Rediscover eateries that helped define Wichita’s dining past
This collection of stories explores beloved Wichita restaurants that once shaped the city's dining landscape.
You can step back into Torre’s Pizzeria, where lunchtime pizza buffets drew downtown workers, or revisit Red Mesa Grill, which introduced Southwest flavors and dishes like posole and cilantro pesto cream enchiladas to the west side.
Other articles guide you through the late-night comfort food at Kip’s Big Boy, the colonial-themed setting of Applegate’s Landing, and Diamond Head’s flaming pu pu platters and tiki drinks. You also rediscover the many restaurants that came and went inside the Allis Hotel and the now-empty Central Building, along with the long history behind Town & Country and its sibling Pancake House.
Read the stories below.
NO. 1: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: RED MESA GRILL WAS A SPICY RESTAURANT PIONEER ON WICHITA’S WEST SIDE
Red Mesa Grill lasted in Wichita from 2000 until 2006, but its cilantro pesto enchiladas will never be forgotten. | Published March 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 2: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: REMEMBER APPLEGATE’S LANDING? HERE ARE 2 RECIPES FOR ITS GILBERTINI
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wichita loved to dine at Applegate’s Landing, a restaurant that specialized in pizza, pasta and sub sandwiches. | Published April 19, 2024 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 3: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: THIS ‘BIG BOY’ KEPT 1970S/1980S WICHITA FED LATE INTO THE NIGHT
People remember visiting Wichita’s Kip’s Big Boy restaurants for the strawberry pie. | Published June 28, 2024 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 4: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: 1990S OLD TOWN RESTAURANT SERVED PIZZA BUFFET AT NOON, BLUES AT NIGHT
Downtown workers would stuff themselves full of carbs and cheese at lunch then try to stay awake the rest of the day. | Published December 6, 2024 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 5: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: TOWN & COUNTRY FOUNDER ALSO OWNED PANCAKE HOUSE, HANOVER HOUSE IN 1960S
Jay Conover and partner Roy Harris once fed Wichita fried chicken and pot roast galore | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 6: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: NOW-EMPTY WICHITA BUILDING WAS HOME TO 96 YEARS’ WORTH OF CAFES, CLUBS
When it opened in 1929, the 10-story building represented hope for downtown Wichita. Over the years, it was home to a string of fascinating cafes, nightclubs, restaurants. | Published February 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 7: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: DIAMOND HEAD WAS FAMOUS FOR POTENT ZOMBIE DRINKS, FLAMING PU PU PLATTERS
The beloved South Wichita Polynesian restaurant, had it survived, would turn 50 this year. | Published March 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
NO. 8: FLASHBACK FRIDAY: WICHITA’S ALLIS HOTEL HOUSED MANY LUXURY RESTAURANTS DURING ITS TIME
The 17-story hotel, which was built in 1930 then imploded in 1996, drew diners to Kit Kat Coffee Shop, Pup Lunch, Country Kitchen and Pancake Palace, to name a few. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Neil
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported and written by DeniseNeil and edited by McClatchy journalists.