These historic depot stations provide a unique dining experience
Once a bustling train station, the former Santa Fe depot in Leavenworth has transformed into a popular destination for hungry diners. Aptly named The Depot, the restaurant offers award-winning comfort food inside the pink sandstone structure built in 1887 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Although passenger service ended in the late 1930s—and freight service to the area nearly 50 years later—the train tracks still run alongside the depot. With striking architectural features, including the original stained-glass windows, elaborate woodwork, hardwood floors and two reconstructed fireplaces, the restaurant transports patrons back to the glory days of rail travel.
“You can just imagine the people in the 1920s running around,” says chef Michael Nachbar, who also co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Mary. “You can imagine guys sitting around smoking their pipes or cigars and playing cards in the Men’s Waiting Room, and the women conversing in their waiting room while taking care of the children.”
It was common for train stations to separate passengers into different waiting areas, sometimes by gender, sometimes by travel class. The words “Men’s Waiting Room” still mark the door to one of the dining areas, where historic photographs adorn the walls.
Credit: Kevin Anderson“We have some pictures of the building when it was a station,” Nachbar says. “In the ticket room, which is where the conductor always sat, there is a picture of him sitting at his desk in the early 1900s.”
Nachbar crafts a sustainable menu with help from local partners who supply fresh ingredients. His breakfast and lunch options often come with fun names that nod to the building’s railroad past.
Their No. 1 seller is the Main Railway, an all-American breakfast of two eggs, crisp hash browns, and choice of meat, served with toast or a muffin. The Iron Horse features the same foods as the Main Railway, along with a half order of biscuits and gravy. The Train Wreck Scrambler serves up sausage, ham, eggs, peppers and hash browns, all scrambled and served with toast.
The smoked chicken hash Benedict is one of the depot’s most talked about brunch dishes, Nachbar says. It features pulled smoked chicken with sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, two eggs and chipotle hollandaise. The chicken and waffles is another popular brunch choice.
For lunch, customers love Nachbar’s Blue Ribbon Mojo Pulled Pork Sandwich. Stacked with the chef’s own NachBBQ pulled pork and topped with Swiss cheese, Asian slaw and mojo sauce, this sandwich won first place at the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, Kansas’ largest barbecue competition.
The presentation has its own charm, too: Some menu items arrive wrapped in newspaper print on galvanized pans, and seasonal desserts are served in mason jars. These serving dishes—along with their comfortable fare—evoke a bygone era when the depot served as one of many lively stops along the railroad.
thedepot1887.com 913.297.0361
Depot Market
Courtland
Road trippers traveling along U.S. Highway 36 can stop by the Depot Market in Courtland. At this historic market, located at the 120-year-old Santa Fe Depot, travelers can pack their bags full of seasonal, home-grown cantaloupe, asparagus, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, summer squash and more. Visitors can also pick their own apples, blackberries, strawberries or pumpkins, depending on the season. Depot Market participates in a variety of family-friendly festivals and activities, featuring food trucks, corn mazes, hayrides and more. It is also a stop on the Treasure Hunt Across Kansas, an annual scavenger hunt that highlights establishments along U.S. Highway 36.
depotmarket.net / 785.374.4255
Shindigs
Winfield
Shindigs Bar & Grill is just the ticket for a night out in Winfield. Featuring a wide range of menu items, Shindigs offers favorites such as their rib-to-rib cut tomahawk steak; Chicken Frizzled Steak, hand-battered and topped with house-made gravy; Bruiser Burger, with blue cheese crumbles and caramelized onions; and Junkyard Fries, topped with smoked pulled pork, Riff Raff Mushrooms, jalapeño relish and cheese curds. You’ll find more to love on their seasonal menus, which keep every visit fresh and flavorful. Located in a completely renovated former Santa Fe freight house built in 1910, the two-story restaurant features industrial-rustic décor, with old cars, bolts, chicken feeders, pulleys and other vintage items. For an open-air experience, head out to the patio, where street and railroad lights set the scene for an evening of food and drinks. And don’t miss the quirky touches: the old truck that was turned into a beer dispenser and the keg urinals in the restrooms.
shindigsbarandgrill.com / 620.221.4782
