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Tao Tao is a family-owned Chinese restaurant at the corner of 13th and Minnesota Avenue in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, run by chef-owner Annie Der since 1972 — a Wyandotte County institution so beloved that the city declared a “Chef Annie Day.”

Description

Tao Tao is a Chinese-American restaurant occupying a 19th-century building at the corner of 13th Street and Minnesota Avenue in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. It has operated continuously since February 1972 under the same family ownership, making it one of the longest-running independent restaurants in Wyandotte County.12 The kitchen turns out a classic Chinese-American menu that has “barely changed since the restaurant opened” — shrimp fried rice, combination lo mein, hand-rolled eggrolls, General Tso’s chicken, and a Springfield-style cashew chicken that makes Tao Tao one of the few places outside Springfield, Missouri, to serve the dish.23

The restaurant’s best-known item is its crab rangoon, offered in multiple flavors — a signature created by the family — and routinely cited by reviewers as among the best in the metro.34 Food is cooked fresh to order, with portions and lunch prices that long-time customers describe as exceptional value.4

Tao Tao is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and closed Sundays and Mondays, offering dine-in, carryout, and delivery.1

Ownership and history

Tao Tao was opened on February 12, 1972, by Annie Der and her then-husband, Wally Der.23 Annie, who had recently turned 25 and by her own account did not yet know how to cook, and Wally bought the corner building at 13th and Minnesota — a former chicken house — with roughly $7,000 in savings and converted it into a Chinese restaurant.23 More than five decades later, Annie Der still runs the kitchen herself, often working long days well into her seventies, and the restaurant remains a family operation.23

Annie Der has become a fixture of the Wyandotte community, described in local press as the “soul” of KCK for her decades of quiet service.2 On February 12, 2022, marking the restaurant’s 50th anniversary, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County / Kansas City, Kansas formally recognized her: KCK Mayor Tyrone Garner — joined by a Wyandotte County district judge, a Kansas state senator and representative, and KCKPD leadership — proclaimed the occasion “Chef Annie Day” and “Tao Tao Day,” commemorating 50 years of service to the community.35

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

  1. Tao Tao official website — https://www.taotaokck.com/ — asserts: address (1300 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66102), phone, current hours (Tue–Sat 11:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m., closed Sun/Mon), carryout and delivery, family-owned 50+ years, late-1800s building. ↩ ↩2

  2. Kansas City Magazine, “Annie Der, chef and owner at Tao Tao, is the ‘soul’ of the KCK community…” — https://kansascitymag.com/annie-der-chef-and-owner-at-tao-tao-is-the-soul-of-the-kck-community-and-she-keeps-stomachs-full-too/ — asserts: in business since Feb 12, 1972; Annie and husband bought corner building (former chicken house) with ~$7,000; menu largely unchanged; signature dishes; Annie as community “soul.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. The Pitch, “Chef Annie’s 50 years at Tao Tao celebrated with official city declaration and endless rangoons” — https://www.thepitchkc.com/chef-annies-50-years-at-tao-tao-celebrated-with-official-city-declaration-and-endless-rangoons/ — asserts: opened Feb 12, 1972; Annie Der (b. Feb 10, 1947); “Chinese soul food”; multi-flavor crab rangoon created by family; Feb 12, 2022 declaration of “Chef Annie Day” / “Tao Tao Day” by Mayor Tyrone Garner with named officials; Annie still runs kitchen. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. Yelp — Tao Tao, 1300 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS — https://www.yelp.com/biz/tao-tao-kansas-city — asserts: updated May 2026, 121 reviews / 168 photos (operating); fresh-cooked food, large portions, low lunch prices, acclaimed crab rangoon (currently-open proof point). ↩ ↩2

  5. KSHB 41, “Chef Annie Der, Tao Tao Restaurant celebrated for 50 years of service to KCK” — https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/chef-annie-der-tao-tao-restaurant-celebrated-for-50-years-of-service-to-kck — asserts: 50th-anniversary civic celebration of Chef Annie Der and Tao Tao in KCK. ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Chinese
  • Kansas City Ks