N & J Cafe & Bakery — Restaurant in Wichita

Came for the wings, stayed for the gyro platter.

I am visiting Wichita on an extended business trip and asked a colleague "who has the best wings in the city?". There was a short list of options, and N&J was at the top.

When I arrived there were plenty of seating options and I chose a booth. The waitress came over quickly, gave me a menu, took my drink order, and asked me if I wanted to hear the specials of the day.

I told her that I was there because someone recommended their wings as some of the best in the city, and she quickly replied "It must have been a while since your friend has been here because I've worked here a year and we stopped serving wings before I started working here".

Wow. Bummer.

So I ordered the gyro platter that came with their signature rice pilaf, gyro meat, tahini sauce drizzled on top, and a wonderful serving of grilled vegetables that included summer squash, onions, green and red peppers, and mushrooms. For my included side, I chose the Greek salad.

Everything was fresh and delicious, and as you can see from the plates, overflowing.

The entire meal, with an ice tea was $20.

The restaurant is a Wichita staple and has been around a long time. When I was there on a Tuesday evening there were a couple of older folks eating alone as if this was their regular place, and a couple of groups all enjoying dinner, and the dining room never got too loud, which was nice.

I docked them a star because the restaurant could have used some sprucing up, but overall it was your standard neighborhood diner type establishment with good and plentiful...

I'm glad I could post this just in time for Father's Day! Trust your dad. Trust him. He knows a thing or two, like what's good. For Dad and me, N&J is a hangout spot. There's no better mushroom soup anywhere, the coffee is good, and the hummus is good! Dad has travelled to a lot of places, including the Middle East, primarily Israel. That's what turned him on to their food, and he sensed I got that gene from him, so when my aunt and uncle introduced Mom and Dad to N&J, they knew they had to bring me, so they did, and I have no regrets! One pleasant surprise for which I was not prepared was that grape leaves are served hot! It was like a vegetable soup in a spring roll! Did I mention they serve cheesecake??? And baklava! And the restaurant includes a bakery with fresh bread and a market complete with coffee, candy, incense, olive oil, and fruit! I hope the Jabarra family reads this review! They're a Wichita institution, you know! So yeah! Trust your dad! He has good ideas! I trust mine and that's how I benefit from a service like N&J! I owe a debt of gratitude to a lot of people, what can I tell ya??? 🤣🤣🤣

Addendum: Dear friends, Levantine style dining is traditionally a big spread to be shared in what we in the West call, "Family Style". Meals are served individually at N&J, just as they would frequently be in places like Israel, but I challenge: At a meal like this, the name of the game is sharing! Share,...

I went into N&J Cafe trying to deviate from the more common Mediterranean place that most people are familiar with in town. You know the name, rhymes with Teddy. ;)

The inside wasn’t too bad, clean, and orderly. A nice man immediately greeted me at the door, and told me to pick any seat.

Once seated, my friendly waitress came right over. She brought my water right over, and provided my menu. I ordered the chicken shawarma, hummus, and baba ghanouji. The food came right out with very little wait.

The chicken shawarma was only ok. Kind of messy and too only so-so flavoring. I would not order this again, and do not recommend. I’ll try something else if I happen in again.

Hummus was good. Pita chips seemed sort of old, and the pita bread was cold (used to it more fresh and warm).

Baba ghanouji was good. I thought flavor was good, and consistency and texture was up to par.

In the end, service was great, shawarma was only so-so, but...