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ABC Cafe
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for ABC Cafe
Review Highlights
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"just west of the Johnson County Central Library, on the..." In 3 reviews -
"They serve my favorite salted fish fried rice." In 2 reviews -
"...pho-like anise scented broth and velvety beef tendon." In 4 reviews
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Chris T.
Kansas City, MO
2/9/2012 4 Check-ins Here
ABC Cafe is easily one of the best "real" Chinese restaurants in the KC Metro. Eating here is like eating in San Francisco's Chinatown. While the menu is not as comprehensive as I'd like, the food offered is 100% awesome.
If you are an avid Chinese food lover (read: real Chinese food) and you know what you like, chances are this place has it: Oysters w/ Black Bean Sauce, Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, etc.
One thing to note is this restaurant is small so seating can be an issue. They are open from 12PM-12AM every day except Tuesday so try to get here before or after the typical meal time rush.
Put down that fork at Panda Express and pick up some chopsticks at ABC Cafe. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Cou P.
Kansas City, MO
1/29/2012 5 photos
WE give this restaurant a 5 Stars rating!!!
Know this place through a restaurant owner friend, he said he LOVES to eat at there once a while (how often? I don't know).
I think, Hmm... it must be GOOD (even great), or he won't spend his money there, right? So we decide to give ABC a try ~
Have been here twice, first time we went for Dim Sum, it was an OK to me.
Sorry to say this ABC, I have my own preference, and I still prefer Bo Ling's.
Today is our 2nd time here, we ordered from Menu to try/see if they are better? We ordered: (I always ask restaurant "Do Not put MSG in my orders")
1) a Singapore stir fried rice noodle for hubby (a little bit spicy to me), not their fault, because I have acid reflux so I can't have spicy food. Don't be discourage by my own opinion, hubby enjoy this dish very much, so this dish is good!!
2) a Beef stir fired Fen for me. Fen is a kind of flat rice noodle, and it tastes great!!
3) an order of Scallion Ginger Chicken (whole chicken) which is marvelously amazing and tasty!! Suggest you try this, the sauce is fantastic, it makes chicken tastes like you are in heaven ~ (for me)
Server and service are both polite, friendly and efficient. They bag leftover for you instead of just give you box(es) to pack you own food home.
Overall: Great experience, good services, reasonable price. We definitely will come back for more. -
Review from Susan C.
1/29/2012
Yum. I can't decide if I like ABC or Jen Jen's more.
I brought my coworkers here and I suggested we do family style.
I ordered the salt & peppered pork, chinese broccoli, walnut shrimp with mayo, fried rice and beef chow fun. There were six of us and these five dishes was just the right amount. Total came to $48. Win!
Service was your typical Chinese restaurant...minimal talking and minimal attention. Ha. However, the bus boy was extremely attentive with filling our hot tea.
I'm actually looking forward to trying the dim sum here... -
Review from Jason J.
Berryton, KS
5/16/2012
This is definitely a type of authenic Chinese food, though with China being so big there are a hundred different takes on each Chinese dish depending on where you live. The foods good, the best I've probably had in Kansas City, but the dumplings are disappointing to me. If you're looking for an authenic morning/lunch Chinese meal then order one of the "soup noodles".
I lived in China for a year so it's hard to get to excited about Chinese food, but if you can't make it there then I think this is your best bet in KC. Also I love how the food is served the same way it served in most Chinese restaurants.
Also "ABC" stand for American Born Chinese, which describes a person that is really Chinese at heart, but was born as an American. You can tell whoever made the food really wanted to represent this. -
Review from Jason M.
Olathe, KS
5/18/2012
OMG amazing. Real Cantonese food in KC? Awesome!
Prices are a tad high for the portion sizes, but well worth it still. Everything I've had here simply tastes amazing. Nothing really "gross" either like how others think of real Chinese food.
Although I carry out from here way too much, eating in with friends is an amazing experience. They serve hot green tea for free, and each wall table has a large flat screen TV playing Chinese television. Win!
This place is full pretty much every night, and I can see why. -
Review from Jimmy N.
Shawnee, KS
1/23/2012 3 Check-ins Here
ABC Cafe is authentic, cheap, and efficient. Have dim sum cravings at 11pm? No problem, they open until 12a. I find it cheaper to order out of ABC, than trying to cook at home.
P.S. If you think PF Chang is good Chinese, this might not be a place for you. =P -
Review from Stephen H.
Overland Park, KS
Updated - 11/12/2011
ABC Cafe was the reason I started Yelping. I often got takeout (disclosure, I've probably ordered takeout over 20 times from ABC Cafe) and I couldn't find my menu or phone number so I googled. I came upon the Yelp listing where I read some ignorant wretch lecture about how the food was no good.
Um, no homey. Go back to Panda Express or wherever you think "good" Chinese food is. ABC has probably the best, most authentic Chinese (read: Hong Kong Cantonese) food in the city. And the five-star rating this place has attests to that.
Oddly enough, only recently did I have my first sit-down experience (600 some reviews later, lol). The sit-down experience was just as good as all my take-out experiences: fast, clean, delicious, and not that expensive.
Walking distance from my place. Yesssssss.Listed in: My 87th Street Hood, Kansas City Small Plates
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2011
If you want authentic Chinese food (meaning, NOT Panda Express), come here. Don't expect American… Read more »
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Review from Kevin C.
Kansas City, MO
1/21/2012
You know this place serves authentic Cantonese food when they're playing TVB Pearl on the flat screens.
I think most of my fellow reviewers have got it right on the "real" and "authentic" Chinese food, so I'll try and limit my use of those adjectives here.
Bottom line, if you're familiar with good ole Hong Kong cooking and are yearning for some semblance of it around Kansas City, come here. If you like Chinese food in general, come here- it's like the Southwest Blvd of Chinese. If you're not crazy about Chinese cuisine, this place might change your mind. -
Review from Payton H.
Kansas City, MO
10/18/2011
We were on a hunt. I had heard of this place, and have a real love for Cantonese food, so my partner in crime and I headed south. We land in a strip mall with a familiar site: The Beer Cave. When I lived in Johnson County, I would frequent the Beer Cave for awesome deals on beer, but I had never even wondered, let alone cared what was in ABC Cafe.
We sit down at the last table: a small two-top by the door. There is a TV at our table playing absurd Asian television. We're greeted with a huge pot of loose-leaf green tea. Then come the menus.
I can't remember when I was so excited about a menu. There were infinitely many options that truly excited me. Usually I can either choose on the fly, or decided within two or three minutes, but this was going to be a task. We decided that we wouldn't go past the first two pages. Dim Sum it was, and it was glorious.
First thing to come out was the spicy beef tendon salad. I have seriously not had a dish that was so perfectly seasoned in quite some time; spice was perfect, salt was perfect. The tendon themselves were delightfully cooked, and sliced thinly, then chilled. Next out were the shrimp wantons. Again: perfect. Extra crispy, but not over fried, super light wanton wrappers around great shrimp.
After that, the barnyard came to our table. We ordered both chicken feet in black bean sauce, and steamed pig feet. Both were delightful. The black bean sauce was drinkable, and the pork feet were spot on. If you could put the whole thing in your mouth, after a minute or two you could just spit out bones. However, beware. Pork feet contain a lot of collagen, so your hands will become horrendously sticky.
Then something special came out: fish stuffed bean curd skin. It was truly something that I had never had before, and it was great. The sauce was again delicious. The fish was firm and delicious, and the bean curd skin gave it a great texture.
Finally, our respective puffs came out: Curry Beef and Pork BBQ. Firstly, the filo dough was perfect. Like, make a French Pastry Chef jealous perfect. The fillings were delectable.
I couldn't believe that each of these dishes, save the beef tendon, were sub $3. We spent such little money and were stuffed to the brim by the end, however, we contemplated returning later that night, since the are open till midnight every day but Tuesday, when they're closed. the whole time we were there, groups of two to 8 kept coming in, waiting for a spot. I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Michelle B.
Kansas City, MO
10/9/2011 ROTD 2/7/2012
I won't talk about the authenticity of ABC Cafe, because it seems that's been covered. What you NEED to know: the place is a tiny little storefront, it's insanely cheap with huge family-style portions, and they have some of the best (and biggest) pork pot stickers I've ever had. They serve dim sum all day, though I have yet to try most of those small plates.
As an example of the cheapness, I have to steer myself away from constantly ordering the ginger and onion salty chicken. It's $8.88 for a huge chicken with a delectable flavor that reminds me a lot of Hainanese chicken rice, a Singaporean/Malaysian dish. If you like ginger, scallions and garlic, this is a great dish at a great price.
So many other great things here, from simple stuff like chow fun or wonton soup to the more adventurous (to some) seafood congee and beef tendon stew, and all for a great price. I'd venture to say this is the best Chinese restaurant I've been to in the KC area, for authenticity, selection, quality, and price. I'll probably never go back to Bo Ling's again... sorry. -
Review from Joe R.
Overland Park, KS
2/21/2012
You know its a good sign when you walk into a Chinese restaurant and your the only one there that isn't Asian. ABC is a small family run business that's packed every night with family's enjoying great authentic Cantonese dishes. Chinese beef curry is"my favorite" item on the menu.They have cool family style tables with the spinning table top which makes it easy to share food with a large group.The service is quick and efficient.The food is stellar. The dinning room is small but comfortable. There is Chinese TV playing which you don't see at most Asian restaurants. You should go here if your looking to find a hidden gem and a unique Chinese experience. Definitively going back soon!
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Review from Michaela B.
Overland Park, KS
12/18/2011
First the review of the food: The beef cilantro soup was delish and based on another's review, I tried the pork pot stickers. The were succulent and cooked to perfection. I also had the flounder but found it exceedingly bland. This wasn't really a taste test for me b/c I didn't venture out of my comfort zone.
It wasn't the food that turned me off... I can't say much about the service. I went in as a single person and was pretty much ignored after the customary, "just one?" question. (If you're reading this and you own a retaurant, please ask your server/host(ess) to lose the word "just" when they inquire about the number of guests in the party.) I digress. The owner walked around, checking people's orders. She did not ask me about my mine. Maybe it was my seat near the "alley" hallway by the service door and dirty dishes that put us both off. I had to ask for water as well. I might go back with a friend in tow, but it's not likely. I don't like feeling invisible in an establishment where I pay for service. -
Review from Meredith S.
Overland Park, KS
2/24/2012
I kept seeing ABC Cafe reviews on Yelp. Decided I was missing out on something good...Oh No! Can't have that happen.
My friend recognized the location as one where an old favorite restaurant was...now gone. Luckily, we arrived early and were seated immediately. The crowd started arriving shortly thereafter and continued until we left. This place is popular and many Asian families were enjoying the tasteful food. That told me this place was going to be good.
I don't recall all the selections we ordered Dim Sum but they were all delicious. I don't like eggplant but my friend loves it. I tried it and LOVED it! I will go back for that alone. Well, that and the beef cilantro soup. Yummy!
Pricing is very reasonable and service was excellent. The place was also very clean. -
Review from Daniel H.
This place had pretty good authentic Chinese food. There wasn't a lot of tables and it was pretty busy when I came here around 7pm to meet a bunch of other people. The menu had pictures for most of the pages and I thought it was really helpful to see a picture of what should be coming out. We ordered a lot so I don't remember what was what except the really obvious ones like Beef Chow Fun. They served dim sum all day and there was 18 dishes to choose from at $2.88 per dish. Everything else on the menu was inexpensive for the amount given.
If you want authentic Chinese food, then come here to ABC Cafe.
Their hours:
Monday - Sunday: 12pm to 12am
Tuesday: Closed -
Review from Ryan A.
If you ever patronized the restaurant that previously occupied this space, the first thing you notice is that it has somehow shrunk. It seems as though Beer Cave next door expanded, and the result is a much smaller room and a more intimate dining experience.
The second thing I noticed is that the place smelled awesome. This was followed immediately by the reassuring realization that every table appeared to be occupied by Chinese families speaking what I presume to be Cantonese, as they served themselves family-style from a variety of delicious-looking plates.
Despite the place looking pretty busy, we were seated immediately and given a few minutes to peruse the menu. Everything looked pretty good, and the menu featured several pictures of dishes. I like most guts well enough, but I normally only consume intestines as sausage casing. The picture of the fried intestine in the menu had me rethinking this strategy, but ultimately I decided to save that adventure for another day. Since there were only two of us, we decided to share some pork pot stickers and each get a bowl of soup rather than opt for sharing one of the huge entrees.
The pot stickers were a bit overlarge, making them somewhat difficult to manage with chopsticks, but they were delicious. Rich porkiness surrounded by an alternatingly crispy and pillowy wrapper. The beef noodle soup was similarly sublime, with a somewhat pho-like anise scented broth and velvety beef tendon. The egg noodles made it clear, however, that this was something entirely different and, dare I say, better. I didn't try my friend's wonton noodle soup, but it looked amazing.
Capping off this immensely enjoyable experience was a bill that was barely $17 with tax, for an appetizer and two sufficiently large bowls of soup. A most welcome way to end an excellent meal!Listed in: The Absolute Best of KC
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Review from Steph S.
Independence, MO
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Large portions and food was fantastic. The wait is a bit long but I am presuming it's due to the authenticity of the dishes. Will become a regular.
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Review from Michael J.
Washington, DC
7/24/2011
This is by far the most authentic Chinese restaurant in Kansas City. If you're into Hong Kong-style Cantonese food, this is it ladies and gentleman. Look no further. The prices are very reasonable and the taste is right out from streets of Hong Kong.
I myself have lived in Hong Kong in the past and have tasted Cantonese dishes within the best restaurants in US and Canada. So my standards are set high to begin with. When my parents took me to this restaurant at first, I was bit doubtful. How can Kansas City have something this authentic and this good? Is this even possible? Bo Ling may probably be as good as it gets in terms of Cantonese cooking...WRONG!! ABC Cafe is IT!! It hits the spot and nailed the taste! Forget their puny dim sum menu. Go to Bo Ling if you like dim sum. If you want Cantonese, look no where else but ABC Cafe. Their mango pudding is a great touch for those looking for a dessert to finish up the meal. Ask them to put some condensed milk on it rather than the standard whip cream. It's worth it!!
With 888 Super Market and now this restaurant, KC can surely run with the best of them. No need to drive to Chicago or Houston. We have a winner! -
Review from Rob M.
7/9/2011
Oh, my! I stepped through the doors of ABC Cafe and I felt transported back to the Richmond District in San Francisco -- a real Chinese restaurant with no decor to speak of but serving authentic, non-Americanized Cantonese food! This small restaurant was packed when we arrived, almost entirely by Chinese families sitting at the big round tables where food is served "family style," as is customary. The friendly owner greeted us and led us to a smaller table (there were only two of us). I was going to ask her to translate the specials posted on the wall, in Chinese only, but there were so many interesting things on the menu that I decided to save that for another visit, when they weren't so busy.
We ordered some deep fried shrimp wonton for starters, which came to the table piping hot from the wok. Quite yummy! My friend ordered a chicken and vegetable dish and I ordered the salt and pepper squid. The chicken dish was delicious, lightly sauced but very flavorful and full of chicken and baby bok choy. The salt and pepper squid was very good, too -- it was breaded and very peppery, and also very well seasoned with garlic (the fumes are still with me and about to peel the letters off my computer keyboard as I type this -- be prepared to be garlicky if you order this!).
Definitely a find, thanks to other Yelpers reviewing the ABC Cafe. It's on 87th St., just west of the Johnson County Central Library, on the south side of the street in a little strip mall. The space used to house the Tarahumara Mexican restaurant. -
Review from Jane C.
Olathe, KS
7/15/2011
I've been wanting to check this place out ever since I saw the advertisement posted on 888 super market door. We finally made it there last weekend. The place is clean and small. There's only 1 table that could seat 10+ people, most are 2 or 4 people tables. There are couple that could seat 6 or so.
The food is pretty good from a Chinese standpoint. Their dim sum is ok, I still prefer Pine & Bamboo's dim sum. But their traditional dishes were pretty good. We ordered Ong Choi, 8 treasures tofu bowl, Jing Do Pai Guo (pork rib with sweet sauce), Salted fish fried rice, and some dim sum. I have to say that the pork rib was my favorite out of all restaurants in OP area. That particular dish is way better than pine & bamboo's. The salted fish chicken fried rice is pretty good too and not overly salted.
I'll definitely return to there soon but if you do have a big group, remember to go in right before the door open or you may have to wait awhile. -
Review from Darrell L.
Kansas City, MO
There are a lot of Chinese Restaurant, but not a lot of them serve real authentic Chinese food. The opening of the restaurant is definitely a good news to all Asian food lover, especially cantonese style Chinese food. Other than ABC Cafe, based on my experience, only Jen Jen and Lucky Wok serve the same type of Chinese food in town.
Menu: if you are looking for general tso chicken or lo mein, I think panda express is a few blocks down the way, because you will not find any of this on the menu. I have to say the design or content of the menu could take some improvement-all the dishes on the menu are very authentic but some of the english translation could stop a non-typical asian food diner from ordering. More pictures+brief description of each dish could definitely help. All dishes come family style, this is definitely very "Chinese", I will not order a dish and eat only that dish for my meal, sharing is a virtue and is a typical way of dining among Chinese :) unless I was there myself ( I would then order fried rice or noodle soup) my friends and I usually order several dishes, usually a soup, two dishes with meat, one with vegetable and one with seafood.
Recommendation: personally I love all the clay pot dishes on the menu. I love the beef tendon clay pot and lamb tendon clay pot, as well as the eggplant clay pot. 'jing du' ribs is another good options if you like deep-fried ribs tasted sweet and sour. We always get the Chinese broccoli stir fry with "preserved bean curd", yummy. The steamed, salted chicken with ginger and green onion is also extraordinary (hey we are in KC!). They do have very small selection of dim sum as appetizers.
The restaurant: the restaurant is not big, there are not more than 12 tables in it I guess. Bright and clean, nothing fancy. Walking into ABC cafe makes me feeling walking into any authentic Chinese restaurants in LA, where I have to fly there every year just to satisfy my craving for real Chinese food. the restaurant also open pretty late which is good for us who always looking for a place for supper and who are not a big fan of IHOP.
Summary: this restaurant is definitely worth a try, especially if you are looking for real Cantonese style Chinese food. The service is good, average compared to American restaurant, but I guess for this restaurant, the quality of the food that matters. -
Review from Sean L.
Great menu which a variety of options. Chow mien dishes and dim sum, delicious. Will definitely coming back. Love all the TV's in the booths.
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Review from Phon W.
Olathe, KS
1/8/2012
Yum good food! Great Rice, I hate getting chinese food and the rice is like cardboard. I've ordered take out and I've eaten in. The service is great.
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Review from Teague P.
Mission, KS
11/15/2011
Well, I went back to ABC Cafe yesterday, since I was at at my annual two-day tax seminar once again held at the Holiday Inn at 87th & I35. So if anyone wants to know about mileage deductions or the new (horrifying) IRS audit guide for attorneys, I'm ready.
Anyway, ABC Cafe was once again super good. It was just - fabulously great. I went with a couple of friends from my old firm and was able to try a few things. I've been back a couple of times since last year, had the congee both times and it is a soothing dish on a cold rainy day. But yesterday was a truly great meal. I think the menu has more dim sum on it now, and the owner told us it is served all day & night and they are open until midnight. Which is too late for me, but now you know.
Yesterday we had the turnip cakes with XO Sauce, which is chopped fresh chiles and sauteed garlic mostly. They are listed under "Appetizers" on the menu - apparently the dim sum turnip cakes are plain. The turnip cakes were little inch-square cubes, all crispy brown on the outside and melty soft in the middle. The absolute best turnip cakes I have ever had. Also blessedly free of taro chunks, (though I am pretty sure taro is in there) which I don't like for whatever reason - too like yet unlike potatoes probably. They are REALLY DIVINE you should all try them.
Also had: pork potsticker dumplings, solid. Very green-oniony, I liked them. Also the filling stuck to the wrapper which is nice, it wasn't just a lump inside. Stuffed eggplant in black bean sauce, silver-dollar-sized slices of eggplant sandwiched with a stuffing. Awesome, almost as wonderful as the turnip cake. Not sure what the eggplant was stuffed with, maybe a fish or shrimp/eggplant farce. That's what it seemed like anyway. Tofu squares in the same black bean sauce, also good but not all that special as far as I was concerned. Sticky rice packages in leaves, with pork and some kind of nut or lychee fruit-type ingredient. One of our party had shrimp dumplings too, but hogged them all so I don't know what they were like. They were in thin, wonton-like wrappers in diamond shapes. this place is just getting better every time I go here.
Oh, also, the cost was shockingly reasonable, I think my lunch was about $8.00 for a lot of beautiful food and a pot of good tea. -
Review from Tiger W.
Newly Opened.
The food was very different, the chef has created many dishes. The fish egg rolls were awesome. They serve my favorite salted fish fried rice. The Fried Shrimp Wonton, Curry Beef Puff Pastry were very tasty.
I can't say it's traditional, but it's traditional with a twist. You won't be disappointed.Listed in: Most Authentic Chinese Food in…
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Review from Will S.
Lawrence, KS
8/8/2011
I could start with how good the food was or how warm the service felt. Either way it would make a positive opening for this write-up, so I'm going to tell the tale from start to finish.
The yellow and red letters of the ABC Cafe signage might not be enough to advertise that a Chinese restaurant exists here. However, if you know what you are looking for, the letters are big and bright and unmistakable.
We pulled into the lot of a small strip mall with a Subway on the other end. While the name doesn't explain much about the food, I knew I landed at the right spot when I saw groups of Asians coming in and out of the entrance. Inside are maybe 12 tables of different sizes to accommodate parties of few and up to 8 or 10 on their large round table with the Lazy Suzy. The lighting is fluorescent-ly bright but afterall they named it a cafe, not The French Laundry. To be optimistic is to believe that all the efforts were focused into the food and forget about the decor for now.
Optimistic or not, the food does not disappoint. When the food comes out, you quickly forget about trying to understand the Chinese soap operas on their two flat panel TVs unless of course you speak the language. Among the three of us, we shared the Beef Chow Fun, Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs, Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables, Siu Mai, Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf, and some Bud Lights. They brought us hot tea and ice water when we sat which was nice. The hot tea was piping hot and the beer was freezing cold which are major pointers in my book.
The beef in the chow fun was tender and juicy and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The fried spare ribs were crispy and well seasoned. Sticky rice was the way sticky rice should be: moistly soft and sticky with subtle added flavors. The Siu Mai pieces were plump and juicy but a little bland. My only real complaint was the pork belly dish. They have it listed on the menu as Fatty Pork Meat with Preserved Vegetables which sounds amazingly delicious to me but why not just call it pork belly? That's not the complaint though. The issue was the meat. The meat was very tough and chewy. Ever wondered about the lifespan of a wooden toothpick? I could put one to this test and it would probably fail after the 6th gap. The preserved vegetables are generally mui choy but they've added fresh baby bok choy which I was excited to see. The flavor in the sauce was very delicious and I would order this again in hopes the pork will be more tender.
With food aside, I really want to praise their service during our first and only visit so far. One of our servers ends up being Mrs. Owner and her husband is the Chef and Owner in the kitchen. She showed genuine interest in knowing about us and our visit and sharing a little about her. It's warmness like this that will lure anyone another visit back.
At the end of the meal with our plates cleaned off, we were already stuffed half way through lunch. Mr. Owner came out from the kitchen and immediately took notice of our first time visit. Few kind words later and I found out his brother runs Jen Jen's on Metcalf. Very similar flavors but this place beats Jen Jen's with value. Bigger portions and a dollar or two saved per dish. AND they are open for lunch!
I'm a fan. .. but I'm still not sure what ABC stands for.. -
Review from Joe H.
10/4/2010
Ok, I really don't know how to rate this place. I must say I was excited to see an authentic Chinese restaurant opening, but this is authentic to the extreme. I think there might be a failure in the menu descriptions. I got the "Beef Stew Noodle Soup" unfortunately the soup was light on beef and heavy on beef parts. We're talking tendon and fat here. I know that that can be standard at any authentic Asian restaurant, but, in general, tendon is listed in the item description. Now, I am not saying tendon is bad. Frankly, it is, opposed to what the uninitiated may think, quite tender and sort of gelatinous. There really isn't much taste in either the tendon or the soup.
I gave three stars because, while I love authentic places, I found the blandness of the food along with the poor menu descriptions (FYI prawns w/ peacock in mayonnaise sauce = prawns/shrimp with walnuts in some sort of mayo sauce) to be a negative.
I'll be glad to try the place again, but I'd love to see better menu item descriptions, and, frankly, more flavor. -
Review from Felix S.
Raymore, MO
1/9/2012
one of the best authentic chinese food in KC. Try all the dishes and will satisfy u. Love the salty fish fried rice.
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Review from Brent K.
6/3/2011
I've driven past this place a few times and even stopped to eat once on a tuesday (they are closed) but today I finally got in and it was an amazing experience. I got the beef noodle soup, which as noted before, came with beef and beef parts, which was fine to me, the broth was to die for, and the beef/parts was excellent. i also got shrimp dumplings and ribs with black bean sauce from the dim sum menu. the ribs were cut small and very boney, but delicious and the shrimp dumplings were quite tasty. to top the whole meal off a giant pot of hot tea was put on the table, free of charge, which was nice. i did notice the lady in charge was going from table to table asking if we liked it, which i did. i also noticed the signs on the wall in chinese, i guess those were the specials, which I did not think to ask about, but next time i go i will. it would definitely serve the restauraunt better to have those specials in english as well. i can't wait to go back and take some friends so i can try some of the other exotic dishes. i give 4 stars for food and 3 stars for specials being in chinese.
**Update** good news, the daily specials are now in English and with pictures as well! My second visit to ABC Cafe was just as enjoyable as the first trip, though my next trip I will definitely take a friend or two. This trip I got the shrimp dumplings (delicious), the fried fish with bean sauce (awesome) and the dumpling soup, which though not as good as the beef noodle soup was quite tasty. -
Review from Trecia M.
Kansas City, MO
Yeah, another white girl who grew up in the Midwest writing about something she doesn't know anything about...authentic Chinese food. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this place, but if the food is good, does it really matter? I say not. On my most recent visit we had the salt and pepper fish (Yum!) and a shrimp dish with quail egg mayo (I grew a second stomach to finish this!) Only two of us had lunch, but this was enough for four adults. The food was really good; the service attentive and; the store was clean. The menu is in English and I believe Cantonese. The specials posted on the wall are in Cantonese only. Although ABC café is in the middle of Caucasian County...uh-hem, I mean Johnson County, every time I have eaten here, there have been a number of Asians eating here too, which is a good sign to me.
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Review from Diane L.
Overland Park, KS
5/19/2011
Great, unique Chinese food. This place does not have the same generic menu that every other Chinese restaurant seems to have. Our waitress explained that it is traditional Cantonese style. They had lots of shrimp and seafood dishes. The waitress was very friendly and asked if we had questions with the menu. She explained some of the dishes and pointed out recommendations so we knew what to expect from each dish we ordered.
My husband loves egg drop soup, and says this is the best. I had the wonton soup and it was fabulous as well. As the waitress explained, the wontons had a much thinner wrapper and were stuffed with shrimp instead of pork. Note that we ordered two soups expecting to each receive a small individual bowl. Not so. One bowl would easily have been enough for both of us.
I had the Peking style shrimp and my husband had shrimp satay. Both were very good. All of the food came out hot out of the pan. We could hear the cook in the kitchen cooking each dish, and they were brought out one-by-one piping hot. It wasn't a problem though, because we had the soups to finish in the meantime.
Overall, I'm thrilled to know about this place. We live nearby and I had never realized it was a Chinese restaurant. We picked up a take-out menu and will certainly be coming back. -
Review from Phi Philip N.
Shawnee, KS
5/10/2011
No buffet here, everything is order off the menu. Authentic Chinese is what this place is, it's comparable to Jen Jen's on 90th and Metcalf. The place is kind of hidden and with the name you would think it's a simple American food joint. I went here on a Monday during lunch, it wasn't very busy. It's rather a small place. I come with the wife and 2 young kids, ages 2 and 4, I should of read Alisha V.'s review first before I went. They are not young kid friendly, all they had was booster seats. I ordered the spicy tendon as a appetizers, it was ok, wife found a small piece of hair on it. So that kind of ruin it for her. We ordered shrimp peking style, the sauce was overpowering. We also ordered beef drunken noodles, it looked good but it was lacking flavor. The last thing we ordered was pork chop peking style, this was good. The service was good, they had one person taking order and stuff and a guy helping. And they do serve dim sum all day.
This place is just ok. If you want good authentic Chinese food I prefer Jen Jen's more. -
Review from Robert A.
Itasca, IL
10/23/2011
Good stuff, much better than Po's on 39th. Everything we had was good - Spicy Beef appetizer, Eggplant and Fish in Tofu Skin from DimSum menu, Pork Belly Hot Pot. I'd give 4.5 if I could. I doubt you'll find better authentic food in KC.
