The 10 Best Restaurants In Topeka, Kansas
Every city has a flavour all its own, and Topeka, capital of Kansas, is no exception. Visit new arts district NOTO and choose from a diverse array of restaurants, from intimate dining in a historic building to award-winning barbecue, exotic international cuisine and a multitude of Mexican places. We’ve lined up 10 top restaurants to try for a true taste of Topeka.
RowHouse Restaurant
Greg Fox learned the restaurant business in Topeka, New York City and Nashville. After returning to his native Topeka, Fox opened RowHouse Restaurant in 2007, where the menu is ever changing. Set over three floors and the outdoor courtyard of a historic house, RowHouse Restaurant is intimate, elegant and cool. It’s the perfect location for parties of two to 12; each dining room is inviting and unique. A recent menu featured featured an appetiser of chilled strawberry soup with orange and pepper whipped cream, followed by an entrée of honey balsamic glazed beef with summer vegetable succotash and sweet tea cream pie for dessert. See the website for a list of Greg’s own favourite restaurants in Topeka and elsewhere in the US.
RowHouse Restaurant, 515 SW Van Buren, Topeka, KS, USA, +1 785 235 1700
1. Speck’s Bar & Grill
Bar, Pub Grub
Lonnie Q’s BBQ
Lonnie Q’s BBQ serves BBQ and all the sides, especially the popular and famous cheesy taters (a type of hashbrown casserole). Topekan Lon Weaver always loved to cook and knew someday he wanted to have his own restaurant. He just wasn’t sure what type. After smoking some ribs one night several years ago with a co-worker, however, he found his true passion. ‘I fell in love with barbecue that night,’ says Weaver. ‘I didn’t even know what a smoker was 15 years ago.’ With numerous popular barbecue restaurants in the area, Lonnie says the moistness of the meat is what sets his restaurant apart. The meat is smoked and tenderized for 18 hours, using charcoal and wood. The inside of Lonnie’s is decked out with a musical motif, having several pieces of artwork drawn and painted by Weaver himself. ‘It’s basically a metal building with some imagination,’ says Weaver of his place, the décor of which is dedicated to family, blues rock, motorcycles and, of course, barbecue. The restaurant slogan: ‘We smoke it and it’s legal.’
Lonnie Q’s BBQ, 3150 SE 21st Street, Deer Creek Valley, Topeka, KS, USA, +1 785 233 4227
2. The Burger Stand at College Hill
Restaurant, American, Pub Grub
3. College Hill Pizza Pub
Pizzeria, Pub, Italian
4. G’s Frozen Custard and Yoghurt
Ice Cream Parlour, Ice Cream
5. Bobo’s Drive-In
Bobo’s Drive-In
Bobo’s Drive-In has been named one of the ‘Eight Wonders of Kansas Cuisine’, and has also been featured on the Food Network’s show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Bobo’s Drive-In offers delicious cheeseburgers, handmade onion rings, and homemade apple pies. There is a small area with counter or table service, but half of the customers are served by the car-hops. The current owners, Richard and Tricia Marsh, bought Bobo’s in 2007, but some of the staff have been there many years. A Topeka tradition since 1948, this classic drive-in with car hops also serves Spanish burgers, pork tenderloin, chocolate malts and much more.
Bobo’s Drive-In, 2300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS, USA, +1 785 234 4511
6. Henry’s BBQ Grill
Diner, Restaurant, American, BBQ
7. CW Porubsky Grocery and Meats
Grocery Store, American
8. Pad Restaurant
Restaurant, American, Fast Food, Vegetarian
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