There’s a New Queen in Town

I first met Kimberly Rowland a couple years ago. She was my server at Dagwood’s Cafe in KCK, and although I was there at the recommendation of chef Carlos Mortera to try the club sandwich, I couldn’t help but notice Rowland’s incredible warmth and congenial personality as she worked the dining room. She shot the breeze with the men at the counter just getting off their night shifts, and I was half expecting her to refer to me as “sugar” or “darlin’” when she took my order—that’s how cheerful she was. So cheerful, in fact, I gave her a shoutout in my Instagram post about the club sandwich (which was excellent). I didn’t see Rowland again until just a few months ago in a trending video that announced she was the new owner of the longtime KCK burger and shake shack, Christy’s Tasty Queen. 

“I’ve always just been around,” Rowland says. Beyond serving at Dagwood’s and as a go-to fill-in at Christy’s for the past several years, Rowland, who grew up in KCK’s Turner neighborhood, has always been active in the community. She still lives in the neighborhood and is raising her family there. She was nervous about her reception, she says, but she credits her community involvement, like coaching her kids’ sports teams and being a PTA member, to the massive support she has received in taking over the beloved KCK institution.

Christy’s Tasty Queen, which opened in the 1960s and was originally named Carter’s Tasty Queen, has been through several owners, but for the last 43 years, Lowell and Marla Christy have helmed the spot. It’s the same small joint it always has been, with a red and white exterior and a sign boasting it serves “KC’s Best Tenderloin.” There are no seats inside—just an old-school letterboard menu and a walk-up counter. Classic and comfortable neighborhood joints like these seem to speak to Rowland.

“The homey feel is exactly why I decided to take Christy’s over,” Rowland says. “You feel welcomed right when you walk in the door. If you’re having a rough day, I want you to feel like family because not everybody has their family, and diners [offer that].”

Since Rowland has taken over, there seems to be a resurgence of excitement about the tiny humble restaurant. 

“I’m blessed with how amazing [the community has] been and how much interaction I’ve gotten,” Rowland says. “People come around from all over. I know the videos help.” 

Rowland began making TikTok videos at the suggestion of her kids. That video I scrolled upon, in which Rowland is standing outside of Christy’s while holding a massive pork tenderloin sandwich and announcing herself as the owner, is quick, about 40 seconds. There’s no crazy editing or fancy angles, yet it has generated well over 200,000 views. Subsequent videos featuring Rowland, like one quickly introducing a new menu item, the tender bender (a massive piled-high chicken tender sandwich), continue to receive hundreds of thousands of views. Maybe viewers can sense what I felt at Dagwood’s that day as I sat over my club sandwich.

“I take pride in what I do,” Rowland says. “I love being able to help people and be able to show that to my kids. I get to show them what it’s like to share kindness even if you have a hard day.”

Rowland knows there might be pitchforks at her restaurant’s doorstep if she were to tweak Christy’s staples, like the pork tenderloin sandwich (don’t worry, that will continue to be made the exact same way it has been for the past several decades), but she does plan on slowly introducing some changes. The restaurant will be launching breakfast on Saturdays and start catering. Next year, Rowland plans to start a food truck, as well as introduce Friday football nights in which the local school teams can pull up for ice cream post-game. 

Oh yeah, and by the time you read this, the restaurant’s name will have been officially changed to Kimmie’s Tasty Queen. It’s not a huge change, but it’s one that marks the beginning of a new chapter for the beloved restaurant and for Rowland, the once-Dagwood’s server who now finds herself on the other side of the counter, welcoming KCK in for a bite.

Kimberly Rowland’s Perfect Day in KC

Rise & Dine: The kids and I are going to Dagwood’s. We’re getting a
cinnamon roll, a strawberry waffle and I’m personally getting the biscuits and gravy special. I’ll also get the hashbrowns because they can crisp them really well without burning them.

Shop Till We Drop: My daughter loves to shop. Typically, we go down to Merriam Town Center and walk the whole strip. We’ll hit up Marshalls and Ross, stop by the pet store and get some treats. She also loves T.J. Maxx, so we might go to Legends for that.

Making Waves: We’ll spend hours at Oceans of Fun. If we’re eating there, we obviously have to get Dippin’ Dots.

Dinner Date: We’ll go to Chipotle. It’s our kids’ favorite. It’s a must.

Sundae Best: If we don’t go to Andy’s on the way home, we’ll
go to Christy’s. My kids love walking into Christy’s because the staff knows what ice cream they’ll get. It’s special for them.

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