Wichita got the gift of two new sandwich restaurants this holiday season
The holiday season has been generous to sandwich fans in Wichita, and the last five days have brought even more blessings between two slices of bread.
Two new sandwich-focused eateries are now officially open: One started welcoming people in on Friday, and the other is officially opening to the public as of today (Tuesday, Dec. 26).
Though the owners of Solly & Jude’s at 400 S. Emporia have been putting on low-key soft-opening events for a week or so, today is the first day that the restaurant and bar is open for real. It will now be operating its regular hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For now, the bar and restaurant will open on weekends only when Intrust Bank Arena — which sits just across the street — is having events.
Last week, the ownership group — which includes Alex Thomas of The Cotillion and Kirby’s Beer Store and Justin Brown of Barleycorn’s, The Shamrock Lounge and Jerry’s Bar & Grill — opened for a couple of pop-up lunch services, and I caught one.
The restaurant is on the smaller side and has several tables and booths as well as bar seating. I found a seat and ordered the Reuben, hold the sauerkraut, because I really hate sauerkraut but really love all the other ingredients that make up the famous sandwich. This one was an event — dripping with melty Swiss cheese between layers of pastrami sandwiched between two pieces of buttered Rye. It certainly wasn’t the healthiest thing I ate last week but it was possibly the most delicious.
I also ordered a side of tater tots, dubbed “Scott’s Tots” at Solly & Jude’s, and got them topped with truffle oil. The tots were hot and crispy, just as they should be. Solly & Jude’s serves every sandwich with a side of chips and an Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookie.
Though the owners didn’t have the cocktail menu ready last week, the bar will serve craft cocktails and beer. Solly & Jude’s also has patio seating on the building’s east side. See the menu below.
From Lawrence to Wichita
Wichita’s other just-opened sandwich restaurant is Quinton’s, which is the new concept that’s taken over the Crutch & Biscuit space at 550 N. Rock Road. Quinton’s belongs to Steven Gaudreau, who also owned Crutch & Biscuit and has Dempsey’s Burger Pub at 3700 E. Douglas.
Gaudreau founded Quinton’s in Lawrence in 1991, and it was a popular bar and restaurant on Lawrence’s main drag — Massachusetts Street — until the pandemic shut it down. He decided the concept may work better on Rock Road than Crutch & Biscuit.
Quinton’s serves a long list of sandwiches, including The Jayhawk, made with grilled chicken breast, provolone cheese, tomato, lettuce and honey mustard. The sandwich menu, which you can see below, also has a club, a hot pastrami, and pastrami Reuben, a BLT, a ham and cheese, a Philly, a veggie and more.
The restaurant also serves three different soups in bread bowls: cream of potato bacon, cream of broccoli and Coney Island chili. There’s also a big selection of appetizers, burgers, chicken sandwiches and salads.
Quinton’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, it’s open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and still serves the Crutch & Biscuit brunch menu from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
