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Town Topic
Rating Details »
Categories: Burgers, Breakfast & Brunch, Diners
Neighborhoods: Crossroads, Greater Downtown2021 Broadway St
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 842-2298
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- None
6 reviews for Town Topic
For some time now, I've been unsure of how to go about reviewing Town Topic. The place is small and crowded, with decidedly average burgers and fries. It's a bit dingy, and there have definitely been a few late night visits where I've been a bit sketched out by the clientele. On paper, this place wouldn't deserve more than 3 stars, which seems to be about the average score here on Yelp. But every time I walk through the door and belly up to the counter, I spend the next hour or so thinking about how much i love this place.
Town Topic is an institution, it's been around longer than i've been alive. It's been around longer than my parents have been alive! For anybody that goes here on a somewhat regular basis, you know that the same people are ALWAYS working. Is it a family business? For how many decades have the same people been working the counter and flipping burgers? I find myself wanting to know the history of this place. What was it like during segregation? During the 70s and the gangland wars? What types of stories do these workers have to tell? In a culture where everything new is to be cherished, in a town where the old is regularly torn down and replaced with cookie cutter development, a place with serious longevity is to be respected.
Most people don't tend to just stop by Town Topic. I don't think i've ever been there during daylight hours. Instead, I go there late at night, at the end of rather monumental evenings that we're just not ready to end. I have memories of sitting at that counter with some of my best friends, and with some of the people who have been most important in my life. Laughing over a double cheeseburger or a truckstop omelette, rehashing the events of the evening. Hypothesizing over the backstories of the revolving door of characters who find their way in. Town Topic is a great equalizer. 3 AM, eating respectable diner food with junkies and club kids and lawyers and workers just getting off the clock.
Town topic is decidedly more than the sum of its parts. If you were to review the place strictly on a criteria of how good the food and service are, i can understand a lower score. But to me, Town Topic is a place that I love, an exclamation point at the end of so many wonderful nights, a cherished piece of my Kansas City experience.
Oh, hell yes. I don't eat meat and I still love this place. The nice lady who works the graveyard has worked there longer than I have been alive.
Unless you don't like onions, rather than read reviews, you should just go on down there. Be nice, be patient, play some pinball, and tip them... A lot of people call in orders to pick up.
The two photos of the place, one during the day and one at night, pretty much sum up the two extremely different atmospheres here. The other one around the corner closes; this is the all-night location.
After the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the new AMC Mainstreet we decided to grab some late night munchies at Town Topic. We sat at the counter and began to recap our movie experience. A waitress got to us quickly and took our order. It was a Tuesday night / Wednesday morning, so I understand why there were only two folks working, but the service was slow. It took almost 20 minutes to get all of our orders out. The burgers reminded me of Winstead's, but Winstead's is first in my heart and mind. It was small, next time I'll remember to get more then one.
This place attracts... some interesting characters. One douch... uh, dude proceeded to call my friend "pretty lady." Now, Somie's gorgeous, but he didn't even ask what her name was, it was just pretty lady. The place got crowded quickly and it took forever to get the waitress' attention. The saving grace of this place is the milkshake. Good lawd that's an awesome milkshake. But, cost almost as much as the burger! Town Topic's milkshakes bring all the boys to yard, and... you know the deal.
Overall, I'm guessing the food here is better consumed while intoxicated. I'll take note of that the next time I'm in the P&L and tanked.
I went here with a couple of friends on weeknight after a Royals game, because one insisted that everyone knows what Town Topic is. And if you are expected a tiny diner with simple, cheap food made on a flattop and some amazing homemade pie, then this is the place to go. The only drawback is really how small it is- there are a few stools at the counter and a small wooden counter on the opposing side, where you can stand and eat. If you don't get a stool (which you probably won't) plan on getting it to go, unless you don't mind eating while standing.
The prices are really cheap, my ice cream was about $2 and you could get a burger and fries and a drink for about $5. The food is made right as you order it by a stewardly older man and your order is taken by a sweet lady who also makes the pies, which are different flavors depending on the day.
It always seems to be packed whenever I've gone or driven by, whether it's for lunch at noon or a late night snack at 2 am. Town Topic is open 24 hours a day and it seems to hit the spot at any time of day. History of the restaurant and Kansas City's past lines the walls; this really is a Kansas City landmarkâ" I don't think it will ever close because no one will let it die! (Which is definitely a good thing) Town Topic is a virtual bomb shelter of cheap burger joints because of their loyal customers and excited newcomers who embrace it wholeheartedly. It is a bit greasy, as most good food is, so be prepared for that. No sissies who whine about grease and fat are allowed!
So I suppose this place is somewhat of a Kansas/Missouri institution, so I decided to give it a go, being a sucker for institutions and all. Especially the song "Institutionalized" by the seminal LA band Suicidal Tendencies.
The first time I had it I thought it was a damn good burger. I had whatever "big" burger they have, I forget the name. But the law of diminishing returns had me slightly less pleased each time. The onion rings are pretty good, but the hash browns are a crime against humanity and are rumored to be used to fight insurgents. I ordered a peanut butter pie to go once, and was greeted by a hair. See you in Hell, peanut butter pie!
Here's what to expect: decent burgers, good onion rings, not the cleanest place in the world. I hear they have a pretty good breakfast, but I can count the times I'm up, showered, and dressed early enough to grab breakfast before my pursuits of school and work on no hand. So there you go.
It was a dark and stormy night. My potato leek soup was taking too long to make and I had to brave the weather to go to a show Davey's Uptown. So I went without eating. Several PBRs, Jagerbomb and three bands later, I was starving. Really starving. Town Topic is on the way, and I see it nearly every day and always wanted to try it, so there I went. I didn't even really look at the menu, my 2 a.m. dinner was ordered for me. The Truckstop. It's like all your breakfast scrambled up and dumped in a box with a side of toast. I like breakfast at 2 a.m. It was delicious and full of cheese. I got it to go, ate half at home with ketchup, and then ate the rest for lunch the next day wrapped up in a tortilla with salsa.
I don't know about the ladies who worked there. They seemed pleasant enough, but I wouldn't wanna upset them BEFORE I got my food. They seem like they could be vindictive against your edibles.
