This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a Black-owned soul-food and all-day breakfast institution at 6441 Troost Ave in Kansas City’s Troost corridor, opened in 1985 by owner Denise Ward and operating roughly 40 years; Tier 1 as a long-tenured, owner-operated, locally rooted KC soul-food landmark.

Description

Niecie’s Restaurant is a soul-food and all-day-breakfast institution on the Troost corridor in south Kansas City, at 6441 Troost Avenue (near 64th & Troost).12 Founded in 1985, it has grown over roughly four decades into one of Kansas City’s best-known soul-food destinations, drawing a clientele the restaurant describes as ranging “from politicians to celebrities to the local community in the neighborhood.”3

The menu centers on Southern comfort cooking served fast and generous under the restaurant’s motto, “Good Food. Served Right.”13 Signature plates include chicken and waffles, perfectly seasoned fried catfish, fried pork chops, and a tangy, gravy-coated meatloaf, while the kitchen is also widely praised for breakfast served any time of day — biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and burgers among the standouts.45 The restaurant offers dine-in, carry-out, and catering.1

As a long-standing Black-owned establishment on Troost — historically Kansas City’s racial dividing line and the spine of the city’s East Side — Niecie’s holds a notable place in the city’s soul-food and Black-owned dining landscape, and is listed on Black-owned business directories including EatOkra.26

Ownership and history

Owner Denise Ward (Denise Hayes Ward) opened Niecie’s in 1985 to highlight the recipes she learned from her mother, launching with her husband, Perry Ward, in a small storefront at 5932 Prospect Avenue in Kansas City.34 The restaurant later moved to its current, larger home at 6441 Troost Avenue, where it has operated for years as a fixture of the Troost corridor.13

Niecie’s has been continuously owner-operated by Denise Ward across its history and has retained long-tenured staff — KCUR profiled employees with 32 and 20 years of service as of 2020.4 The restaurant has been featured by Kansas City outlets including KCUR’s local food-critic roundups (best sandwiches, best soups and stews) and Fox4KC.3

PeriodLocationNote
19855932 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, MOOriginal storefront, opened by Denise & Perry Ward 34
Current6441 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64131Present location near 64th & Troost 12

Note on a former second location: A separate Niecie’s listing at 8686 E 63rd St, Kansas City (listed as “New American”) is marked CLOSED. This does not affect the active Troost flagship.7

Sources

Disputes

(None active.) Note: the official site contains internally inconsistent “years in business” copy (“25 years,” “30 years,” “over 35 years”); the 1985 founding date is treated as authoritative, making the business roughly 40 years old as of 2026.

Footnotes

  1. Niecie’s Restaurant — official site — https://www.nieciesrestaurant.com/ — asserts: current address (6441 Troost Ave), soul-food cuisine, motto “Good Food. Served Right.”, dine-in/carry-out/catering, business phone. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. EatOkra — Niecie’s Restaurant (Black-owned business directory) — https://www.eatokra.com/businesses/niecie-s-restaurant — asserts: address 6441 Troost Ave, KC MO 64131; soul food; Black-owned listing. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Niecie’s Restaurant — “Story” page — https://www.nieciesrestaurant.com/story — asserts: owner Denise Ward, co-founder husband Perry Ward, founded 1985, original location 5932 Prospect Ave, current 6441 Troost Ave, clientele range, media features. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. KCUR — “On A ‘Very Strange’ Easter, This Popular Kansas City Restaurant Serves Soul Food To-Go” (April 2020) — https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-04-12/on-a-very-strange-easter-this-popular-kansas-city-restaurant-serves-soul-food-to-go — asserts: owner Denise Hayes Ward, 35 years in business as of 2020 (founded ~1985), location 64th & Troost, signature dishes, long-tenured staff (32 and 20 years). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Niecie’s Restaurant menu / Wheree listing (updated 2026) — https://niecies-restaurant.wheree.com/menu — asserts: 2026-current menu and signature dishes (chicken & waffles, catfish, pork chops, biscuits & gravy, meatloaf), all-day breakfast reputation. ↩

  6. BlaKCList — Niecie’s Restaurant — https://blakclist.com/listing/niecies-restaurant-2/ — asserts: listed as a KC Black-owned business. ↩

  7. Yelp — Niecie’s Restaurant (8686 E 63rd St) — CLOSED — https://www.yelp.com/biz/niecies-restaurant-kansas-city-2 — asserts: a separate/secondary E 63rd St location is closed (flagship Troost location remains open). ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Soul Food
  • Troost Corridor