You're never too old for Fritz's Railroad Restaurant
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Back and to the left as you enter Crown Center. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Ask anyone who grew up in KC, and they'll likely have fond memories of the trains, hats and shakes at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant.
Why it matters: Fritz's has been around since the '50s, but I had never visited — until now.
The big picture: Its most famous innovation came two decades after opening.
- Owner and inventor Fritz Kropf came up with the "Skat kat" delivery system to get around labor shortages. People started calling it a train, and the theme took off.
- The Crown Center location I visited opened along with the rebirth of Union Station in 1999.
How it works: Order by picking up the phone on the wall and pressing a button.
- Rail lines along the ceiling bear mini trains that light up, toot and carry baskets of food.
- When your train arrives, a little mechanical arm catches the basket, sliding it onto a tray that descends to the table. Pretty slick, Fritz.
The vibe: It's a lively place. Trains choo-choo, kids laugh and cry, and a rideable motorized train rocks and rolls near the kitchen.
- Nostalgia reigns supreme, with soda shop-style stools, root beer floats and red gingham tray paper.
- Of course, I had to get the little paper conductor hat (25 cents for adults).
Dig in: Everything's a la carte. I had a double cheeseburger ($7), fries ($4) and a small chocolate shake ($5).
💭 My thought bubble: As a solo diner in his 30s, I'm probably not the target market. I went at 12:30pm Thursday and it was packed with children.
- Still, I couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the train delivery system. The hat — as goofy as I felt asking for one — made me feel like a kid again.
- I left feeling a little fuller, and not just my stomach.
The bottom line: You're never too old for Fritz's.