Kansas, known for its flat lands, is ideal for building runways and airports. Many aviation-themed restaurants, bars, and coffee shops celebrate the state’s history in the aviation industry.
Aviation’s roots run deep in Kansas.
Carl Dryden Browne built an airplane prototype in his Freedom, Kansas, factory three years before the Wright brothers went wheels up in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Five years after the Wright brothers’ flight, Kansas’ first successful airplane, the Longren Flyer, was built in Topeka in 1910.
Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Lloyd Stearman launched Travel Air Manufacturing in 1925, and each one contributed to the state’s role in the aviation industry after that. Amelia Earhart spent her childhood daydreaming of aviation in Atchison, Kansas.
As an Air Capital of the World resident and a jet pilot’s girlfriend, I’ve visited my fair share of Kansas’s aviation-themed restaurants, bars, and coffee shops open to the public. I loved them all.
The following must-visit places aim to give the state’s aviation industry the honor the Sunflower State deserves.
Kansas: Aviation-Themed Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops
Coffee Shops
Flight Crew Coffee
Wheels up! Flight Crew Coffee in Manhattan is ready to serve you. The owner, Heather, has considered every detail to ensure seamless “in-flight service.”
The cafe’s interior transports you to aviation heaven. Navy blue walls, black and white prints of airplanes, and a cozy fireplace invite you to nestle up with a coffee in hand. Jazz music plays in the background. As they say, “Our Coffee Gives You Wings,” and after my first visit to Flight Crew Coffee, my mood is flying high.
Bonus: Cross the Missouri border to experience The Roasterie Coffee Company in Kansas City. There, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft is displayed outdoors. The airplane appears on the packaging of its air-roasted coffee and merchandise.
Bars
Flight 1868
As they say, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for take-off at Flight 1868, an aviation-themed cocktail bar in Wichita. Sip on a Mile High Mai-Tai or Wright Flyer between in-flight bites. The bar is stocked with countless bottles of bourbon and whiskey, and yes, flights of 1-ounce pours are available. View my tour video.
During winter, you can reserve an outdoor Patio Sky Lounge (an enclosed igloo with seating) for up to eight guests.
1906 Bar & Lounge
The 1906 Bar & Lounge in Wichita’s Hotel at Old Town is a sought-after evening cocktail space after 5:30 p.m. You don’t have to be a hotel guest to stop by and enjoy live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays after 6:00 p.m. from a velvety couch surrounded by books and artwork showcasing the Air Capital of the World.
You can also stay overnight in a guest suite, located on the hotel’s newly renovated Aviation Floor.
Fly-In Airport Restaurants
Kansas aviation lovers can dine at several restaurants at airports across the state, and you don’t have to fly a plane to enjoy a meal.
Airport Steakhouse
Airport Steakhouse in Hutchinson attracts diners seeking a fine dining experience with a view of the Hutchinson Regional Airport’s runway. The restaurant is known for its charcoal-grilled Angus steak dinners, but the lunch buffet Monday through Friday and Sunday are also popular draws.
Stearman Airfield Bar & Grill
Park your car (or airplane!) at Stearman Airfield Bar & Grill in Benton to enjoy a hamburger or a sandwich inside a building resembling a hanger. During the summer, garage doors lift to create an open-air outdoor patio, a front-row seat to watch bi-planes take off and land at Lloyd Stearman Field.
K18 Café
At the Lucas Airport, K18 Café attracts aircraft owners and pilots seeking comfort food classics and a slice of homemade pie for dessert. Ask about the daily meal special with a choice of salad, mashed potatoes, and a beverage. At lunchtime, hamburgers and cold sandwiches satisfy.
We B Smokin’ BBQ
We B Smokin’ BBQ at Osawatomie-Paola Municipal Airport is often a stop for general aviation pilots and foodies alike. Show up for slow-smoked barbecue meat and crave-worthy sides Tuesday through Saturday or enjoy a breakfast menu on the weekends.
Watch pilots land on Beaumont’s airstrip from the Beaumont Hotel Wednesday through Sunday. The restaurant, located in Beaumont, reopens every Spring to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The prime rib dinner is served every fourth Saturday of the month starting at 4:30 p.m.
Bonus: Although the following restaurants are not located at an airport, each restaurant’s interior is designed with aircraft in mind: Fly Boy Brewery & Eats (Sylvan Grove), 6S Steakhouse (Wichita), and Hangar One Steakhouse (Wichita).
I’m always eager to learn about new-to-me aviation-themed restaurants in my home state, so if you know of one I didn’t include in this post, please drop the name in the comments.
You may also enjoy reading my additional blog posts highlighting Kansas aviation, Visiting Doc, B-29 Superfortress in Wichita, Exploring the Historic Charm of Atchison, Kansas, and National Aviation Day from the Air Capital of the World.
Meanwhile, I hope you visit one of these aviation-themed restaurants, bars, or coffee shops the next time you’re wheels up (or driving your car) in Kansas.