Claudia’s Kitchen: Eat a home cooked meal on a college budget
By: Cory Hintz
Claudia’s Kitchen is a cozy, homestyle food, local restaurant located in the bottom of the courthouse in downtown Saint Joseph, Missouri. Like many other local businesses here in Saint Joseph, Claudia’s Kitchen was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The owner of Claudia’s Kitchen, Brigid, was on the brink of closing her doors for good, when she posted one last farewell message on her Facebook account. What happened next was simply astonishing, public support came in waves helping her bring back her business from the hole she found herself in. They are now slowly climbing back as the community continues to rally around them.
Claudia’s Kitchen serves homemade food each day and has a rotating menu. Claudia’s kitchen has a number of options that are sure to leave you satisfied. Homemade fried chicken, tamales, cinnamon rolls, fried tenderloins, stir fry chicken, meatloaf, and many other mouth-watering recipes. Brigid has adapted to the pandemic and now offers pick-up and delivery options in addition to eating within the restaurant. If you have the time, go in, sit down, and take in the atmosphere of Claudia’s Kitchen. The staff, and more than likely, Brigid herself, is going to meet you with a friendly smile and greeting. Brigid has cultivated a family friendly environment you are sure to enjoy. Brigid and her staff have impeccable memory and are sure to remember you when you decide to stop back in to enjoy the delicious, low priced food she has to offer.
As Brigid continues to bring back Claudia’s Kitchen, she is needing the help from a new clientele to continue to thrive and grow. With Saint Joseph being a college town there are an abundance of students that are unaware of this amazing restaurant. I took the time to ask a few different students what they are looking for when choosing to dine off campus. Junior Jason Campbell said, “With money being so tight, the main thing I am looking for is the most amount of food I can get for the least amount of money.” Graduate student Greysen Dudley said, “I am looking for quality food that is still affordable on a college students’ budget.” Senior James McElwain said, “I need a meal that is going to fill me up, that is reasonably priced, that’s not going to take long to get, and that is going to taste great.”
College students need to know about Claudia’s Kitchen, because what I heard from the students I talked with, Claudia’s Kitchens will exceed their expectations and needs. Brigid has specifically undercut her prices, despite her food being way better than the price point, so she can share her food with the community at an affordable price for all. A few months back some classmates of mine went into Claudia’s Kitchen for breakfast and the three of them each got a full plate of biscuits and gravy and cinnamon rolls for under $15 between the three. The servings are so generous they were not able to finish to meal. They were also given the option of a free, yes, I said free, desert they could help themselves to after ordering. The deserts are definitely a hot commodity and once they are gone you will have to wait till the next day to come back and try them. They left raving about how nice the staff was, how delicious the food tasted, and how cheap the prices were.
Claudia’s Kitchen is open Tuesday-Friday 7:30am-2:00pm. They serve breakfast every single day and are not super slammed in the mornings like they are from 11:00-close. The morning is the perfect time for college students to get up, stop by and enjoy the restaurant and food. For those students who are in a hurry order a pick-up option and just pull up to the court house and one of Brigid’s excellent employees will run it out to your car. If you don’t have time drive downtown, get the delivery option and you will more than likely have a meal that will last you two meals. For students looking for affordable, quick, easy, and superb food they have to check out Claudia’s Kitchen. This restaurant will quickly become one of their favorites and a place they will surely miss once they graduate and move on from Missouri Western State University.
