Restaurants in Kansas

The quick-serving cooks at Spangles engage appetites in a '50s-themed dining environment, having recently bolstered the menu with a saucy taste of the Far East—Wok 'n' Roll Bowls, which come in three flavors ($4.49 each). The sweet chicken teriyaki and sirloin steak spoon with stir-fried carrots and broccoli on a bed of steamed white rice, and diners longing for legumes can sink their teeth careening into the spicy kung pao chicken bowl crowned with peanuts. Keep thirsty mouths from imbibing ketchup packets by dangling a pair of 32-ounce soft drinks in front of them ($1.69 each). Ten varieties are available, such as tropical punch, green-peach tea, Pepsi, and root beer.

Taste Restaurant serves elegant New American entrees and small plates of internationally-influenced fare in a hip, modern setting. A lunch menu of shareable selections lets diners mix-and-match three bites for $11. Options include a mini grilled mahi mahi burger and a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad with balsamic glaze. The dinner menu lists elegantly prepared American classics such as filet mignon ($28) and grilled salmon ($18). Pair plates with a martini to make flavors come alive and serenade your tongue with John Fogerty lyrics.

Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Popeyes remains the flavorful lovechild of Cajun and Creole cooking, serving up a wide-ranging menu. Connoisseurs of crispiness can stick with Popeyes’ famous New Orleans–style fried chicken meals ($4.49–$6.89) surrounded with savory sides ($1.59–$3.79) such as warm flaky biscuits, red beans and rice, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, Cajun rice, and more. Otherwise, slather some livers and gizzards ($2.99–$5.49) onto a biscuit and eat it, temporarily imbuing you with the chicken’s mighty strength and ability to smell time. Avian-averse appetites can feast instead on a shrimp po’ boy combo ($6.19) with a pecan pie ($1.49) or Mississippi mud pie ($1.99) for dessert. And to keep your famished family from impeaching you and electing a new parent, quell multi-person appetites with bona fide family meals ($10.49–$30.99).

For more than 30 years, Quiznos has toasted its submarine sandwiches to help bring out the flavors of their butcher-quality meats, cheese, and artisan breads. Its classic and signature subs take on a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, ranging from the prime rib peppercorn to the classic italian donning black olives, mozzarella, red-wine vinaigrette, and plentiful sliced meats. Other designer sandwiches bear labels such as classic club with bacon, Baja-chicken, and veggie-guacamole.

Since new owners took over, Papa Kenos Pizzeria has a newly renovated look to pair with its beguiling fragrance of freshly baked pizza. Chefs hew specialty thin-crust pies into individual slices, each teeming with gourmet toppings such as roma tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or almonds, and they stack freshly baked bread with premium meats and cheeses. Saucy morsels pair with pitchers of beer or bottles of wine within the casual, sunlit dining room or outside on the patio. Diners can also opt for delivery services, which are available throughout Papa Kenos’ entire business day, so they can dive into their pizzas from home, the office, or a pup-tent in the parking lot.

For 70 years, Winstead’s has garnered a myriad of accolades and praise for its scrumptious hamburgers and other drive-in eats. Poke through the menu to find the joint’s signature Double Winstead steakburger, grilled with U.S. Choice Steak and topped with all the sloppy-tasty fixings––mustard, ketchup, pickle, and onion ($3.35). The Fifty-Fifty puts hot and crisp french fries and crunchy onion rings side by side in the most delicious peace pact since ketchup and mustard ended their hot-dog feud ($2.19). Scarf a chili cheese dog ($2.79) or grilled-cheese sandwich ($2.05), and then focus on Winstead’s old-fashioned desserts. Creamy milk shakes and malts ($2.45–$4.55) immerse taste buds in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, and butterscotch, and Winstead’s beloved skyscraper shake ($7.25) packs enough iced delight to quench the thirsts of four people or one André the Giant. Other desserts include a root-beer float ($2.45) and apple-dumpling à la mode ($4.60).