Urban Restaurant

Urban Restaurant is a full-service Asian-soul food fusion restaurant opened March 2024 at 3420 Troost Ave by Justin Clark (CEO, RJ Culinary Group) and co-owner Ron Evans, whose grandmother grew up near the Troost/Armour intersection. Clark — a Black KC restaurateur who returned to Kansas City in 2015 and built Urban Food Truck → Urban Cafe at 4101 Troost → Urban Cafe at KCI terminal before opening this location — operates with an explicit mission to fight gentrification and reclaim Troost as a destination for Black KC entrepreneurship. KC G.I.F.T. grant recipient ($25,000).

Description

Urban Restaurant at 3420 Troost Ave is the most recent chapter of Justin Clark’s multi-year investment in the Troost corridor. Clark returned to Kansas City in 2015, built the Urban Food Truck, opened Urban Cafe at 4101 Troost in 2017 as one of the first new Black-owned restaurants on the corridor in years, then added a location inside the new KCI terminal. Urban Restaurant — his first full-service sit-down concept — opened in March 2024 at 3420 Troost (East Armour Blvd), co-owned with Ron Evans, whose grandmother’s roots are near that intersection.

The menu is Asian-soul food fusion, applying Mexican, Spanish, and Asian culinary techniques to a comfort-food base — a format that reflects Clark’s own culinary training and Troost’s diverse community. Clark received a $25,000 KC G.I.F.T. (Growing Innovative Flourishing Talented) grant. His stated mission is to anchor Black economic presence on a corridor where gentrification pressures are accelerating.

Ownership and history

Justin Clark (CEO, RJ Culinary Group) has operated on Troost since 2017. His trajectory — food truck to neighborhood café to airport concept to full-service restaurant — represents one of the most documented KC-Black-entrepreneurship arcs on the corridor.¹ Ron Evans is co-owner with family ties to the Troost/Armour neighborhood.² The Beacon’s August 2025 Troost equity walk piece photographed Evans’s grandmother visiting the restaurant for the first time.²

Tier classification

Tier 1. Justin Clark is a Black KC restaurateur with a decade-long investment in the Troost corridor, explicit anti-gentrification mission, KC G.I.F.T. grant recipient, and documented community leadership. The “pride + dedication to KC roots” standard is met comprehensively. Native-KC status but the depth of KC-rooted commitment is unambiguous regardless.

Sources

Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-12 · Source: Grubhub (Urban Cafe, 5500 Troost Ave listing — aggregator mirroring the restaurant’s Toast POS menu; official urbanontroost.com/order.toasttab.com pages returned 403 to direct fetch) · URL(s): https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/urban-cafe-5500-troost-ave-kansas-city/1728233 · Confidence: Medium-High (comprehensive itemized menu with prices, but sourced via third-party aggregator rather than the restaurant’s own site — menu_status kept at unverified per menu-source tiering until cross-checked directly against urbanontroost.com/armour-menu or Toast)

Asian-soul food fusion applying Mexican, Spanish, and Asian culinary techniques to a comfort-food base. Full-service sit-down restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner (“Social Plates” + mains), and a full bar.¹³⁴

Breakfast & Lunch

• Bacon & Cheddar Omelette — Webb City bacon, cheddar, breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast ($15)⁴
• Truffle Spinach Mushroom Omelette — mushrooms, spinach, black truffle, provolone, breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast ($15)⁴
• Crab Omelette — herbed goat cheese, hollandaise, crispy shallots, sourdough toast, mixed green salad ($23)⁴
• Bacon & Eggs — Webb City bacon, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast⁴
• Brown Butter Pancake Breakfast — 2 Webb City bacon, 2 eggs, 2 pancakes⁴
• Creme Brulee French Toast — fresh berries, vanilla cream, 2 eggs, 2 Webb City bacon⁴
• Chicken & Waffles ($25)⁴
• Shrimp & Grits — Gouda grits, collard greens, bacon, tiger shrimp⁴
• Smoked Salmon Benedict ($23)⁴
• Steak & Eggs⁴
• Veggie Hash — sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, caramelized onions, collard greens, bell peppers ($16)⁴
• Urban Bowl — quinoa, yams, mushrooms, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, basil pesto, egg ($16)⁴
• Lobster Grilled Cheese — poached lobster knuckle and claw, three-cheese blend, tomato-basil bisque ($28)⁴
• Oxtail Cheesesteak — provolone, onions, fries ($16)⁴
• Spicy Chicken Sandwich — grilled chicken thigh, sambal mayo, lettuce, tomato, fries ($13)⁴
• Urban Cheddar Burger — Barham Family Farms ground chuck, cheddar, burger sauce, pickle, brioche ($16)⁴
• Seared Canadian Salmon — garlic butter sauce ($23)⁴
• Chicken Caesar Salad — chicken cutlet, kale, romaine, parmesan, crispy capers, heirloom tomatoes ($18)⁴
• Urban Market Salad — mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, quinoa, balsamic ($12)⁴

Dinner — Social Plates

• Bacon & Blue Salad — kale, brussels, apples, cilantro, gorgonzola, hemp seeds, pistachios, golden raisins, Webb City bacon ($15)⁴
• Beer Steamed Mussels ($18)⁴
• Grilled Octopus ($16)⁴
• Kung Pao Cauliflower — spicy Thai chili, kale-brussels salad, cashews ($13)⁴
• Piri-Piri Chicken Wings ($17)⁴
• Plant Base Caesar — kale, romaine, heirloom tomatoes, fried capers ($14)⁴
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts — lemon, tahini, golden raisins ($13)⁴
• Seafood Imperial — lobster, crab, shrimp, puff pastry, garlic cream sauce ($26)⁴
• Sticky Duck Wings ($15)⁴

Dinner — Mains

• Beef Short Rib — bone-in, guajillo sweet potato puree, seasonal vegetables ($33)⁴
• Catfish — crab-crusted, lemon beurre blanc, spoon bread ($24)⁴
• Garlic Salmon — Canadian salmon, sautéed mushrooms and spinach, quinoa ($31)⁴
• Porterhouse Pork Chop — Barham Family Farms ($34)⁴
• Ribeye — 18oz, five-spice butter, duchess potato, seasonal vegetables ($52)⁴
• Seafood Pasta — linguini, blue lump crab, aged parmesan, garlic cream, dried chili ($28)⁴
• Shrimp & Grits — Gouda grits, collard greens, bacon, tiger shrimp⁴
• Urban Cheddar Burger — Barham Family Farms ground chuck, cheddar, burger sauce, pickle, brioche ($16)⁴

Dinner Sides

• Gouda Grits ($4) · Mac & Cheese ($6) · Collard Greens ($7) · French Fries ($4) · Garlic Bread ($3)⁴

Desserts

• Sweet Potato Bread Pudding — bourbon caramel, vanilla ice cream ($9)⁴
• Chocolate Mousse Cake — fresh berries ($11)⁴
• Carrot Cake F/W — banana foster, cream cheese frosting ($9)⁴
• Apple Turnovers ($9) · S’mores Brookie ($11) · Berries & Cream ($9) · Bread Pudding ($11)⁴

Brunch (additions to breakfast/lunch list, above)

• Biscuits & Gravy ($14)⁴
• Chia Bowl — chia-oat pudding, açai, quinoa granola, fresh berries, coconut flakes, cashews ($13)⁴
• Chicken Fried Steak⁴
• Pork Chop & Eggs⁴
• Loaded Grits⁴

Kids Menu

• French Toast Sticks ($8) · Bacon & Eggs ($8) · Pancake w/ Bacon · Salmon ($12) · Burger ($9) · Mac & Cheese ($7) · Chicken Strips ($8) · Acai Bowl ($7)⁴

Bar

Full bar program: cocktails (Elder Old Fashioned — Tom’s Town Bourbon, elderflower liqueur; Fallen Apple — Redwood Empire rye, apple brandy, pear liqueur; Gin & Juicy — Tom’s Town gin, pear liqueur; plus classics), craft/domestic beer (including Vine Street Brewing’s Armstrong Lager), wine by the glass/bottle, and a cognac/bourbon/whiskey/tequila back bar.⁴

Menu items and prices above are current as of the Grubhub listing pulled 2026-07-12; confirm against urbanontroost.com/armour-menu or by phone before treating as final, since seasonal/holiday specials (Father’s Day Brunch, holiday pre-order) also appear mixed into the aggregator feed.

---

Links

• Website: https://urbanontroost.com/

Footnotes

1. Startland News — “Urban Restaurant opens at 3420 Troost, fighting gentrification one plate at a time” (August 16, 2024). https://startlandnews.com/2024/08/urban-troost-justin-clark/ — Confirms: Justin Clark (CEO, RJ Culinary Group); Ron Evans (co-owner); 3420 Troost Ave, KCMO 64109; March 2024 opening; Asian-soul food fusion; Urban Food Truck → Urban Cafe (2017) → KCI → Urban Restaurant arc; $25,000 KC G.I.F.T. grant; anti-gentrification mission. ↩ ↩²

2. The Beacon — “Troost equity walk highlights Black business revival” (August 13, 2025). https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/13/troost-kansas-city-equity-walk-highlights-black-business-revival/ — Confirms: Urban Restaurant active (Aug 2025 photo evidence); Ron Evans family roots near Troost/Armour; Evans’s grandmother visited for first time. ↩ ↩²

3. Flatland KC — “Restaurants become cornerstones of Troost renaissance.” https://flatlandkc.org/eats-drinks/restaurants-become-cornerstones-of-troost-renaissance/ — Confirms: Urban Restaurant as part of Troost corridor independent restaurant revival. ↩

4. Grubhub — “Urban Cafe, 5500 Troost Ave, Kansas City” menu listing (accessed 2026-07-12). https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/urban-cafe-5500-troost-ave-kansas-city/1728233 — Confirms: full itemized breakfast/lunch/brunch/dinner/dessert/bar menu with prices, mirroring the restaurant’s Toast POS system. Aggregator source — official urbanontroost.com/armour-menu and order.toasttab.com pages returned 403 to direct fetch and could not be independently cross-checked; treat prices/availability as provisional pending direct site confirmation. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴² ↩⁴³ ↩⁴⁴ ↩⁴⁵ ↩⁴⁶ ↩⁴⁷ ↩⁴⁸ ↩⁴⁹