Restaurants in Independence

Featured on Food Network’s Heat Seekers for its fiery pad thai chicken, Zagat-rated Thai Place Restaurant has been bathing traditional family recipes in spices ranging from mild to sweltering hot for more than two decades. A kaleidoscope of succulent seafood such as squid, scallops, and catfish spangle fried-rice and stir-fried dishes as ribbons of rice noodles interlace with traditional napa cabbage, chinese broccoli, and bok choy. Coconut-milk-infused curries come in red, yellow, and green varieties like a traffic light on a spice trade route, suffusing ample slices of chicken, beef, or tofu.

Guadalajara Cafe shies away from the Tex-Mex standards found at typical Mexican restaurants in favor of the authentic flavors and spices you’d expect to find simmering in a family “cocina.” Its chefs attended culinary training in Guadalajara, where they developed a special appreciation for the cuisine of Jalisco, a region that extends from central Mexico to the Pacific coast. They even spice up this Jalisciense style of cooking with exotic ingredients such as squash blossoms, nopal cactus, and shrimp wearing tiny safari hats to create dishes reminiscent of those first envisioned by the Aztecs.

The result of their dedication to tradition is a menu of central Mexican classics such as chilies rellenos drizzled in spicy tomatillo sauce, hand-rolled tamales, and tacos filled with charbroiled, citrus-marinated meats. In her blog Around the Block, Mary Bloch—the author of the Kansas City Star’s restaurant guide—lauds the eatery’s mole, calling it “as good as it gets.” Diners can wash down these authentic morsels with a selection of Mexican beers or tequilas infused with jalapeño, cilantro, and tamarind.

At Marrakech Cafe, chefs grill kebabs marinated and seasoned with Moroccan spices, oven-roast cornish hens with olives and capers, and crown saffron rice with vegetables and halal meats. The aroma of beef tagine cooked with sweet prunes and apricots wafts throughout the dining area, tempting diners to order second helpings or to capture the scents in jars for later whiffs. Patrons dig into fluffy servings of couscous topped with vegetables, lamb, and chicken or sautéed mussels while clinking glasses of refreshing Moroccan mint tea.

After years of perfecting his custard recipe at the helm of Sheridan's Lattés & Frozen Custard, Jim Sheridan set out to open a restaurant that would combine his time-tested confections with hearty meals made from natural ingredients. Today, the kitchen at Unforked is filled with vegetables, meats, breads, and other items plucked from family farms, artisan producers, and other local sources. Kitchen staffers slide burgers into gluten-free or toasted egg buns, prepare carnitas and avocado tacos with chimichurri or bacon glaze, and toss ribbons of kale for crunchy salads. For dessert, Sheridan's classic custard teams up with eclectic toppings and flavors, incorporating ricotta and nuts as cups overflow with shakes and sundaes. Meals follow visitors home from carryout and drive-thru counters or settle down on tables in the sunlit dining room, where staff members toss baskets of oranges into an elaborate squeezing machine. Unforked also caters special events and locally sourced grub fights.

When Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Dallas in 1941, he kept his menu small and simple, only cooking up beef brisket, pit hams, and barbecue beans, which he sold alongside potato chips, beer, bottled milk, and sodas. Dickey smoked all of his meat in-house, a practice that put his eatery on the map and one that his sons, Roland and T.D. Dickey, still rely on today. The menu has expanded since Travis’s time behind the grill, offering plates and sandwiches that brim with nine kinds of barbecued meats, including spicy cheddar sausages, pork ribs, polish sausage, and Texas-style beef brisket that’s chopped to order. Several types of baked potatoes are piled high with meats and cheeses, which diners can wash down with a gallon of tea or Dickey's signature 32-ounce big yellow cup of soda. Staying true to the same spirit of hospitality that helped Dickey's franchise swell to more than 200 spots around the country, cooks at each location always include a buttery roll, a homestyle side, such as jalapeño beans and fried okra, dill pickles, and free ice cream with every meat plate.

True to their eatery's name, the family behind Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant focuses not only on curating a hearty menu of classic Mexican favorites and custom pizzas, but on creating a friendly atmosphere. Affable servers descend from the restaurant's velcro walls to stop at tables to deliver traditional or deep-fried burritos bundled with beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. Chefs refer to old family recipes to build enchiladas, tostadas, and guacamole or hand the reigns to customers so they can choose toppings such as pineapple, jalapeños, or sausage to assemble signature pizzas.