Mad Jacks On Troost

BY FAR, BAR NONE The BEST fried and fresh fish in Kansas or Missouri!!! They are clean! the fish is clean. The grease is clean, healthy and filtered. I will not eat fish unless it is from here. I drive ALL THE WAY FROM THE DOTTE to get fish from Walter and his crew. Go get you some… it is the BEST FISH SHACK on these 2 sides of the river.

Ummm… it was okay. I liked that I could call it in and pick it up at the window. Love not getting out of the car. Call me lazy. So what. The food was fried hard. Had the family platter… catfish, chicken strips and butterfly shrimp plus three sides. The chicken and shrimp was fried hard. Too hard. The catfish was ok. The sides of greens were needing more seasoning. And the macaroni tasted artificial. But the free soda was a nice surprise.

So maybe I came on a day the shrimp wasn’t fresh due to having a ocean after taste. The cocktail sauce saved this taste alil bit but I will never order the shrimp again.
Fish was very good. Flakey and moist. Although it said strips, half the pieces were half of a strip. Maybe they could have all the cuts the same. The fries for a side was not something I would be looking forward to. This goes for the store bought potato salad as well. If it’s not store bought it sure does taste like it.
I came here due to captain Ds being out of many things. Although I did want to try this place I see huge lines at captain Ds.
Wait time is usual for a fish frying place. Décor is dated and needs serious repair. None of the tables were clean and no one was even eating here. Tables were wiped when we were the second group to sit and eat. Guess they wait until it gets busy.
Overall if needed I’ll come back to get the catfish but other than that I think I’m ok with not coming back.

I have only been here a few times, but I have never been disappointed. The service has been great each time. The food has been delicious each time. This is my favorite place to go when I want fried fish and shrimp! The portions of fish are huge, especially for the prices. They offer so many combinations, there is something for everybody. I also like the fact that you can just get fish, or shrimp, because to be honest, I don’t always want fries, or mac n cheese, or sides in general. Usually I just want fish and shrimp, lol. I am glad I can come to a place like Mad Jacks on Troost and get exactly what I want without it costing me an arm and a leg.

Fish is great! People that work there are very friendly, nice and helpful. Yes, there is duck tape on the seats, I have no problem with that since the place is clean.

I like Mad Jacks. Service is friendly. The fish is fantastic. They have a drive thru window for call in orders (you can’t place orders through the window, pick up only) which is nice for grabbing dinner on the way home. Service is amazing! I stopped to grab a bite one night and went inside. While waiting for my order one of the workers came over and chatted with me. The owner made some popcorn and shared some with the patrons. This might not be the daily experience, but you can expect friendly service all the time.
They have a fresh fish counter that is one of the best in the city. For those dogging the neighborhood, they are going on stereotypes and incorrect perceptions. Don’t hesitate to stop by.
My only complaint would be for some healthier side items.
This is a must try if you like fish!

This is consistently the best catfish in town. I’ve tried others and they just can’t measure up.

I was craving something along the lines of… crunchy and fried (one of those days) and hit up Unilocal to see what was nearby. I’m glad to say that Mad Jacks on Troost definitely hit the spot. Their serving size is pretty decent and the catfish was absolutely delicious. Nice and crispy; they know what they’re doing. Moreover, the gumbo was a bit cold, but my boyfriend still enjoyed it. Wish I could add more, but my hands and mind were too focused on the aromatic food centimeters away from my panting mouth.
However, I am reluctant to have to take down a star because their customer service and interior was iffy – our cashier looked like she was going to take me down (I swear I didn’t do anything to instigate that… maybe it was one of those days for her too), and I couldn’t find a spot where there wasn’t silver duct tape on the cracking booth seats. Overlooking those two things (which is relatively easy because their food is THAT good), I’ll go here again if I’m near UMKC and feel like indulging myself.

I’m originally from the south so fried chicken and catfish were my main food groups growing up– I wish Mad Jacks catered my childhood because that was the best I’ve ever had! Customer service was excellent. Keep it up Walter & Jackie, that was delicious!

Walleye was excellent. Don’t go if on diet, serving size is large. Hush puppies had just the right amount of heat. Friendly folks.

We stopped in today and beat the lunch rush by a hair. Staff were pretty friendly. I have no idea why ppl say this is not in a good neighborhood. Srsly? I’m from AR and would never call this area ghetto. If this is as ghetto as Kansas gets and still causes alarm with some reviewers… well, it makes me smile.
The special of the day was a whole catfish plate for a little over $ 5. I can’t believe the amount of food we received. It came with a very small side though (we chose hush puppies). My hubs polished that off immediately. But he thought he could eat more, so we got the catfish bones, which are what remains of the fish after the fillets are taken off. For some parts, it’s more breading than meat, but for the flat portions, it’s a significant amount of meat (if you want all flat portions, you pay a little more for the bones). We had the mixed bones for about $ 4.50. It took the meal over the top and my husband was not able to finish the food. (I’m not into this as much as he is, so essentially, he ate two entrees).
This is the exact type of place that we search for when traveling. If you want fresh, cheap seafood from a cook that knows how to properly fry, there is no better place than a seafood market, and that’s what you get here at Mad Jack’s.

There are no words! The half pound catfish order was plenty but the sides were a bit small so get a few extra. The peach cobbler was amazing, even cold.

Don’t let the security guard at the door fool you. This place is awesome. The people are friendly and patient, the food is good, the prices aren’t bad. You can even buy fresh seafood from them. Will definitely come back.

Back again to Mad Jacks, awesome as usual, the boss’s just offered me some Ahi Tuna to taste… fantastic, great people here, great food… Don’t let the neighborhood deter you… it is GOOD!

Place is very good but they right on the money! Must come back next time I’m in town.

Fish is the bomb! Nice & crispy and seasoned right. In the other hand… the side dishes are not all that. They need some work or either I caught a bad cook that day. My go to fish place.

So good.
I like being able to see the fresh fish and know that I’m getting something as fresh as the fish in the market.
My friends and I shared 2 large boxes with Basa and Tilipia and fries.
I gotta tell ya, I get nervous about trying different types of fish, I’m not incredibly picky, but I do not enjoy the «fishy» taste you get with some. So, I was nervous to try the Basa, but damnit, I’m a convert. I want to eat Basa every day until I die. It was delicious. And Mad Jacks… whatever their seasoning is is delicious and their hot sauce… wow. I don’t enjoy spicy things, but holy toledo I loved it.
Now that I’ve raved about the food, let me get to the employees.
The cashier asked us if we’d been there before, my friend had, but I hadn’t, so the employee was SO HELPFUL. Even if the food hadn’t been great, I would have still come back because of the service. The staff were kind and fun and made me feel super comfortable while I was scrolling through the menu.
And as I was leaving the cashier yelled out «ENJOY YOUR FIRST TIME! IT’S GREAT FOOD! YOU’LL LOVE IT!». And I absolutely loved it. I love when cashiers take their time with you and are patient and helpful and most of all, engaging. They went above and beyond.
For first timers, it was great. I felt comfortable and will definitely return.
Also, there was a man at the door who would open it for everyone. I just thought he was just hanging out, being polite, whatnot, but my friend told me that he’s an ex-​cop and likes to make sure everyone feels safe. I really think that’s awesome.
This place gets 5’s all across the board.

Ate here again today. This is the best fish sandwich in KC. I took a buddy who had never been before. He lives in Lawrence. You should have seen his face when he said it was too far for him to bring his family for lunch and I told him there was another one in KCK off State Ave. He was so happy.
Fish is fried to perfection. Hush puppies are delicious. I LOVE their frog legs… so silky and tasty.
Service is OUTSTANDING. They want paying customers to have a great experience. Note all the signs around… they are funny. Scammers and non paying folks are not welcome. They’ll get you too.
Absolutely a KC gem.

I’m definitely in agreement with the other reviewers. The catfish was fantastic, the servers were very nice and friendly. The fish in the case looked super fresh. The building is old, but it was clean. I will definitely be returning. We had the catfish dinner and 2 sides (fries and slaw) everything was awesome. The slaw was a little spivey, and the catfish was wonderful! Not in the best area, but they do have a call ahead/​pickup window that I would use if I was by myself, and they have a security cop there too. I felt safe there.

Love the catfish strips! this is the only place in town which reminds me of my father’s catfish. Hands down. I prefer to call in cause I don’t like standing around and wait for my food.
sometimes the service if off. i.e. waiting 20 to 30 minutes for an order as you watch others who were behind you get their orders before you or not getting the order correct, but really those times are rare. Usually they are fast, friendly and courteous.
Now with the cat out of the bag about this place, it seems to get busier and busier. I usually get the catfish strips (fillet catfish equals less bones) and fried okra. yes grew up on this and will always eat it.
yes, you get your money’s worth when you order especially the half pound dinner: catfish strips with 2 sides but there is a wide variety of food and types of fish to choose from.
and if you don’t like the way they cook it, you can always buy fish, have them clean it and you take it home and cook it !