The food was incredibly fresh and absolutely delicious. I was completely in love with the Caesar salad--and learning that both the dressing and the croutons are made fresh in-house (not packaged!) made it even better. You can truly taste the difference in the freshness and quality. I also loved finding out that the menu rotates weekly, which means there's always something new to try. I'd definitely recommend stopping in regularly to check out what's being served. So far, my favorites are the Caesar salad and the tuna melt--both were outstanding. And honestly, there's no way you can find food this tasty at this price anywhere else. Amazing food, amazing value, and an even better mission behind it! Highly recommend! read more

The coconut curry soup was on point. Really great depth of flavor and I could taste the pride the chef took in it. Excellent! We also enjoyed a bacon, ham and cheese panini. It was cooked after we ordered it. Fresh. The free water, tea and coffee were a nice touch. Finishing off with a couple of amazing cookies was a treat. Fresh baked this morning. I enjoyed Thelma's Kitchen very much. We were also able to buy a neighbor lunch, which I encourage everyone to do. read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Specials - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

See all

LOVE Thelma's Kitchen and their mission to serve. Not only are they a beacon of light in an underserved area of Kansas City, but the food is no joke! The chefs cook tasty food with love, experience, and care and every purchase supports much needed mental health care, food assistance, and other neighborhood needs. You have to try their signature fried chicken sandwich. It is amazing! Items are seasonal and rotate frequently. I also tried the seasonal gumbo and it was wonderful. The employees are friendly, supportive of community, and promote a sense of inclusion and dignity. A wonderful Kansas City cafe! read more

The food is outstanding, fast and friendly service. Love the ambiance of color, plants and feel's homely. Excellent place in the out Urban downtown. read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Cuban sandwich with Asparagus soup - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I love this place, and have always been served very good to excellent food. Except for the THREE CHEFS and kitchen manager the staff are all volunteers, on the line and in the kitchen. They only serve lunch, it's a nice place to go with colleagues, friends or family. I love their salads, great with or without grilled chicken, this week the salad dressing was choice of Strawberry vinaigrette or Ranch, the soup was Beef Pho or Veg curry, both were flavorful and swoon-worthy. And so healthy. Great food, financial support for Reconciliation Services, which offers services including sliding scale counseling, parenting support groups, and a Foster Grandparent program -- those are just the ones I know about. Troost is being rehabbed in this area, it is historic and interesting, Treat yourself AND be part of the renaissance! read more

Come for the friendly people, clean restaurant and great food! I just came for a cookie and left with so much more. I Love pay it forward places and love that it's matched with great food. Had a wonderful chicken sandwich! Donate a token while you are here and have a cookie! For the Disney fans it's next to the old Laugh-o-gram studio they are raising funds to restore. read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Walk up to get food. I hear they have great soups but was too hot to try today. - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

A wonderful lunch experience - we were greeted by a door greeter then again by smiling servers at the order line! I ordered the chef's special- very tasty. It was like a naked burrito. The fried plantains on the side were perfectly cooked. Yum! Others in my group ordered sandwiches and salads. Everyone was pleased with their order. My lunch portion was large. The rest of the group enjoyed the chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. read more

Fabulous food and vibe at Thelma's Kitchen today! I had the smoked salmon sandwich and half Greek salad. I love their homemade dressings! And, saw so many people enjoying lunch and connecting with friends. The menu in the Cafe changes weekly, so you have to check back regularly. read more

The new building is nice! I love how they've streamlined their menus and cut some of the options out to give more attention to their main dishes. They rotate out the menu weekly. They have an amazing volunteer staff that are able to help you. I love that they allow you to sit down in there now too. read more

The ambiance is so inviting and the FOOD!!! Amazing!! Stop by to get a great meal and make someone's day! Every meal helps some else eat, love that! read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Roasted Chicken with a veggie curry and asparagus - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

See all

An amazing place featuring excellent food, quick service and a great crew. You can also "pay it forward" with a nominal donation to those less fortunate. Go check out. read more

Great food and warm atmosphere makes you feel like your at home and welcome in anytime

Amazing food and option to pay forward meals to the community. Definitely stop by, the people who served us were so kind and helpful! read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Chef's Special - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Hot delicious food and superb hospitality!! I recommend you get yourselves to 31st & Troost and try it for yourself!! ON EVERYTHING!!

Salmon Mac and cheese and grbeans w/ mushroom. was on poin. Very flavorful and satisfyin. Kudos to the staff for their friendly hospitality and service. Thank you. Will definitely be returning. read more

KC is very fortunate to have this place! Thelma's never disappoints when it comes to food, and I have always left full and satisfied. Whether you want a hot entree (which switches daily with the exception of Tenderloin Tuesday) or a sandwich, all dishes come with a soup, side, dessert, and drink. All the food is fresh and homemade, and the price point is very reasonable for all the food you receive. If you have an opportunity to volunteer here, take it! I volunteer here, and it's always been a delight and a highlight of my week. The people here are very friendly and truly enjoy serving the community. They take pride in their mission with their professionalism and generosity. If interested in learning more about volunteering, go to their website for more information on how to sign up. Whether you come to volunteer or eat here for lunch, you're not going to be disappointed! read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Panini and sandwiches are offered as well. All dishes come with a soup, side, dessert and drink. Hard to beat for $7-10! - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

See all

great food great service and great art. i love this spot. best lunch in kansas city!!!!!!

Love what Thelma's Kitchen is all about. They're a donate-what-you-can community café, or you can even volunteer for your meal. If you have more, you can donate more and pay it forward for someone else to enjoy a meal. So the community aspect is huge here, naturally, but here's where they really separate: Their food is really good! Healthy, local food from their kitchen, not pre-packaged things. This whole concept is super cool, and they're helping out during Covid-19 as well by doing curbside lunches available, so if you're at all in need of food, go here. Don't hesitate. This is located in a burgeoning corner of Troost, right down from Ruby Jean's, Blip Coffee, BikeWalkKC and other cool local businesses. Highly encourage you to check them out whether during Covid or normal times, and consider supporting them via their website if you're able to. read more

Everyone was so nice definitely going again!! The food was awesome!! The whole atmosphere was vibrant!!

I went to Thelma's not really knowing what to expect. I had the vegetarian platter which included mixed greens with red onion, feta, strawberries and vinaigrette, a veggie patty, tomato vegetable soup, roasted potatoes with onions and an oatmeal raisin cookie. So here's the thing about Thelma's, it's a pay what you can joint so the whole point is to feed and be fed. If you can't afford to eat, Thelma's will feed you, and if you can they will feed you, and you help them do it with your donation. When it comes time to pay, they just ask you to pay what you can. There is a suggested donation based on a small or large plate size, feel free to give more than the suggested amount. Thelma's name is based on a real person who helped her community thrive, and now her namesake restaurant is doing its best to continue her mission in the Troost neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. I didn't expect the food to be much, but honestly, this place was just like being fed by your best auntie who slays in the kitchen. I was hesitant about the veggie patty but if my taste buds had socks, they'd be gone. On another visit, I took my family there for lunch and we had a legit fried pork tenderloin, baked beans, salad, soup and dessert. Drinks are included and I loved having a cup of Roasterie coffee with my dessert. Also, I don't partake of raisins, just not a fan, but I'm not a toddler so I will always try different foods even if they typically aren't my favorite. The oatmeal raisin cookie they served was hands down the best cookie I've had in the last year. I know my cookies. Thelma's is worth a try, and if the food doesn't keep you coming back then I hope the culture does. It's a beautiful place where the city meets, the city eats and the city shows off its heart. read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Vegetarian platter, veggie patty, soup, salad, roasted potatoes and the most amazing oatmeal cookie. - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

On the corner of 31st and Troost sits Thelma's Kitchen. It's a community kitchen and that's exactly what you can find: community. All kinds of people sitting and eating together. When you first walk in you are greeted with warm smiles and an explanation of how this place works. You can get a big plate or a small plate and you choose from a few different options. All of it is home cooked and DELICIOUS. Here's the cool part: you pay what you can. They ask for donations. $7 for the small plate, $10 for the big plate, but pay what you can or pay more if you can. You also have the option to volunteer with cleaning or serving and can snag a meal that way. What a cool vision of community! Luckily, I work across the street and I cannot wait to become a regular. read more

See all

Oh my goodness! Why haven't I heard about Thelma's kitchen? You can tell they food is prepared with love. The sandwiches have a lot of meat on them and the salads are delicious! I would highly recommend trying this place. read more

I love this place and every thing it stands for. It's a "pay what you can" restaurant where people who may not have a way to pay for lunch can get a meal. Paying customers are subsidizing those meals and of course donations are appreciated. The menu changes daily and there is always a variety of choices. It is cafeteria style so you get a tray, make your food choices and take your food to your table. There are big windows on two sides so it's always bright. read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Omigoodness! What a surprise! Quick: I'm gonna say "Donate-What-You-Can Community Cafe", and you say what that brings to mind. Now, visit Thelma's Kitchen for lunch, and you just might find that what you're thinking is completely upside-down. Thelma's Kitchen is, indeed, an outreach of a non-profit organization. And there is no fixed price for meals; they operate strictly on donations (or you can work for your meal). But it's in a lovely space that reminds me of a smaller version of "The Mixx", and the staff (who are all volunteers) are both extremely friendly and extremely professional. And the food? Oh, man, you can't beat the cuisine!! Choose your courses (soup, salad, sandwich or main dish, dessert) and no matter what you select, you won't be disappointed. The food is AWESOME!! My friend and I stopped in today for lunch; it was about 12:30 and the place was definitely hopping. But even with a line, we were up to the front very quickly, and made our selections as we moved along the counter. We both had the squash soup, which was rich and creamy; I had the green salad and chicken salad croissant, my friend had the pesto penne with peas and Italian sausage with red peppers, onions and mushrooms, and we both finished our meals with the bread pudding. Every single menu item was absolutely DELECTABLE! The manager of the restaurant stopped by as we ate to ensure we were having a nice time. He said that the Kitchen has several chefs and they excel in creating extremely fresh and tasty fare sourced from local foods. We enjoyed looking at the beautiful mural which stretches across an entire wall (and features a portrait of Thelma herself). It was a bit noisy--which is to be expected in a full restaurant at lunchtime--but we were happy to see all the folks enjoying their wonderful meals. The Kitchen is completely ADA-compliant, and I saw several patrons in wheelchairs navigating the restaurant with ease, despite the crowds. I can't say enough great things about Thelma's Kitchen. You've just GOTTA try it! read more

Thelma's is a great place to grab a bite for lunch. The food is delicious and their pay-what-you-can model is inspiring as a new innovative way to provide a public good for those who need some food assistance, while also inviting in others to support that work by being patrons. It is a dignified and delicious meal! Excited to bring my friends and family to Thelma's in the future! read more

Thelma's Kitchen - Sausage soup, pecan and feta salad with a balsamic dressing, fried apples, delicious chicken & cheese bread. All-around amazing! - Salad Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Not only is the food absolutely fantastic, and the best price (if you're able to pay full price) for all that you get, you have a feeling of satisfaction from helping out this amazing organization. read more

The food here is great and the community is even better. I had the hot open face turkey with the vegan squash soup, a salad and a cherry turnover. I've heard tenderloin Tuesday is the day to come so I'm looking forward to visiting again soon and bringing my tenderloin loving husband! read more

This place is so very cool. I had volunteered previously before but Today was my first time at Thelma's Kitchen. I volunteered with Delta Sigma Theta what a great experience. The history of this place was so interesting. The concept is great for our city and all its citizens...pay what you can concept. Other cities hve it but now so does KCMO. The staff is wonderful and the food was delish. I will be bck to eat and work. I highly recommend KCMO citizens stop by and check it out. Let's make Thelma's Kitchen a go to lunch stop. read more

There is never a bad meal there, and you're helping someone! I eat there every day, an I often buy food for fellow educators at my school. I always donate more than three dollars per meal I usually donate five or six dollars per meal. Even at that, it is a bargain. The food is always fresh, wrapped well, and good. read more

Thelma's Kitchen is KC's first Donate-What-You-Can Cafe Community Cafe and a Healthy Communities Initiative of Reconciliation Services. The ability to sit down at a restaurant and enjoy a good, healthy meal is a privilege that many in Kansas City do not have the circumstances to enjoy. The residents of KC face severe food insecurity, and rising prices make it difficult for those who face food insecurity to eat out--or eat at all. Thelma's Kitchen is combating these compounding issues by creating a safe gathering place for everyone. Currently you can order online or walk up. Helping your community is as easy as buying lunch. They have a great selection of sandwich box lunches which usually include a side salad of some sort, fruit and a fresh baked cookie. You can also order salads and soup. The deal is you pay what you can from $3 -$11 for your meal. You can also purchase tokens to pay it forward so you can buy a meal for someone else. The food is delicious and a far better value that buying a box lunch from a chain restaurant. And while you are chowing down on your delicious food- you get the benefit of knowing that you are helping others with a small but gracious gesture. How easy and wonderful is that? read more