PeachTree Cafeteria’s authentic soul food in KC rivals your grandma’s cooking

Editor’s Note: Star audience intern Rachel Schlueter is eating iconic dishes at beloved restaurants around Kansas City this summer. Think we should go somewhere? Fill out this form. And sign up for our free Let’s Dish newsletter for biweekly feeds of Rachel’s latest eats and recent restaurant industry news.

Vera Willis remembers her childhood Sunday mornings like they were yesterday.

The crackle of chicken frying was her natural alarm clock, while the warm aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg from the candied yams would seep underneath her bedroom door — a signal it was time to get up and dig in.

Growing up in Tallulah, Louisiana, Willis has fond childhood memories of her mother, Francis Price, a beloved soul food cook.

After Willis moved away from home to Kansas City at age 18, she began operating a home accountant business. But something was missing. She loved interacting with people, especially sharing details and stories about her favorite food growing up.

Years later, in 1995, she started planning PeachTree Cafeteria, a soul food restaurant built on her mother’s recipes. The result: a restaurant that feels like a slow Sunday afternoon at home, even on a cloudy Wednesday.

“I wanted to duplicate that same ambiance,” Willis said.

Carrying on mom’s legacy

Willis, now 73, and her husband Lavill opened the first PeachTree Cafeteria at 6800 Eastwood Trafficway in 1996, nine years after her mother died. In 2014, the couple opened up a second location at 2128 E 12th St. in the 18th and Vine District.

While Willis’ mother never got to see PeachTree, Willis said she knows she would be proud.

“I’ll always remember that she stated, ‘Remember, there’s more with a little than a lot, in terms of customers,” Willis said. “She told me to always think about that when you’re trying to work on your pricing.”

Willis said she aims to keep her menu prices affordable, honoring her mother’s words by naming her lunch deal the “Miss Francis Special,” which comes with two meats, two sides and a drink for $12.95.

While I mainly visited recently for the famous peach cobbler, I couldn’t turn down the Miss Francis Special and the chance to sample PeachTree’s mouthwatering soul food dishes.

Soul food for the heart

PeachTree serves its food cafeteria-style, where customers move down a buffet-style counter, pointing to which meats and sides they’d like to pile onto their plates.

I ordered the fried chicken and catfish — both perfectly crisp and coated with PeachTree’s signature Cajun spice blend, with just the right amount of salt and a subtle kick of paprika.

For sides, I ordered the mac and cheese, which had a tanginess that blended well with its rich cheese flavor, and candied yams — which exploded with brown sugar flavor, making me understand why Willis would jump out of bed for them as a kid. They were tender and melted on my tongue.

And last, but certainly not least, the peach cobbler: canned peaches in a pool of sweet, gelatinous syrup and strips of flaky, buttery pie dough. Even after 30 minutes of sitting on the table while I dined on my entree, the cobbler was still warm by the time I took my first bite.

Each mouthful burst with cinnamon and nutmeg, filling me with the kind of warmth that instantly transported me to my grandma’s kitchen — though, to be fair, I don’t think my grandmother could ever make a peach cobbler like this (no offense, Nana).

This sweet, decadent dessert was the perfect finishing touch to the meal.

Gaining local fame

PeachTree offers fried chicken and catfish every day. The restaurant also has daily specials, like the Salisbury steak on Wednesdays, which has built a cult following. Willis said when PeachTree closed on a recent Wednesday to update its kitchen equipment, customers complained they didn’t get their weekly steak.

On Sundays, PeachTree serves roasted turkey and cornbread dressing, which has also become a favorite amongst locals — including KC rapper Tech N9ne, who Willis said stops by the restaurant monthly.

“About a couple months ago, (Tech N9ne) was right off the plane, and he told me all he could think about was that dressing, and he came straight to PeachTree,” Willis said.

PeachTree — which has a location just a few miles south of Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums — has also catered for the Chiefs and Royals, Willis said, noting that Travis Kelce’s private chef is one of her favorite regular customers. In 2023, Chiefs defensive end Michael Danna also named PeachTree his favorite KC restaurant.

Keeping it in the family

So what makes the cobbler so exceptional? A special chilling method for the pie dough? A particular cinnamon-to-nutmeg ratio?

Willis’ grandson Derrick Wilmore Jr. said it’s a secret, nodding toward the portrait of Price hanging near the entrance — as if sharing the recipe would be a betrayal to his great-grandmother.

Wilmore Jr. is the third generation of PeachTree employees. Now 32, he started working at the restaurant during his early teenage years as a dishwasher before becoming a server, then manager, and now, the operations manager.

Wilmore Jr. said has fond memories of his grandmother’s cooking, especially treats like pound cake during the holidays. To him, PeachTree is an extension of the food he grew up with.

“This is home; this is family,” Wilmore Jr. said.

Giving back to KC

As Wilmore Jr. takes over more day-to-day responsibilities at the restaurant, Willis said she hopes to dedicate more time to community initiatives like Coats 4 Kids, an annual holiday giveaway where PeachTree collects and distributes winter jackets, gloves, hats and books to local kids.

PeachTree has run the clothing drive for a decade, but this past year was the first time the restaurant completely distributed its entire stock — all in just one hour, Willis said.

“I have a feeling the demand is going to be greater this year,” she added.

Willis said she prioritizes community service efforts because PeachTree’s mission, beyond serving food, is to give back — just like her mom taught her.

“To see how (PeachTree) has grown and continued to live on, she would be happy,” Willis said.

This meal is perfect for: when you’re searching for a taste of home — no matter where that is.

PeachTree Cafeteria delivers everything you want in a home-cooked meal: butter as a main ingredient, hearty portions and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that invites you to stay awhile.

Leaving PeachTree is like wrapping up a meal at a relative’s house: you leave full and carrying a box of leftovers because, really, is it a grandma-style meal if it doesn’t leave you with two days worth of food?

This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM.