Winstead's opened on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza in 1940 and since then has become a legendary Kansas City landmark. In the 40's and 50's it was the popular place for teenagers. Throughout the 60's and 70's it was the favorite destination for family outings. In the 80's , due to customer demand and satisfaction, Winstead's began to open additional locations. Today, people of all ages think of Winstead's as their favorite place to eat.

"The Dawn of the Drive-In"
The drive-in concept was created by Katherine Winstead, who founded the restaurant in Springfield, Ill., in 1936. After owning a similar place in Sedalia, she and her sister and brother-in-law, Nelle and Gordon Montgomery, brought Winstead's to the Country Club Plaza.

Customers backed their cars into the parking places so they could flash their lights for service. This also meant they could see who was coming in and who was going out of the restaurant.

"The Best Hamburger in the World"
Winstead's fame has been helped along considerably by he thyperbole of Calvin Trillin, the humorist and well-travelled gourmand, who grew up in Kansas City. In December 1970, Trillin stated forthrightly in an article in Life magazine, "Winstead's serves the best hamburger in the world". In a later interview, Trillin says this impossible-to-prove statement was made with tongue-in-cheek-. "Anyone", he says, "who doesn't think his hometown has the best hamburger place in the world is a sissy."

"The Midwest's Burger King"
The Wall Street Journal - April, 1998
They do not sell their hamburgers by the billion. You cannot "supersize" your meal. They are a household word only in Kansas City. But Calvin Trillin was right: Winstead's has the world¹s best hamburgers.

But the steakburger is not quite complete without its perfect complement, "the exclusive Winstead drink you eat with a spoon." Known officially and the "special chocolate malt" and colloquially as a "frosty" - a name that predates the Wendy's chain by a generation or two - the frosty is thick, chocolaty and delicious. Take a bite of steakburger, follow it with and spoonful of frosty, and the sensation is Elysian.

"Forget barbercue, these KC natives prefer Winstead's"
The Kansas City Star -July, 2004
By the time we were in the upper elementary grades, we had expanded our bike rides to the Plaza location of our favorite restaurant, Winstead's. Although only a sandwich place, this was and remains my favorite place to eat in the entire world.

Throughout my husband's military career, no visit to Kansas city would have ever been complete minus a visit to Winstead's. For a period of nearly 20 years, we were served by either Florence of her sister.

When my husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary, our family and friends conspired and surprised us by shipping 25 Winstead's steakburger to us in Augusta, GA.

"The City's Best Hamburger"
AOL City Guide - City's Best 2005
The top-dog steakburgers come in single, double and triple stacks for any appetite. Add an malt, and you've got '50s-style nirvana. Also winner of AOL's City's BEST Cheap Eats.