KANSAS
The Kansas Michelin Guide: Here Are the State's Star-Worthy Restaurants
By Eric Barton | May 15, 2025
Lottē
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and has reviewed restaurants for two decades. He splits his time between Miami and Asheville, N.C. Email him here.
The Michelin Guide has yet to expand to the great state of Kansas, which means there isn’t a starred restaurant from Lenexa to the wide-open prairies on the Colorado border.
And that’s a shame, because Kansas has quietly amassed a small army of chefs who are cooking with the precision, vision, and occasional ego you'd expect from big cities. They're working in strip malls and restored farmhouses, in college towns and forgotten suburbs—the kinds of places you might overlook when searching “restaurants near me in Kansas,” but shouldn’t.
If Michelin ever decides to stop pretending Chicago is the entire middle of the country, here’s where they should start: the Michelin-worthy restaurants of Kansas.
715 — Lawrence
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The dining room has the faint glow of a Wes Anderson set, and the plates are exactly what you'd hope to find in a town where people still talk about their semester abroad in Bologna. The pasta is handmade, the pork is smoked out back, and if you sit at the bar long enough, someone will insist the bone marrow changed their life. They're probably right.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Kelly Conwell's dedication to handmade, high-quality dishes in a stylish setting aligns with Michelin's standards for excellence.
>>>Read More: Where to Eat in Lawrence>>>
The Belmont — Wichita
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It looks like a place where brunch influencers go to die, all rattan chairs and rosé on tap. But the kitchen is doing things: biscuit sandwiches with hot honey, squash with labneh, meatballs you didn't expect to care about. It's better than it needs to be.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Jennifer Reifschneider's creative takes on comfort food elevate The Belmont beyond its trendy facade.
>>>Read More: Wichita’s Best Restaurants>>>
Culinaria — Lawrence
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Equal parts dinner party and Euro tapas joint, Culinaria serves Mediterranean small plates in a converted house that feels more like someone's dream than a business plan. The menu changes frequently and erratically. So does the clientele. That's the point.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Aaron Pillar's commitment to locally sourced ingredients and ever-evolving menus exemplify the creativity and authenticity that Michelin values.
Georges — Wichita
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Classic French done with Kansas confidence. You'll find escargot, duck à l'orange, and a steak frites that might be the most precise plate in town. The room is soft-lit and romantic, the sort of place you book to propose or break up. Either way, you'll leave satisfied.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Cedrick Thavone's mastery of French cuisine brings a touch of Paris to Wichita, delivering consistently exceptional dishes.
Joe’s Kansas City — Kansas City
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Yes, it's in a gas station. No, you're not better than that. The Z-Man sandwich—beef brisket, provolone, onion rings, Kaiser bun—remains the single most persuasive argument for Kansas-style barbecue as a legitimate cuisine. Think a humble barbecue restaurant can’t land in the Michelin Guide? The newly released Texas guide includes 28 barbecue places, four of them with stars.
Why Michelin should care: Owners Jeff and Joy Stehney’s dedication to perfecting barbecue classics elevates this humble joint to a culinary landmark.
>>>Read More: The 27 Best Kansas City Restaurants>>>
Lottē — Wichita
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There's a dish here called "Korean tots," which sounds like something invented in a college dorm but tastes like it belongs in a tasting menu. Lottē is loud, creative, unapologetically fun—and the first sign that Wichita might actually be having a moment.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Josh Rathbun's innovative approach to comfort food showcases the kind of inventive cooking that Michelin celebrates.
Mass Street Fish House — Lawrence
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In a town 900 miles from the nearest coast, this raw bar makes you forget the geography. Oysters are flown in daily, the cocktails are dangerously strong, and the vibe leans toward "nautical yacht club, but make it cool." Michelin stars have been awarded for less convincing illusions.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Michael Stornello's ability to deliver fresh, high-quality seafood in a landlocked state demonstrates exceptional culinary skill.
Merchants — Lawrence
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Housed in a century-old bank, Merchants Pub & Plate is a bar with ambitions. The menu is the kind of thing you'd expect in Portland: chicken confit, hand-cut fries, beers you've never heard of. It's less fussy than it sounds. Bring a friend who still talks about their beer subscription.
Why Michelin should care: Chef TK Peterson's fusion of hearty Midwestern fare with modern twists offers a dining experience that's both comforting and innovative.
Saltwell Farm Kitchen — Overbrook
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What happens when two chefs buy a 150-year-old farmhouse and serve a five-course tasting menu to just 30 people at a time? You get Saltwell: intimate, intentional, a little precious, and entirely worth the drive through rural nothingness. It's BYOB, but the wine you bring will never be the best thing on the table.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Rozz Petrozz's dedication to seasonal, locally sourced tasting menus exemplifies the farm-to-table ethos Michelin honors.
Silo Modern Farmhouse — Lenexa
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Set inside a golf course clubhouse, which isn't usually a good sign, but here somehow works. The view is of manicured greens; the food leans rustic and Midwestern without the usual mayo-based trauma. It's upscale in the "we have cloth napkins" way, not the "we charge $48 for carrots" way.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Laura Favela's skill in crafting refined, scratch-made dishes in a relaxed setting aligns with Michelin's appreciation for quality and authenticity.
Tuptim Thai — Topeka
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If the Michelin Guide gave stars for consistency, Tuptim would already have one. The curries are blisteringly good. The tom yum has actual backbone. The dining room is dated, but the kitchen is not.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Pornthip "Juk" Piromrerk's authentic Thai flavors and consistent quality make Tuptim Thai a standout.
>>>Read More: 12 Restaurants That Define Topeka>>>
The White Linen — Topeka
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It's prix fixe only, and reservations are impossible, which tells you everything. Chef Adam VanDonge plates food like someone who's been overlooked and is fine making you suffer for it. The tasting menu changes weekly. The attitude is fixed: refined, cerebral, and quietly thrilling.
Why Michelin should care: Chef Adam VanDonge's commitment to evolving, high-quality tasting menus exemplifies the excellence Michelin seeks.
