Dempsey's Burger Pub — Restaurant in Wichita

I had high hopes for this restaurant, especially after calling ahead to confirm they could accommodate our party of 11. We were advised to come around 4:45pm to make sure everything went smoothly, so we arrived on time, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Upon arrival, the host immediately told us our group couldn’t be seated at all and said he wouldn’t be able to split up the groups either. We asked for a manager, and the host responded with an eye roll, which felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. When the manager came over, we were told that they needed to ask the bartender if they could seat us, which seemed a bit unusual. The bartender then claimed they couldn’t accommodate us at all, even though there was plenty of seating upstairs and we had spoken to that bartender on the phone and they said they would accommodate us. At that point, we tried to find a solution by offering to split the group into two sections, but we were told half of us would need to be seated on a different level (even though I counted about 14 open seats upstairs). Given that the issue was really just having 11 people (with one being a 3-year-old), it seemed like there was a lack of communication or flexibility in managing a group of our size. As someone who has worked in the service industry for years, I was disappointed by how the situation was handled. There was a lack of clear communication, and what was initially communicated wasn’t honored. It’s frustrating when a restaurant doesn't follow through, especially when we drove 30 minutes to give it a try. Unfortunately, we decided to leave, and we won’t...

(TLDR: Truly magical food made with expertise and intuitive flavor combinations. Don't pass up the truffle fries. Excellent staff, quaint environment, tricky parking. Cannot recommend the experience enough!)

The whole extended family's favorite burger joint and for good reason.

This particular time, we had a 40 minute wait and it was worth every second and then some.

We went in knowing what we wanted but looked at the menu and chose other options because you really can't go wrong with any item on their menu. Each one is a rich experience with well chosen flavors, executed perfectly! I haven't had anything there I didn't like, even things I traditionally am not fond of, I would eat here. They do something truly magical with food and I can't recommend it enough.

The service was great and I've not one had an experience with the staff to the contrary. The atmosphere is a little boisterous with the feel that if should be bigger to host everyone that wants to eat there at once but still able to hear the person beside you and at your table just fine.

The truffle fries are truly unique and are absolutely perfect. They're garlic aioli.. to die for. I wish I could buy it in a bottle and smother everything I ever eat with it. For the sake of my health, they thankfully don't sell it by bottle! 😅

My only complaint is the difficulty with parking. Tony lot shared with other venues in downtown Wichita with a little one way traffic action... It's rough. But still doesn't deter us from enjoying this wonderful experience time and time again.

You want a real masterpiece of a burger?...

Took out of town guests to eat there. We called ahead for reservations and were told they don't take them. They did say we could put our name on the list so our table would be ready when we got there. When we arrived, we discovered they hadn't put our name on the list after all. The hostess was really rude. We decided to wait anyway. We waited over an hour and we're told that we were next on the list, so we moved up near the hostess. They prepared our table but just as we were about to be seated, a cute guy walked up with a party the size of ours. The hostess started flirting with him. He said he didn't have a reservation but wanted her to seat them anyway. She said ok and gave them our table. I worked my way thru college as a waitress so I know what it's like ad that is not acceptable. I asked her why she did that and she told me they had a reservation. Yes, reread above about what they told us about reservations, plus we heard the guy tell her they didn't have one. When I confronted her with what she told us prior and what he said, she started crying and stood there in front of the customers screaming about how bad we were treating her. It was a ridiculous spectacle, totally uncalled for since we remained civil the entire time, and a total lack of integrity on Dempsey's part. Totally unprofessional place and employees that left both locals and out of guests wondering how they stay in business. Do not recommend. Gave them 1 star only because they wouldn't let...