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

Owner-operated Mediterranean/Middle Eastern counter run out of a working Shell gas station at 75th & Wornall in Waldo — one of Kansas City’s most-loved “gas station food” spots, in the local lineage of Joe’s KC. Chef-owner Khalid Sirhandi bought the station in 2000 and opened the kitchen in 2010. Verified currently open (Yelp, updated April 2026; menu/hours current as of research date).

Description

Papu’s Cafe is a small Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant operated from inside a working Shell gas station at 604 W 75th St in Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood, near 75th Street and State Line Road.12 The kitchen runs as a counter behind the convenience-store grill, with a handful of indoor tables and an added outdoor seating area.3

The menu is a tight, made-from-scratch lineup of gyro sandwiches, chicken shawarma, falafel wraps, hummus and baba ganoush, tabouli, platters, and baklava.134 Sauces and hummus are prepared fresh daily.4 The gyro is the signature draw — the Greek-style preparation that anchors the menu and gives the operation its cuisine identity in local listings, alongside broader Mediterranean/Middle Eastern fare.14

The “great food inside a gas station” format has made Papu’s a Waldo cult favorite and a recurring entry on KC “best gas station food” lists — a local lineage most famously occupied by Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que.3 Reviewers consistently describe a regulars-driven, owner-present atmosphere.34

Ownership and history

Chef-owner Khalid Sirhandi bought the gas station on 75th Street in 2000 and opened Papu’s Cafe inside it in 2010.1 Sirhandi makes the spice blends and herb mixtures in-house and is publicly credited as taking personal pride in the food’s freshness and flavor.1 He describes growing up in a family particular about flavor combinations — both parents passing cooking skills to him — as the foundation of the menu.1

The operation has also been associated with a second location in the metro (Independence, MO referenced in coverage3); the Waldo Shell-station original at 604 W 75th St is the subject of this page. for exact current operating status of any additional locations.

Sources

Disputes

(No active disputes as of 2026-06-08.)

Footnotes

  1. Feast Magazine — “Papu’s Cafe Dishes Up Some of Kansas City’s Best Middle Eastern Cuisine Inside a Gas Station.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/kansas-city/article_7913beec-e097-11e9-a2ea-3f4d6155e54e.html. Asserts: chef-owner Khalid Sirhandi bought the 75th Street gas station in 2000 and opened the restaurant in 2010; makes spice/herb blends in-house; family-flavor culinary background; Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu near 75th & State Line; gyro, shawarma, falafel, hummus, baklava made fresh daily. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Yelp — “Papu’s Cafe, 604 W 75th St, Kansas City, Missouri” (Updated April 2026). https://www.yelp.com/biz/papu-s-cafe-kansas-city-2. Asserts: address 604 W 75th St, KCMO 64114; categorized Middle Eastern; phone (816) 822-8759; 260+ reviews/112+ photos active as of April 2026; current hours. ↩

  3. The Brazen Gourmets (chuckeatskc.com) — “Papu’s Cafe: Fabulous Middle Eastern in a Gas Station.” https://chuckeatskc.com/papus-cafe-fabulous-middle-eastern-in-a-gas-station/. Asserts: located inside a gas station at 604 W 75th St in Waldo; gyros, falafel, shawarma, hummus, baba ganoush sandwiches and platters; Joe’s KC gas-station comparison; references an Independence, MO location. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Waldo KC neighborhood directory + aggregated listings — “Shell - PAPU’S Café.” https://www.waldokc.org/businesses/shell-papus-cafe/. Asserts: address 604 W 75th St, KCMO 64114-1515; phone 816-822-8759; located in Waldo at the Shell station; menu of gyros, shawarma, falafel, tabouli; sauces and hummus made from scratch daily; current operating hours. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Greek
  • Waldo