Exceptional. A true farm-to-table experience delivered with a high level of service and culinary…read moreexpertise. The five-course meal, crafted by a remarkably talented chef using a variety of techniques from their farm, was beautifully executed in a surreal indoor-outdoor setting. Every dish was spectacular, and the beverage pairings were creative and perfectly curated. The owners' labor of love is evident from start to finish, making this a true gem in the Lawrence/Lecompton area. Our guests from Leawood, Kansas said they would gladly make the drive back anytime to experience another one of these magical culinary evenings.

We heard about Burning Barrel and Origin Restaurant from a friend and quickly booked tickets online…read morefor one of their first weekends of service. We were not disappointed. We arrived on the farm (after our Ford GPS took us a wonky route along a few miles of dirt road--so make sure you stay on paved roads and you won't have trouble--I was told by Kristin, our host and one of the owners, that Google Maps has no problem). I have to share our experience in detail because I feel we discovered a new must-visit experience in the KC area! We arrived at the 30-acre farm, parked in the field, and were greeted by our server who welcomed us warmly and offered us an arrival cocktail to sip while we explored the truly lovely grounds, pond, and nearby goats. After our leisurely stroll, we returned to the dining pavilion and found our seats at the gorgeous (and massive!) live-edge dining table along with a menu specifically for this weekend. Our gracious host Kristen and server brought out our first drink pairing, a minted lime seltzer that was refreshing and light. Our first course arrived--Blue Jade cornbread with arugula, sweet pea salad, and chicken liver paté. The cornbread was unlike any I had before and was absolutely delicious. The sweet pea salad was literally bursting with flavor the peas were so fresh and the chicken liver paté out of this world. Such an interesting flavor profile and combination. The next beverage pairing arrived a short time later as we enjoyed the perfect evening, a blackberry purple basil shrub. This drink was also delicious and refreshing (and save that blackberry for last--what a treat!). The Mangalista pig, we were told, is the "wagyu of pork" and the crisp, tasty, marbled pork chop was excellent. It was served with a beet "kimchi" with fennel root and a sheep cheese dumpling that was creamy and flavorful. Finally, our coffees were served and a dessert of yellow squash cake, lemon honey ice cream with mulberry compote was brought to us. Again, the dish was original, delicious, and a perfect ending to our meal. We can't wait to come back and have try a new menu in the future. Such a perfect evening and the chef has such an exciting vision for hyper-local farm-to-table flavors and dishes.

I loved strolling through the Kay Mcfarland Japanese garden. This garden is within the Topeka zoo…read more There is a separate entrance for events taking place at the event center. It would be a lovely venue for a wedding reception or quinceañera. I had no problem paying the zoo entrance fee to visit this garden. While there, I also walked around the zoo to look at all the native plantings. I spoke to a very nice, very knowledgeable gardener about the native plants. If you have any interest in plants, this is a beautiful Japanese garden to tour!

Located right off 70. We liked the small cafe and bar they offer. Very quiet location. Friendly…read morestaff. Comfy beds. Very reasonable rates.

Very clean. Very reasonable price. We really liked that it offers a small bar and cafe that serves…read moreburgers, wings, etc. Friendly management. Pretty close to many restaurants, also.

This event space is simply gorgeous! I love the historic details & amazing craft cocktails! It's…read morereally perfect for any gathering because of the variety of options! Bring your own food, hire a food truck or they have a nice catering kitchen! The A/V equipment is on point & they even have a disco ball! We didn't need the 'ready room' but it's well equipped and had a separate entrance. Best cocktails around & the price is right!

Let's start at the beginning. Check in was not pleasant. I…read morewas initially told that my card was denied. That it looked like it was being flagged for fraudulent activity. I contact the bank and they know nothing of it. No flags on their end. Turns out that at check in, the desk attendant was not putting in the correct expiration date. So after a long while and calls with the bank I got my two rooms. Then another strange thing happened. There was a white male checking in ahead of me. He was greeted very nicely. Was told pool hours, drink hours and even breakfast hours. Guess what I was told? Nothing. Really makes me wonder why. Now let's talk about the rooms. I was going from Cali to Kansas for SIX days. Yes I rather overpack then be missing essentials while there. To my surprise this place has NO ELEVATORS. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT! NO ELEVATORS. If I had known this it would have been a deal breaker. Once in the rooms they aren't really clean. I moved the bed to put it against the wall and found candy and trash. The curtain had a stain that looked very unpleasant, if I had to guess I wouldn't doubt that it was stool. Each room did had a small fridge and an ironing board but no iron. The AC also had a bad smell released when in use. If you stay here and need your trash taken out or extra towels it's like pulling teeth. I'm guessing it's a covid related that the housekeepers do not go into occupied rooms. Hallways are dusty and dirty. The same trash was on the stairs the day I checked in and the day I checked out. I doubt that it had been vacuum in a very long time. Breakfast bar seems like a nice plus. Just keep in mind that it's the same thing every day. Eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, fruit and a whole lot of attitude from one of the woman working the bar. She gets really upset if a lot of people show up to breakfast. She does nothing but complain in Spanish about all the people wanting to eat. Do not be surprised if the tables for breakfast are dirty because no one cleans them. They are dirty and sticky. Make sure to bring your own wipes. Hope this helps when booking your stay. Pay the extra money and stay somewhere else. I know that I will. THIS PLACE IS NOT WORTH A SECOND STAY.

I read previous reviews on this place but gave it a shot. Happy that I did…read more We decided to do a STAYCATION here, just to get away from the kids for a day and relax. This place feels like you're in a cabin in Aspin. Though they are in the middle of remodeling, I actually like it the way it is. The lobby is nice and clean and the staff was so pleasant. Check in was super easy. Our room was clean; with microwave, coffee pot and fridge. We got a King bed and we really enjoyed our stay. The place itself was nice and quiet even though it's located off Wanamaker. We had breakfast the next day at 7am which came with the stay. Most hotels have a just a very basic continental breakfast that offers the bare minimum but they had great options; from biscuits and gravy to scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausage. They had a variety of bread choices, coffee and juices. If you wanted cereal and/or oatmeal, they had that too. Overall, we plan to come here again for our relaxation necessities. Make sure to use your AAA option when booking. Compared to the other hotels nearby, the cost was best.

My favorite hotel in Topeka, the location in Kansas Avenue offers quick access to downtown…read morelocations. The rooms are comfortable and quite soundproof due to the age of the building. Staff are helpful and competent in all areas. Be sure to sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy program; as you rise in status you'll receive free breakfast and parking in the deck at this location. When checking in, pull into the small circle in front to unload, then park on the street or in their deck, which is across the alley behind the hotel and easy to navigate.

I'm smitten! This trip, I stayed in a king deluxe suite! These rooms are ginormous! 2 TVs,…read morebeautiful sitting area! I love this hotel so much! The people are amazin

The building is looking like it needs a refresh but our room was clean, pillows are perfect, and TV…read moreis great. Perfect place to relax after a long car journey. The app allowed check in but there was no digital key so we stopped at the front desk and were helped by a very nice gentleman. Breakfast was ok. Only instant oatmeal which isn't my preference. There were a couple of track teams staying there and everything seemed to be well stocked despite the busy area. All in all a good stay.

Couldn't have been treated better fantastic room great location the breakfast was superb love…read more pancakes, and very clean . The room was so nice and clean, very nice. It even had a handicap chair in the shower. So helpful for me. Very nice hotel and great location! Ariel was super nice and helpful!

This was the spot that we chose for our closing fellowship at the end of our family reunion on this…read morepast Sunday. They had a really nice area for all of the family. They also extended brunch for us, which was very kind. It was Father's Day, so it was very busy. They also had a pickle ball court and clean bathrooms. We were greeted by our servers, however they only assigned two servers for 40+people. Needless to say our orders took a long time, my daughter-in-law's and mine, being the longest. We ordered the chicken and waffles, but for some reason ours came out about 30 minutes if not more after everyone else's. It was pretty strange. I had to keep asking and we weren't the only ones who ordered that dish. When it finally came, my appetite was actually gone. The waffles were super sweet (I have to watch my sugar intake) and the chicken pieces were small, salty and very dry pieces so I asked for a reimbursement because I didn't like my meal. My niece said hers was just OK. She wasn't impressed. My daughter-in-law did eat hers. The pasta picture attached was my sister's meal. She didn't like the pasta that's why it's still there. She only ate the chicken that was included. Also two of my nieces did not like the Monte Cristo and asked for reimbursement. They said it was the worst day I've ever tasted. Oh I did have a slice of my cousins Mom Pizza and it was different, but delicious. I never had pizza that included potato and honey. In conclusion, it was a great atmosphere and all of the employees were friendly, but many of us did not enjoy our meal. I gave it a four because I don't think it's always like that. I think it was they didn't have enough staff or chefs maybe to take care of us.

It's been a while since we have eaten out , but me and my wife went to the 785 beer company for…read morelunch, it was fantastic!! We had 2 beers I had the cantina driveway was a light beer similar to a corona with a bit more kick and tasted much better and my wife had the glower moon, which was very good, we had sandwiches , I had the pork tenderloin which was really delicious, and my wife had the brisket which was equally as good. Friendly service and we already are planning our next get together here to play pickle ball with friends and have pizza and beer.

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.

After exploring Topeka on a freezing cold KS day, we stopped in to warm up, grab a bite to eat and…read moreorder some of their shakes we've seen. What a cool place! Retro arcade, lots of dine in seating and a bar. Our waitress was nice and super helpful. We ordered a burger and Nashville chicken sandwich, which was good, but the star of the show was the shakes! Super creative, super creamy, super good! I highly recommended checking them out!