Winstead's

The overview

Steakburgers and skyscraper sodas since 1940

Winstead's has griddled its thin, crinkle-edged 'steakburgers' near the Country Club Plaza since 1940, a chrome-and-neon drive-in that Calvin Trillin's father declared home of the best hamburger in the world. Frosty-thick malts and skyscraper sodas come alongside the smashed patties.

A genuine Kansas City time capsule — car-hop roots, Formica booths, and a menu barely touched in eight decades — Winstead's is the burger stand the city grew up on.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

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Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Winstead's cleared every one.

✓Years in operation. Operating in Kansas City since 1940 — 85 years of continuous business.
✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Kansas City.
✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Kansas City has kept Winstead's busy for 85 years.
✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Kansas City regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
✓Recognition in the local community. Named best steakburger in Kansas City for 2025 for a griddled steakburger and fountain sodas served near the Plaza since 1940.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Steakburger in Kansas City Kansas City, MO · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Winstead's →

Visit Winstead's

Websitewinsteadssteakburger.com ↗

Location101 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64112

In business since1940

Find them onTripadvisor · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Winstead's — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name: Winstead's
Category: Restaurant
Founded: 1940, Kansas City, MO
Location: Kansas City, MO
Centurion Award: Best Steakburger in Kansas City — 2025
Record last verified: July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Winstead's cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Winstead's?

A Country Club Plaza fixture since 1940, Winstead's steakburgers and skyscraper sodas are a Kansas City childhood in one booth.

Is Winstead's award-winning?

Yes — Winstead's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Steakburger in Kansas City, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best steakburger in Kansas City for 2025 for a griddled steakburger and fountain sodas served near the Plaza since 1940.

Where is Winstead's?

Winstead's is in Kansas City, MO.