Restaurants in Gardner

The pit masters at Boss Hawg’s Barbeque & Catering Co, voted as having the Best Barbecue by Kansas Best 150 and continually proclaimed as having the Best Barbecue in Topeka by the Topeka Capital-Journal, have slowly smoked succulent meats over native hardwoods and charcoal for more than 15 years. Beginning as a one-woman catering business in the owner’s home kitchen, the eatery has grown into a 50-employee operation that serves more than 150,000 meals each year in a town of just 120,000 residents and only 100 forks. Each day, the cooks prepare picnic-style sides from scratch, boiling fresh potatoes before transforming them into salads and steak fries. To lock in moisture and flavor, the meat in the owner's preferred dish—the Elizabeth’s Favorite barbecued-chicken dinner—is served with its skin on, next to a cool scoop of coleslaw. The American Royal combo, a quarter-rack of ribs and quarter-pound of shredded meat or smoked sausage, comes with corn bread slathered in fresh honey butter and the imperial authority to declare Canada a fiefdom. When not dropping into the dining room for a casual dinner, barbecue lovers can place catering orders or book banquet meals in a private room that accommodates up to 100 guests.

At Marrakech Cafe, chefs grill kebabs marinated and seasoned with Moroccan spices, oven-roast cornish hens with olives and capers, and crown saffron rice with vegetables and halal meats. The aroma of beef tagine cooked with sweet prunes and apricots wafts throughout the dining area, tempting diners to order second helpings or to capture the scents in jars for later whiffs. Patrons dig into fluffy servings of couscous topped with vegetables, lamb, and chicken or sautéed mussels while clinking glasses of refreshing Moroccan mint tea.

Founded by a fusion of a skilled chef, his wife, and their business partner, Nica's 320 aims to meld the traditional flavors of Italian, Thai, Caribbean, French, and Cajun cuisines into culinary gold. In the kitchen, chef Bryan Merker and his team plate a diverse menu that blends those influences into tasty entrees and mix-and-match specialties so creative they rival the gourmet cheese plates that NASA brought back from the moon.

Inside Nica's 320’s exposed-brick dining room, constellations of local artwork contrast with a hammered-steel-topped bar that dispenses cocktails and cold showers beneath an ornate absinthe fountain. Lighting fixtures dangle from exposed ceilings, casting an amorous glow over cornbread pancakes, thai chicken, korean pork, jerk-steak slider trios, and sticky-rice crab cakes laced with savory cheddar and red-chili jam. Steaming plates of redefined risotto, pan-fried noodles, man n' cheese, and beignets pique curious palates. Outside, an open-air patio soaks its occupants in gentle breezes that —like the fountain—have the power to pacify.

Denise Ward grew up nourished by soul food that her mother skillfully prepared. After learning to prepare the same recipes herself, she dreamed of sharing them with other people. That’s why she and her husband, Perry, opened a soul food café in 1985, naming it Niecies Restaurant. In 2006, they expanded to a second location.

In the early hours, cooks grill pork chops for breakfast sandwiches and prepare signature plates such as the Sunrise Breakfast, which The Pitch asserts, “may be the best way to start any morning.” Later in the day, plates of fried catfish and barbecue brisket share table space with bowls of beef stew more comforting to stomachs than teddy bears eaten whole. Homespun desserts such as peach cobbler sweeten palates.

The food gets served in a comfy diner-style setting. Thickly padded booths line two long rows of front windows, and diner stools prop up guests at the counter—in case they want to reenact scenes from their favorite road-trip movie, such as Ben-Hur. Floral wallpaper hangs cozily over wood-trim wainscoting, and plates of pancakes can be seen on the shelf between the kitchen and the dining area for that fleeting instant before servers whisk them off to tables.

Owners Peter and Andrea Nguyen apply 20 years of Chinese cooking experience to fill empty tummies with an extensive buffet of bottomless eats and cooked-to-order dishes for delivery. Diners stroll down the alley formed by glass-domed counters to search sizzling trays filled with fresh dishes, such as stir-fried beef or bubbling soups. A chilled section shelters a colorful spread of fresh fruits and salads to fill out meals with natural sugars and roughage. A private dining room accommodates up to 50 guests with room enough to sate a large celebration or seat an emergency session of the state senate.

After graduating from Kansas State University, Greg Fuciu decided to make his mark on the world by staying close to home and opening Lucky Brewgrille—a restaurant, coffee shop, and nightspot that coexist under a single roof. The flagship restaurant, whose dark hardwood booths and checkerboard floors evoke the warmth of an intimate pub, lists desserts first on its menu; an odd move, but a surprisingly thoughtful one that gives diners a sense of what to make room for. Of course, it’s still tempting to fill up on the burgers and skewers of hand-rubbed blackened chicken that beckon from the pages along with suggested beer and wine pairings.

The warm, pub-like atmosphere carries over to the coffee shop, where steam rises from mugs only to disappear amid plum walls and crimson velvet curtains. A wash of dim blue lights settles over velvet cubes and low tables in the downstairs Groove Lounge as late-night carousers spend the early-morning hours dancing or sword fighting with olive spears. On Friday night, the music moves upstairs to the outdoor patio, where feet tap and fingers snap to the sounds of live jazz.