Here's the deal - the cheeseburger is the quintessential American food. A couple of years back, after reading a review in the Wall Street Journal about the best burgers in the country, only to find that three of the top five were in my own back yard, I decided that I needed to see for myself. With the help of George Motz's "Hamburger America", several lists, recommendations from friends and asking everyone about burgers from "their" town, this is the result...

If you're curious about my thoughts on foods other than burgers, check out my other blog Eat to Live? Or Live to Eat?

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Winstead's Drive-Inn, Kansas City, MO (August 2011)

 On a business trip flying through Kansas City, I had a little time to kill and decided to see what the burger choices were there.  First up, Winstead's Drive-In, a Kansas City institution since 1940.    A classic American hamburger joint.  
Simple menu: burgers, sandwiches, sides fountain drinks and desserts.  I got there late in the afternoon and the crowd was diverse.   A table full of a high school kids.  A business meeting between a man and a woman.  A couple sharing a GIANT strawberry shake.  Two young women, waiting for their dates. Two older women, catching up. 
Very diverse crowd, all drawn together by the place.   I ordered a double with cheese and it was done well - two small patties, cooked to crusty, served piping hot.
The burger was very good.  But what really set the place apart was the drink. 

I ordered a cherry limeade.   This was a thing of beauty.   Lime sherbert atop chipped ice, with cherry juice, soda, a cherry and a slice of lime.  There is only one word that I can use to describe it:

Transcendent.  

This single glass transcended the glass line between drinks and dessert.  I could have drank seven - I held to one.   Absolutely amazing.

Winstead's on Urbanspoon

3 comments:

  1. Carey said good thing you included a cherry limeade in your order, because no trip to Winsteads would be complete without one.

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  2. Man all of a sudden I'm starving! Do you have a favorite in Winfield, Andy? If so, count me in. If not, let me help you find one.

    Chris

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  3. @ChrisM - the cherry limeade was amazing. MUCH better than the burger, which was good.

    @ChrisH - I don't have a favorite in Winfield, but I've got two on my list for flying in and out of Wichita -NuWay Cafe and Jack's North Hi Carryout.

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