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The Kansas City area is home to some iconic and well-regarded restaurants, but did you know that some of these establishments have existed for a century or more?
Not all of these restaurants have been continually operated in the same form, or under the same ownership, since they first started serving. But all of the members of Kansas City’s “100-year club” have drawn upon their original concepts to remain a tried-and-true staple of the local dining scene.
Read on to see which spots have defined the Kansas City culinary landscape the longest.
Browne's Irish Marketplace
You might think of places like Boston or Chicago as having America’s deepest Irish-American roots, but Kansas City’s own Browne’s Irish Marketplace bears the distinction of the oldest Irish business outside of Ireland, according to Enterprise Ireland.
You can visit a historic piece of Kansas City when you step into Browne’s deli and market at 3300 Pennsylvania. Browne’s has resided in this building for over a century, but the business dates back even further. Irish immigrants Ed and Mary Flavin initially opened in 1887 as Flavin’s Market, at 27th and Jefferson, before it moved to its current location in 1901.
Remarkably, Browne’s today is operated by the same family that originally opened the business nearly 140 years ago. Originally envisioned as a grocery, Browne’s still sells a wide selection of packaged food imported from Ireland — including Barry’s Irish breakfast tea and Tayto Irish crisps (or potato chips as we call them here). They also sell a broad range of Irish clothing, goods, and gift items like Irish whiskeys and liquors, cookbooks, and jewelry, and scarves.
But you can also head to Browne’s deli for fresh Irish fare like a reuben with corned beef, their celebrated egg salad sandwich, or a cup of Irish potato soup.
You can learn more about how the family has sustained Browne’s over the decades in this article from Flatland.
Courthouse Exchange
Browne’s isn’t the only area restaurant that dates back to the 1800s. Courthouse Exchange in Independence claims to be “the only restaurant in Missouri serving burgers and beer since 1899.”
The restaurant is situated directly across from the Truman Courthouse in downtown Independence Square. Stepping into the below-ground restaurant certainly feels old-timey, with its wood-paneled walls, low ceilings, and Independence memorabilia on the walls.
Courthouse Exchange has not been continually operated by the same ownership or in the same location since its original founding, but it certainly has deep roots. Father and son pair Joseph Poggenpohl and Joseph Poggenpohl, Jr. opened the establishment just before the turn of the 20th century, according to Matt Stewart in his book “Unique Eats and Eateries of Kansas City.”
In 1907, the Kansas City Post advertised Courthouse Exchange as somewhere to get “fine wines, whiskey and cigars” and “Pabst’s Milwaukee Beer.”
The restaurant has also seen its share of drama. Describing the Courthouse Exchange as a “saloon,” the Kansas City Star reported on a 1909 robbery at the establishment. After forcing their way into the building, robbers blew up the safe and stole $150 before escaping.
Courthouse Exchange has existed in its current underground location since the 1970s. It serves homestyle favorites like fried chicken, pork tenderloins, and burgers. While it might no longer be the same “saloon,” you can certainly still enjoy a drink there — they even make cocktails with Polly’s Pop craft soda brewed around the corner in Independence.
If you decide to make a day of it in Independence, be sure to check out KCUR’s beginner’s guide to Independence to learn what else you can do.
The Savoy at 21c
The Savoy has also changed hands since its original opening in 1903. The Savoy was actually recognized as the city’s oldest dining establishment until it was destroyed by a 2014 fire, according to the book “Iconic Restaurants of Kansas City” by Andrea Broomfield.
Today, at The 21c Hotel at 219 W 9th Street in downtown Kansas City, you can again dine inside of one of Kansas City’s most legendary restaurants. In 2018 the restaurant was restored to maintain the character and features of the original, and was even designated as the “Best Historic Restaurant” in 2023!
The hotel originally opened in 1888 as the Thorne Hotel, and it became the Savoy in 1894 under new ownership. When the Savoy Grill opened later in 1903, initially only men were able to dine and drink there, and women were required to eat in a separate dining room.
With its prime location, the Savoy saw some of Kansas City’s important figures and moments over the decades. Broomfield claims that the restaurant continued to serve liquor during the Prohibition years thanks to the influence of crime boss Tom Pendergast.
The Savoy was also one of Harry S. Truman’s favorite dining spots both before and after he was elected to the presidency. His favorite seat, booth 4, now has a plaque commemorating “The President’s Booth.”
The Savoy remained iconic thanks to its ambitious menu and chic decor: a grand dark wooden bar, ornamentally carved wooden columns, and green brick walls. The walls feature murals depicting settlers moving Westward painted by Edward Holslag (who also painted murals in the U.S. Congressional Library in 1892).
Broomfield writes that “the chefs worked consistently … to best other restaurants in the quality of their seafood, first with oysters and then, as refrigeration and transportation technology improved, with live Atlantic lobsters, which they stored in a huge kitchen tank.”
Today you can have a classic “fine dining” experience if you visit The Savoy for dinner. While you can’t find lobster on the menu at the moment, you can get an Arctic char filet with turnip cream, braised greens, and cornbread crumb for $40. While entrees are in the dining range of $27–$40, you can also opt for a high-end wagyu tomahawk steak for $185.
Or you can visit for a more budget-friendly brunch on the weekends with classics like an eggs benedict and French toast. The Savoy also has happy hour with discounted menu items, like a smash burger for $15 or oysters for $11.
Dixon's Famous Chili
Downtown Independence is also home to the last standing location of another century-old restaurant. The restaurant now known as Dixon’s Famous Chili, at 9105 E. U.S. 40 Highway, originally started in 1919 when founder Vergne Dixon sold chili out of a pushcart. Dixon’s remains family-owned to this day.
The first brick and mortar location opened at 15th and Olive Street. Dixon’s has stayed true to its original recipe of a base of ground beef and beans seasoned with a homemade chili powder recipe. In contrast to most chilis today, Dixon’s contains no tomatoes, onions, or garlic. You can order it “juicy” with “natural meat juices,” “soupy” with bean broth, or plain.
Customers can also add toppings like sour cream, jalapeño, and grated cheddar cheese. Ketchup is now one of the available toppings, but the condiment was “anathema to Vergne Dixon, and if he caught a customer sneaking it in, he fined them,” according to Broomfield’s book. “Grudgingly, he began offering it for an additional nickel.”
Unlike in the restaurant’s early days, you can now get Dixon’s famous chili atop a bowl of spaghetti or over a tamale.
In the 1960s Dixon’s became a franchise, and in its heyday there were 13 locations. While all of the other locations closed over time, Dixon’s Famous Chili in Independence still stands.
Like The Savoy, Dixon’s also happened to be one of Harry S. Truman’s go-to spots. The Kansas City Star article highlighting Vergne Dixon’s 1964 death made sure to note that “Mr. Truman once remarked to friends the chili parlor was the first place he visited when he got out of the army.”
Arthur Bryant's Barbeque
Famed Kansas City barbecue restaurant Arthur Bryant’s has not hit its century anniversary yet, but the restaurant — believed to first open in 1927 — is approaching that milestone.
In the 1920s, Charlie Bryant learned the craft of barbecuing under the “barbecue king” himself: Henry Perry, who had arrived in town in 1907. You can learn all about Perry’s influence on Kansas City barbecue on this People’s History of Kansas City podcast episode.
Charlie Bryant was involved in several restaurants throughout his lifetime, but his first barbecue spot is believed to have been opened at 14th and Woodland in 1927. He also helped Perry operate his barbecue stands, and “when Perry suffered a stroke in 1931, he relied heavily on former apprentice Charlie Bryant for help,” according to Broomfield’s book. When Perry died in 1940, he left one of his barbecue stands at 1921 East 18th Street to Bryant.
In 1946, Charlie left the BBQ world and handed over his restaurant to his brother Arthur. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque moved in 1958 to its current location at 1727 Brooklyn.
Today Arthur Bryant’s is celebrated as a local institution that has come to define “Kansas City style” barbecue, and is known as the birthplace of burnt ends. Arthur Bryant also adapted his brother’s barbecue sauce recipe to create the recipe that Kansas Citians know and love (and argue about) today.
Also, it should be noted that, again, Harry S. Truman was also reported to be a regular at Arthur Bryant’s. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama dined at Bryant’s and had “a half-slab of ribs, a Bud light, water and fries,” according to KMBC 9 News. He was not the first sitting President to visit — Jimmy Carter ate at Arthur Bryant’s during his presidency in 1979.
You can wait a couple of years until 2027 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Bryant’s barbecue. Or you can go now, knowing that Arthur Bryant’s builds upon the Kansas City tradition set into motion by the king Henry Perry.
Kansas City's half-century restaurants
Kansas City is home to other restaurants that have survived over 75 years. Here are some notable examples:
- The Peanut at 5000 Main Street, has existed in the same spot since 1933 — for 91 years! There are now eight locations throughout the Kansas City area.
- Rosedale Bar-B-Q on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, is technically the city's oldest continuously-running BBQ restaurant. It's been family owned and operated for 90 years, since 1934.
- Town Topic has served burgers downtown for 87 years (since 1937) and currently operates two locations, although it used to have several more around the metro.
- Dagwood’s Café, also on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, has been slinging burgers and breakfast for 86 years, since 1938
- Winstead’s on the Plaza first opened 84 years ago in 1940, and there are now three locations.
- McLain’s Bakery originally opened in 1945, but got its new ownership in 2014 who’ve since expanded to several other cafes.
- Gates Bar-B-Q first opened 78 years ago in 1946, and there are now five locations around town.
And for a few other long-timers that are still kickin’, check out Jasper’s Italian Restaurant (1954), Mugs-Up Root Beer (1956), the Golden Ox (1949) and Andre’s Confiserie Suisse (1955).
