Jack’s Coffee Shop(Proudly Taking the Dive Restaurant Concept to Eleven)

Way down on south Hydraulic and 61st street sits a rather suspect looking structure that lacks any visible sign of being a dining establishment save for a  neon “Open” sign and a small banner on the west side of the house bearing the name Jack’s Coffee Shop. For those in know this happens to be a “restaurant”(I use this term quite loosely)  that serves gigantic burgers from 11am to 2 pm Monday through Saturday.

Don’t Worry It’s Safe To Go Inside

Everything about this place is a well calculated assault on your general expectations of what a restaurant should be. First of all, the name really has no bearing as to what goes on inside, as I saw no evidence of Jack nor anything resembling coffee on my visit. Most coffee shops have Wi-Fi and pastries, this one had an old bed frame and exposed electrical outlets. Jack’s has certainly taken the minimalist approach to interior design, which is evidenced by the concrete floor, mismatched furniture, unfinished plywood counter, non-existent light bulbs, and lack of paint. The exposed kitchen

Communal Bowl of Chips

concept leaves nothing to the imagination as everything from the generic hamburger buns to the small flat top grill is in plain sight. And in one corner sits an old bed frame and dresser. While waiting for our food, my party hypothesized as to the reasoning for having such furniture in an eating establishment. Possible explanations include: Covering up a hole in the wall, a prize for the 10,000th customer, or perhaps some type of tax loophole for a multi-purpose room. Anyway, this place is a dive and a damn good one at that. In fact it is probably the diviest dive I have had the pleasure to visit.

Our order was called in about 30 minutes prior to arrival, which is highly recommended as the large meat disks take some time to cook and the grill can only handle a few patties at a time. Don’t worry about forgetting the menu, your choices are hamburger or cheeseburger.  Upon taking a seat, a plastic bowl of communal potato chips were brought out to the table. A plastic tub of pickles and another with pickled jalapenos and carrots were also

Paper Plate Perfection

made available to us. I have to say that the  jalapeno and carrot combination was unexpected, but they proved to be tasty. When our burgers came out, I quickly understood why this place remains open. Before me was one massive cheeseburger and a bun that was woefully undersized to handle such ground beef girth. Our burgers also came with a paper plateful of grilled onions that were shared between the three of us. The only other fixings were generic bottles of ketchup and mustard. Armed only with a plastic fork, my strategy for consuming this burger was to attack the exposed flanks of meat first to get things more manageable before moving onto the bun covered section. Overall the burger was okay. It was

Tubs of Condiments

slightly overcooked and I don’t believe any seasoning was used on the patty. The two cheese slices and excellent grilled onions helped  balance out the meat. For the price this meal is hard to beat. You get copious amounts of chips, a 3/4 pound burger, and a drink all for $6.50. The pop selection varies from day to day, so be prepared to be flexible in case they are out of Pepsi Max.

For those who like to live out on the edge of the dining scene Jack’s is a place to check out. A lunch here is one of the most unique experiences in town. At this point I probably don’t need to mention it,  but they only accept cash.

Public at the Brickyard

Finally I have found what has been missing from the Wichita dining scene, a good Gastro Pub. For some reason the combination of a good environment, beer selection, and well executed food has eluded diners until now. Located in the subterranean abyss of the Brickyard Bar in Old Town, the newly opened Public is fairly impressive.

The basement that houses Public is deceivingly roomy and nicely decorated. It feels like you have walked into someone’s upscale man cave.  There is a good sized bar, shuffle board table, and an area that has plush chairs and a large television.

Brisket Tacos: BBQ Meets Mexican

The menu at Public is small, but  packed full of unique offerings that utilize local food sources. Yoder Meats, Delano Bakery, and La Tradicion Tortilleria are a few of their suppliers. The appetizers include their house made pickles and black bean hummus, there are also several salads, upscale sandwiches, pizzas, and ribs. We tried to order the pickle plate, but unfortunately they were still brining, so we must wait until next time to taste the famous pickles.  For our lunch Steph went with the ultimate blue collar fusion food: brisket tacos. I decided to try the Prairie Sliders with a side of garlic and rosemary fries.

Two decent sized sliders greeted me when my plate was brought out along with an ample serving of fries. I was impressed with how delightfully juicy my burger was and upon further inspection

The Perfect Burger Plate

noticed something that I have not seen in a restaurant burger for quite some time: a nice pink center. Yes these particular burgers were perfectly cooked, something that is hard to find in this age of food borne illness hysteria. The patties had a nice supporting cast of cheese, onion, and bun that left me not wanting to add any other condiments. These were easily some of the best burgers I have had in a while. The crispy fries were good paired with the rosemary and garlic, although some the clumps of garlic were hard to stomach. The brisket

Here is What a Properly Cooked Burger Looks Like

tacos were fairly impressive in their own respect. Tender and moist brisket was piled onto two corn tortillas with cheese and cilantro on top. A nice smoky salsa was served on the side. The accompanying side of black beans was a nice change from the obligatory taco accompaniment, refried beans.

If you are in need of a cold beverage on your visit, Public has you covered. There are several signature cocktails as well as a small, but impressive list of craft beer choices.

Public has the perfect combination of atmosphere, food, and beverages that makes me wish I could live there or at least remodel my basement to resemble it. Whether you are looking for a happening place to get some dinner before hitting the town,  a place to watch sporting events, or just taking the family out to lunch, this is your place. I hear they also have a very good brunch on the weekends that features unique specials.

http://www.publicoldtown.com/

Bionic Burger (Home of Six Million Dollar and Calorie Burger)

Bionic Burger is right up there with Nu-Way when you talk about iconic burger places in Wichita. They have been in operation for over 30 years and currently have four locations in the area. Luckily for us, the newest location on East 21st near Woodlawn is rather convenient when we are in the mood for a fast and tasty meat disk.

The menus at all four Bionic locations are essentially the same and quite expansive for “just a burger place”. They offer several different burgers, plus a who’s who of classic comfort foods including: a pork sandwich, hot dogs, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, chili, o-rings, etc. Shakes and malts are also available in case you have any room for dessert.

The Epic Burger Combo

The Six Million Calorie Double in All Its Glory

On this visit I was feeling bold and decided to go with the Six Million Dollar Burger along with some of their fresh cut fries. I was under the impression I would be getting a half pound cheese burger with some veggies, instead I unwrapped a monster. Apparently when my sister had placed the order at the drive thru, she had ordered a double, leaving me with the most intimidating 1lb burger I had ever laid eyes on.

The first order of business was to bisect this mass into edible pieces. Once that was accomplished I was able to enjoy this pretty solid burger. The patty, while a bit thin for my liking, was properly seasoned and surprisingly juicy. Plenty of gooey cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes were icing on this protein based cake. Sadly the bun was not quite up to the challenge of supporting all of this deliciousness. After a few bites, it quickly deflated and broke into pieces, no doubt the victim of too much grease and the basic principles of physics. I pride myself in being able to finish just about anything I order at a restaurant, but it was not happening on this day. I doubt whether the bionic man himself would have been able to finish off this bad boy.  Did I mention the burger came with a far too generous serving of delicious fries? These thick-cut, crispy fries were top notch.

For a quick burger you can’t go wrong with Bionic Burger. Their large portions and tasty food is tough competition for any fast food joint in town.

http://www.bionic-burger.com/

Fat Tony’s Grill and Sports Bar

With the beginning of football season comes the beginning of sports bar season as well. Although I lack any concrete proof, I imagine that the period from September through January is probably a sports bar’s best season. Wichita has a good selection of local sports bars and it seems like everyone has their favorite. Fat Tony’s, located at 417 E. Douglas, is a somewhat recent addition to the scene, but with their giant TV screen and food challenges they are trying to separate themselves from the rest.

Your Basic Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

The first thing you are drawn to at Fat Tony’s is the large projection screen at the back of the building that displays life size sporting action. Other TVs line the adjoining walls, making it rather challenging to concentrate on any one game or even the person sitting next to you. Glancing over the menu, all seemed rather mundane with the typical offerings of burgers, salads, sandwiches, etc offered, until I came upon the food challenges. The three challenges include: A 9 pound burger with all the fixings and a pound of fries that must be consumed in 45 minutes, a wing challenge with Tony’s signature nuclear sauce, and a five pound Philly cheesesteak with a pound of fries that has to be eaten in 30 minutes. All of these feats seem a bit daunting given the time restraints, but I’m sure that some highly trained eating athlete could pull them off.

Steph and I were both in the mood for a burger, so we went with the basic half pound burger with cheese. The small kitchen is set up in the middle of the dining area,  giving patrons the opportunity to watch the cooks in action. One thing I did catch was the bag of frozen fries that the cook pulled out and dumped into the fryer. It was a bit disappointing to see them cutting corners like that.

I was happy to see that our burgers had not been overcooked when they arrived. There was still a bit of pink in the middle, which is hard to get in a burger these days. The patties were moist, but could have used some additional seasoning. All in all I would have to say it was a slightly above average burger. The fries could not overcome the fact they had been pulled from the freezer bag, as they tasted rather industrial.

Fat Tony’s passes the litmus test for a respectable sports bar. Decent food, obscenely large and numerous TV’s and plenty of cold beer. Plus they are one of the few places in town that offers eating challenges.

http://www.fattonysgrill.com/

River City Brewing Co.

Brewpubs are currently enjoying a great deal of popularity and success in the US, as more and more people opt for tasty craft beer paired with comfort foods . River City Brewery, located in the heart of Old Town on Mosley street, was one of the  first restaurants to open as part of the revitalization of Old Town that took place in the early 90s.

The interior of River City is a nod to the age of the building that houses it. Wooden floors and exposed brick make it feel like you have stepped back into Wichita’s cowtown days, that is of course until your eyes fix upon one of the several TVs or

Your Basic Mac’n'Cheese

the stainless steel brewing apparatus.   The menu at River City offers no surprises, it features salads, sandwiches, pizza, steak, mac’n'cheese, and burgers. The main attraction here are the several varieties of craft beer made in-house. There are 5 standard brews available year round as well as special brews and a Firkin Thursday event that offers unique and sometimes disturbing beer flavors.

On our visit, we both started off with the Harvester Wheat beer. It was a good American wheat that was comparable to some of the better wheat beers on the market. I also tried the Rock Island Red, which is River City’s take on the American amber ale. It was a decent tasting amber, although I preferred the Harvester Wheat over it .

For dinner I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Pizza. This pie panders to those who cannot get enough of the iconic Buffalo wings and must have them in pizza form as well. It comes with chicken tender pieces, the classic Buffalo sauce, mozzarella, and blu cheese. The only thing missing would be some celery sprinkled on top. Steph ordered a bowl of the broccoli mac’n'cheese. Despite a fairly crowded dining room, our food was delivered before I had a chance to finish my first beer. The pizza was served just as advertised, with generous toppings and a tangy Buffalo sauce with just the right amount of kick to it. The crust was crispy and tasted fresh. With a lot of stiff pizza competition in Wichita I would say this particular pie was about average. The pizza was good sized and I struggled to finish it all by myself. We were less impressed with the broccoli mac’n'cheese. The sauce was runny and not very cheesy and there was nothing done to jazz

The Buffalo Chicken Pizza

up the dish. It tasted fine, but was lacking anything to make it stand out from mac’n'cheese you could make at home.

We were lucky enough to have some live entertainment on the Friday night we visited in the form of two gentlemen and their acoustic guitars. The set started out with some promise, but after a medley of America songs and a valiant, yet unsuccessful attempt at Gimmie Shelter, I was rather eager for out check to arrive.

River City is a good place to sample some solid craft beers and enjoy a televised sporting event, but don’t go expecting to be blown away by the food.

Timbuktu Bar and Grill: A Family Friendly Dive Bar

All Are Welcome at Timbuktu

Previously Published in The Wichita Eagle:

Sometimes you just need a good cheeseburger and beer to reaffirm that all is still well and good in the world. Luckily you needn’t travel to a city in western Africa to find such a place, just head out to Andover. There you will find Timbuktu Bar and Grill, a small town institution since 1982 that’s known for their hamburgers and friendly atmosphere.

Taking advantage of the temperate weather on the evening of our visit, we bypassed the dim indoor dining area and went straight to the back patio. Complete with tiki hut, play area for kids/inebriated adults, safari themed wall murals, and plenty of seating this patio is a sight to see.

The small menu consists of your typical bar food selections. Appetizers include nachos, corn fritters, stuffed jalapenos, fried mushrooms and chicken wings. Several sandwiches are also offered including grilled cheese, chicken fried steak, and pork fritter. The main attraction at Timbuktu is the famous half pound burger or for those with something to prove, the double one-pounder. The bar menu is limited to a handful of tap beers and a few canned selections, but they are served in throwback frosty mason jars.

Fried Pork and O-Rings

On our visit we ordered a cheeseburger and pork fitter sandwich. All sandwiches come with chips, but an upgrade to onion rings or curly fires is strongly recommended as both were quite good. The pork fritter sandwich consists of a generous fried cutlet of pork loin, raw onions, and pickles. I substituted fried onions for the raw and applied ketchup and mustard. The sandwich turned out to be pretty good. I was happily surprised that the pork remained moist and tender despite its exterior crispness. My wife ordered the famed burger with fried onions and cheese. A jalapeno relish is also available if you like some spice with your burger.  It was nice to see that the beef patty was hand formed and thick. While the burger was a touch overdone the fried onions and cheese helped make it satisfying. It was not the best burger either of us has had, but we would definitely order it again.

The Famed Half Pounder

Simplicity is the key at Timbuktu and after thirty years in business they continue to make it work. With daily drink specials, occasional live music, and a weekly biker night there is something for everyone at Timbuktu.

 

http://timbuktubarandgrill.com/

 

 

Pour Haus

What better way to get ready for a Tom Petty concert than to enjoy cold brews and burgers at a local tavern? That was our thinking when we tried out the newly opened Pour Haus at Maple and Seneca. Expectations were rather high after reading about their large selection of beers on tap and a menu that featured many beer infused items. Unfortunately our experience at Pour Haus was less than desirable.

Mmmm, So Many Beer Taps

The building where Pour Haus currently resides has been several different enterprises over the years, a gentleman’s club and pizza place come to mind. I don’t think Pour Haus remodeled much of the interior judging by the holes in the ceiling where the “entertainment poles” used to be. The lack of redecorating at least makes for a good conversation piece at this upscale dive bar.

The Basic Cheeseburger with Delicious Parmesan Fries

Pour Haus does deliver as promised with their large selection of beers on tap. At the time of our visit they had a unique variety of craft beers that typically are not available at bar taps in Wichita. They also have an even larger assortment of bottled beers. If you cannot decide on a certain tap beer they offer “Beer Flights” that provide you with samples of several types.

The menu is typical for a bar and grill with burgers, sandwiches, salads, comfort foods, and a few desserts. The twist is the menu was designed on the night that beer was the secret ingredient on Iron Chef as nearly every item has some infusion of malty goodness into it.

The Hangover With Extra Crispy Fries

Everyone in our party decided that the stout infused burgers sounded too good to pass up. I went with the basic PH&T with cheddar cheese, while Steph ordered “The Hangover” which came adorned with a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and bacon. The menu explicitly states the burgers are cooked to order, so we asked for medium doneness. Like many places there are several choices of fried potato to accompany your meal, I went with the Parmesan fries, while Steph ordered sweet potato fries.  After a moderate wait time our meal was finally delivered. The burgers were presented in dramatic fashion with a steak knife driven right through the heart of these meat disks. Unfortunately upon further inspection every burger at our table was cooked beyond well done. It looked as if they had been thrown onto the grill and then forgotten about for half an hour. I did like the pretzel bun that came with the burger, but it was hard to get past the dry beef. On a positive note the Parmesan fries were very good. They were fresh, thick cut, and crispy with a dusting of cheese on top.  Steph was unimpressed with her burger as well, although if the meat had been cooked correctly it would have been good with the fried egg and bacon. The sweet potato fries were overcooked as well and heavily salted. For our trouble the manager did send out orders of scrumptious bread pudding for the entire table, although we were never given an explanation as to what happened with the burgers.

I hope that we just happened to hit Pour Haus on a night when the kitchen was a bit off, because I like the concept that they are trying to achieve. Others that I have talked to have had good experiences with their food, so I am willing to give them another chance at some point.

Pour Haus

 

Fusa/Red 8 Chinese/Chill Gelato(Sushi and Gelato Under One Roof)

Lured in by a coupon offering free gelato with the purchase of a meal we tried the 3 in 1 eatery Fusa/Red 8 Chinese/Chill Gelato the other day. Fusa is located in a strip mall just north of Kellogg and Greenwich. Apparently its original location was in the Towne East Mall, but since I try to avoid that place at all costs, it’s new to me. The owner of Fusa is the same person who opened the iconic Kwan Court and luckily he brought back an old favorite to serve at Fusa. I speak of the honey crispy walnut shrimp, one of my all time favorite dishes.

The Famous Crispy Walnut Shrimp

Fusa is set up much like a mall food court, with several counters offering different cuisines. There is Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, sushi, pasta, burgers, and last but not least, Gelato to top it all off. If you have picky eaters in your group there should be something at Fusa that will satisfy their needs. Ordering was a no brainer for Steph and I, we went with the honey crispy walnut shrimp and the honey crispy walnut chicken. Both dishes came served atop a bed of steamed rice(fried rice available upon request), with plenty of shrimp/chicken. The honey walnut sauce, while not quite on par with the Kwan Court version, was still very good. Coupled with some decent fried shrimp and chicken it was a satisfying meal.

After finishing our lunch we walked to the back of the restaurant where the coolers of gelato( Italian ice cream) are located. Unfortunately there were many delicious flavors, so making a decision was rather difficult. I finally settled on pistachio and Steph was won over by the salted caramel. Our single serving cups were piled high with the creamy frozen treats. We were both pleased with our respective gelato, although it was not as good as Caffe Moderne’s.

A Heaping Cup of Caramel Gelato

If you are looking for a place where you can get your teriyaki chicken and quesadilla fix at the same time Fusa is a good option. Even if you’re not interested in multi-ethnic dining, the large gelato selection is worth checking out.

Southeast Carryout

In need of a quick and convenient lunch I stopped by Southeast Carryout the other day. This simple burger joint has been a staple in SE Wichita for over twenty years. Their original location was right across the street from Southeast High, but now they reside on the northeast corner of Harry and Oliver.

The Cleanest Burger Stand in Wichita

Although the name  implies it is strictly a carryout operation, there are a few tables if you would prefer your car to not smell like a cheeseburger for the next week. Unlike some small burger joints, SE Carryout is impressively clean and tidy inside. So much so that I am going to award them, “Cleanest Burger Stand in Wichita”.  The menu consists of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, fried sides, and snow cones. Coke AND Pepsi products are both served in harmony here as well.

I went with the 1/3 lb double cheeseburger meal with fries and a drink for the low price of $4.20. There is certainly no debate that they make their burgers fresh to order as I watched them slap a couple of patties down onto the flattop grill. I was a bit disappointed that they appeared to be preformed thin burger patties though. For the price I got a decent amount of french fries, although they were nothing special. The burger came fully loaded with ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, and onions. Despite all the added condiments I thought the burger was average. There was nothing wrong with it, but then again I wasn’t blown away. It was certainly a better burger than most fast food chains.

Your Average Burger

In an age when it is hard to find a basic hamburger for under $5, SE Carryout makes it possible. While I would not put it on my list of top burgers in Wichita, you won’t be disappointed with the value at Southeast Carryout.

Southeast Carryout

West Street Burgers – Wichta KS

Always in search of a good meat disk we stopped by West  Street Burgers the other day. The aptly named burger joint is  located on West St. just south of Douglas. To be precise we opted for the drive-thru on this visit because West Street Burgers is just a small shack with rather limited dine-in options. Shockingly the focal point of the menu at West Street are their burgers. They come in several different sizes and all are served with mustard, onions, and chopped pickles. Hmmm that combination seems similar to one of the more famous burger places in Wichita. I thought Nuway had a copyright on that condiment combination, but perhaps West Street has discovered some loophole. Besides burgers  they offer a few other sandwiches as well as an assortment of fried side items.

We both went with cheeseburgers, Steph the single and I the double.  For some added variation we ordered fries and onion rings respectively. Unfortunately we had to drive all the back to the eastside before we could indulge in our greasy goodness. In some respects driving with warm burgers in the car can be just as dangerous as texting while driving. That intoxicating smell is very powerful and its ability to distract you from the task at hand should not be underestimated. Once home we discovered a nice grease spot on my fine GM upholstery, but were too hungry to care all that much.

The burgers were good, although the patties themselves were no marvel of hamburgery. They were your typical semi-thin, well done patty, but at least they were moist and tasted fresh. We both agreed that the best part of the burger was the delicious butter toasted bun. Even after the car ride the buns retained their crispness and distinct butter flavor.   As for the fried goods, they were average. The onion rings were homemade, but could have used a bit more flavor in the batter. And as one internet reviewer noted the fries are in fact made from potatoes, which is always good, but we didn’t find them particularly amazing.

For the price West Street Burgers is a great deal, as our lunch cost around $11. For a fast burger this is a real good place to check out, especially since it is located right next to a Sonic. While sitting in the drive-thru you can gaze at all those poor people waiting for a Sonic burger and find some satisfaction in the fact that you have chosen your burger purveyors wisely.

The minute I saw this place my mind immediately thought, “This must be the Sport Burger of the westside”. Indeed it has many similarities to the greatness that is Sport Burger, but in my not-so-humble opinion Sport Burger is still tops. You just can’t beat their greasy burgers and grilled onions.