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Since Doug and I live in Parsons, the question we frequently ask each other is: “Where should we eat tonight?” If you’re passing through Southeast Kansas, or spending a little time in our corner of the state, chances are you’ll find yourself wondering the same thing. Finding a great place to eat in an unfamiliar town can feel like a gamble—but after dining in nearly every restaurant Parsons has to offer, we’re here to help you skip the guessing game. We’re giving you our recommendations for the best places to eat in Parsons, KS (and a bonus recommendation for dessert!).
In this guide, we’ll share our top picks for local eats—starting with our favorite locally owned spots in no particular order. We love all of these or we wouldn’t recommend them! We always prioritize supporting small businesses when we can, and you’ll see why we believe these restaurants deserve a place on your must-try list.
1. MT Smoke (If you don’t need a sit-down restaurant)
Why we eat here: MT Smoke has become our go-to for takeout. As the name implies, it is a smokehouse that has the most tender pulled pork and brisket in Parsons. Only open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, it opens at 11:00 am and closes when the food is sold out.
There is no place to sit here—it’s just pick-up—but if you have someplace to take it, maybe one of our local parks, you will really love their food. Much as I love brisket, their pulled pork has become our favorite. Doug also loves their baked beans, and he is a bit snobby about his baked beans. They also have baked potatoes, mac and cheese, coleslaw, banana pudding, and a few other sides. MT Smoke is currently our vote for best place to eat in Parsons.
Address: 429 N 26th St, Parsons, KS 67357
2. Kitchen Pass (When you do want a sit-down restaurant or carryout)
Why we eat here: Kitchen Pass is a classic American sit-down restaurant. The atmosphere is pleasant, and they have a wide variety of food. Everyone in your group is going to find something on the menu to suit them. They make great burgers, the steaks are good, the French dip is one of our favorites and the appetizers are tasty. This is a safe choice if you have picky eaters in your group. They have a full service bar as well.
The service is friendly, and they are generally fairly fast, though Friday nights can be a bit slower as that seems to be their busiest night. Our last visit there was a Tuesday night, the crowd was smaller, and the service was quick. They are not open on Saturdays or Sundays.
They do have a small banquet room so you can plan group dinners. I’ve attended a number of professional functions here.
Address: 1711 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
3. Remnant (counter service, sit-down or carryout)
Why we eat here: Remnant is a coffee shop run by one of the local churches. It’s become quite a hangout spot in town. They serve breakfast and lunch food, including soups, sandwiches, and other deli-type foods which I enjoy. Because it is a coffee shop, it’s only open until 2:30 and not open on Sundays.
This is the place to come if you just need a place to sit and visit while sipping a good beverage or having a quick meal. The atmosphere is peaceful and calm. It’s the kind of place you take your book or your laptop and stay a while. The atmosphere is distinctly Christian as you would expect since it is run by a local church.
Address: 1719 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
4. Joe’s Italian Parsons (Sit-down, take out)
Why we eat here: Great Italian food! This restaurant is part of a small chain in Kansas, so we had originally eaten at their restaurant in Coffeyville. We were excited to see that they were coming to Parsons! They do have delicious Italian standards such as Fettucine Alfredo, lasagna, manicotti, and ravioli, along with artisan pizza, and salads. Their red sauce is a bit too much on the acidic side for my taste, but my husband likes it and we love their cream sauces. The stuffed mushrooms are our go-to appetizer.
The service has always top-notch when we’ve eaten there. They have a lunch menu and a kid’s menu. It’s probably a few dollars more than some of the other choices in town, but the food and the service has always been worth it to us.
Address: 3330 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
5. Cosmic Castle (counter service, sit-down or carry out)
Why we eat here: The Castle is the most eclectic place to eat in town! They are located in one of our old downtown buildings with a historic vibe. They have a soda-fountain feel, but serve great burgers and sandwiches, fancy hotdogs, delicious malts, and tasty sundaes. They also have an arcade with pinball games, driving games, and video games such as Fruit Ninja, so my grandkids love it, and I just take some quarters to give them.
Steve and Anna start cooking after you order, so the food is hot and custom-created for you. This is one of the few restaurants in town that is open for lunch and supper on Sundays.
They have spent time collecting all types of unique décor, and you can spend quite a while just looking at the unusual objects on the walls. The castle isn’t like any place you’ve eaten before! They are also the center in Parsons for games such as Magic: the Gathering. If that is your thing, you’ll love it here!
Address: 110 S 18th St, Parsons, KS 67357
6. El Pueblito (Sit down or carry out)
Why we eat here: Just great Mexican food. The service is fast, the food is tasty, and the menu is extensive. The restaurant can get fairly busy at times, but we’ve never had to wait more than five minutes or so for a table. This is definitely one of my husband’s favorite places to eat in town, and they accommodate large families well. We’ve been there with the full contingent of kids and grandkids with no problem. We also call in for take-out because they have my favorite tacos in town.
The parking in front of El Pub is limited, but there is a larger parking lot in the back, so don’t be discouraged if the street parking is full. They are not open on Sundays, but open until 9:00 the rest of the week.
Address: 1804 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
7. Baller’s Sports Bar and Grill
Why we eat here: A lively sports-bar vibe with burgers, wings, and a wide variety of other food. If you’re not the kind of person who normally hangs out in bars, you’ll still enjoy Baller’s. I love the fact that the tables are not crowded together like many places, and the service is very friendly and fast. They have daily specials, such as Taco Thursday, so check those out when you go.
They are open every day except Tuesday.
Address: 2007 Belmont Ave, Parsons, KS 67357
8. Dos Fronteras (sit down or carry out)
Why we eat here: This is another one of the few places open on Sunday for lunch, so they do a brisk business then. In fact, they are open every day of the week! They have the standard Tex-Mex food that you expect when you hear “Let’s do Mexican.” Reliably good meals and good service.
Address: 3400 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
9. Chinese Chef (sit down, buffet, or carryout)
Why we eat here: This is my older son’s favorite place to eat in Parsons. I think that goes for his kids as well. My mother, who can be fairly picky, asks to come here frequently because of the wide variety of food available.
It is a reliable Chinese buffet with lots of choices like General Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Crab Rangoon, and your other favorite Chinese-American dishes. They also have a salad bar and dessert choices as you would expect. The restaurant is large with plenty of seating, so I can’t imagine that one would ever have to wait for a table.
Address: 900 N 16th St, Parsons, KS 67357
10. Chalate (Drive-through, carryout)
Why we eat here: The size of the food is amazing. They serve wraps, “unwraps,” and quesadillas. One wrap will serve at least 2 meals for the average person. I could tell as they handed me the bag with two wraps in that we were in for quite the meal because the bag was so heavy!
Even though they have quesadillas, the wraps are not Mexican in flavor. You can ask for the spicy version, but if you don’t, they are more like a standard chicken or steak wrap in flavor. The sauce is similar to a ranch, but it’s their own recipe.
This place only has a few outdoor tables, so it’s either drive-through (at the back of the building) or walk up (at the front of the building) if you don’t want to sit at those. If you need to satisfy some BIG appetites, this is the place.
Menu: I couldn’t find their menu online anywhere, so I’ll just put a picture here.
Address: 1500 Main St., Parsons, KS 67357
11. Java’s Hibachi Grill (carryout)
Why we eat here: This was our first permanent food truck in Parsons and has been a local favorite ever since it arrives. The portion sizes are huge! I usually can have at least 2 meals off anything I order. I love the yum-yum sauce! I usually get the chicken hibichi meal, but my husband loves the scallops, and my son gets the steak. Just really yummy food.
We have family members who immediately ask when we will be eating here as soon as they arrive in town because they love it.
Address: 2209 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
12. Okie Hibachi Japanese Fusion (sit-down)
Why we eat here: For a small town, it’s amazing that we have two Japanese-style restaurants in town, but we do, and they are both good. Okie Hibachi is newer and is a sit-down restaurant as opposed to Genko Hibachi which is a food truck.
Okie Hibachi focuses more on the sushi, it seems to me. I had the deep fried West California roll last time we were in, and it instantly became my favorite. It’s craveable!
They have several different types of boba, which is fun. They also do large party platters, so great for bigger get-togethers. They are open every day except Sunday.
Address: 1827 Crawford Ave, Parsons, KS 67357
Address: 1827 Crawford Ave, Parsons, KS 67357
13. Ole Sawmill Grill (sit down)
Why we eat here: Good burgers and other comfort foods such as chicken-fried steak. They are known for their breakfasts, which is one of my favorite meals to eat out. That would be a great time to try them!
They are only open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and sometimes Monday. They close for a couple of hours between lunch and dinner.
I couldn’t find a menu anywhere online.
Address: 720 Main St, Parsons, KS 67357
14. Pete’s (Carryout)
Why we eat here: Why would I list a gas station as a great place to eat? Just one reason. My husband likes their chicken better than any other chicken in town. They have the other standard gas station deli food, but for a quick place to grab some great chicken, Pete’s fills the bill.
Address: 116 S 32nd St, Parsons, KS 67357
Bonus: Cherry on Top-Great ice cream for dessert
Cherry on Top is the perfect place to end your evening. Cherry on Top makes all their own ice cream as well as their own cones. Rocky Road is my personal favorite, and theirs has plenty of marshmallows and nuts! One scoop is a huge amount of ice cream. I had to put part of mine in the freezer to finish the next day.
They have plenty of flavors, all made there in the store, as well as sundaes and shakes. If you like your sweets, don’t miss Cherry on Top!
Address: 1812 Broadway Ave, Parsons, KS
Fast-Food Roundup
Parsons is a small town, but when you are looking for the best places to eat, there’s plenty of tasty options —smokehouses, cafés, Tex‑Mex, hibachi, comfort food, fun diners and grills. Next time someone asks “Where should we eat?” you’ll have answers from comfortable sit-down restaurants to delicious take-out.
While you’re in Southeast Kansas, be sure to explore the other wonderful things to do here!
Other Things to Do in the Area
- A general overview of what is available in Southeast Kansas. There is a lot to do here!
- If you need recommendations for eating in other towns in the area, check out our recommendations for the 15 Best Restaurants in Pittsburg.
- A quick and fun photo opportunity in Southeast Kansas is where the three states of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma come together.
- If you would like to see other areas that have been reclaimed from the coal strip mining, explore the Mined Land Wildlife Area.
- Looking for more outdoor adventures? Check out Crawford State Park.
- Need something for the kids? Head on into Parsons to Curious Minds Discovery Zone. This is one of my grandkids’ favorite places to be!
- Feeling the need for more adult activities? Kansas Crossing Casino is right on the south end of Pittsburg.
- Don’t miss the one of the “biggest” tourist attractions in Kansas! Big Brutus!
- Are you a fan of Disney’s movie Cars? If so, don’t miss Kan-O-Tex service station in Galena. The home of the original Tow Mater!
