Kearney Street Cafe, Springfield

Kearney Street Cafe specializes in classic American dishes that reflect ethnic influences and regional tastes. The Missouri omelet typifies the café's all-day breakfast menu, enclosing cheese, four meats, and grilled veggies within its folds. On the lunch and dinner menu, beef plays a principal role, appearing in more than half of the cafe's 26 sandwich options. In the kitchen, cooks sear cuts of sirloin, smother housemade meatloaf in gravy and onion straws, and fry beer-battered walleye until it reaches a flakey, golden brown. Meals—including the Kearney specialty, fried chicken—accompany two home-style sides, such as Greek-style potatoes. Pies, cheesecakes, and hot-fudge or strawberry sundaes complete meals. The café welcomes patrons to dine in, but offers a drive-through for those who are short on time or forget to dress.