Niecie's Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri

Niecie's in Kansas City serves affordable American comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The original is at 64th and Troost; the second location (pictured) was located off 63rd street between 350 and Blue Ridge. The second location closed in early 2016.

Niecie's Restaurant off 63rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri

I've visited the second location a couple of times on weekdays between the breakfast and lunch crowds, when things aren't as busy. I wonder, though, if things ever get busy or chaotic here. The restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere, and on each visit the restaurant has been half full of folks who seem to be enjoying their conversations and who have the time to linger for an extra cup of coffee. The waitresses are very friendly and the service is fast and efficient. And the food is fantastic. 

I started with a cup of hot cocoa with a healthy (or not so healthy, in reality) dollop of whipped cream on top, and then moved on to bottomless cups of coffee. Since my visit was between breakfast and lunch, I leaned toward a large breakfast. The portions don't disappoint, and it was very large indeed. 

The pancake breakfast is traditional American style: a choice of two eggs (here, they're fried with runny yolks), sausage, and pancakes. The sausage is well seasoned but was a bit dry (a little maple syrup or gravy helped with that). The pancakes were fluffy with a nicely crisped edge, and a scoop of butter melting off the top gave them a diner-style taste that is about as good as you can get.

The biscuits and gravy tasted a lot better than they look in the picture. The biscuits were large, flakey, and perhaps infused with a spice I couldn't quite name (and didn't ask in my post-food coma). Initially it didn't seem like there was enough sausage gravy, but it was thick and creamy and by the end of the large plate, there was some left over. 

The bacon, eggs, and potato breakfast is traditional American; well crisped bacon, eggs cooked to order, with a spatula full of hash browns and a side of toast. The grand prize winner, though, and the reason for my visits to Niecie's, is the chicken and waffles.

Chicken and Waffles at Niecie's Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri

Chicken and Waffles got its start in Kansas City during the golden age of jazz, when musicians stayed out playing so late that by the time they went to get dinner most people were having breakfast. The musicians had fried chicken for dinner while others were having waffles for breakfast, and being jazz musicians willing to improvise, the combined dish was born.
Or at least that's the version some of us KC natives like to tell. There are other versions of the story, notably that it was a signature dish at Well's Supper Club in Harlem in the 1930's, a restaurant no doubt visited by many of the same musicians playing Kansas City's famous jazz joints of the era. Which came first-- the chicken and waffles in KC that migrated to Harlem, or some other variation, is a historical footnote only worth exploring if the prize is more of the dish from Niecie's.  Regardless of its origins, the current recipe is well worth exploring over breakfast (or dinner) at either of Niecie's locations.

After. Damage done. Niece's Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

 In case you're wondering, Niecie's also offers burgers, pies (these are almost as legendary as the chicken and waffles), fried chicken, and a wide menu of other choices.