7 Kansas Restaurants Kansans Will Drive Out of Their Way For
Some meals are worth a long drive, and Kansans know a few by heart.
A handful of these spots have been serving for generations, and regulars still make the trip.
Here are the Kansas restaurants worth going out of your way for.
1. Hays House
Hays House in Council Grove says on its site that it’s the oldest restaurant west of the Mississippi.
Hays House 1857 was founded by Seth Hays as a restaurant and trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.
The Kansas Sampler Foundation includes Hays House in its 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.
Hays House’s menu lists country fried steak as a guest favorite.
Its site lists Mondays as closed and Sundays as 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as of October 2026.
2. Cozy Inn
The Cozy Inn opened in Salina in 1922 as a six-stool diner, according to the Kansas Historical Society.
The Foundation features the Cozy Inn in its 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine and describes palm-sized hamburgers grilled with a generous heap of onions.
You can buy the sliders by the sack.
Travel Kansas describes the menu as burgers, chips and a cold soda.
You’ll also find stools at the small counter, a walk-up window and outdoor dining.
The Cozy Inn’s website lists Monday to Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. as of October 2026.
3. Chicken Annie’s Original
Chicken dinners at Chicken Annie’s Original in Pittsburg go back to 1934, according to the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
It’s one of six Crawford County chicken restaurants that together make up one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.
The menu lists a half chicken of five pieces for two people and a whole chicken of 10 pieces for four.
Dinners come with your choice of three side orders and onion rings.
Its site lists the restaurant as closed Mondays as of October 2026.
4. Guy & Mae’s Tavern
In Williamsburg, Guy & Mae’s Tavern has been a family business since 1973, the Kansas Sampler Foundation says.
Guy perfected the rib technique while Mae invented the sauce.
Truckers who stopped in started telling each other about the ribs and sauce on their citizens band (CB) radios.
The ribs are wrapped in foil and brought to your table with newspaper around it all.
Beef, ham, turkey and Polish sausage barbecue sandwiches are on the menu too.
The Foundation’s page says the tavern is cash only, so bring some.
5. NuWay Burgers
Visit Wichita says NuWay Burgers has been around since 1930.
The Kansas Sampler Foundation says the tradition began on July 4, 1930, at a West Douglas location.
The crumbly ground beef sandwich is topped with pickles, diced onions and mustard.
Visit Wichita says homemade root beer floats, onion rings and chili round out the menu.
Its listing is for the West Central location at 7301 W. Central.
Psst! How much do you know about Kansas food history? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
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Answer these questions on Kansas restaurant and fast-food history. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Two college students in Wichita borrowed how much from their mother to start Pizza Hut?
6. Bobo's Drive-In
At Bobo's Drive-In in Topeka, the Kansas Sampler Foundation says you park in a stall and flash your lights to bring the car hop out.
Visit Topeka describes Bobo's as a classic drive-in with car hops.
Inside, there's a horseshoe counter with stools and a few booths.
You'll find cheeseburgers, handmade onion rings and homemade apple pies.
Spanish burgers, pork tenderloin and chocolate malts show up on the menu too.
The same listing shows Monday through Saturday hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. as of October 2026.
It also mentions Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
7. Anchor Inn
Hutchinson's Anchor Inn sits in the space of the former 1916 American Hotel, according to Visit Hutch.
The large Mexican buffet has everything from tortillas to tamales.
The Kansas Sampler Foundation highlights the flour tacos.
It also names Anchor Inn a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.
The restaurant is closed on Sundays as of October 2026.
How to Pick Your Stop
Seven restaurants make seven different kinds of trip, so start with what you're craving.
For country fried steak and a Santa Fe Trail past, head to Hays House in Council Grove.
For sliders by the sack, drive to the Cozy Inn in Salina.
For chicken dinners, point your car toward Chicken Annie's Original in Pittsburg.
For ribs and sauce, Guy & Mae's Tavern in Williamsburg is your stop.
For a crumbly ground beef sandwich, you want NuWay Burgers in Wichita.
For a car hop to bring your food out, Bobo's Drive-In in Topeka is the one.
For a Mexican buffet, Anchor Inn in Hutchinson is waiting.
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