A long list of Wichita restaurants that have just opened — and two that are about to
Something’s always happening on the restaurant scene in Wichita, and if you turn your back for a second — to take a spring break ski trip to Colorado, for example — you miss a lot.
Here’s a quick update on some local restaurant openings that have just happened or are about to.
Now open
Angry Elephant, 756 N. Tyler: Santiago Munoz closed his west-side barbecue restaurant in January so that he could absorb the space next door that was occupied by Augustino Brewing Company until it was evicted in November. Last week, Munoz reopened, though at the moment, he’s waiting on furniture and is serving only out of the new bar space on the north side of the building. He plans to have the main dining room reopened soon and will celebrate with a grand opening party in April, when he will also introduce a new menu.
Azul 21 Mexican Restaurant, 2119 W. 21st St.: In December, Angela’s Cafe left the space near 21st and Amidon where it had operated off and on since the 1990s. But there’s already a new tenant in the building. Azul 21 Mexican Restaurant, which had been operating at 2959 S. Hillside since April 2021, has just relocated to the old Angela’s space.
Dunkin’, 3134 N. Maize Road: The Wichita area’s seventh Dunkin’ has opened in front of the Sam’s Club at 29th and Maize Road. It has both a drive-through and room for seating inside, and its hours are 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Las Delicias ICT, 1052 N. Waco: Soccoro Garcia’s Mexican snack shop, which started as a mobile fruit stand on Wichita’s north end, last week completed its move from 359 W. 21st St. to a bigger space at 1052 N. Waco, which is in the same strip center as Molino’s Mexican Cuisine and Juarez Bakery. The shop, which serves fruit waters, elote, Mexican ice cream, Mexican chips with toppings, and ceviche and aguachiles on the weekends, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
Douglas Social, 2518 E. Douglas: Travis Hatfield has been slowly working on his new bar on East Douglas and over the past several weeks has put on a couple of soft opening events. Recently, he added some regular hours and is opening the bar from 4 p.m. to midnight Thursdays and Sundays and from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. He plans a grand opening party sometime in April, and once he gets more staff hired, he’ll likely expand the hours, he said. Hatfield, who also owns Uncle Sam’s at 8652 S. Broadway in Haysville, built Douglas Social as a neighborhood hangout. It has retro decor, a pool table and a patio. Though it doesn’t serve food, Hatfield has said he’ll likely invite food trucks to set up in the spacious parking lot when warmer weather arrives.
Noodles & Company, 3807 N. Maize Road: Wichita now has two Noodles & Company restaurants. A new one opened a couple of weeks ago in the same strip center at 37th and Maize Road that also has the relocated Five Guys. It’s the first Noodles & Company in Kansas with a pick-up window, where people who order food via the restaurant’s website or app can get it without getting out of the car. Wichita’s other Noodles & Company is at 3300 N. Rock Road.
Uno Mas, 1735 W. 21st St.: Abel Rodriguez, who has three Uno Mas Fresh Mex restaurants, announced in 2020 plans to move his original restaurant at 21st and Amidon across the street to an end cap of a Twin Lakes strip center that would allow him to have a drive-through. He completed the move a couple of weeks ago, and the restaurant is up and running. The original 21st and Amidon store had been completely closed since October.
About to open
Sweetpops, 2130 N. Tyler: Jimmy Ngyuen, who opened his first Sweetpops boba and coffee shop at 550 N. Rock Road in August 2019, is about ready to open his long-planned west-side store. Opening day is Saturday, and drinks will be 30% off from Saturday through Monday. (Limit one per customer.) The shop’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The Nelson’s Kitchen, 6829 E. Kellogg: This new carryout-only restaurant in the former Sal’s Japanese Steakhouse space recently tried a couple of soft openings that went well, said owner Shea Nelson, but then she discovered a gas leak in the building and had to close down. She’s hoping to reopen for good on Friday. The restaurant, which is owned by the family that operated Brint’s Diner until last April, will serve wings, fried fish, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, fries and more.
The Nelson’s Kitchen menu
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 10:13 AM.
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