The Cook Shack Café

Solid food but it’s small and usually crowded. Not the cleanest place in town either. I usually get it to go and enjoy my food. Try the pancake sandwich.

Fantastic bfast, came here @ 10:30 on a Sunday. Had a little of everything and it was all fantastic from the perfect eggs seasoned w/​a tasty blend to the french toast that was light delicious. The b/​g was not heavy and actually had crumbles of sausage in it, no wall paper paste here! Hashbrowns crispy and crunchy, bacon was good quality not the paper thin cheap stuff that so many are serving and had a smokey flavour to boot!
Staff was great, everyone helped out and actually wanted to visit for a minute. Price — great value! We’ll be back to try a lunch.

Filthy, disgusting, and an unprofessional staff! I just moved back to the Waldo area and was excited to check this place out after seeing it on Diner, Drive-​Ins, & Dives. I will never take Guy’s advice again! The teenage staff was more worried about gossiping than cleaning or helping the customers. The food tasted as if it had been cooked earlier in the day and warmed up in the microwave. Not my idea of a delicious breakfast. Not sure how they’ve managed to stay so busy and get good reviews but I definitely won’t be back!

Great breakfast, staff friendly, locals and regulars are friendly. Half biscuits and gravy combo will not leave you hungry. Wouldn’t so first watch over cookshack

Total local favorite for breakfast. We go here probably once a month and totally enjoy it. Their pancakes and waffles are fabulous. I’m not a big fan of the biscuits and gravy, but other people I’ve been with are.
I keep it simple — go with the classic sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. Never disappoints. The coffee is surprisingly good as well.
The only downside to this place is smelling like food — BIG time. Everything you wear must be washed (the sooner the better so your laundry hamper doesn’t smell like food!) and your hair (total pain since I try not to wash mine daily!). Otherwise — HUGE fan.

Ever since I enrolled the kids into United Dance across the street, I’ve been looking for the opportunity to try the Cook Shack and today was the day!
I was worried it would be closed on Labor Day, but it was open and hopping. We got there about 9:30 and the place was almost empty. By 10:15 when we left there was a 20min wait.
Great biscuits and gravy — a little sweet which I liked. The pancakes were fluffy and slightly crisp on the outside — also excellent. (I think they are actually better than chubby’s).
I got the corned beef hash which was fine, not stellar but ⁶⁄₁₀.
I ordered my eggs over hard and they came out over easy (very easy) which I also like so I really didn’t care, but some would have been upset.
The coffee was awful, but I’m pretty picky about my coffee.
Super friendly staff, smiles all around. Very diverse crowd.
The space is very small — there’s probably room for 40, so plan on waiting unless you get lucky.
Overall a very solid greasy spoon breakfast place. Since Chubby’s kind of a pain to get to with the kids — I think this will be our new Sunday AM pancake place when we choose to go out for breakfast.

I have absolutely found my neighborhood breakfast «go to». Although this place is small it is filled with big tastes. Don’t be surprised if you go there and there’s no room to sit.
Prices are competitive but the food is awesome.
My serve Alex is one of the most friendliest people I have ever met in the food industry. Always a smile and on hand for anything you. She is half the reason I will keep going back, every week.
Biscuits and gravy = delicious Omelets = cooked perfectly — Overall breakfast perfection.
The only negative side is that I wasn’t a fan of the coffee. that’s it. That’s the only complaint I could find.

Since my original review there have been some improvements in Cook Shack and some, well, not so improvements; the food is a bit better, I think their cooks have really gotten their groove on, and service has sped up a bit.
They’ve lost the original charm of their hand written hand called tickets (they upgraded to a computerized system several months ago).
I love Alex in the front. She’s the hipsterist hipster that ever hipstered a hipster but she owns it and she makes me happy for it.
The saddest of the changes though are Maureen and Sara no longer run the front. Restaurants have turn over, I get it, but they sort of made the place for me. I’ll miss them both!

Cook’s is everything a diner should be. Quaint, crowded on a Saturday morning, and overflowing the brim with great food and genuine smiles.
I woke up that morning with a head swollen full of regrets from the night past. I needed food that would cure the ache in my head and belly, and I needed a place that I wouldn’t feel too bad going to with my hair up in a scarf and sunglasses at a way-​too-​early-​for-​a-​Saturday-​hour. So I checked Unilocal,and found The Cook Shack.
My man and I seemed to get here right at the sweet spot at 8am or so, and by the time we left, we had to squeeze past people to get out. I got to watch people pile in as we waited for our food, and I got a little more excited with each person. Unilocal never steers me wrong!
I laughed at the menu, because it’s now organized by «how hungry» you are. You can order portions if you’re A Little Hungry, Pretty Hungry, Really Hungry, et cetera. I was Pretty Hungry when we sat down.
I really enjoyed Maureen’s special — the buiscuts and gravy really hit the spot, and my fried egg was cooked perfectly, but wasn’t as «seasoned» as I thought it would be. I thought the country fried potatoes were awesome — they have onions and green peppers, which made them far more interesting than most country potatoes I’m used to.
The bad? Well, it’s hard to talk bad on this place, but I did have a couple complaints. Number one is really a nitpick, as diner coffee seems to always be bad — and although their coffee is pretty good for diner coffee, it was honestly pretty dismal. Since the coffee is nearly $ 2 (which I think seems like a lot for coffee, but… c’est la vie, they gotta make money somehow, seeing as their entrees seem to be at most $ 8 ea), I was disappointed, and honestly would have been happier with soda for a caffeine fix.
Another complaint would have to be the size of the place — they have really outgrown this location, but, the food was well worth it without much of a wait. I’m not sure how long I would wait for this food, but it didn’t seem too long or too short, really.
All in all, a great little diner in the Kansas City area. I’ll be back (but I can’t guarantee that my head won’t be up in a scarf again)!

Great little breakfast place… and I mean little! We walked in on a blustery Kansas City morning, and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table to clear up. But we didn’t have to wait outside… so that was ok. (haven’t been to too many quality breakfast places where you didn’t have to wait)
Ordered up the Shack Attack breakfast for myself…3 eggs, 3 sausage, hash browns & toast… nice big breakfast to get us home to TX. The rest of the family ordered up the MAC, a huge breakfast of eggs, 3 types of meat, a biscuit & gravy, and a pancake… and if I recall correctly, some potatoes as well. Phenomenal!
The biscuit and gravy had great flavor.
My wife got a pancake… which she was thankfully talked down from ordering two by the server… and it was monstrous! Completely covered the plate.
And my daughter ordered a waffle… then asked if they could add chocolate chips (of course)…then asked if she could add strawberries (of course) Just an extremely accomodating staff working there, and really make you feel welcome and genuinely like they want you to be there.
Great place. KC, next time we’re in the area, we’ll be back!

Easy to pass up this place, but we stopped for an early breakfast.
I had low expectations from the outside view, but the inside cute and clean. The waitstaff was quick and friendly even though we were not regulars.
I got a combo plate which was one pancake, one egg and one piece of bacon. Egg was perfect, pancake was really yummy but the bacon wasn’t extra crispy like I requested. I was disappointed because we had a long wait for our food. There was a sign that said that food is cooked to order and might take longer. Hey, I have been to a lot of «cook to order» diners and nothing should take that long, especially breakfast food. Some tables that came in after us got their food before our order came.
Sounds like they need a cook that can multitask, not an apology sign.
BTW, don’t order OJ, I didn’t expect fresh squeezed, but whatever jug that came out of was naaasty.
I would go back if I find myself in the area again, this time just pancakes and an IPAD for the wait.

Now that swimsuit season is over, it’s time to bulk up for the winter. Just in case you weren’t sure where to do his at, you might want to start at Cook Shack.
I was giddy to see a Unilocal sticker (familiarity!) on their front window. Beware though, the place does looked closed due to the patches of construction and the shaded windows.
Inside seats 50(?) at most, which lends itself to personal and quick service, of course being their at 6am on a Friday doesn’t hurt either. We were quickly greeted and told the specials, I took waaaay too long to order as I was fixated on listening to the conversation beside us (I heart old men gossip.)
The special was a house– all meat omelet, 20% off. The menu *helps* you decipher the diner talk. House means onions, green peppers and mushrooms. I’m not going to explain to you what all meat means. I ordered mine with country potatoes, their version of those little square potatoes, these with onions and green peppers. The meal also came with toast. My friend and I got the same thing, his with a biscuit. Oh! and I had to try a side of gravy.
What came out was AT LEAST a six egg omelet. The kind of meal that those long plates are made for, we received as many potatoes as the omelet was long, a style of measurement that could replace the metric system any day. The food was diner perfect, at first rivaling then exceeding the Corner Café, the sausage had a touch of some kind of seasoning and the gravy was the best kind of saltiness. We ate as much as we could, I took home the potatoes and toast and it was still good as leftovers!
According to the Internets, you can spell omelet literally any way you want, but there is an art to cooking one. With 12 to choose from there should be something for everyone. If you’re not ready to shed the swimsuit just yet, bring a friend, one plate will be enough for two.

Long story short: Wait… is this it? Why are the windows all tinted like it’s a gentleman’s club?
Long story long:
Breakfast. The most important meal of the deal. As someone who has gone through long phases of both never eating breakfast and trying to always eat breakfast, I can definitely vouch for the benefits of eating breakfast in the morning. But I digress.
While in Kansas City, I wanted to check out a place to get breakfast. Not just like some random Denny’s or IHOP. And as much as I love Waffle House, I wanted to go to a place that has good breakfast. I jumped on Unilocal and after a few minutes, decided on this place because the reviews seemed pretty decent. My friend and I hopped in our rental car and drove on over. At first I missed it, so I had to pull a U-​ey.
Pulling up, you notice that the windows are tinted like REALLY dark. Like, gentleman’s club dark. Limo tint dark. We were like «uh… is something else going on besides breakfast?» #justsaying
We walk in, and thankfully, it was indeed a place serving breakfast. The inside was kind of homey and simple. We sat down and a friendly woman came over and asked us what we wanted to drink. I ordered orange juice. I would say she also gave us menus, but there were already menus sitting among a little holder thingy with salt, pepper, jams and jellies.
Looking over the menu, they had a selection of egg dishes, omelettes, pancakes and waffles, and a couple of specials. I opted to get a chicken fried steak and eggs (over easy), which came with hash browns or country potatoes (hash browns) and toast. I was over zealous and also ordered a half order of biscuits and gravy. I actually forgot what my friend ordered. I think he got an omelette.
A few minutes later our food arrived and it smelled and looked good. I dug in and my chicken fried steak was pretty good. A TINY bit thick on the batter, but it wasn’t like a ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ or anything like that. The gravy was good. Hashbrowns were nice and crispy. I polished that off and I was so full, but felt bad if I didn’t at least touch my biscuit and gravy. The biscuit was good (though not homemade) and the sausage gravy was good.
The chicken fried steak was $ 7.95 and the biscuit and gravy was $ 4.50. Not bad really
Service was friendly and we were really the only people in there, so we kind were sort of watching «Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader» on the TV with the 2 waitresses. It was kind of amusing.
I would definitely come back here and try other things. I might go tomorrow (today as it is technically Sunday) since I now live in the area ;)

I bought a couple of Muncharoo coupons for Cook Shack, as my favorite brunch partner and I were on a breakfast kick. At first, I was really enamored. This original dining spot is ldown home and ow key, meaning you can roll outta bed, brush your teeth and go, and not feel bad about it.
It”s always busy and filled with young couples and young families, who also look like they may have rolled out of bed (and I don’t mean that in a bad way!).
The pancakes are delicious, they taste like cake. IDK, maybe they use extra vanilla in the batter, but they are absolutely delicious. The omelets are good but on the greasy side, and the biscuits and gravy are not good. At all. Some reviewers rave about them, but we both found the gravy to be lacking any real flavor.
Anywho, I think the shiny has worn off of this place for me. If I’m craving a pancake I will go, but other than that, I think I will begin making my own breakfast. With our without brushing my teeth first.

Firemen and good food. For some reason this combination seems logical to me. Bill Crow, a retired Kansas City, Missouri firefighter opened this restaurant a couple of years ago, and I’m glad! Sure, you could drive right by the place everyday and not know that it’s there, kind of like I did. But, once you know to look for it, it should become a favorite. If you’re looking for a great breakfast hang out in a comfortable environment, literally with family all around you and a few firefighters to boot, then get ready to settle in. Bill just may stop by the table to chat. His wife and daughter will most likely be your servers.
I’m an omelet girl, so I tried the «House All Meat». I almost expected a small dainty omelet like you get in most restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised that it almost filled my whole plate! I guess they ARE cooking for firefighters too. I’m a bit picky about a lot of things, but it was not only huge, but was obviously freshly made and stuffed with all of the ingredients promised. I have to get back to try the pancakes and chicken strips. My hubby can try one of the ½ pound Cook Shack Firehouse burgers with the jalapenos and cayenne peppers since they also serve lunch and are open until 2:00pm everyday.
Oh, just remember, it’s across from the 7 – 11 on 89^th & Wornall Rd., and just south of the Smoke Stack restaurant. I’m really glad that I stopped in to the Cook Shack Café at 8950 Wornall for a great breakfast in Waldo/​South Kansas City!
P. S. Don’t forget to check out the pictures.

First things first… there are two types of breakfasts. The greasy spoon or the shi shi breakfast. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a total fan of both. But, you want to know what you are in the mood for, so you’ll be happy with what you eat. This place is run by firemen. They don’t want shi shi food. They want good food at a fair price. They want to be full and not eyeballin’ the person’s plate next to them. Stealing food off of someone else’s plate can cause problems. Sometimes it’s worth it, but it is always best not to create hate and discontent early in the morning, if at all possible.
The atmosphere is diner. The service friendly. Prices reasonable. The food is just plain good. We had a large group on Christmas eve morning. No one batted an eye. They just moved tables together and smiled. These are my kind of people.
The Cook Shack sits just down the street from the corner of 89^th and Wornall, right next to a BBQ joint, on the west side of the street. Be sure and look at the pictures, they are worth a thousand words. Yum!

Where’s Waldo? I have no clue as I just moved here from the West coast.
My wife and I stumbled upon The Cook Shack Café while exploring Kansas City. It had all the signs of a promising breakfast spot: modified retro street sign, full parking lot, friendly greeting as two strangers entered, menu with the owners’ photos and cheap prices!
We both had a tasty breakfast for under $ 20 in the company of loyal Chiefs fans. Our waitress even wrote a personal message of gratitude for our patronage along with a hand drawn smiley face. I love the friendliness of the Midwest.
Fire hydrant graphic on the menu: The co-​owner is a veteran fire fighter — nice touch!
Un-​chain and support local businesses.

This is definitely no-​frills home cooked breakfast.
The wait staff is super friendly and attentive. Personally, I think the coffee was weak but my cup was constantly filled. I had the corned beef hash, eggs and toast special. The corned beef hash tasted exactly like my dad’s — out of a can. But, with an extra dose of hot sauce and mashing my eggs up with it, the dish was fine.
Yes, come here before showering because like any good breakfast joint you should leave smelling like fried potatoes; which I did.
Overall, if this place was closer I would seek it out more often. But it’s a good back up when needed.

Been on the hunt for a great breakfast diner since coming back to KC. It’s only taken me 2 years but I think I’ve finally found one. Cook Shack is fantastic for a couple of great reasons–
1. absolutely no pretensions, come in your pj’s and not a lick of makeup, no one will bat an eye.
2. creative cuisine is fine for dinner or for lunch. for breakfast however, i require no creativity just straight forward home cookin’ and cook shack has that in spades. scrambled eggs, french toast, chewy bacon, you get the picture.
3. great coffee, refilled frequently.
4. friendly wait staff, every single one of them.
5. they’re cheap, like under $ 10 for breakfast w/​coffee!
and finally–
6. they take credit/​debit cards, thank god! inevitably i’d fall in love with a great diner in LA only to find they are cash only. i never have cash.

Yesterday I was as hungry as a wild animal, plus had to take antibiotics. Being out on the road, I needed to hunt down food. As I looked up, I saw a little strip mall. Pulled in and ventured up to Cook Shack Café, not knowing what the heck they served.
It was my lucky day. Cook Shack is a breakfast and lunch place only. I walked in and as the sign says, I sat myself. The place is cute. Not an urban cute but greasy spoon that you’d see in the middle of some road by some small town, complete plaid table cloths, an old school counter and a staff that wants to make sure you’re content. Very homey and local.
After browsing the menu, I opted for the veggie omelette. About 10 minutes later, out came a plate that could have easily served two or three people. The omelette contained mushrooms, peppers, onions and cheese. It was huge. There was also diced potatoes and toast.
The eggs are farm fresh and the seasoning they used was quite tasty. Also, the veggies aren’t canned and you can taste the difference. The potatoes were quite tasty and well seasoned and had some peppers and onions thrown in. If that’s not your cup of tea, they also offer hash browns as an option (looked mighty good as well). Also of note, biscuits and gravy are on the menu.
All in all, a great neighborhood spot in Waldo for breakfast. When I’m in the area again and craving brekkie, I’ll definitely make a pit stop here.