or maybe I’m exaggerating.
Anytime the internet discusses chains that are missing from the metro, In-N-Out tops the list. It was even the subject of a local April Fool’s Day joke a few months ago. I had the chain a handful of times in high school, and I don’t remember much about it. But gosh, those animal fries look tasty.
Shipley Do-Nuts
The doughnut chain started in Houston in the 1940s, but it’s become so popular that it’s begun to franchise nationwide. There are hundreds across Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Colorado and beyond. It’s not everywhere, though, as there aren’t any in Kansas City.
Its classic glazed doughnuts are a popular choice, but Shipley carries all sorts of flavors. Kolaches are also a common pick.
I feel sorry for those who’ve never started their morning by biting into a hot glazed doughnut from Shipley. Every time I’d visit my grandmother in the Houston area growing up, she’d wake up early, hop in her black sedan, drive to Shipley and pick out dozens of doughnuts for her grandkids. If we’d gobbled them all by the next morning, she’d repeat the cycle.
Not only do they have tremendous sentimental value to me, but I objectively think they’re the best — better than Krispy Kreme. They’re fluffy, light, and the right amount of sweet.
While Shipley previously announced that it was looking to franchise in KC, no locations have opened. I reached out to its spokeswoman and asked whether there were any updates, but she was not able to get back to me in time for publication.
Cook Out
Since its inception in North Carolina in 1989, Cook Out has been serving burgers, BBQ, chicken, hot dogs, shakes and more. Its locations are primarily in the South — heavily concentrated in North and South Carolina.
It’s known for its Cook Out Trays, which offer a choice of one entree, two sides and a drink. Some of its other menu items include Cook Out-style burgers (homemade chili, slaw, mustard, onion), char-grilled chicken breasts, white cheddar cheese bites, Cajun fries, banana pudding shakes and chili dogs.
Service reporter Eleanor Nash says this: “Cook Out is bad fast food at its finest — where you can get a chicken wrap as a side and choose between dozens of shakes. And Kansas City needs more hushpuppy options.”
Wawa
The iconic convenience store chain anchored in the East has roots that stretch back to a Pennsylvania dairy store in 1902. But the first Wawa Food Market opened in 1964. By 1996, fuel was added to its growing selection, which included hoagies and coffee.
Its built-to-order hoagies are still a popular item today.
Jackson County watchdog reporter Ilana Arougheti says this: “Wawa, the best convenience store chain in the world, tragically does not have a presence in the Midwest, but it absolutely should. On the East Coast, Wawa is more than a fuel stop - it’s a way of life that unofficially sponsors every long drive, construction project, sleepover, concert and study session. From the perfectly toasted sandwiches to the creamy mac-and-cheese, the reliable coffee to the massive soda selection and even the flagship store-brand teas and ice creams, Wawa will always blow QuikTrip and Casey’s out of the water in my book (though I’ve developed a distinct taquito craving at the former).
“Your move, Wawa — if Buc-ee’s can build in KCK, you can fly that iconic Canada goose logo over here and bring Hoagiefest back to my backyard!”
Smithfield’s Chicken N’ Bar-B-Q
North Carolina-based barbecue restaurant Smithfield’s is concentrated in its home state, but it’s looking to expand. Kansas City isn’t in those plans yet, though of course we have our fair share of BBQ joints already.
Smithfield’s has been around for 40 years and has roughly 40 locations, according to its website. Fans enjoy its pulled pork barbecue sandwiches and fried chicken. Though I can’t give the crown for best BBQ to the Carolinas (and dare to show my face around town again), they do have their own style, which features a tangy “Carolina Gold” sauce, made from mustard and brown sugar.
Sports reporter Blair Kerkhoff says this: “No barbeque tops Kansas City’s, but Smithfield’s menu takes me back to growing up in North Carolina with pulled pork sandwiches, fried chicken, popcorn shrimp, brunswick stew and hush puppies.”
Del Taco
The California-based Mexican(ish) chain has been serving customers for over 60 years. It has 558 locations in the country, according to its website, but none are in Kansas or Missouri. The closest fans can get are its locations in the Oklahoma City area. Other states that have it include Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Michigan and Colorado.
If you ask industry publication Tasting Table, Del Taco’s best menu item is its bean and cheese burrito with green sauce. The Del Dorado chicken quesadilla is next in line, followed by Del Taco’s strawberry shake.
Breaking news reporter Kendrick Calfee says this: “I’ve had the joy of indulging in Del Taco’s genius blend of Tex-Mex and American while traveling in the southwest. The California-born chain has never let me down. Its variety of tacos and made from scratch pico de gallo pair somehow perfectly with crinkle-cut French fries. And it also serves a delicious double cheese, if you’ve got a hankering for a burger.
“Of course, what really sets Del Taco apart is fresh ingredients (my crispy tacos have never had soggy bottoms) and serving massive burritos that rival what you can get in the Midwest. Sorry Chipotle, you can’t hang.”
White Castle
Serving sliders, mozzarella sticks, fries and more, White Castle got its start in Wichita in 1921 thanks to founder Billy Ingram. Today, the chain credited for inventing sliders is based in Ohio. It has hundreds of locations across the country, though there are none currently open in Kansas.
Its closest spot is in Columbia, Missouri.
White Castle did, at one time, have a presence in Kansas City.
It’s been a few years. The chain opened locations in the area in the 1920s but exited by the late ‘30s. It attempted a comeback in the mid-80s but left for the second time in the mid-90s.
Third time’s a charm?
Senior columnist Mara Rose Williams says this: “There is nothing like the little hot square beef sliders and the delicious soft buns. They are the best, and when I was a teen, after a late-night summer party, we would head over to White Castle in droves and buy those sliders by the bag full.”
What chains do you wish Kansas City had? Email me (and be nice) at jthompson@kcstar.com.