New barbecue sports bar set to open in an increasingly popular Wichita restaurant corridor
Last month, I told you about a new taco and tequila bar that’s under construction at 2819 E. Central, just to the east of the Revolutsia shipping container mall.
The restaurant, which will be called Itzcali Tacos and Tequila, is owned by Navid and Veronica Haeri, who are hoping to open it by spring of 2022.
Now, there’s news of a second restaurant moving into the same space. Navid Haeri’s longtime friend Chris Morgan, a barbecue aficionado who recently opened a food truck called SmokeHouse ICT, said he is taking over the back section of the massive building for his own separate “barbecue sports bar.” He plans to call it Smokehouse Lounge.
The restaurants will be completely separate. Itzcali’s signage will face Central, where SmokeHouse Lounge’s will face west and its entrance will be accessible from the parking lot.
SmokeHouse Lounge will offer traditional barbecue items like pulled pork and smoked brisket at lunch, designed to get nearby Wesley Medical Center workers in and out quickly. But in the evenings, Morgan said, he’ll offer more unique specials — things other barbecue restaurants in town aren’t serving.
“I was born and raised here but didn’t want to go along the same lines of Kansas City barbecue everyone already has. I want to try to do something different,” Morgan said, noting that he’d likely avoid common dishes like pulled pork tacos and go for something more like smoked filet mignon with fettuccine Alfredo.
The restaurant will also serve a Saturday and Sunday brunch, and on nights when big sporting events aren’t being broadcast, Morgan said, he’d like to offer live blues and classic rock music.
Though Itzcali will have its own chef, Morgan said, he will manage both restaurants.
“We’re going to make it a fun place, and the great thing with having both those restaurants next to each other is that there’s going to be two completely different atmospheres,” Morgan said.
SmokeHouse Lounge will open in an area of Wichita that’s suddenly becoming busy with restaurants. In addition to Revolutsia, which includes favorites like Prost and Taco Locale, the popular Kiko’s Mexican restaurant opened earlier this year right across the street.
Morgan said that he’ll continue to operate the SmokeHouse ICT food truck, which he first launched in April, but he plans to start taking it to more visible places around the downtown area. So far, he’s mostly been parking at businesses in industrial areas and serving their employees over the lunch hour.
Morgan, a former insurance agent and dance instructor, said he learned to cook from his mother and even attended culinary school to learn how to hone his hobby.
He left insurance last year and started doing barbecue catering with the goal of opening a food truck. His specialties are his brisket, which always sells out quickly, he said, and his smoked beef sausage with jalapenos.
I’ll keep you posted on the progress for SmokeHouse Lounge and Itzcali, but you can follow along with the SmokeHouse ICT food truck on its Facebook page.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 9:46 AM.
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