Delano Barbecue

On a typical Friday night, my family gets together to enjoy dinner together, to catch up on each others' week  and to somewhat celebrate the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend.  For the sake of introductions,  I'll simply introduce my family as Blondie (Sister, the First), Curly (Sister, the Second),  TallMan (Curly's Love) and Widdle Mama (The Sisters' and My Mom).

This Friday night, we were attempting some dietary responsibility and TallMan Googled "best salads in Wichita".  Among the top 5 was a barbecue joint which seemed odd in a search for salads.  Always ready to try something new and something local, Widdle Mama, TallMan and I opted for Delano Barbecue for a great salad (that just sounds weird).  I have to tell you though... we couldn't even finish our meal without planning when we would come back  and who we would bring with us.

What I loved about this place was not just the super friendly staff and really good food.  I walked away appreciating them for two main reasons.  First, I love small businesses that have great attention to detail.  From the decor on the tables to the pictures on the wall to the food itself, you could tell nothing about this place had the "I'll Just" Virus.  You know what that is... that little bug that makes people or businesses look at what they need to do and, rather than do things really well and put forth extra effort, they say "I'll just (fill in the blank)" and opt for mediocrity.  It's a virus, because once you give in to the "I'll Just" Virus, it spreads rapidly; and before you know it, a really great idea has had crappy execution and the person or business becomes known for its ok-ness.

Ok, so they refilled it right after this.
It was popular!

Delano Barbecue doesn't have the I'll Just virus.  A little bit country and proudly redneck, you get the feeling they are comfortable in their own skin. Good food, unexpected samples, and incredibly original sauces (I loved the Thai Lime) let you know this isn't like other BBQ places around town and is a world away from microwave chains.  Only Widdle Mama had the salad which lived up to the hype.  TallMan and I enjoyed the 2 meat dinner with 2 sides, and were more than impressed.  Burnt ends were fork tender and the turkey rivaled anything I've had on Thanksgiving.  Even the drink options were unique.  I'd go back right now just to have another glass of the Coconut Iced Tea.  And can we talk about the Thursday night S'mores bar?  Um, yes, please.

The second reason I loved it was because you could tell they were proud of their corner of the world in Wichita.  At home in the former art studio of Blackbear Bosin, there's a tribute to him on one wall.  (And hey, Wichita! How is it people don't know who he is? And why isn't there a Blackbear Bosin Blvd or something?  He's legendary.)  Pictures of old Wichita on the walls remind you that great things start small.  They also have regularly scheduled "Give Back Night" where 10% of their evening sales benefit a local charity doing good in the community.

For these reasons, we give Delano Barbecue our first "Keeper of the Plains" rating - unique and inviting.  It's one of the places that makes Wichita a great place to live.  Give it a try and tell them Re:Wichita sent you.

So have you tried Delano Barbecue?  What did you like about it?