Grinder Man is a Wichita institution. There's only one left, near Pawnee and Broadway (the one on West street closed several years ago). Anyway, it's a fairly small restaurant, 8 booths for seating. The sandwiches are incredible. The Grinder is great, comes with chopped dill pickle, my personal favorite is the Hero. Comes with Cappacola Ham (YUM), Genoa Salami, Pepperoni, onion and a splash of oil. One other great feature is you can get an italian sausage sandwich, which is easily the best in town (the only other one i've come across is Mr. Goodcents, and I'm not all that fond of their food). You can get sandwiches cold or hot, on white or wheat. The Mini is around 7-8 inches (under $4 for most) and the Maxi is 12 inches (under $6 for most) Great selection, daily specials, and you can get deviled eggs on the side. The best part is either through the local coupon mailers or the local phone books (I swear, Wichita has like four of them now), you can get a buy one-get one coupon for two mini or maxi sandwiches. Two 12 inch sandwiches for $6! At work, we would pillage every phone book we could find and eat there every week. The only drawback is only having one in town makes it a pain to visit if you don't live in the area, but if you find yourself in the area sometime, it's well worth the stop. read more

It was nice turning back the clock twenty years. Meat ball sandwich still decent, turkey was kind of tasteless. Maybe next time will order a the Grinder. Service was very good. read more

Awesome sandwiches and I love the cherry limeade's I am always conflicted about which sandwich is the best! I have been with them since they opened! read more

We go there every 10 days or so. I love the Grinder and my wife lives her Hero. The service is just as good as the food. They strive to please. Not much of a restaurant ambiance wise but if you want a good sandwich be sure to give them a try. read more

Quick service and the sandwich was huge.. the bread was so fresh and delicious.. it's just a meat and cheese sandwich but I really enjoyed it.. read more

Fantastic sandwich shop. Love that they have been open so long Had an Italian sandwich don't remember the exact name. Potato salad and deviled eggs. All delicious read more

I've been eating at this place for over 20 years and they haven't changed a bit. Their Hero sandwiches are the best. Id recommend this over any other sandwich place. Got to try read more

first time in and had the hero and the meatball sandwiches and an order of deviled eggs. everything was simple but delicious. the service and prices were amazing as well. this place will definitely be in our rotation from now on. read more

I've been going here for as long as I could remember!! Best pepperoni sandwich in the midwest!!

Disgusting sub. I don't know what the stuff they put on it I'm gonna take a picture to show you it's kind of pickles onions and tomatoes with some sort of white sauce. Absolutely disgusting. I got the bigger size sub and I thought it might've been too much mean but I think they sure changed me. Which is fine because it's not all that tasty. read more

The Grinder Man - The stuff they put in the sub. - Sandwiches Near Me - Wichita, Kansas

The service and the sandwiches were great and enjoyed. I would recommend it to everyone read more

Greeted upon entering. Facility is clean and well maintained. Variety of seating options including child seats. Helpful service. I ordered a hot RB maxi. The bread was delicious and ingredients were fresh. Food tasted amazing. Been coming here since I was a child. I'm so glad they are still making great subs! read more

***CASH ONLY*** Yummmm! Stuck around all these years for a reason. Great sandwiches, good service, and vintage cafe feel. They are located on the south side, it's pretty convenient area to get to, and have plenty of parking. There was even a truck w/ trailer along with a parking lot decently full. Lots of seating inside with booths and tables. Grinder sandwiches are super delish served warm. The platter is an awesome deal, at just $2 more you get chips, pickle, choice of side, and two cookies. Choices of sides is really great: deviled eggs (yumm), potato salad (popular choice among everyone who ordered while I was there), baked beans, and Italian salad. I love good deviled eggs! The Hero is delicious, perfect combination of salty and sweet. But there are many amazing options! Support local business and Wichita classics!! read more

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Just like wife and sister-in-law (native Wichitans) had described it! Fresh bread with quality meat and perfectly marinated toppings. I recommend The Grinder sandwich. Get the Maxi size and it could feed two or one really hungry, like me. Definitely coming back soon! read more

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Been going here for 40+ years. It's a Wichita staple. If you don't like it, stay your ass at the firehouse or subway and spend $20 for 2 nasty ass foot longs read more

Unfortunately my review of this place can't really be given due to the fact that I had to leave due to them not taking credit or debit cards. In this day and age, especially during this pandemic, HOW can any business not accept Credit or debit cards? Did I wake up in 1921?...sad for them cause I had to give my business to someone else. Hopefully one day they will bring their business into this decade!!! read more

You cannot go wrong with grinder man. The portions are awesome, the flavor is so good. I dream of their Hero's regularly!

They didn't try. Hard pass on this Sysco abomination. They want me to write more, so I will say don't eat here. read more

The Grinder Man - Sandwiches Near Me - Wichita, Kansas

I have been visiting this establishment fir decades. I no longer live in town, so only pick one up when I am visiting. Today I stopped in and ordered my usual Grinder heated. It was terrible! The bread was stale, which ruins a sandwich. The cook used too much dressing, which soaked through the bread at the bottom (making it the only edible part of the bread). I was really disappointed and hope that this was a one-time thing. But I will think twice before going there again. read more

This is a place i have been eating at for over 10 years. I must say the amazing taste of the sandwiches is just as good today as it was 10 years ago. Its not a big flashy place to eat with all the frills, but if you want a VERY good italian sandwich, this is the place. The hero sandwich is my favorite , three meats, cheese, onions, banana peppers and italian dressing on white sub bread its best warmed up. Note to new customers - this place is cash only no cards or checks. read more

The Grinder Man - The Hero w/ double meat and cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Wichita, Kansas

As Wichita continues to evolve from its Cowtown roots we've lost many of the simple American restaurants that used to define us. Some of those legacy locations continue to exist because they can change with the times and tastes of increasingly knowledgeable diners. Then there are other stalwarts who turn a blind eye to all of that and keep doing things as they've been doing them for decades. The Grinder Man is one of the latter. If the building looks like it's from the 1970's, that's because it is. One of the three remaining restaurants in Wichita serving from a Valentine diner, Grinder Man enjoys quite a bit more space than the nonexistent interior of Sport Burger and the modified booth space of Brint's. Sometime after 1970 there were several Grinder Mans around the city on West Street and South Mead, though the Pawnee location is all that remains today (Ark City still has a Grinder Man with the same red and white-striped awning and knife-wielding Italian man, though there's no overt association with the Wichita location). What makes it a grinder, as opposed to a submarine sandwich? Depends on who you ask, though the consensus seems to be that there's an Italian influence and the sandwiches are often served warm. The difference between grinders and heroes is even more nebulous, though at Grinder Man it comes down to only a few different toppings. For my money the hero is the best way to experience Grinder Man, with genoa salami, capocollo salami, ham, provolone, mozzarella, onions, banana pepper, and Italian dressing doing a complex dance between the salty umami of the cured meats, the sharp onions, the sour brightness of the banana peppers, and the sweet dressing. Despite its increased prominence on the menu the Grinder sandwich is of a slightly lesser irk, dropping the ham, banana peppers, and provolone in lieu of the addition of tomato and pickles, but in the case of either sandwich they're a sure bet. Exploring the rest of the menu leads to mixed results. The Reuben is kept juicy thanks to the abundant sauerkraut and mustard, overall presenting a reasonable interpretation of the popular sandwich. The pastrami doesn't fare as well; the unremarkable beef doesn't get much help from the cheese or mustard, getting overwhelmed by the bread in which it sits. The tuna salad is served "our way," which in this case means that's it's tinted pink from what appears to be a dash of ketchup. It doesn't taste appreciably different than tuna salad that isn't served their way, but with the addition of fresh chopped celery there's a nice crunch that works in the sandwich. The sauced sandwiches, such as the pepperoni and cheese, are good bets thanks to the tasty tomato sauce and an abundance of crowd-pleasing pepperoni slices. There is a small selection of standard picnic sides - potato salad, baked beans, salad, and deviled eggs - but the sandwiches pair best with the bags of Frito Lays by the register. Sandwiches come either hot or cold, and the answer should usually be hot - the heat softens the bread, melts the cheese, and renders the fat just a little bit in a way that makes the very act of eating it warm and pleasure-inducing. Sitting in the uncomfortable wooden booths in this relic of a restaurant, everything coalesces into a nostalgia for a simpler bygone era, even if I wasn't here to experience it the first time around. Comfort food should make you feel good, drop your guard, and fill you up; Grinder Man does all of these things. For many years The Grinder Man's soft, warm, and comfortable offerings have held a special place in the hearts of locals, and I suspect they'll continue to do so for years to come. read more

This place is hit-or-miss but that's not going to stop me from trying for a hit every once in awhile. First off, they only take cash, no credit, no debit, no checks, so be ready for that. It's not in the best part of town and the last time we went there was a homeless guy sleeping in the parking lot. The decor is strictly hole-in-the-wall, which is just fine, I could care less as long as the sandwiches are good. You order and pay at the counter and go eat at an old fashioned wooden booth. They also have a drive-thru window. Most of the time you get a pretty good, old school sub sandwich. I like the chopped tomatoes and pickles on the Grinder. It's not anything you couldn't make at home but sometimes homey on the go is good. However, there are good bread days and bad bread days. The last time we went it was a bad bread day. The sandwich was so dry I needed every drop of my soda to get it down. I've been on good bread days though so I know it's not an everyday problem. read more

Okay. I left the house today trying to decide between The Grinder Man or Quiznos. Because I was feeling lazy today, I went with The Grinder Man cause they have a drive-thru. (Hey, at least I'm honest!) I ordered the foot-long Meatball Sub and a bag of chips and within just a few minutes I had this wonderful smelling sandwich in my car. The foil kept the sandwich nice and hot til I could get home (about 10 minutes away). I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that the sandwich wasn't cut in half but hey that was an easy fix. Now I must say that I usually order footlong ones from Subway and have no problem finishing it. I'm halfway through my Grinder Man one though and I don't know if I am going to be able to finish it. It tastes awesome and it's very filling. Would like it to have been toasted but all in all I am going to be coming back! read more

Great grinders. The best pepperoni sub's ever. A nice clean hole in the wall. If you're sick of the big franchise sub shops you should give this place a try. That and maxi sub's are $5 after 5 Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday's. read more

The Grinder Man - Pepperoni.....yum. - Sandwiches Near Me - Wichita, Kansas

Good sandwich! Old school style shop but good quality! Try the hero, was very filling and good flavor.

This is a small business I can get behind! Fast, friendly service, low prices, and most importantly delicious sandwiches. They get the meat to bread ratio just right, and don't smother your sandwich with sauce like subway does. read more

The Grinder Man - The Hero! - Sandwiches Near Me - Wichita, Kansas

This shop doesn't look like much on the outside, and it isn't on the inside either. However, you shouldn't let that stop you because the "Grinders" (sub sandwiches) here are LEGIT. I got the Grinder on my first trip here and was supremely satisfied. Beware for people like me who don't like pickles on sandwiches, but usually order them and pick them off to eat separately: they dice their pickles here which makes that a no go. The bread is soft and the meat and cheese were fresh with a great flavor. The Maxi is a BIG sandwich - over a foot long. The prices here are very reasonable. I don't know how big the Super is but you BETTER be hungry if you are ordering that thing. I'm a big guy and the Maxi is all that I needed with a bag of chips to have a very satisfying lunch. Ladies or guys who just need a snack probably need to get the smallest sandwich here. They don't skimp on the toppings and portions. You can order every sub hot or cold. The hot option is microwaved. I went cold on mine. I'll update if I get a hot one. You may be wondering then, reading the above... why only 3 stars? Two words: Cash Only. I didn't think this was a thing in 2018, but here it is. You need to make sure you bring cash. For me, this is definitely enough to dock it a star on the review. With all the food trucks taking cards today with applications on phones and tablets, there are plenty of ways to offer card options that aren't the traditional scanning machines. Grinder Man, it is 2018. Time to get with it. TLDR: Great sandwiches and portions, but CASH ONLY. 3.5/5 read more

The food is amazing one of the best sandwich place in Wichita. It's cash only so keep that in mind when going there. You will not be disappointed in the food. read more

Fantastic fresh sandwiches! I choose this over subway any day! The bread is the best part!

This place has great food and it was out quickly, the waitress was super nice and friendly. 10/10

Been going to this restaurant for over 40 years and staff knows what I order if I drive thru versus when I come in to sit down (really hard to eat a meatball in the car). Favorites are Hero and Meatball. Cash only but that's ok by me. Used to be 3 locations in Wichita but now down to one. Still one in Ark City that serves similar menu + giant cookies. read more

Used to come here all the time growing up in Wichita. Stranded here while traveling back to Oklahoma and all I could think of was how I wanted a grinder man sandwich. read more

I wish this place would open up another sandwich place. This has to be the best sandwich place in town because there food always tastes fresh to me. I would choose this over Subway, Mr. Goodcents, and Jimmy Johns any day! I love getting a hot turkey sandwich with a side of deviled eggs. So good! One thing I don't like is that they wont take credit cards. read more

This place is great. Fun drive thru and fun interior for dining inside if ya want. Great bread and ingredients. Really great tasting subs and the sides are really good too. Totally affordable and totally worth trying out. read more

Tried this place for the first time today. I've heard many good things. Meatball sub was warm and delicious. Canadian Bacon sub was a nice change from the normal sub options at most places. The deviled egg sides were also a break from the norm...and super tasty!!! I could eat a dozen! read more

I don't understand the love for this place. Was the worst sandwich I had ever ate...I can't even describe how awful it was. In a terrible part of town and in a dirty nasty building. I usually give places two tries before I make a final judgement, but I don't want to have to try to down that sandwich again. read more

meatball subs were great, has a nice italian eatery feel, very clean and comfotartable, nice and friendly staff.

Good food, at OK prices, but nothing too extraordinary. The bread is smaller in diameter than traditional French bread, so makes for a "meatier" sandwich. Enough above-average to warrant 4-stars, but just can't justify this as a 5-star joint. read more

Yummy! I need to come here more often. I wish i didn't live so far away from the Grinder Man!

I can't seem to reconcile all these positive reviews with the place I just ate. It's not that I don't understand the appeal of a "hole in the wall" restaurant. But to justify a location like that the food needs to be of above average quality. Honestly, everything I had here was just barely even okay. The sandwich wasn't as good as one I could get at a similar fast food joint and the baked beans didn't taste any better than canned beans from the supermarket. I got my food and almost told my boss (who had to go get cash, another inconvenience) not to bother ordering here. I won't be back and can't say I recommend it at all. read more