Survey - Best Hamburger in Topeka

Please take a survey for the best hamburger in Topeka.

Survey Here  

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Kansas City Pizza and Philly Sandwiches and A Deli

That's Betsey (my lovely wife) waving

Stretchilicious (I wonder if I spelled that right) is what Guy (from Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives) calls the food at Grinders.  Grinders in Kansas City, MO was our second stop yesterday and it was our target stop for lunch.

We met Sonny and Sharie at Hillbilly Hot Dogs and if you read the blog for that day you already have learned about Stretch.  If you haven't read that blog entry (click here).  They told us about Grinders and we hope to see them again when they come to Kansas in May.

I have thought this about a couple places that we have visited; and that thought would be "I sure am glad I don't live closer to this restaurant cause I would be broke and fat(ter)."  So needless to say we liked it and will definitely be back.

The menu was quite eclectic so I asked our waitress for her favorite and she was wonderful in recommending a few things from different types of food.  So we took a couple of her recommendations and ordered a little bit of everything.

Lame picture of the pretzel

The Philly Soft Pretzel on the appetizer list that we started with was exactly that a Philly Soft Pretzel; perfectly salted and very pleasing.  Brought back memories of my time spent in Philadelphia while I was in the Navy.

I ordered a half philly with Cheese Wiz.  The menu says it is voted best cheesesteak west of the Mississippi. I am not sure who voted but I am also not sure I have ever tasted a better one west of the ole Miss.  I am not normally a cheesesteak fan cause the peppers don't sit well with my tummy.  So I got the peppers on the side (also Betsey said she wanted to taste it and she likes the peppers.  The tender beef on the pocketed fresh baked Amaroso Roll was prepared perfectly even when I added some peppers.

The chandelier in the Men's Room
I wonder if the people that had the largest
ball of barb wire know it is missing.

Betsey had the Reuben that was STACKED with corned beef.  On it was finely chopped jalapenos, baby Swiss, sauerkraut, and of course thousand island dressing.  And it was a marvelous sandwich as well.  O the Ho Made Potato Chips were very good as well.

All in all it was a great dining experience.  Probably not the cleanest place in the city, but nothing stood out for me to say it wasn't clean.  Restrooms, as well as everything else, was a down to earth everything goes artistic jumble of anything goes.  One of those places where you will see something new each week and it might have been there for awhile.  There is Grinders and then there is Grinders West; normally when you hear that you think that one is in one neighborhood and one in another.  Not the case here as both establishments share a common wall (couldn't knock down the wall cause it is a load bearing wall - hence two places).  By the way it was a joy to watch the team of employees doing each other's jobs.

And we will be back SOON!


I did mention that Grinders was our second stop of the day.  Marv's Delicatessen was the first food stop of the day.  I wanted to get some Knish to send to one of my favorite Marines since we were in the "big city".  There are no places to get Knish in Topeka.  So while we were getting some work done on our car in KC yesterday I decided to go get some Knish.  We picked some up in New York and Josh liked them so Betsey utilized her techno skills and found us a Deli.  A nice little deli in Park Place (an up and coming upscale shopping center) looks like a pretty good place to grab a deli meal.  I was only disappointed in the fact that it was a Chicago influenced deli as opposed to a NY or NJ Jewish Deli.  Still looking for a Jewish Deli but for now this one will do.

I wanted a dozen potato knish and Steve, Proprietor / Owner, said that he would make more but at this time he only had 5 potato and 4 meat knish.  I ate one of the meat knish for breakfast this morning and there was a bit too much onion in them for me, but the potato knish were worthy of mentioning.  I am looking forward to going back to Park Place as there is an authentic street vendor (operated by Marv's Deli) and that will bring back some memories of New York.  Next time I go will be time to get some Lox or a Chicago Dog.  Don't get me wrong there was a Jewish slant to the joint but saw no mention on the menu for kosher.

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Another Great Hamburger in Topeka, KS

Why are the best places for hamburgers in the most hole in the wall place?  That may be a question that we can get some government funding for the research.  Seems like a great investment to me what about you Wally?

The Fryer Shack is a newer establishment, located at what I understand is the original Bobo's site at 1221 SW Huntoon.  Feel secure going here in the his neighborhood.  Huntoon is a very busy street and the parking lot is very well lit, maybe too well lit.  You can see the pile of destruction material in the back.  The place needs a bit of clean up; which does appear to be happening slow but sure.  The first time I visited was last year right after they opened and the air conditioner was broke.

Topeka food and flicks had a few bad comments but if you might need to work yourself up to the grease on some items or you might find yourself feeling a bit queasy.  But they pride themselves on the greasy bags that your french fries or fried dill pickle chips.  I hope they are using a healthy oil (haha).

Onto the burgers.  The burgers are a good size and you can pick between Swiss and American cheese for a cheeseburger.  The burgers have a consistency that is not a crumbly cheap hamburger.  These appear to be a special ground that has a great texture as well as taste.  I think that the buns are home made (well kinda home made).  I always wondered about that statement for a restaurant "Home Made"; does the manager take the items home and make things at home while everyone is sleeping.  I think I would have to give these burgers a 9 on a scale of 10.  A 9 only because it is hard to get a perfect out of me.

The wings were very tasty as well.  Someone mentioned in a previous review that there was some pink in their wing.  That happens in the best and most supervised kitchens.  Doesn't necessarily mean that your food is under-cooked.  Emma Christensen posts in her blog, and I quote: "The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness.  The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices. This is particularly true of young chickens whose bones and skin are still very permeable. Pigment in the bone marrow can color the surrounding tissue and make the bones themselves look very dark. Hemoglobin in the muscles can likewise react with air during cooking to give the meat a pinkish color even after cooking. The chicken's feed and whether it's been frozen can also affect the final color."    I will say that the wings were the best that I have had in Topeka (although they could have been a bit larger).  I did actually get some to go along with my burger on Thursday but went back last evening and grabbed a couple dozen to go home with me for dinner.  If you get the bone out double your order cause they are like popcorn chicken size.  I was there at the end of the day and they ran out of bone ins.




Now as far as esthetic appeal goes this needs some work.  The mother and daughter team during the lunch hour on Thursday walked over, around, and stepped on a rag laying on the floor.  Sorry I couldn't figure out how to rotate the picture.  I almost reached over and picked it up for them; but took a picture instead.  They were very friendly as was the young lady Friday evening (I think her name was Stacia) and I think the Friday night gal was the owner's daughter (or at least the cook's daughter).  Friday night I got a discount on my wings as they were out of the bone in wings; this was a great reach out to say we are sorry.

Random thought

Did you know that Panda's eat Bamboo 12-14 hours per day?

Would you rather have Random Thoughts or Recipes?  I would appreciate any and all thoughts on what interests you most on here.  

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Des Moines Disappointment at the High Life Lounge

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Well as I mentioned yesterday I was a bit disappointed at the High Life Lounge.  A place that is famous for bacon wrapped tater tots.  We arrived and no bacon wrapped tater tots.  Seems there was a bacon festival on Saturday; the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival.  Couldn't they have planned ahead?  I am sorry for the rant - I know things happen it was just that we were so disappointed.

 I guess I should have tried the fried chicken gizzards after I found out they were out of bacon wrapped tater tots.  Mind you they were not out of tots just the bacon wrapped ones.  And when I spoke to the manager about the situation he did share that it was a preparation thing.  The tots get dressed with jalapeno's and bacon, so it isn't just wrapping bacon around the tot.  

The following extracted from their website (and it is exactly true). 

A 1960′s style corner tavern opened local owners of (Full Court Press) on Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2005. Every city should have a bar like this with shag carpet, Formica bar top, vintage wallpaper, and wood paneling. Retro light fixtures and vintage Miller beer promotional lights and signs hang everywhere. The star of the show, Miller High Life, had a culture of its own in the 60’s and 70’s and its allure lives on today. The “Champagne of Beers” outsells two-to-one the next popular beer at the High Life Lounge. If a customer isn’t sipping a High Life, they’re still probably enjoying one of its contemporaries such as Hamm’s, Pabst Blue Ribbon, or original recipe Schlitz.

Like the beer, the food remains true to the era. Deviled eggs, Spam and egg sandwiches, liver and onions, broasted chicken, fried chicken gizzards, and Mom’s pot roast are all favorites. The High Life Lounge is a place for regular folks to relax and have a good time without spending a lot of money, the most popular item on the menu is the $3.75 cheeseburger basket. It’s a quarter pound burger with cheese, pickle and onion served in a basket with a generous portion of golden brown French fries.

The way I see it if you are famous for something and it has been on TV and on the websites you don't run out of it; whatever it is.  OK - I have forgiven them and I will go back.

Just a hole in the wall lounge (bar in most of the United States).  Us Iowans call a small bar a lounge if it has  booths.

The broasted chicken was great.  Very moist and tasty.  Broasting is a great way to cook chicken as it keeps it moist inside the pressure cooker.  A midwest thing I think.

Thanks again for reading my blog, please stop by often and make some comments once in awhile.  I will try to make it entertaining as well as informative, helpful in your travels and in your daily eating habits.  Please let me know what you want to see.

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Des Moines bbq

I had the opportunity to venture to Des Moines, Iowa this past weekend for a Pampered Chef conference announcing the new products for the next season.  And I checked out foodiepie first.  A wonderful website to find out what restaurants have appeared on the Food Network and The Travel Channel.

There were two places in Des Moines that I hadn't been before Jethro's BBQ and The High Life Lounge.  So since there would be two chances to get something to eat while I was there I thought to hit them both.

Saturday when we got there - Sue Hicks was going to the conference as well so she got to encounter my two excursions as well.

We got to Jethro's about 7:30 pm and was greeted at the door by a couple friendly greeters.  It wasn't as busy as I anticipated it to be for a Friday night.  I had read a review online that the wait could be up to 45 minutes; but no wait this Friday.  Got a table right away and a sweet tea.  Nothing like a sweet tea; any sweet tea drinkers out there?  Don't you just love it when you ask "do you have any sweet tea" and the waitperson responds with "we have sugar".  HAHA - It is not SWEET TEA!

Anyways I had called earlier and had asked for the manager, identifying myself as a new food blogger, so they knew I was coming.  Not that I am any Zagat or Urbanspoon reviewer; but they never really know who is coming I suppose; and the famous ones probably keep their identities a secret.  But again as I am a newbie i don't quite know the rulebook yet.  So when I asked a gentleman (looked like a manager) his name and he said Marshall I think that he went back to Wes (the manager I spoke with earlier) and told them I was here cause out comes the other manager, Wes.  We were made.

Introductions made and got some wings coming and Wes was standing there in his Jethro's sweatshirt.  I remarked that I liked his sweatshirt and he asked me if I would like one - of course I said sure I would love to have one.  I am thinking this is great he is going to give this guy a free sweatshirt; he comes out with some brisket and wanted to know what color I wanted.  I picked pink for the sweatshirt.  That is the color of good smoke ring right?

The wings were smoked first and then fried.  I did try doing this feat at Thanksgiving but it is a lot of work so I only got them smoked and baked.  The wings were a bit bigger than the normal wing.  Not as big as the ones in Columbus, but bigger than most.  Make sure you ask for the Blue Cheese Wing Sauce.  It may have just been blue cheese with some wing sauce thrown in but it was really good.

OK - meal came I ordered the ribs and sausage with corn and waffle fries.  The sausage was a bit dry but throw some sauce on it it and is good sausage.  A myriad of secret ingredients made this sausage a step above the others.  When you cook a sausage in a 750 pound smoker it is hard to keep it moist.

THE RIBS THOUGH were spectacular.  A very moist meat (maybe they stole the moisture from the sausage - that is how moist they were) that came away from the bone with the slightest tug.  Not fall off the bone but the next best to it.  Fall off the bone ribs are hard to eat cause it is hard to keep them in front of your mouth as they fall off the bone (get it).  These were cooked to where they would stay on the bone until you wanted them to come off.  BTW I brought half of them home and they were just as great the day after.  I just wished I would have gotten an extra rack to bring home.

They had a few sauces on the table that you normally don't see in the midwest; Alabama White (a mayonnaise base), Hot (of course), Carolina (vinegar base), and a Georgia (mustard base); they were all good but the Jethro Sauce (obviously a house sauce) was untouchable.

The corn had a smokey taste to it and Wes shared that they smoke the corn to cook it.  O my was it good.  I don't get creamed corn at home cause my wife don't like it so it is even more of a special treat to get it but when it tastes this good it is even more of a treat and makes me remember it even more.  And the waffle fries were hot and stayed hot through the whole meal.  Didn't quite understand that, as normally the fries have to be eaten first so they are not cold at the end of the meal.  I brought some fries home first and they reheated well (fries normally don't).

Sue ordered brisket and the smoke ring on the brisket was 3/8 inch deep.  Very tasty meat and again with great moisture content and very tender.  I brought a pound home with me for a friend and they vacuum packed it for me.  She also got the slaw and it was a hot (temperature) and sweet and sour like sauerkraut.

Something that we noticed about the service here at Jethro's is that no matter what they were there to serve and accommodate us.  Whatever we asked it was "no problem" or "yes" or "certainly".  And as Sue and I were remarking on just that as we were getting ready to go I said to the waitress "can I take this bottle of bbq sauce with me and she said sure.  What a great place and I will be back.  I didn't take the sauce just wanted to see how far the accommodation went.

I don't normally check out my tab real well but I did see the bottom line.  And the next morning I am thinking to myself: "Self - that ticket was a bit more than it should have been".  So I pulled it out of my pocket and realized I paid for the sweatshirt that I thought I got free for being a famous food blogger.  Next time I will check out my tab a bit better.

That is ok Wes - I love the sweatshirt and I really did need one anyway.  See you soon!

High Life Lounge coming tomorrow - not quite the same story.

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Chow and Chow Down
Blessings to Ya'll 
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Kevin

Best Hamburger in Topeka, KS

People were chatting the other day about the closest What-a-burger, In-and-Out, Lottaburger, Back Yard Burgers, etc.  All of those are great hamburger chains.  However Topeka doesn't have any of those anymore (used to have a Back Yard Burger - but no more).  There is a pretty good spot for Burgers in the Washburn college area - That will be another day's post though.  Also there is a greasy burger place on Huntoon near Dillons; and again that will be another day.

BUT TODAY'S FOCUS:

In East Topeka at 1420 SE 6th Street there is a well kept secret (ok with me as it keeps the line down) but I did feel that I needed to share.  The Prize Package - nothing fancy except a GREAT greasy burger.  The fries are ok.  I personally prefer the waffle or crinkle cut type fries and these are not those.  I have never eaten anything other than a cheeseburger (actually a double) so I couldn't attest to any of the other foods that they have.  If their line is any indication of how good everything else is they must have good food in every category.  

Speaking of lines - be ready to wait (or call ahead - 785.232.5764) and bring your CASH - one way they have kept prices down.  And don't let the neighborhood scare you cause they are only open during lunch and they are not open on the weekends.

They were ranked number 5 in the state of Kansas best 150 for best hamburgers.  

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Super Bowl Sunday

OK - Thanksgiving is the day of the year that the most food is consumed in the United States.  Super Bowl Sunday is number two.  So I ask again are ya here for the food, the fellowship, the fun, or the football?  

We are in the midst of our 10th (we think) annual Covenant Baptist Church Souper Bowl.  The food as usual was great.  Betsey did a chili this year (maybe because I didn't).  It was pretty good except it was loaded with red and yellow chilis (not a big fan of sweet peppers).  I did some bacon wrapped smokies (with a couple wieners on the side).  The wieners will be something to try come grill time of the year, not that all the time isn't grill time.  And my other recipe was Football Party Jalapeno Poppers and that recipe came from Man Tested Recipes.  This website may be one of my up and coming favorite sites for recipes.  It is very user friendly, easy to navigate, and chock full of wonderful "Man Tested Recipes" - I think that women can get in as well though so they know what to cook for the men in their lives.  (really I am joking for those of you that don't know me - I just wanted to go with the flow of the name of the website)

Looking around the room here at Covenant Baptist Church I am wondering how many people are watching the game and how many people wish they could hear the game.  Maybe 70 people here this year; 6 chili entries, 6 feet of desserts, 12 feet of appetizers and side dishes, and of course Porubsky's Pickles being served up by our Pastor, Casey Ingold.

The Jalapeno Poppers in a crockpot
went over  very well

Another great recipe at the table tonight was Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili.  Tom, my friend and fellow church member (he is also in our small group), did the White Chicken Chili.  It was an interesting twist on a chili.  Most people, including the judges, are looking for a more traditional looking chili to win in a chili contest.  I have won the cook-off 2 of the past 6 years and I have found this to be true. And I might add this held up for this year as well; the non-traditional chilis came in at the end of the ranking. 

Great fellowship at the church as usual for this yearly pigskin gladiator event.  Looks like the Ravens might be winning this one.  I certainly don't want to give up on my 49ers yet though.  It is only half-time, so don't give up on them yet.  

I think it is time for some more dessert.  I really do appreciate you for reading my blog.  

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Chow and Chow Down
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Kevin

Breakfast with Hannah at Heartland Cafe

I would just like to say that I appreciate those of you that visit my blog.  It does mean a lot to me and it is very encouraging.  Sometimes I get disappointed when someone doesn't make any comments though, but again I do appreciate ya!  But feel free to comment away; it would make my day.  Wow that rhymed!! 

I had the opportunity this morning to have breakfast with my quasi-adopted daughter Hannah Burkdoll.  What a blessing she has been to me and I am looking forward to a growing relation with her and her husband Matt. Hannah and Matt go to church with us and they are a fun couple to be around, despite the fact that they have a Washington Redskins mailbox.  

I had the Midwest Breakfast of which you can see some of it still on my plate.  I normally take a picture before eating but I forgot until midway through.  As always breakfast at Patty's Heartland Cafe was really good.    This is one of my son Josh's favorite places to go for breakfast when he is in town.  My eggs were not done to the way I ordered them but I know, had I said anything that they would have fixed that problem.  I normally order over-well and these were over-easy.  Those reading this that have facial hair know why over-easy eggs are not a wise choice.  But I did just have my mustache trimmed so I didn't have to worry about carrying egg around all day.  Hannah gave her Western Omelet a 7 on a scale of 1-10 and she said it was pretty good.

This would be the booth seat.  

Patty has another location in downtown Topeka it is called Heartland Cafe Uptown, I think.  Same wonderful comfort breakfast food (you know the kind that Dr. Oz tells you not to eat) as the Pauline location.  And same hole in the wall atmosphere as well.  Worn out seats at the Pauline location made us laugh this morning.  Hannah asked me why here and I said I come for the worn out seats and the dog-eared menus... and to witness the waitress sleeping in the booth.

I would like to invite you to join us at the Souper Bowl at 5440 SW 37th Street, Topeka, KS.  Come and join in on the fun, fellowship, football, and food.  If you think you can cook chili bring a pot but it needs to be in the kitchen no later than 4 pm.  I am not entering any chili in the contest this year so your chances of bringing a winner's pot to the table are increased.

Thanks for reading - Please come back.

Chow and Chow Down
Blessings to Ya'll 
Share with your friends

Kevin