I've been thinking about this ever since a Denver burger chain opened up a restaurant on the east side of my hometown, Wichita. The new place was all the buzz, so I went to check it out. I guess the food was OK, but the place had a definite Strip Mall Vibe and I came away thinking: We've already got better than this here. And I feel a certain loyalty to them, these places that give Wichita its flavor.
I can't pick just one homegrown burger joint that's Quintessential Wichita; each one feeds our souls in its own way. I'd start with Dog N Shake, with history going back to 1948 and the slogan: "We butter toast our buns for you!" It makes a mighty tasty cheeseburger, despite leaving that fact out of the name. Then I'd move on to Bionic Burger, which not only has some of the best fries in town, but serves kids' meals in cardboard classic cars just right for Barbie and Friends.
Then there's TJ's Burger House, a cafe in the revitalized Delano neighborhood that compliments its burger baskets (did that photo get your attention?) with a mean "Hamburgers (sic) Stew." I've gotta include Nu Way, the original non-patty burger, whose creed "Crumbly Is Good" still draws oldtimers to the little white brick place on West Douglas. (Then again, it might be the house-recipe root beer. Yum.) And I've gotta give props to both the the Oasis' burger on the west side and Heroes' sweet pepper bacon burger in Old Town. As my waistline shows, I could go on. . . . I'll leave it to others to explore the True Wichita to be found cruising for comfort food at our Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, Lebanese and other specialty restaurants. I've got my opinions. I'd love to hear yours.
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So, so true. I smile every time I eat at Dog 'n Shake (and not just because the company's always fab). Love the Sweet Pepper Bacon burger, too. Hope it never goes away.
A couple Wichita originals I'd add to the list: Old Mill Tasty Shop's chicken salad and/or veggie burrito; Taco Shop tacos; and awesome newcomer Isabella at Caffe Moderne.
And did I misread, or did you fail to mention Freddy's?! I know you love it. :)
I'm with ya on all that — esp. Freddy's veggie burger! And of course the hot fudge sundae w/pecans that comes after is just a bonus....
In discussing a source for great burgers, one that can't be left out is Harry's Uptown— especially if quantity is any factor. If a B-52 doesn't fill you up, then what will?
Another great burger place in Wichita is Bill's Charcoal Grill on North Arkansas. Burgers made to order and really good!! Also, Freddie's goes without saying - and I will eat the hot fudge sundae (if forced to - ha!)
Ohhh crumbly IS good. Nu-Way is one of those great little places that not only serves good food, but also a heaping portion of nostalgia, particularly if you visit the original location. The burgers are enjoyed not only by families, but generations of families. I'm glad it's a local gem instead of a national chain.
Make mine a medium with cheese, no onions and salt on the curly fries please.
Dani Stone
I hear ya, Dani! My husband's such a Nu Way purist that he faunches whenever I order fries there (not on the menu when Grandpa Holder took him there as a kid, you know!). And heaven forbid if there's ketchup on the table! (but I dip mine, anyway!) Funny how childhood memories can become sacred rituals . . .
The quest for the ultimate burger...
This is probably sacriligeous here, but I thought Freddy's burgers were rather bland.
Big fan of TJ's jalapeno burger, though!
Who really ought to add to this discussion is Helen T. over at WATC. She and her husband have an unofficial goal of eating at every burger joint they find and now have pretty good tabs on what's delish in Wichita. I think they've been doing this for years.
Send Helen T. over here — I'd love to hear what she's got to say!
having now finally, and at long last, eater burgers across America, I can tell you that you guys in Wichita really don't know how lucky you are. I miss my Nu-Way on an absurdly regular basis AND ...Seriously? Fries? That's not how we did it when I was a kid.
Life beyond Nu-Way allows for a different soul-restorative burger for every day of the week there. I didn't realize how much I'd miss it until I did. Have. Do. XOXO
Ya grow up with Great Plains beef, ya don't realize that not everyone doesn't till ya travel! We discovered that the hard way in Canada — ugh! It only *sounds* like Kansas :-P
PS: At lunch today, Dan and his mom got on The Rant about the sacrilege of fries at NuWay, so you must have tapped into that cosmic vibe with your timing of this comment, Moe!
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