Portia's Cafe (Feb 14, 2023) Portiia's Cafe was not a planned visit while visiting Kansas City. It was my last day in Kansas City, and I was planning to hit the American Jazz Museum before flying back to Seattle late afternoon. As the airbnb area where I was staying did not have any fast food around, I had to decide on a breakfast place before the American Jazz Museum opened at 10 a.m. As I was traveling cheaply using public transportation, the 2 closest places to the Jazz Museum that's easily accessible and within walking distance to the museum were either Portia's Cafe or McDonald's. Bring a fan of diners, Portia's it was. It was drizzling that morning, and Portia's was a slight walk from the bus stop. Dragging my wet luggage into the Cafe, I was cheerfully greeted at the entrance and took my seat not too far from it. The waitress recommended some of the food and I sat down to observe life in the cafe. The place is old but very comfortable. A different area ( I sat near the counter in a booth) had many pictures and posters on the walls, and provided history of the restaurant, and more. The food came - a solid omelet with melted cheese and meats, a nice portion of hash browns, a fresh squeezed glass of orange juice and a cup of eye-opening coffee. It was on the greasy side, but that was exactly what I wanted as I intended to skip lunch before the late afternoon flight. The restaurant environment was lively, with many long term customers coming and going exchanging Valentine's Day greetings. Feels like "Cheers" in the day time - "You wanna go where everybody knows your name." After finishing my meal, I visited the other area of the restaurant to look at the pictures and posters. The younger waitress there told me stories of some of the pictures. I actually met Portia as well, the proprietor of the restaurant. So cool! Please have fun by visiting the place and enjoy some home style cooking. Shout out to the young waitress there who showed me around the photos and posters. I promised I shall write a glowing review, and here it is. Happy Eating !!! read more

it saddens me deeply a place where I've been having breakfast and sharing camaraderie not only with fellow patrons but owners and staff as well of the restaurant for 20+ years now (new staff- the younger generation in the family) has been rude, unprofessional, and uneducated, resulting in losing a 20+ year customer. I will NEVER step foot back in this establishment. SHAME ON YOU GRAND DAUGHTER- I never thought I'd be treated so poorly when 1 year ago the girls knew me well enough to know that I liked a 1/2 glass of milk but in a coffee mug. (I only came 3-4 xs a year but had been coming for over 2 decades) I am beyond disappointed & I rate this establishment w 1 star, only because I can't give them zero. read more

55 minutes to get breakfast with 1//2 the tables empty .. biscuits were room temperature gravy wasn't hot at all .. really..I've eaten here before Portia's legacy was good.. potatoes were hot eggs and ham were decent.. I did notice at least 4. Regular customers came in up to 20 minutes behind us and were out ahead by at at least 10 minutes... waitress obviously has not been trained well .. you keep your order book on you at all times .. she was not good about checking water and coffee at the same time.. read more

Absolutely horrible. Hour long wait for luke warm mediocre food. Omelette, hash browns and toast shouldn't require that wait. When I asked the server what the problem was she responded by saying there was a lot of orders ahead of mine. The restaurant wasn't half full. Do they have one fry pan? read more

This small eatery is always packed because the food is so good. Sometimes the boss treats us and that's the only way I can eat here without getting in trouble for a long lunch. But once your in the service is fast! read more

Great food. Large portions and if you like being called "Hun" etc your place. Lots of Cops and they know good food. read more

I hate to give bad reviews. I really do. Unfortunately it seems like most places nowadays don't care about reviews. This place looked like a nice little hole in the wall. Lots of people were there. So I assumed I found a really good hidden gym. Hell no. Just another sleazy bad restaurant strategically placed so the people in the neighborhood had nowhere else to go. It was terrible. For the life of me I can't figure out how busy it was. Except I did see others complaining. The fried chicken tasted like it was soaked in grease. Like they cooked it at a two low temperature and then pulled it out and had it ready to reheat by dropping it in the grease again. Which made it taste like a greasy piece of leatherd skin. Maybe something simple like some eggs and potatoes would be good, but I wouldn't risk it trying to get anything else. Definitely gave me the runs after I left, and my girl threw it all up. Her stomach's not as solid as mine. Sorry Portia you're definitely getting a thumbs down. read more

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Great little hole in the wall diner that serves great food. Breakfast and lunch, I've been going for 20 plus years!

Always thrilled to go to Portia's for lunch. We go just a little early to avoid the 12 o'clock lunchers and I have a place to sit. It's well worth it. Food is excellent, services is friendly, efficient, and right on time. We've never received an order of undercooked, overcooked food, cold food served that had sat at the order ready window or received a wrong order. You won't hear a ton of chitchat but that's because the food is so good. We are always courteous to other diners by knowing what we want to order, enjoying our food and then getting up from a table to let others have our place.. you know it's a great lunch spot when people will actually wait to get a seat and have a great lunch. If I didn't mention it, I usually get in and out of there for $10-12 + tip or less. Highly recommend. Go ready to eat. This isn't really the place for a business lunch meeting. But it's a great place to go to get your fill read more

The food is good the service is good the place isn't as clean as some would like but it's called a greasy spoon for a reason

Let's start with the smiles and warm hello from everyone including those sitting down at the counter. People here are friendly. Note let's move on to the menu, a great variety breakfast lunch and dinner. Burgers are made to order so yes you'll have to wait a few minutes. Roast beef special, chicken dinner, well heck all special are very good. Seasoned well and food always comes out hot. Tables are close but we don't mind. Everyone talks to everyone. Great place and it never disappoints. read more

I had their special. Meatloaf. It was fresh and made today. I think their rolls are also made on premises. Wifey had a ham and cheese omelet. They used real eggs on the omelet. She had them add tomato also. Let's discuss hashbrowns. When was the last time you ever saw the cook grate the potato's onto the grill to make hashbrown. This place is closed on weekends. So it is THE place to visit Monday thru Friday. read more

This is a a little jewel. It has a ten-seat rail where you can watch the cook work her magic on the flattop, plus plenty of other seating in the side room. Very friendly employees. I ordered the double cheeseburger. It turns out the burgers are about 1/3 pounders, so I was stuffed with the side of rings. They also feature several daily specials if you aren't interested in a sandwich. Breakfast and lunch are served all day until their after-lunch closing. Place was busy with regulars; employees seemed to know most by their names. They are suffering a bit because of the new bike lanes and absence of street parking; the city needs to fix this. But there is a side lot which holds plenty of vehicles, so don't let parking be a concern for you. If you're tired of chains, definitely try this local eatery. I'll be back for sure. read more

This is one of the best lunches I've ever had in Kansas City. I've lived in the Northeast for awhile, but didn't really even know of Portia's before the bike lanes on Truman Road went in, and I noticed this place when I was biking by. Decided to stop in, and wow, one of the best decisions I've made. It was jam-packed, and I can see why. The atmosphere is a fantastic, down-home, midwestern diner, and the food backs it up. Super reasonable prices, and the chicken-fried steak I had was exceptional. Kenna, our server, was amazingly kind and I really enjoyed our conversation. I will definitely be back! I can't recommend this place enough. read more

Thirty five blocks east of downtown on Truman Rd lies a little fortress like structure in an area that has waited decades for a rebound. Portia's (pronounced por-shas) seems to be the glue that holds this community together. The small restaurant was packed full of every age, race, gender and economic class. Well dressed business folk, a battalion of KCFD, the coffee drinking table of retired regulars, a group of undercover law enforcement, dust covered construction workers and paint stained laborers. A living breathing metaphor for the energy of Kansas City's eastside. It appears that Portia, her family and her staff take customer service seriously, but in actuality they take it naturally. Everyone is treated like family, names and faces are remembered and I actually witnessed regulars pitching in to wipe a table down or grab their own beverage when they saw one of the hardest working waitresses ever, get slammed. It wasn't out of frustration, more like helping out a friend in need. This same waitress that is a granddaughter of the matriarch, kept a small dining room running almost flawlessly on her own with small talk, stories and laughter while keeping about 25+ people satisfied. The art of diner waitressing has been perfected. Oh yeah the food. We arrived at 10:45 and they had just ran out of biscuits for B and G's so I ordered a BLT and fries. Hand cut fries were hot and thick, and the BLT had thick slices of crisp bacon. My buddy proclaimed that his burger was exceptional - thick, juicy and flavorful. They serve breakfasts and standard diner food with daily specials. No avocado toast, no espresso drinks and no pretention. Check your attitude at the door, meet the locals, become a regular and enjoy Americana down home cookin' and hospitality in the Heart of Kansas City. read more

Portia's Cafe - a sign for portia's cafe - Diners Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Small little diner with excellent food good service. The staff makes you feel well loved.

Pretty good comfort food and the staff is always upbeat and friendly! Very much a "hole in the wall" diner feel. Some menu items can be very greasy, which is the only reason I'm not giving five stars. read more

Amazing food! Omelet was perfection Great service . Our server was so attentive to our every need.Friendly atmosphere. Everyone who walked in there was like family. read more

Great stop for lunch break. The specials are always my go to. The breakfast is on point with a lot to choose from. The servers there are super nice and quick to get you what you need. read more

Food is always good and the servers are nice and they remember you,a d it's like you are eating at home ambiance

I've met a customer here a few times and I really love this place. Growing up in a diner this place brings back a lot of memories. Service is always great and your treated like family. The food is homestyle cooking with daily specials. There are a lot of regulars and I can see why they come back. read more

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House omelet is to die for! Homemade biscuits, homemade gravy, their mama's recipe for sweet tea.... regulars walk in and they know their name and their order... "You want the mac n cheese with that?" "No, you know what I want." "I'll take care of you honey!" Delicious food and such a great atmosphere! They treated us like friends! read more

Portia's Cafe - a woman at the counter - Diners Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Great food, great people. One of my favorite places to stop for Breakfast when I'm in the area. Now and then I even get the chance to stop in and enjoy one of their Lunch specials. Never disappointed. read more

Portia's cafe is my favorite place to eat hands down. They make you feel like family every time you go. I've been going for over 10 years now! Each day of the week they have specials, my favorite special is Meatloaf day. I'm talking Fantastic! But my absolute favorite is the big ol delicious double cheeseburger with natural cut fries. But that's just the lunch. For breakfast I absolutely love their omelettes. Still the only place I wanna go for breakfast. Forget about all these chain restaurants... Portia's Portia's Portia's for me. So if you want a home cooked meal in a restaurant type setting, then go to Portia's. You might even get a back rub while you're there. Have a mentioned I love Portia's read more

Went in late, so missed the Fried Chicken (my own fault); but, the Fried Shrimp was excellent....served with the mashed potatoes, veggies, roll and cocktail sauce. The ladies are always so sweet and you can tell they like working together and have been for a long time. Portia's is like going to your Mom's house to eat. You have to pay; but,, you don't have to help with the dishes!! read more

I've been looking for a breakfast spot! I found it! Breakfast was delicious I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and half order of biscuits and gravy. The ladies were awesome and very friendly! Will definitely be going back! read more

You will go for the food... and keep going back because of the service. I have never actually dined IN the diner. My boss and I order breakfast togo a little less often than once a week... All of the ladies know my name, and greet my with a smile- some even have a pet name for me. They ask about my kids, and how I am doing from the last time I was in. They also make a breakfast sandwich for me; that isn't on the menu! The diner itself is nothing short of charming. And the food might as well have been cooked by my own Granny- generous portions and a little love and care cooked in- that you can actually taste. If you are ever in the neighborhood- in your business suit or your gym clothes- you really should make it a point to stop in and eat at Portia's. Especially if chicken fried steak is the lunch special!! You will leave with a happy belly and a full heart! read more

Good home cooking!!! Best breakfast spot in the northeast area, "HANDS DOWN!!" These ladies are the best at what they do!

A true gem in the middle of god knows where. My friends and I went around 11:30 on a Thursday for lunch and found the tiny stone restaurant packed with blue collar types all chowing down on the day's special, fried chicken. There was no space to wait but thankfully a table opened up quickly and the friendly women who work there got us seated and brought our drinks within minutes. The menu is made up of a few basics and daily specials written on a chalkboard in the main eating area. No paper menus here, and really you wouldn't need them anyway just order the special. Thursday's special was fried chicken, and this is where you need to hold on to your pants, for $8 total you received two pieces of fried chicken (I had a breast and a leg) mashed potatoes w/ gravy, corn, green beans and hot buttery rolls. ALL HOMEMADE, ALL FANTASTIC, ALL FOR $8 and this included my drink AND tax! The place also serves dessert, which we passed on ordering simply because we didn't want to explode but that day it was apple pie and peach cobbler which they make in house. In fact, the waitress told me they make everything in house which is always impressive. One thing to note, they only take cash! When my friend went to the register to pay with her credit card they said sorry only cash and when I jokingly said "uh, oh it looks like you're washing dishes!" the woman behind the counter told us, and I'm not kidding, "absolutely not, you just pay us next time." Wow. The ladies that work here are so nice! Thankfully, between all of us we were able to cover the bill and didn't have to take them up on their friendly offer. They serve breakfast as well and if I can ever find the place on my own I'm going back in the morning to get what will probably be a damn good breakfast too! read more

If you want to taste the best Fried Chicken in Kansas City, you need to visit Portias Cafe in Northeast KC. The only problem is you have to swing by on Thursdays before the big lunch rush or you will be out of luck. But don't worry everything here is wonderful and feels home cooked. The service can only be described as being in the kitchen with friends and family. Looooovvvvvvveeeee it read more

Portia's Cafe - Best Fried Chicken in KC. - Diners Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I stopped by with my family when we were passing through KC. The food is delicious! Yummy! I had the Meatloaf with green beans, corn, and mash potatoes. The ladies here are friendly. Oh the desserts are amazing as well. read more

stopped by yesterday with my Grandfather I ordered me a bacon and cheese omelette it was so delicious and done to perfection customer service was on point read more

Have been here several times. The food is always good, hot and fresh. The service is always friendly. Don't expect the fastest service as they are always packed but they do a great job considering how busy they are. read more

Looks can be deceiving . this place is a gem with Great food and family atmosphere . Great homemade food , buttery pancakes , thick bacon , crispy hash browns , the best biscuit and gravy . And the blackberry cobbler . OMG!! read more

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This is your standard American home cooking. If you don't like to cook, or are homesick you might like it more than I did. I had a decent patty melt, though it was bland, and I could have easily made a better melt at home. read more

Love this small home feeling place! I walk in and they know my name! The food is just like Grandma used to make! So good and fresh! Always hot! Expect country charm in a city setting! read more

As good as it gets for a greasy spoon diner type comfort food meal. Fried chicken was amazing and the portions are huge. Service is extremely friendly. read more

Spppst, yeah you, listen...don't go here. The food is awesome home cooking. They are quaint and tiny, so there is no room for me, if you start eating here. I suggest you go eat the less than satisfying fare at the overrated Stroud's, and forget you even heard about this little jewel. I'm keeping this place all for myself...really, don't show up here. There is no room here for you to experience this friendly atmosphere with awesome food. Viva la gravy! read more

Friendly ..like family. Food awesome. A definite "be back" for me. Fried chicken was kickin mashed gravy. Corn. Yeast rolls with real butter. Amazing read more

Great overall experience! Went here for lunch and had the chicken fried steak special which also included tea/sweet tea, broccoli and mac n' cheese. Homemade deliciousness. The staff was incredibly friendly and talked to their customers like they knew them for years (I'm sure they do since they've been around for 44 years!!). I got their sweet tea and I could tell it was made with real sugar, which makes the most amazing sweet tea (not artificial crap). They do take credit cards now. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant where all the servers/cooks were family and treated everyone else like family. Just an enjoyable, satisfying experience. Lots of food, and great company. read more