Five more area restaurants that are worth a drive

Last month, we offered a list of five restaurants in nearby communities worth driving for, including The Breadbasket, Newton's sweet-and-tasty downtown gem, and Sedgwick's Cy's Hoof & Horn, home of calf fries and mounted deer heads.

At the time, we promised that we'd soon follow up with a second list of restaurants to visit when your stomach is empty and your gas tank is full.

Today's installment includes a gourmet sandwich shop in El Dorado, a new burger joint in Park City and a quaint coffee shop in Winfield.

Kechi — Geno's Bar-B-Q

Address: 140 S. Oliver, 316-744-1497

Distance from Wichita: 10 miles

Hours: 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays, noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 3 p.m. Sundays

Gene and Betty Washington have owned Geno's Bar-B-Q, a tiny and cute three-day-a-week restaurant in Kechi, for 16 years.

The restaurant operates out of a small converted house that's decorated with Kechi's signature antiques and serves brisket, ribs, ham, links and turkey and sides such as potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw.

What's the best thing Geno's serves?

"Everything," head chef Gene says with a sly smile.

But what are you best known for?

"Everything."

Park City — Hamburger Heroes

Address: 1500 E. 61st St. North

316-409-7951

Distance from Wichita: 9 miles

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The 6-month-old Hamburger Heroes, opened by peewee soccer buddies Joshua Sams and Nathan Zaricki, serves old-fashioned hamburgers and fresh-cut fries and focuses on fresh ingredients.

"We don't even have a freezer except for our ice cream," Zaricki says.

The restaurant has quickly earned a following and also serves hand-dipped, old-fashioned Blue Bell milkshakes and catfish baskets on Thursdays through Saturdays.

One unique feature of the restaurant: Owners have figured sales tax in the price, so customers pay exactly the price listed on the menu.

Winfield — College Hill Coffee

Address: 403 Soward,

620-229-8155

Distance from Wichita: 51 miles

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays; 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

It's a little bit of a drive, but fans of the adorable College Hill Coffee say it's worth it. Built inside a converted 1926 bungalow on a residential street, the 9-year-old business has a full coffee bar and serves made-from-scratch sandwiches, wraps, soups, quiches, waffles and more.

The shop, owned by Blenda Hoskinson, also features live music outside on Fridays during the summer, and the venue is well-known among Winfield-ish musicians.

College Hill Coffee also has a good website — www.collegehillcoffee.com.

El Dorado — Jacob's Well

Address: 139 N. Main,

316-321-1290

Distance from Wichita: 31 miles

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays

Luke Beal took over Jacob's Well, a growing coffeehouse in downtown El Dorado, a year ago and immediately made some changes.

He added evening hours, and an outdoor brick oven so that he could prepare and serve thin-and-crispy gourmet pizzas in the evenings.

Now, diners know the cozy coffee shop for lunch items such as a turkey and bacon panini sandwiches and dinner pizzas such as the Brescia, topped with roasted chicken, artichokes, fresh oregano, red onions and a garlic-infused olive oil.

Jacob's Well also offers live music on Thursdays, a full coffee bar and an inviting outdoor patio.

Wellington — Fabiola's

Address: 302 N. Washington, 620-326-6554

Distance from Wichita: 34 miles

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Fabiola's is owned by Narciso and Maria Garcia, who have ties to the Felipe's family in Wichita, so the food is similar.

But there's something extra fun about eating it in quiet downtown Wellington, where crowd-pleasing restaurants are few and far between.

Fabiola's most popular dish is its Monterey, and it's also a good place to sip frozen margaritas.

It's been open since 1996.