Tao Tao

I came cross while getting lost on Minnesota and 13th street. Chuckle The warm and welcoming ambiance of this casual restaurant Tao Tao instantly put me on ease that it will be fantastic place to have casual dinner. The food was great and customer service was excellent.

Absolutely wonderful local Chinese place. I grew up in Springfield and I've never found anywhere that could do cashew chicken like the restaurants did where I grew up, but Tao Tao will now be my home away from home. Chef Annie and her friends and family make you feel so loved and welcome as soon as you walk in, and then they make you a hearty serving of some delicious food. I came for the Springfield style cashew chicken, but now I've gotta come back to try everything else! Highly recommend!

Do you ever just walk in a place and you feel the passion, dedication, love and history? This is one of those places. Let me tell you about it. I'd been reading about this place for a while and wanting to try it. I found myself in the Crossroads District near downtown Kansas City and decided that was the day to make the journey to Tao Tao for a long awaited taste test. I called the restaurant to place a carryout order and the young lady who answered the phone was very sweet and excited to take my order. We're off to a great start y'all! I proceeded to order Shrimp Fried Rice, Combination Fried Rice and the Savory Crab Rangoon sampler. I was provided a total and a pick up time and began to head over. Upon pulling up I found an unassuming building with a clean exterior and a "rooted in the community" feel. Upon entering you have to hit a " buzzer" for entry. The young lady who took my order was there with a winning smile and promptly let me in. She was excited this was my first visit and so was I. She proceeded to share the history of Ms. Annie, her family and the restaurant. I was all to willing to listen and learn. The kitchen is right there at the counter and you're able to see everything as they prepare your food fresh to order. There was the backbone, the pillar, the icon known as Ms. Annie. Hard at work and seemingly directing an orchestra in the kitchen as she seamlessly handled preparing all the orders with ease. WOW!!! I politely asked if I could take pictures for my review and she obliged. The young woman at the counter offered for me to take a picture with Ms. Annie and I was honored. As I walked through the restaurant there are no frills. It is a place where you can just go and enjoy your food, relish in the friendliness and welcoming nature of the staff and learn about a place that has survived and thrived throughout time. When my food was done I happily grabbed it. Ms. Annie by that time was so busy as the restaurant began to fill with people eagerly awaiting their food that she didn't have time for a picture. I smiled and told her next time. All the more reason for me to visit again. When I got home the food was AMAZING! The rice was so fresh and delicious, the Crab Rangoon were full of unique flavors and the taste experience was out of this world. This ain't fast food. This is food prepared expertly, efficiently, tastefully and with lots of love and experience. Listen I don't care where you live in the city this place is worth the drive and visit. Take some time to absorb the love and experience while you're there. I'm telling you, you'll be so glad you did. Their menu is packed with variety so there's something for everyone. Make sure to tell Ms. Annie and the staff "hello" for me while you're there. I'll definitely be back soon trying something new. Until next time - YW! Enjoy!

went here on my short visit to kansas city. you get a ton of food for not much money. the owner is 77 years old and is still working the wok in the kitchen and has been for 52 years! they were so sweet and welcoming i even got 2 free rangoons which were so yummy! would def be a regular if i lived here

Such amazing women that work here! Super nice older lady who made our food and the cashier was super sweet. Instantly upon calling they were so receiving and kind to us! My boyfriend and I ordered the orange chicken and chicken lo mein with crab Rangoon. Unfortunately we didn’t like the food as much as we wish we would have but that’s just personal preference! We would go back to support this place or maybe try something different!