Tanker BBQ Co. — Restaurant in Wichita

The first thing we experienced walking in was a six minute wait with no customers in the restaurant. Then we were gaslighted with the girl at the front calling herself Ruby. I don’t know why but Wichita has this weird thing about gaslighting. They’re very big on clique behavior and weird little games with gaslighting. Anywho my mother in law’s name is Ruby and if you want to work under a fake name and I have to know you as Ruby for the rest of your life, that’s your prerogative. You’re the 25th Ruby I’ve met this year lol, but who’s counting? The Cox Communications guy asked the owner if they were working lol, but he seemed to be a part of the shenanigans as well the way he was standing around. After the six minute wait some flamboyant guy wearing a colorful floral top, driving a purple Scion cut in front of us and whispered something to the clerk, and then stared us down. With the time it took, we left the first time.

It seemed like too much hassle for bbq. We did try again later. The bbq was okay. There was nothing memorable about it. I should have known walking into an empty restaurant with 2 customers, but I chose to listen to my brother. We like to give people a chance. They had a nice bark on the brisket but somehow it was dry. They do give a generous amount of meat for the price, in my opinion. If you’re looking to feed a few people and not break the bank, you can do it. The sides were definitely not meant for people who like more “seasoned preference”. The macaroni has potential but no. Next time cook your bacon and onions, season them, then add your green beans in. It would have given them more flavor. The cheesy potatoes were the best side but were undercooked. The links were good. The food is what you feed to your friends in the nursing home losing their taste buds, and the bbq sauce could have been promising. The meat was tender, so they know how to marinade.

I would only stop here again out of desperation or to feed someone who isn’t picky when you need a lot of food. Even though you seem to be “Nice people”. Maybe for a conversation.

Also why were there no bread...

Amazing food all around. We got a sampler of just about everything. Only thing he was out of was the ribs. Brisket, burnt ends, chicken, pulled pork, and hot links were all fantastic. I'm not normally one to get chicken, but it was so so good. Looking forward to try the ribs. For sides we had Mac n cheese, cheesy potluck potatoes, green beans, and corn casserole. Hard to pick a favorite, but probably going to give the edge to the potatoes, which, again, is not normally something I go for at BBQ joints, but wow. Lastly we had his berry compote cheesecake parfait (not the actual name but that was more or less what is was). It was like a whipped cheesecake and very tasty. The owner, Bruce, was really friendly. Felt like we were eating at a BBQ in his yard and he was super nice as he engaged with our 3 year old. Really glad to have such a great new BBQ option! They will be renovating the building soon to include seating areas. Just be aware it's largely more of a takeout aituation. Right now there is one table with an umbrella out back next to the smoker. We went ahead and ate there....

A must stop if visiting the area. If I lived here, this would be one of my consistent stops. (I am working here in Wichita for the week from Illinois.) Stopped in to Tankers BBQ by the stadium for lunch. Oh My! I cannot even explain how much the owners passion for what he does comes through in the flavors. He graciously provided me with a mini-sampler so I could try a few different items on the menu. I was also given mild and hot bbq sauce, both delicious but not needed. I felt guilty using the sauce because the natural flavors were amazing on all the meats. Everything is made by hand, even my sides of chili and sweet corn casserole was amazing! The owner was very friendly too. Although the place was under construction, I still gave it 5 stars as I was given a tour of the future plans and know it will have a great atmosphere when completed. Even if BBQ is not your thing, this place will have you coming back. Already can’t wait for my next trip to the area to see the progress on the building and to enjoy some top notch BBQ with...