Winstead's
Best Steakburger in Kansas City · MO
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.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; Winstead's met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓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 specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Steakburger in Kansas City Kansas City, MO · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Winstead's
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Winstead's (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.