On a recent First Friday at Niecie’s Restaurant, the dining room filled early and stayed full, with about 40 diners packed into booths and tables for dinner, dessert and live music delivered by the owner.
Niecie’s, 6441 Troost Ave., was founded in 1985 by Denise Ward and her husband, Perry. The restaurant originally operated near 59th Street and Prospect Avenue before moving in 2009 to its current location. Ward said it remains a family-run business, with relatives working alongside longtime staff.
The restaurant has an old-school diner feel, with booths lining the enclosed area and smaller tables scattered through the center. A banner on the back wall reads, “Celebrating 40 delicious years,” a reminder of the restaurant’s long roots in Kansas City.
By early evening, the room included regular customers and first-time visitors who said they had heard about Niecie’s reputation for Southern-style soul food. Some guests had traveled from Arkansas, Illinois, California and Colorado…