This review is for a lunch for two at the bar on a Monday in late May…read more service: Daytime bartender was good. Professional and helpful with menu. bar: It's a brewery and they have broad selection of house beer styles: lagers, wheat, porter, and IPAs. I drank their Skyz the Limit American IPA ($6.50 as of May 2026) and thought it was fine. food: wide ranging menu from flatbreads to plated entrees. There are lots of daily lunch, dinner, and happy hour specials. I had a classic burger with fries and it was OK ($17). My wife had a taco salad with shredded chicken and ground beef on the side and it was also OK ($12, since it was the daily special). details: Dramatic, soaring space with lots of signage. Plenty of surface parking right outside.

Mixed feelings on this one. The food and drinks were genuinely great -- the quesadilla was…read moreoutstanding, the beer selection was excellent, and the salad was hearty and fresh. Our waitress was fantastic too: attentive, friendly, on top of everything all night. Where it fell apart was the patio. We were dealing with flies the entire meal -- I mentioned it more than once, and the response was basically 'yeah, we should probably do something about that.' This isn't a cheap night out, and for those prices, that's not acceptable. It's a fixable problem and it wasn't being taken seriously. Food, drinks, and service inside were all a clear win. Management needs to get the patio pest situation under control -- it undercut what would've otherwise been a great night out.

We came to the Pennant after dinner for dessert. They have a pretty long list of sweet treats and…read moredrinks. Our server wasn't sure what items were gluten free but took the time to check, which we appreciated. We ended up splitting a PB Chocolate Madness, which was plenty of sugar for both of us. The Pennant had TVs tuned to hockey and basketball playoff games, arcade games, and a bar area. It was a bit loud, but we enjoyed dessert and checking out the playoffs games.

Pretty good, except one of their managers a young female is very rude. Not only was she rude to our…read moretable. She was rude to the people who work there. Just because the majority of your staff is young doesn't make you better than them. Not to be a jerk, but I think her biggest issue is her own self-esteem.

Only been here a couple times but it was an instant local favorite for me. The atmosphere and the…read morepeople. That's sometimes all you need to make it. And this place made it. (Obviously if it's the oldest bar in Topeka!) the people here are gems & I'd pop in every night if I lived in Oakland!!

Best bar in Topeka. Amazing staff, great vibes. If your looking a place that is not boujie this is…read moreyour spot. Love love love this bar

Shenago has the coldest beer and such great staff. I always have a good time when we hang here!read more

Lousy food and drinks and unclean environment. It is the worst bar in Lawrence (which is saying a…read morelot). Don't waste your time or money there.

Ok food..this place is good for some drinks. Nice, new place right off of hwy 24 on the eastern…read moreedge of town.

Great little grill pub in a nice little town. The food is excellant I usually get the club sandwich…read moreor if I'm really hungry chopped beefsteak dinner which is huge! the prices seem pretty fair for the quality of the food and the amount I have eaten there many times and the staff are always friendly. My favorite time to eat at mikey's is the evening The evening cook can really cook!

TopCity Comedy brings in regional talent from Lawrence, Kansas City, Omaha, and Tulsa. For $15…read more(pre-purchase tix), you can't beat the price. I appreciate their support of local and regional up-and-coming talent.

I landed at Happy Basset thanks to their membership in an RV hospitality program and it turned out…read moreto be one of those stops that felt like I had accidently stumbled into the exact right vibe for the evening. The taproom was lively and a bit chaotic. I was completely caught off guard by the night's entertainment. Line dancing. Yes. I have never seen so many short skirts and cowboy boots in one place. I spent the evening focused on my beer and my laptop to avoid a pretty blonde confronting me for staring. With that said, it was a cheerful kind of energy and everyone was having a grand time. The crowd was upbeat, the music was loud and cheery and was able to soak in the atmosphere and write a few Yelp reviews. And after two tasty brews, I headed back out to the campervan where I ended up undisturbed with a restful night. You can't hear the inside outside and that's a good thing. [Review 792 of 2026 - 132 in Kansas - 25973 overall]

Happy Basset is part of the Harvest Host club for RVers. So, I had reservations to park my camper…read morein their spacious parking lot for the night. Arrived around 3 pm on a Sunday and they had bingo going on. Staff was so friendly. I had a couple of Gracie's Strawberry Blonde on tap and their Buffalo chicken over macaroni and beer cheese. Hit the spot and perfect with beer. This place is both dog and kid friendly. Very nice!

Loved this place so much! Truly local, we found it by using the "lunch near me" function. The…read moreregulars greeted us warmly and guided us through the menu. We started with chili this time but next time we will try the sandwiches. Any place with homemade pickles wins my heart - they had three kinds. And a cracker trough made from a garden planter. And pimento cheese. Basically, it was amazing. And the chili was super tasty too.

There are places you plan to visit, and then there are places you stumble into--the kind that feel…read morelike they've been sitting there for years, quietly daring you to notice them. Little Russia Chili Parlor is the latter. A small, out-of-the-way joint in Topeka that doesn't scream for attention--but once you walk in, it doesn't need to. The air alone tells you you're in the right place. This is Daniela's house. Not in the literal sense, but in the way that matters. She runs the place with the kind of confidence you don't fake--part host, part artist, part benevolent dictator of flavor. You don't get the sense that anything leaves that kitchen unless it meets her standard, and that standard is unapologetically high. Start with the pickles. Yeah, pickles. The kind that makes you pause mid-bite and reconsider every sad, limp grocery store version you've ever tolerated. These are spiced, alive, sharp in all the right ways--like they've got a story to tell and no patience for small talk. Then there's the baked goods coming in from Oakland's Bakery--local, honest, the kind of bread that actually tastes like grain and effort instead of air and preservatives. And then you hit the sides. The spiced pimento cheese spread isn't some afterthought--it's a statement. Smoky, a little dangerous, layered in a way that suggests someone in that kitchen understands restraint just as well as indulgence. It's the kind of thing you keep eating long after you've told yourself you're done. But let's not kid ourselves. You came here for the chili. And the chili... the chili doesn't just deliver--it recalibrates. Deep, complex, unapologetically bold. It's not trying to be trendy or Instagram-friendly. It's trying to be right. The kind of bowl that makes you slow down, lean in, and pay attention. Every spoonful feels deliberate, like it's been simmering not just for hours, but for years of trial, error, and quiet perfection. The sandwiches? Stacked, messy in the best way, built on that Oakland's Bakery foundation like someone actually cares about what bread is supposed to do--hold everything together without getting in the way. This place doesn't need hype. It doesn't need a rebrand or a marketing push. It exists in that rare space where authenticity isn't a strategy--it's just how things are done. You don't come to Little Russia Chili Parlor to be seen. You come because someone told you, quietly, "Trust me." And if you're smart, you listen.