Savor the Best: 5 Must-Try Council Grove Kansas Restaurants

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Council Grove was founded in the late 1840s at the site of a mile-wide grove of hardwood timber. A group of U.S. commissioners and the chiefs of the Great and Little Osage tribes signed a treaty in 1825 under one of those trees, Council Oak. For a time, it was the last opportunity for Santa Fe Trail travelers headed west to pick up supplies.

A replica covered wagon and a statue of one of the 12 Madonnas of the Trail commemorate the days when strong women accompanied their husbands along the Santa Fe Trail heading for a better life out west. The statues were erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in honor of these the pioneer mothers. The Madonna stature is a larger-than-life pioneer mother holding a small child with a slightly older boy holding on to her skirt as she strides westward along the trail. It’s near the Riverwalk on the Neosho River, meaning “water within” in the native Osage Indian language.

Native Americans are honored nearby with an eight-foot-high bronze statue of a Kaw warrior known as the “Guardian of the Grove.” He faces east towards the oncoming Madonna.

I recently visited the city to find the best Council Grove, Kansas restaurants and I found some real gems!

Table of Contents

1. Saddlerock Café
2. Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern
3. The Dustie Shelf
4. Riverbanks Brewing
5. The Dealership Building

The 5 Best Council Grove Kansas Restaurants

Saddlerock Café

Address: 15 S 6th St, Council Grove, KS 66846
Phone: +1 (620) 767-6411
Saddlerock Café on Google Maps

From the outside, Saddlerock Café looks like just a barn-red old building. Inside, the delicious scents of home-baked bread and cinnamon rolls tell a different story.

The café has been around since the 1800s when it fed the railroad workers passing through. Today, the owner, Marsha Seymour, aided by her husband, daughter, and friendly staff, serve about 2,000 visitors per week, both locals and travelers.

The food is made here daily and includes country-style foods like fried catfish, chicken fried steak, and some fantastic breakfasts.

The décor reminds you that you are on the old Santa Fe Trail. There is a narrow-board ceiling, horseshoe table markers, boards displaying cattle brands, and native American blankets.

We visited for breakfast, and I had the French Toast. I had a hard choice between Honey Wheat, White, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Raisin, Raisin Pecan, Rye, Cranberry Almond Orange, or Pina Colada. I had to go with the Pina Colada as it sounded so unusual for bread. It was delicious.

Home-made bread always tastes fresher, probably since no preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients are in it.

One of my friends had Strawberry Pancakes, and another had a Western Omelet. Both looked tasty. The three-egg omelet served with hash browns was huge.

Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern

Address: 112 W Main St, Council Grove, KS 66846
Phone: +1 (620) 767-5911
Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern on Google Maps

In 1847 a great-grandson of Daniel Boone, Seth M. Hays, came to the area to trade with the Kaw tribe, whose reservation was established the year before. Then, this was just a wagon train rendezvous before continuing to New Mexico on the Santa Fe Trail.

Hays is considered the founder of Council Grove. He built a log cabin where he served food and had a rooming house. He traded with the Native Americans and was the reason some travelers on the Santa Fe Trail remained and created the town.

Hays built what is now the Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern in 1857 on the Santa Fe Trail, now Main Street in Council Grove.

Over the years, it served multiple purposes. Once, the government rented space for a post office. It was used for church services. The bartenders covered the bar and alcohol bottles so as not to offend the worshipers. Over the years, it played host to some famous guests, including Jesse James and General Custer.

When we entered, one of the first things I noticed was the huge stone fireplace next to the well-stocked bar. The walls have wood wainscoting, and large timber posts supporting an exposed beam ceiling.

The current owners, Frankie and Shey-Anne Greco, and executive chef and co-owner, Chef Randy Dickson, keep the menu true to its roots with real Kansas dishes like Kansas Prime rib and Chicken Fried Steak. They have an appetizer called Bull Fries which are breaded and lightly fried rocky mountain oysters.

We opted for their Fried Mushrooms with ranch dressing.

For my entrée, I had their Bacon Cheddar Meatloaf, made with Kansas ground beef, bacon, and cheddar cheese, glazed with their special BBQ sauce, and served with mashed potatoes and gravy.

It was very flavorful, but the two large, thick slabs were more than one person could eat at one sitting.

Unfortunately, none of us had room for dessert, but their bread pudding is reputed to be fantastic.

The Dustie Shelf

Address: 108 West Main Street, Council Grove, KS 66846
Phone: +1 (620) 767-5514
The Dustie Shelf on Google Maps

If you’re craving a sweet treat or an old-fashioned ice cream soda, stop in at the Dustie Shelf Antique Mall.

Not only will you find treasures from days gone by, but you will also find a real soda fountain in the back section of the store.

One of their best sellers is the Cherry Lime Rickey, a mixture of cherries and limeade. You can also get lots of other sweeties, including fresh-cut fudge and crunchy Nutter Butter cookies made with Ghirardelli milk chocolate topped with a peanut butter-flavored drizzle.

For those with an even sweeter tooth, they stock lots of candies. Some dealers carry other food products, like honey or jams.

Riverbanks Brewing

Address: 13 W Main Street, Council Grove, KS 66846
Phone: +1 (620) 767-3300
Riverbanks Brewing on Google Maps

Riverbanks Brewery began as a dream of five friends: Pat Atchity, Jesse and Deidre Knight, and Lindsay and Joshua Gant. They wanted a place for people to come together and have a good time.

The Knights and Gants live in Council Grove, and Pat Atchity lives in Kansas City.

Deidre and Jesse had bought a rundown building next to the Neosho River for another business they own and decided to convert half to a brewery.

They began the project in spring 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, construction slowed, and the brewery finally opened its doors in November 2021.

When we visited, the brewery was busy and had a relaxed vibe.

There were lots of sofas, chairs, and tables to settle in at. The shining brewing tanks are in one section.

There’s a long, modern bar where you can get one of their craft beers, some other brews, or a cocktail for non-beer-drinkers. I had one of their oak-barrel-aged Margaritas, and it was fabulous.

Their first beer, named “All In,” was a beer they named after the work and love they had for the project.

Most of their beers use Kansas grains and hops. They don’t serve a full menu but allow guests to bring food to the brewery from any of the local restaurants in town. They serve flatbreads, pretzels, and charcuterie boards for light munching.

The Dealership Building

Address: 318 W Main St, Council Grove, KS 66846
Phone: +1 (620) 767-7880
The Dealership Building on Google Maps

The Dealership Building has been many things over the years and still is today. It was an actual dealership from 1919 until 1958.

The building dates back to before the car timeframe. In the 1910s, people still rode horses and cars were owned by just a few people.

At first, the building was more of a public parking garage or a “livery stable” for cars. Since automobiles then rarely had hardtop roofs, inside parking was important. The original building probably accommodated about 22 cars with a service bay in the back.

By the late 20s, it would have looked more like a modern dealership with more service bays, a showroom, and a parts counter.

Ryan McDonald owns the building with his wife, Amanda McDonald, said, “It was originally a Dodge Brothers dealership. I liked the Dodge Brother’s “DB” logo and wanted to return the building to its original theme, so the “Dealership Building” allowed us to bring that history back and also use the “DB” logo.”

Pictures in the back hallway showed different timeframes while it was a dealership. It transitioned to a Chevrolet dealership for most of the 30s and early 40s, and then it was several Ford dealerships during WWII until 1958.

Today, it is still many things. On one side, there’s a retail store selling some interesting antiques and collectibles, and on the opposite side, tables and chairs with a stage for the dining and entertainment section.

Farther back in the building, there’s a full-service bar, an antique and architectural salvage store, a small art gallery, and an incubator kitchen.

Trailside Market is held there every second Saturday to support local small businesses. Vendors offer homemade products and homegrown produce.

Their incubator kitchen offers a space that anyone can rent out. Since it began, they have had a startup bakery business, Jonny V’s BBQ, and some private caterers. They have had a food truck use the space for various events. Jonny V’s BBQ does a pop-up restaurant with some events.

Some days, they offer their own menu of “gourmet” hotdogs. They like to remain local to Kansas foods. The hotdogs are made in Emporia and served with Guys potato chips made in Kansas City.

The bar also only serves “local” craft beers and craft spirits, currently stocking over 25 beers made in Kansas and Kansas City, MO, and a large selection of whiskeys, gins, vodkas, and tequila, all made locally.

Ryan said, “I believe, but can’t prove yet, that our little bar has the largest selection of craft beer and spirits in the state of Kansas. I’ve yet to find anyone else serving only local products. The other sort of interesting aspect is that we promote these other microdistilleries by using specialty drinks off their menus with their permission and using their products. The thought is that if they really like a certain drink, they can order the same drink that they had when they visited that distillery.”

Rudy and The Lost Boys were playing the night we visited. It was so fun sitting at a table, sipping a cocktail, and listening to the music.

They try to have an event every two weeks, mostly bands, but sometimes Karaoke nights and DJ nights. The bar is open whenever the antique store is open, and other bar hours sometimes.

They host football and basketball watch parties, private parties of all sorts, wedding receptions, dinner parties, whiskey tastings, non-profit meetings, 4H meetings, chamber, and any other wild idea that comes their way.

Council Grove is one of America’s historical treasures. Council Grove is one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas History because it is a Santa Fe Trail National Historic Landmark town. Main Street is the old Santa Fe Trail. It’s fifty-five miles southwest of Topeka in the Flint Hills of Eastern Kansas.