Alex Eftekhar
Kansas is often labeled a flyover state, and it gets a bad rap as a place with nothing much to do and nothing much to see. Its residents are subjected to unending Wizard of Oz jokes. But with a population of more than 400,000, Wichita offers many of the perks found in the big cities, minus the traffic: It’s large enough that residents don’t feel isolated from art, culture, and entertainment, but small enough that they run into someone they know every time they leave the house. People who live in Wichita often say that it’s a “big small town” — one full of worthy, vibrant restaurants.
Some of the country’s most famous restaurant chains actually got their starts in Wichita, including Pizza Hut, White Castle, and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. A longtime urban myth is that Wichita has more restaurants per capita than any city in the country. Though that may not actually be true, eating out is definitely one of the city’s main pastimes — which I’ve enjoyed while covering the local food scene here for the past 25 years. As you might expect from a city located in the middle of cattle country, Wichita is a good place to get a great steak. But it’s also home to Lebanese, Vietnamese, and Mexican communities who have filled the city with top-rate ies. Here are 17 of my favorites.
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