I had already eaten two four-meat combo platters at Kansas City barbecue establishments, but I couldn’t resist the late night lure of Winstead’s, a Kansas City fixture known for its hamburgers, lauded by such gastronomic luminaries as Kansas City native Calvin Trillin and my friend John Schulian, who has a framed menu on his kitchen wall. Nighttime is the right time to visit, to see the classic diner aglow with green neon.

According to the restaurant’s website, Katherine Winstead founded a similar restaurant by the same name in 1936, in Springfield, Illinois. A proponent of culinary Manifest Destiny, she gradually migrated west, first to Sedalia, Missouri, and then to Kansas City, settling in 1940 on a location near Country Club Plaza with sister Nelle and brother-in-law Gordon Montgomery. Building on the original location’s enduring popularity, the Haddad Restaurant Group now owns and operates ten Winstead’s locations in Missouri and Kansas.

This green neon tower rests atop Winstead’s entrance, a veritable burger beacon.

The interior is just as interesting, with more green neon and massive pink neon discs to light the way.

There’s even an old time counter.

Since I was still stuffed with barbecue, I had no choice but to limit myself to a single Winstead ($2.15), topped with pickles, ketchup, mustard, and my only tweak - grilled onions. I’ve eaten better, more substantial burgers, but the thin pattie still had its crispy charms.

Refreshing carbonated limeade ($1.45) came topped with lime sherbet and half of a Maraschino cherry.

I debated about whether to include Winstead’s on Food GPS. The burger was pretty good, and the limeade was awesome. Finally, Winstead’s won me over with it’s classic setting. For once, I couldn’t help but relent on my food-first approach to dining.

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This entry is filed under Hamburger Hut, Midwest.