Stroud's Restaurant & Bar Review

Stroud’s

Because my circle of friends in college seemed to all work at Stroud’s, the restaurant was a common staple for lunch and dinner stops during my exciting and adventurous time at Wichita State. Even post college, it was a stop we would frequent often.

That was long ago and this is now. How has it stood the test of time?

Insert my work colleagues who joined me for lunch at Stroud’s Restaurant and Bar located at 3661 N Hillside. They are mostly open just for dinner from 5 pm – 9 pm on Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday from 4 pm – 10 pm, and Sundays from 11 am – 9 pm. Only Friday they are open for lunch from 11 am – 2 pm. Check out their website: http://stroudswichita.com/

Stroud’s has been voted best chicken by many local publications through the years. They offer family style dining with large side portions to share with others at your table. It has been a popular stop for so many people.

For our visit, four of us made our way to Stroud’s and there was a really good size crowd already eating lunch that particular Friday afternoon.

I ordered the Pan-Fried Pork Chop, two of my colleagues went with the Pan-Fried Chicken and a fourth ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad. We ordered sides of Mashed Potatoes and Gravy along with Green Beans.

The service was quick and the food delivery was even quicker for a busy Friday.

The pork chop was delicious; very tender and flavorful with just the right amount of breading around it. The grilled chicken salad was a very healthy and generous size with plenty of grilled chicken on top with average salad dressing that tasted a bit stale and old. The actual salad was fresh, tasty and filled my co-worker up. He was very delighted with his meal.

As for the chicken breast, one co-worker commented that it was tender and tasty. He about ate the bones because they were fried so well and were crispy to perfection. The other-co-worker felt differently. He said his chicken was dry and extremely small. He’s been to the Stroud’s in KC and noted the chicken breasts there are huge and moist. The one thing both agreed on was the price you paid for the chicken was really expensive for what you got.

The opinions on the sides were mixed from ok to very good. They were colossal portions so one thing for sure is, you won’t leave hungry if you enjoy eating sides.

The meal ended with their famous cinnamon rolls they deliver once your meal is about over. I am not sure if it’s because I haven’t been there in a while but the rolls weren’t as good as they used to be; maybe it was the nostalgic feelings I had from my first times ever going to Stroud’s. For the others, they were all big fans; lots of ranting and raving about them but do keep your expectations low on them so you don’t let let down if you have never been.

Overall opinions on Stroud’s were mixed after lunch was over. Not one person felt the place was incredible but most felt it was pretty good. It’s certainly not the type of place we would go to consistently given the health implications and the fact that there are so many other options in town for lunch as well.

For being an award winning restaurant, don’t let the hype get to you. Just go in with an open mind and decide for yourself whether you like the homestyle cooking offered at Stroud’s or not.