Fritz’s Chili

This is not really chili. Its a pile of meat, beans, then you add vinegar, or hot sauce and cheese. Gross. I will never return. I understand this is supposed to be Kansas City style chili but there is nothing remarkable about the product served. It’s a series of flavorless ingredients sold as chili.

Fritz’s is now serving old fashioned hamburgers and cheeseburgers! Just had one and it was to die for! The owner is not sure how long they will be serving hamburgers, but I hope they stay on the menu forever. I would love it even more if they served French fries!
I’ve also had the chili. It is not what I think of when I think of chili, but it’s not bad. You just have to custom order it and dress it up the way you like… I think that’s what makes it so unique.

This evening, Friday the 31^st of July, I had the misfortune of eating food from Fritz’s Chili.
Upon entering, I quickly noticed that the place was deserted save one gray, but gregarious elderly couple. I nodded as I passed on my way to the counter where I was greeted by a friendly, elderly man, the proprietor. I informed him I had never been there and he produced a menu and answered my questions while the husband of the aforementioned couple chatted me up about Dixon’s Chili and how Fritz’s used to be one location of the famed chili house.
Anyway, the place was tidy, no off smells were detected and nothing would have led me to be dubious about the quality of the «Chili».
I ordered take out. The prices were pretty high, imo: 7.00 for a standard chili dog and I think 8.50 for a tamale (Jim’s) covered in chili. The total for my order was 28.00 for one of the former and two of the latter, plus an order of cheese each for the chili.
I was given saltine crackers, two small containers each of chili seasoning, chili vinegar and one container of jalapeño purée.
The chili consists of what appears and tastes like plain, unseasoned ground beef cooked to gray oblivion and dry — almost powdery and pink beans in chili sauce that probably came right from the can… that’s it folks.
If I had added the crackers they would have remained crisp and dry, totally unaffected by contact with the chili.
In short the «chili» was inedible and literally the worst food I have ever paid for, well except maybe for the spoiled cole slaw I was served at a Perkins once… but its cost was refunded, so no. The chili dog was not even on par with what you’d expect from a school cafeteria.
Everything went into the trash including my 28.00.

I’ve always tried to avoid chain restaurants in favor of more local and unique dining experiences. When I found Fritz’s Chili I wasnt expecting amazing chili but how wrong I was… Some reviewers say their chili is somewhat bland but the secret is in how you doctor it up. For me, adding the meat grease, ketchup and most excellent pureed jalipinos made this actually an amazingly good bowl of chili… It’s not rocket science but the food and service rocks so I will definitely return many times… Well done

Yes, let them explain to you their product. This is a build your own meal type place. They provide the meat, the beans, and the soup, per your order. Toppings are extra, and you season it to taste yourself. While I was a bit put off by the price of the tamale platter, it has stuck with me for the quality of ingredients.

Don’t come here if you want the best chili ever. The chili is just ok. There is not much flavor. It is just beans and meat (or beans, or meat, depending on what you want.) I was even told it was pretty plain up front.
Why four stars if the chili isn’t that great? Here is why…
You can order the chili with or without meat, with or without beans. With bean juice, with meat fat. I like how everyone’s preferences are available.
The chili vinegar sauce is a different, but very tasty addition that you have to try.
You will leave thinking you were just in a small town diner with all the locals having a big group conversation and you will naturally join right in with everyone.
The service is perfect. They take care of business and make you feel more than welcome.
The price seems a little high. Almost $ 8 for a large (pint) chili. If you want more than just the chili, there are additional charges for each item. (Cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, onions, etc.) If you get some add ons and throw on a drink you will be over a ten spot.
The ordering can be a little confusing at first. They have a print out that explains how to order.
Give them a try, add the chili powder, vinegar, and salt to your chili to give it some taste and fall in love with the atmosphere.

Edit: they take credit cards now.
I like Fritz’s Chili. It’s an idiosyncratic place, and it isn’t particularly cheap although you would have to work to get your lunch bill over $ 15 it’s hard not to spend $ 10. But I still like it. I went here for lunch today, and probably do that once every six months.
Fritz’s serves chili, in their way, and hot dogs, and tamales. I haven’t tried the latter two. Oh, and tacos, the guy next to me today had four and they looked like pretty good american-​style crispy corn tacos with lettuce and cheddar. Chili comes two ways, with beans or without. If you want a stew sort of chili, you have to specially order it «with bean juice». Otherwise you will get a pile of steamed hamburger and pink beans (or just hamburger) on a plate. Also, you must add condiments, which come at a small upcharge. I order: small chili with beans, soupy, and sometimes ask for «extra bean juice», with cheese, onion, jalapeño. The jalapenos come pulverized, about two teaspoons in a little plastic cup. They are pickled. The cheese is shredded mild cheddar and the onions chopped white. I think you can also get sour cream, though I could be wrong. Once I get done customizing my Fritz’s chili, it’s sort of like Wendy’s chili, except more pure, no tomato. And you get to pay a local person providing a nice restaurant experience for our town.
This ‘chili’ is not flavored with any discernible chile of any kind, but there is chile powder on your table in a shake jar. I like chiles, including the new mexican red chile powder sort, under normal circumstances but I generally ignore this condiment at Fritz’s as not necessary for the Fritz’s experience. I get my hot from the jalapenos. YMMV. There is also hot chile vinegar, which is pretty good.
I recommend sitting at the bar. You get to look at the gleaming stainless kettles which held your lunch and can talk to the owner. I like chatting with the owner/​counterman about how the world used to be better. I like the stainless-​steel steam-​table style cooking area behind the bar. The place is old fashioned diner, bare bones, but spotless, you could eat off the floor. I like the formica bar. I like the saltines which are piled up for you to crumble into your chili.

Let me start this review by saying, I love Dixon’s Chili. Fritz’s Chili is NOT Dixon’s Chili. Took the family for the first time last night. We had driven by the storefront this weekend and saw that they had .75 Tacos after 5pm M-​F. Yes, I realize that for .75 you get what you pay for. I foolishly expected taco’s somewhat close to what Dixon’s offers based upon the reviews that I had read stating that these two restaurants were very similar. My bad! The meat was sooooooo dry. Just awful. Small taco’s, very little cheese and lettuce. Just not good. In my opinion, Dixon’s is a thousand percent better and well worth the drive to Independence.

LOVE this chili. It’s a true Kansas City original, being a spinoff of the Dixons chili made popular by Harry Truman. True KC natives know what I’m talking about. Great stuff.

Chile is chile not cooked hamburger meat in a bowl for 8 times the price of hamburger! I won’t be back.

Fritz’s is a blast from the past. I mean perhaps a 1940’s or 1950’s décor. Very spartan. All the ingredients you get are separate. The hamburger meat is very dry. YOU add whatever ingredients you want: onions, cheese, peppers, beans, different sauces at the table. Also saltine crackers are available. I have eaten there numerous times. The consistency of the food is machine-​like, never varies. I always enjoy the meal. My wife hated it. My son who is autistic also likes it. Bring cash as they don’t take credit cards.

I’m hoping you read the reviews below mine because they do a great job of explaining the different ways you can get your chili.
It’s an old-​style diner look, cash only, with some great options to enjoy your homemade chili.
Now shut up and eat.

I have to agree with Ryan on Dixon’s/Fritz’s chili. You really do need to experiment a little with some of the strange ordering options
You can get the «chili» plain which really is just a heap of fairly finely ground meat. You can add beans, either wet or dry, the wet meaning with extra «bean juice». You can also add a splash of grease, which is literally some of the hamburger cooking grease added for flavor, because, of course, grease/​fat are flavor.
You can get it topped with cheese, onions, jalapenos, etc. On the tables there are containers of peppered vinegar, and chili powder which allow you to customize your chili even further.
If you hear there is a chili place in town and go in unprepared for what the definition of chili is at Fritz’s you may well leave both bamboozled and bummed, but if you’re aware of what you are getting into and are willing to experiment a little, you may just be pleased with yourself for trying a very unique dish of «chili»

Am I the only person who finds it hilarious that Dixon’s Chili in Independence, which serves the exact same product, is as of this writing, rated 4 stars, while Fritz’s sits at a measly 2.5? There’s no sense to it! It’s madness! An apple tastes as good whether it is from this orchard or that, provided that the sun shines similarly in both locations, the soil’s mineral content and pH are close matches, and so on. Sheesh, people!
So what if it isn’t chili like most people expect? What difference does that make? Hello, regional specialties. Granted, Kansas City-​style chili is no Cincinnati-​style, nor Texas-​style red in terms of name recognition. It is admittedly somewhat obscure, even to some KC lifers, particularly the younger generations (damn whippersnappers!) but once you get to know it, it can actually be quite charming. Trust me.
Alright, you have ordered your chili. You look over it. It is kind of just a bowl of unseasoned ground beef. You take a bite. You think to yourself, «What in the crap is this?» You walk out and never come back. You have failed! Insert quarter to try again.
*clink!*
You have ordered your chili with beans, «juicy» (pretty sure this means they add some bean juice or grease or something, I don’t remember or care) with cheese and onion. Then add liberal amounts of the chile-​infused vinegar and proprietary Fritz’s /​Dixon’s chili powder you will find on the table. Stir to combine, then eat and enjoy. You think to yourself, «Ohhh, I get it…» You win! Great success!

I think this place is great… yes a bit odd, but that is part of the fun. It is the second oldest restaurant in Overland Park. The owner and wait staff are all very friendly!

I don’t know… Just got back and I am left wanting more. Good customer service, but a bit over priced. Probably won’t go back.

I will never quite understood the negativity and misunderstanding of people concerning diner fare like fritz’s, town topic, dixon’s, steak n shake, milwaukee wiener house #1, etc. I’m not sure what others expect, but I happen to relish each and every opportunity to soak in the atmosphere, menu, and design of restaurants rooted in a simpler more wholesome era of «fast food.»
During my last visit to Fritz’s I was able to have a nice conversation with «Fritz» about his store. Fritz’s started out as part of the Dixon’s Chili chain (yes, KC had its OWN chain of chili parlors) prior to it being purchased by this Fritz family. Fritz talked about always trying to use better ingredients in his food instead of just using what is cheapest. We talked about the demise of the hundreds of local «burger joints» in KC after the arrival of the multitude of chains. Places like Fritz’s are embedded in the culture of where you are– no matter how many Panera locations pop up around them. We should feel lucky they’re still here and sad for what we’ve lost over the years.

Maybe I just don’t get this place. I have to admit it is a interesting place to visit. When you walk in you will swear you’ve gone back in time 40 years, and that feeling is mutual for the food. Plain hamburger without seasoning ontop of beans that are unseasoned. Hmm… I added Jalapenos, cheese, spicy vinegar, and bean juice. Still a relatively unflavorable plate. Half way through I realized that I would finish and still be hungry so I was forced to begin eating the plate using the saltine crackers they have on the table. They don’t take any sort of payment with a card. I had to go to the grocery across the road to get cash and come back. All in all, unless you have an 80 year old white grandmother who thinks salt and pepper are exciting spices you should probably go else where.

This is not your typical chili. So much so the waitresses at Fritz’s have to ask if you’ve been there before. It’s almost insulting the first time you walk in, but it’s best to just say no and let them explain. See, what Fritz means by ‘chili’ is not what your or I probably mean by ‘chili’.
Fritz’s chili is seasoned hamburger. That’s it, just loose meat hamburger served in a bowl. You get a choice to add cheese (do) and several other accompaniments. You also have a choice of beans or not and you can add bean juice if you simply must have a little bit of liquid.
I prefer to add the hot pepper vinegar to mine as well as the special seasonings placed in the middle of each table. Once you find how you like your Fritz’s chili, it’s really pretty enjoyable and doesn’t have any comparables (unless you’re in the Independence where they have a place called Dixon’s, which is essentially the same thing).
The best thing about Fritz’s is it’s fast food but not «fast food». The waitress serves you your food seconds after you order it. You can pretty much order, customize and eat in about 15 minutes. What you won’t get is waitresses who are very pleasant or chatty. Fritz’s is all business, once you get past wanting to chat up your waitress and concentrate on eating your chili, the better off you’ll be.