In Search of the Burger, Week 4: Kad-E-Korner Store & Deli

Kad-E-Korner

Hours: 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday. Deli/restaurant closes one hour before the store.

Address: 2633 E. Shelby Road

Phone: (417) 833-3662

Décor: Country kitsch

Notoriety: Old-fashioned hamburgers

Seating: Eclectic booths and tables

Clientele: Greeted by name

It was probably 10 years ago when then-Highway Patrol Capt. Jack Merritt told us, “Try Kad-E-Korner if you want a good hamburger and fries.” He gave us directions (head north on Glenstone and just don’t turn), and we gave it a try.

At first glance it was a little scary, appearing to be little more than an old gas station. Once inside, though, we found friendly people and good food.

It had been years since we’d thought to return but decided it was a must in this best-burger series.

Nothing had really changed. The old-time manual gas pumps were still in operation. The building was in good repair, although obviously well used. Two tables were full of men trading stories on a lazy Saturday, while one person was manning the grill and another was cleaning tables and stocking shelves.

The menu was hung in crooked letters on the wall and also displayed in laminated glory on each table.

The burger choices were pretty clear-cut, so we ordered a hamburger ($2.75) and a cheeseburger ($2.99), with an order of the trademark “kurly fries.” The burgers come with “everything,” translated as ketchup, mustard, pickle, lettuce, onion and tomato. For $1.25 extra you can make yours a double, or go fancy with a swiss-mushroom burger ($3.99). Our cook offered to grill the onions, which was a nice taste boost for the 1/4-pound burger.

When we sat down with owner Coleen Viefhaus, we learned that the burgers are freshly ground beef or chuck, definitely hand formed and the most popular item. The fries are hand cranked into long spirals and served up generously. The restaurant goes through 200 to 300 pounds of potatoes per week, says Viefhaus, who works by day as a regional manager for Great Southern Bank.

Part of the enjoyment of any hamburger is the environment, and Kad-E-Korner delivers the unexpected. While there is a table right in front of the grill, there is also a side dining room – converted garage space that now displays walls that are a mix of galvanized tin and rough-hewn lumber. The floor is poured concrete, roughed up so that spills don’t matter, and the décor is pure country kitsch. There is a sizable collection of Coke paraphernalia, and remnants of Springfield’s history. For example, a bumper sticker reads, “I’d Rather Be at the Shady Inn,” and there is an old Hamby’s menu.

As we observed the Saturday afternoon clientele, we saw people on their way to the lake, as well as a few obvious regulars.

Weekday business also is brisk, according to Viefhaus, who notes, “We can get standing-room only at lunch in the summer. The majority of them are men (taking) a break from mowing and baling hay.”

Don’t be fooled, though – some of them are gentlemen farmers whose income and business acumen might surprise you. The regular customers are greeted by name, and it only takes a few visits to become a regular.

The verdict

This is not fast food – it’s food made to order and taken in the order in which customers come in. It took only a short wait, however, before we had our hot burgers and pile of fries in front of us.

It tasted exactly like the kind of hamburger you make at home – good meat, room for you to season it at the table, and a soft bun that stretches out just a bit further than the meat. The fries also were delicious, nicely crispy and fresh.

We’ll be going back. [[In-content Ad]]