If we think of a home as a vessel that holds the history of every person who has ever lived there, then every milestone celebrated within its walls becomes forever etched into its very foundation. It is almost as if the house itself was built to safeguard those memories. Those fleeting moments linger—whispered in the creak of a floorboard or glimpsed in the flutter of a curtain at an open window.
When a family home transforms into a restaurant, its walls absorb the hum of conversation, its kitchen becomes a stage for culinary storytelling, and its dining rooms swell with the laughter and memories of strangers who soon feel like family. A house, once a keeper of intimate milestones, becomes a vessel for shared experiences, where every meal carries the weight of tradition and the promise of new memories waiting to unfold.
Such is the case with Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor—a home-turned-restaurant that holds memories for so many Kansas Citians and has a rich history worth remembering right here in the Northland.
The building we now know as Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor began as a two-room log cabin, built on a parcel of land granted to David Hale in 1827. Using the walnut and white oak wood available on the property, he constructed a sturdy home for his family. Today, when you enter the front door at Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor, you can still see the walls of the original log cabin, along with historical artifacts and antiques collected from the families who have called this place home over the years.
Perhaps the most interesting artifact hanging on the wall at Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor is a framed copy of the original land deed given to Hale and signed by the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.
Thirteen years later, in 1840, Hale sold the property to James and Mary Anne Compton, who began clearing the trees on the land to plant crops and make a living. Farming proved successful, and as the couple started having children, they expanded the two-room cabin into a proper ten-room homestead. Over the years, their sprawling estate became the center of social life in Clay County, hosting parties, dances, dinners, and more.
The next stewards of the property were Darwin and Louise Sandstrom, who purchased the home and its furnishings from Miss Emma Compton—the last surviving member of the Compton family—in 1954. Her family had owned the property for over 114 years before she sold what was left to the married couple. The Sandstroms upgraded the home with indoor plumbing and electricity, intending to run a restaurant while keeping a few of the upstairs bedrooms intact for their own occasional use.
They called their restaurant Sandy’s Oak Ridge Manor, quickly gaining fame for serving German specialties like sauerbraten and Louise’s beloved peanut butter pie. Louise was so protective of these recipes that she wouldn’t make them in front of the cooks she hired, preferring to prepare them in secret after everyone had gone home.
This is where the story of Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor takes a slight turn, leading us to south Kansas City. In 1977, two young bartenders from Kelly’s Westport Inn, Mike Donegan and Jim Hogan, purchased the original Stroud’s restaurant at 1015 E. 85th Street, near 85th and Troost Avenue. The restaurant, located in an old roadhouse under a bridge, was dark inside, with creaky wooden floors, but people came from miles around for its legendary pan-fried chicken.
Interestingly, Stroud’s originally opened as a barbecue restaurant. However, during World War II, when beef became too expensive, owner Helen Stroud made the switch to pan-fried chicken—and it was that change that put the restaurant on the map.
Helen had been running the restaurant with her husband, Guy, since 1933, but after 44 years, she was ready to retire. Mike and Jim, eager to step into ownership, struck a deal. They inherited two of Helen’s original cooks and her treasured recipe book, creating the menu that remains largely unchanged today.
Known for their family-style chicken dinners, Stroud’s menu continues to offer pan-fried chicken with a choice of iceberg lettuce salad or homemade chicken soup, a selection of potatoes (baked, mashed, French fries, or cottage fries), green beans, chicken gravy, and a basket of homemade cinnamon rolls. While they also serve steaks, pan-fried pork chops, fish, and a solid cheeseburger, it’s the pan-fried chicken that made Stroud’s famous.
The original Stroud’s location in south Kansas City operated until 2006 when the city demolished it to widen 85th Street. By then, Mike and Jim had already set a new plan in motion involving Oak Ridge Manor.
In 1983, Mike, his twin brother Dennis Donegan, and Jim Hogan purchased the Oak Ridge Manor property from the Sandstrom family, officially converting the home-restaurant into a full-fledged commercial operation. Stroud’s thrived in its new location, with diners spilling out onto the lawn on busy nights, waiting for a table. Business was booming, and in 1997, they expanded the restaurant—enclosing the former home’s screened-in porch for additional seating and adding a larger kitchen with a walk-in freezer and a proper dishwashing area.
The following year, in 1998, Kansas City received its first James Beard Award when Stroud’s was honored as an “American Classic.” The James Beard Foundation had been giving out chef and restaurant awards—often called the "Oscars of the food world"—since 1990, but this was the first year they created a category for comfort food establishments. Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor became one of Kansas City’s most iconic restaurants, a distinction that still holds true today.
Many more national accolades followed. In addition to the James Beard Award, Stroud’s has received a Zagat Award for Best Restaurant and has been featured in major publications like The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times, People Magazine, Esquire, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast, and even Playboy.
In 2000, Jim Hogan left Stroud’s to pursue other interests. Dennis Donegan passed away in 2004, followed by his twin brother, Mike Donegan, in 2021. Today, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor still has two family shareholders—Paul Donegan, Dennis Donegan’s son, and Mike Donegan’s nephew. The restaurant is now run by a team of long-time key employees and shareholders, including President and General Manager Tammy Ruff, along with Chris McSorley, Craig Sailor, Andy Myers, and Nathan Bechthold, who no longer works at the restaurant but still retains company shares.
Then in 2013, KC Hopps partnered with Stroud’s to open additional locations in Kansas City and beyond. However, the only remaining location still operating today, aside from Oak Ridge Manor, is in Overland Park, Kansas.
While other long-standing restaurants have come and gone, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor remains a cherished institution after 92 years in business. Perhaps it’s because of the loyalty and consistency that has defined this restaurant from the very beginning—after all, the same two cooks who moved from the original Stroud’s in 1983 are still in the kitchen, frying up the chicken that generations have come to love. It’s that unwavering dedication, paired with warm hospitality and a touch of nostalgia, that has kept Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor open in Kansas City, always ready to serve up a little home-cooked comfort to anyone who walks through its doors.
While other long-standing restaurants have come and gone, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor remains a cherished institution after 92 years in business.
The following year, in 1998, Kansas City received its first James Beard Award when Stroud’s was honored as an “American Classic.”