Old Town Wichita: A Good Lunch Stop in a Historic Setting

Driving through eastern Kansas near lunchtime, we decided to stop in Old Town Wichita. We were several days into our road trip and had no desire to grab another forgettable meal at a fast food joint.

After missing our exit, we backtracked and got off the freeway in Old Town. All we knew was that this was a revitalized warehouse district with some good places to eat.

The original brick buildings remain, but they've been reclaimed by restaurants and art galleries.

It seems many of these buildings are a result of the railroad boom that gave birth to the city of Wichita in the 1870s.

There's a grassy common area in the middle where we sat and stretched out in the....well, muggy July air. But it was nice to get out of the car and sit still for a while.

A huge movie theater. They must do pretty good business, because this struck me as a good date spot. There's a roomy parking garage, many places to eat, and the theater. It was a bit tempting to go in and see a flick in a nice, cool theater, but we had a lot of miles yet to cover that day.

We got to Old Town just after the traditional lunch hour and could tell that the Italian restaurant we chose had been busy. Employees were scurrying to bus all the tables. After a very satisfying pizza-and-salad lunch, we hit the highway towards Fort Scott.

Learn more about Old Town Wichita.