Teller’s

We were early because we had an opera to attend at KU, La Boheme, in which some of my wife’s students were cast members. We got the table next to the window, which turned out to be a bad idea because of the setting Sun, in my eyes and producing a fair amount of heat.
Dan, with a very nice handlebar mustache, was our waiter and the service was excellent! That, unfortunately, was the highlight of the evening.
The corn and poblano chowder was good, but nothing to write home about… rather boring and not very well seasoned. My wife had the chicken, potato, and asparagus soup although I never did find the asparagus. It was tasty, but underwhelming. The fact that I dislike chicken soup might have affected my pallet and opinion. The highlight pre-​entre was the focaccia, tasty and well seasoned, but cold? I asked for mine toasted when my entrée arrived.
Which brings me to the mussels in a tomato vodka sauce infused with parsley, garlic, and a hint of lemon. Rhetorically waiter promised «a bucket of 30», but what arrived was a bowl of maybe 25, and 3 of those were dead (10%) and not a very good edible mussel ratio.
I must not have been alone in my opinion of Teller’s because they are now closed. End of story!

Teller’s is a family ran place and tastes that way! The price is well worth it. I go here for a authentic experience. Try there seasonal dishes and you’ll love them. Pretty nice place. Our server was absolutely delightful. I give it 5 start for the food and the service, the atmosphere not at the same level. Don’t judge a book by its cover, go hre and be amazed.

Service was awesome, loved both of the girls that helped us. Food was… ok. Burger seemed to have been thawed and most likely the same exact «round» shape as ever other burger that came out of the bag. They do not have brunch any more, which was a bummer seeing how we went there for it!
The turkey croissant sandwich was great, very little but tasty.

It’s fairly obvious. From the outside this place looks huge, and the few things they left there for aesthetic looks, this place used to be a bank. The bar still has the teller windows, and the entry for the bathrooms is a bank vault.
Walking in, there were lit candles on the steps to the restaurant. The front is very small and crowded. So if you have reserved a large table for a large group of people, there is NO where to stand during dinner. The bar area is packed, and the only space is between the bar and where the hostess stands. Annoying, but to accommodate groups waiting for their seats to be ready, they should get rid of all the seating in the bar area. It would increase the floor space for people who want a drink and or wait for their table to be ready.
The place is fairly dark and mostly lit by dim amber colored light fixtures and candles.
Our table was next to the food prep area. Our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful. A couple of us joked with him, and he was able to relate to a few of us and make us feel welcomed.
The menu is fairly simple and interesting. The prices are fairly expensive to your average customer ($ 13 – 30) per person.
First off our drink orders were in and came out in these interesting and different beer glass cups for each type of beer. If you bought your standard local beer freestate, it’s just in a regular glass. Darker beers were in a short oval glass cup, and mid-​heavy beers were in these tall slim glasses. For some free starters, they have olive oil and slices of freshly seasoned bread.
I ordered the Citrus-​herb steamed Salmon. It came with white rice and cilantro, lime Greek yogurt sauce, asparagus, and a marinated tomato/​cucumber combo.
The girl friend ordered a Portobello Mushroom dish.
I would say our meals took about 20 – 25 minutes to get out to us. Which was a reasonable amount of time based on a almost full restaurant.
Once I got my dish, I was treated with a well plated meal. Everything was arranged nicely where you can sample a few different things going on it. That salmon was fresh and moist. Everything seemed to mingle well with my taste buds and was well worth the cost.
I sampled a little bit of what my girlfriend had, and it was really good for a non-​meat dish. The mushrooms had a smokey meat taste to it, so even a meat eater like myself enjoyed it.
Based on the atmosphere, service, and food, it was all good. I would recommend coming here for special occasions if you want to dress up and look good for a night out on town.

I have been there so many times. Last Sunday, I went for Sunday brunch last week with a big group. The food was good. The bacon was crispy and tasty. The smoked salmon was good. Well, you may think why I rated only two stars. Here are the reasons:
1. Expensive. The price just went up from $ 14.99 to $ 16.99 for students. It changed at the day we visited. The way they announced was just the board below the front. The price in the menu was still $ 14.99. When we got the slip, we were shocked. Without any extra beverages, I needed to pay for $ 21 (with gratuity that I will complain below). The price was too expensive.
2. Less selection. I have been here so many times. They reduced the selection. For example, they had two options for bakeries whereas I saw at least four in the previous time. You increased the price but provided less options. I had nothing to say.
3. Poor service. The service was bad. I know that dealing with a large group was hard but, you know what, I had no glass of water for 30 minutes. I needed to ask for a silverware from the front. I had an empty glass of water for 15 minutes and I needed to ask. This is NOT the service that they charged me for 18%.
4. Stingy. We had $ 2 off coupon. Intuitively, the starting price should be reduced and then the tax and services will be calculated from the reduced price. This is not the case. They reduced the price after the total price. Yes, they had more tips (for a bad service).
5. Slow. When we paid the check, we need to wait for almost 15 minutes until our credit cards were back. After that, we claimed that the price in the menu was $ 14.99 in the menu. They actually reduced the price for us. Okay thanks but they take another 15 minutes for two dollars off. And guess what, they reduced from the total price again. It means that they still have the same amount of tips.
Goodbye Teller’s. I will not go there for Sunday brunch if not necessary.

A beautiful building… with a story to tell too!
Service is usually decent; cool people work there. The open kitchen always adds to the authenticity factor. Basically a good place to have a classy lunch or grab late night appetizers and drinks. I’d skip Teller’s for a nice dinner though. Pach or 715 are a better bet.
Try is out for yourself, don’t let the bad website deter you. The website could have stood a makeover three years ago. There is actually a black and white picture of basil on the site. Why would you take the color out of basil?
About the food.
They used to serve a duck confit that was out of this world. What happened to it?
Their pizza/​salad lunch is a good deal. Dinners are kinda high priced as the quality seems to be hit or miss. High turn-​over in the kitchen?

Yum! It was delicious! There was no wait when we went (around 7 on a Friday night), which was nice. The service we received may have explained that though. It seemed like we kept being forgotten, but that could have just been an issue with our server. The food was yummy enough that I’m willing to try it again some time if I’m ever back in Lawrence.
The history behind their location is also pretty neat. It’s in an old bank that was apparently Bonnie and Clyde’s first robbery? Whoa! Nice atmosphere, pricey menu items, and not so awesome service. I’ll weigh the good with the bad :)

Whoa, whoa, whoa… why have I not had Sunday brunch here before now?!
Full-​on AYCE brunch from eggs, sausage, bacon, salad, pastries, waffles, yogurt, fruit, made-​to-​order omelets, and super NOMS biscuits and gravy. I love me some good biscuits and gravy. I could probably spend the entire brunch time (10a-​2p) eating my weight in their biscuits and gravy.
Kind of saddened by the lame, soggy omelet I got. Sure, it’s made to order, but it was pretty depressing when I got my omelet crispy on one side and soggy on the other. Some of the veggies inside weren’t cooked too well. Perhaps the omelet chef got tired from all us brunch-​goers.
Did you know Teller’s used to be an old bank? AND that it was the first robbery that the Bonnie and Clyde gang performed? Pretty sweet piece of history in lil Lawrence, KS if you ask me!
Bring your student ID for a $ 10.95 stuff-​your-​face event on Sundays. You won’t regret it.

This is just a review for the Sunday brunch. I’ve written a review for tellers (which I love) but I felt it necessary to write one just for brunch since I saw so many positive reviews.
Normally I’d say I’ve never had anything bad from tellers. But I went to brunch! First off it was pricy, $ 15 for 10yrs and up. $ 2 for children 10yrs and under (not bad). It’s a buffet and they have several things, potato soup, eggs, bacon, della casa salad, ceaser salad, pastries, pasta. But the quality that I’m used to is just not up to what I think of as Teller’s standards. The veggies and fruits tasted like tap water. I would say that Teller’s produce on any other day is the freshest, most flavorful I’ve had. So it was extremely disappointing that it would taste so horrible. I’d say stay away from the Sunday brunch and save your money for any other time there!

My review is for the brunch, which is phenomenal!
Make reservations! Especially for large groups, because it gets very crowded!
The buffet is wonderful! It is consistent and high-​quality. The coffee is good, and the service is good. I really have no complaints!
If you’re a student, make sure to get your student discount!

Teller’s just might be the classiest place in Lawrence. It’s been around for forever, and when you have an enormous reputation you can rest on, sometimes you can get lazy. More about that in a second.
As we walked up the stairs into this former bank-​now-​a-​restaurant, we noticed a sign for a seasonal Oktoberfest menu… awesome…
The décor is fabulous and the food — even more so. I had seared duck breast with a well done side of veg. My friend had the pan roasted chicken which had a delicious (and very rich) sauce.
Our appetizer was from the Oktoberfest menu — sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut with a light horseradish sauce (for those of you who might be gutted that you missed this — don’t worry — I think it’s a smaller variation of one of their normal a la carte appetizers.
I had ordered a side salad, which never made it to our table, and our appetizer, which wasn’t quite finished (we were saving room for the entrée) wasn’t cleared off when our entrees arrived. Our waiter, who was not terribly busy, decided to opt for the «drop off and wait» philosophy of service, and though he was kind enough to comp our appetizer when I pointed out to him that I had never gotten my salad, it’s more important that a place as excellent as Teller’s has excellent service too.
It’s not too much to ask.

I really thought I had at least drafted a review for Teller’s, but it appears I haven’t. High ceiling, somewhat tightly packed tables, but overall grand appearance. In general, food is lovely-​looking and lovely-​tasting. I used the reservation function on the Unilocal app — so easy!
Friends and I went, and got the goat cheese appetizer. Goat cheese always tastes great, and it did in this case, too. We had tinto de veranos, which were nice. I choose the veal lasagna for dinner — of the three entrees we ordered, mine was by far my least favorite, haha. One friend had the roast chicken marinated in buttermilk — so wonderful. And the potatoes that came with it were great, too. My other friend ordered the lamb chops, I just had a tiny taste, but they looked beautiful. My lasagna wasn’t bad, but it looked a little sad, and I was just expecting more flavor-​wise.
For dessert we got the chocolate torte, lime crème brûlée, and a mocha cheesecake. I really enjoyed the lime crème brûlée — definitely my favorite crème brûlée ever. I’ve been disappointed by them in the last, but really liked this one. The mocha cheesecake was also good; I really don’t like coffee much, but I could handle this. The chocolate torte — eh. Too much chocolate, if that’s ever possible. Just not exciting.

REVIEW FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH
This brunch totally won me over.
The selection does not look very impressive at first but is really quite extensive — from the standard breakfast items (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, hash, biscuits and gravy) to brunch bites (cured salmon with crostini, salami platter, roasted veggies, soup, salad), to sweets (scones, croissants, donuts, buns, bread pudding), to the fresh fruit (berries, watermelon, pineapple, canteloupe) — there is more than enough for you to get your fill! Oh did I mention they also have omelets and waffles to order? At 14.95 for adults and 9.95 for students, the prices are very reasonable.
The not-​so-​impressive parts: bacon is not crispy; the ham and corn soup was too spicy and why were there chunks of fat floating in it!?; omelets are not your typical fluffy french omelet but more like egg pancakes with filling (though I do like that they are very customizable). The NOTABLE highlights: sausage biscuits and gravy was really rich, one of the best I’ve had in Lawrence to date; bread pudding is phenomenal with a perfect velvety inside and a caramelized crust; waffles are tiny but oh-​so-​fluffy and light! I also think it’s important to note that even though every dish may not be mind-​blowing, everything is at least clean and fresh.
For those of you who haven’t been here yet I’ll briefly comment on the décor — odd 20’s looking orange and teal colors with interesting lights and ceiling fans, paired with the fact that it still very much looks like a bank — it’s really charming. And service is excellent. Even though the omelets and waffles took awhile to arrive, our server was attentive and my mug of coffee was always full… oh, Teller’s, you made me a VERY happy (and full) customer!

Teller’s is in the small «impress your date» club in Lawrence. There aren’t that many restaurants in town on the fancier side, but Teller’s is a pretty good one.
Located inside an old bank, the atmosphere is fun and intimate. I have been to Teller’s several times, usually to celebrate some sort of occasion. They serve Italian/​American food and generally do a terrific job.
On the pricier side for Lawrence, but then again, if you’re trying to impress a new significant other, Teller’s is a pretty good choice!

What can I say about Teller’s? I’ve been familiar with the establishment since it opened 20+ years ago, and during that time, we’ve all seen it survive through highs and lows in quality, price, value, etc.
I very recently had the brunch and it was fair– not horrible, not exemplary, decently priced, as brunches go. The eggs and potato hash were very good, the bacon was good (although it didn’t make it out to the buffet until 45 minutes after the brunch started), everything else was ok. We were about 95% sure that the baked goods (cinnamon rolls, etc.) were purchased from Munchers, which isn’t bad per se, but the way they looked kind of brought down the level of the brunch (looking more like pastries you would find on a table after church next to the coffee urn than items you should be seeing at a restaurant).
During that span, it’s gone through a few management changes and changes regarding their focus (contemporary, then heavy on the Italian, now back to contemporary), price (expensive, then more reasonable (in 2010 they had an outrageously cheap $ 5 lunch special that was an incredible deal), now seems they’ve gone to a very pricey dinner menu), and quality (Teller’s started out with great food, that has risen and dipped over the last two decades, although it has never seemed to recapture the quality of the early years, (although I have not had their new dinner menu).
My big problem for awhile now with this restaurant has been lack of attention to detail and atmosphere-​wise, a serious inability to capitalize on the great head-​start they have with their space. First, Teller’s (a former bank, hence the name) has perhaps the BEST restaurant space in Lawrence– you walk in and are taken aback by the high ceilings, the cool old-​style fans, the quirky bathrooms (in the old bank vault) and the fabulous bar area (more on that in a sec).
Then you start noticing things that start to subtract from the experience. First, the dining room furniture. It’s the same furniture that has been there since they opened and it turns what should be an upscale dining experience into something much more pedestrian– tables and chairs that literally looked like they were purchased from auction from a going-​out-​of-​business Red Lobster in 1989. They looked like that when the restaurarant opened and now, 20+ years later, they look worse– worn out, stained, and overall in a style totally incongrous with the rest of the space. Get new dining room furninture more in keeping with the contemporary image your menu is trying to project! It’s basic restaurant design 101!!!
Second: The Teller’s bar area was once the coolest upscale bar environment in town. At night, with the lights dimmed and a cocktail in hand (they still make good cocktails), and great music, it was a fantastic place to socialize quietly with friends. [pause] And then they brought in the television several years ago. And it completely destroyed the mojo. It’s grating to be sipping a great martini at the bar and have a television at your back flashing infomercials. This bar is better than that– get rid of the tv and bring back the great, old Teller’s bar! No one goes to Teller’s to watch television!
My memo to Teller’s management: make these small but crucial changes and then I’ll go back to see if your new dinner menu quality is worthy of the new very high prices ($ 20 to $ 40) that you’ve instituted. You’ve kind of put the horse behind the cart. The good news, as I mentioned, you’ve got great assets to work with (i.e. your space), so tie up the loose ends and I think you’ll start winning back folks like me who remember the early great years and are eager to get back.
PS-​I should mention one thing that has given me some hope: For many years, straddling the front entrance door on the outside were two potted shrubs that actually looked very nice. About 2 – 3 years ago, one of the shrubs died and they removed it. Then for almost 2 years, there just stood one lonely asymmetrical shrub there. Every time I walked by during those years I thought «Jeez, somebody go out and fork over the $ 50 for a new shrub!». To me, not doing so was a small detail that was indicative of what was going on inside. Finally, about 6 months ago, a new partner shrub appeared. This makes me hopeful again that someone there is starting to pay attention to the fact that the small things make a huge difference. I only hope they keep it up.

I ate at Teller’s on a Thursday night with one other person.
I had the cast iron steak and although more pricy, I highly recommend to anyone. This is the best gourmet steak I have ever had. The sauce can give it a little kick, so if you don’t like too much, start off easy. The steak was extremely tender and cooked just the way I asked.
The way they serve the steak with sauted onions on top cooked in a sauce that was done lightly is the way to go. They nailed this item on the menu.
The potatoes with a cooked cheese on top was done to perfection. It was so delicious I was forced to finish all of it.

I spent about $ 70 for two of us, but it was worth the experience, the food, the environment, and the service.

Teller’s brunch = yum!
The brunch selection didn’t have many lunch items on buffet as breakfast items when I was there around 11:30. But what was there was really good. The eggs were seasoned well and had onions added. The gravy for the biscuits wasn’t the typical sausage gravy. It was a creamy gravy with peppers added. There was a good funky casserole of sorts with diced potatoes, ham and tomatoes. There is more than enough to choose from for you to leave pleasantly full. Plus they do offer made to order omelets.
If you aren’t able to make reservations, no worries. There is plenty of room in the bar area at the bar or the small tables by the windows.
I was really pleased with the price too. The brunch prices ranges between $ 9.95 (student/​senior) — $ 14.95. The charge for kids is crazy cheap at $ 2.00 for 10 and under.

Brunch people, brunch! It’s totally the way to go at Teller’s. They have a great spread of biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, pastries, fruit and an intermingling of more lunchy items like soup and pasta later in the day. Two of the top offerings: the bread pudding, often mixed with berries, this custardy deliciouness is a must; second, the made to order omelettes. Mine came stuffed with lots of basil, tomatoes and mozzarella but they had a lot of fillings to choose. You have to ask your waiter from them though. Also, with an online coupon from campus specials, students get buy one, get one free brunch (so 2 people can eat amazing food for $ 10.95)!
I’ve had dinner here once and really enjoyed it. Had a butternut squash soup that was really good and the salmon with lentils. Both very tasty and I feel that the high quality of ingredients and service makes this worth a visit. Also the fact that it’s in an old bank with the bathrooms in the old vault area, the ambiance is great. High ceilings and windows contrast with the modern furniture to create a really intimate dining experience.
They are also known for their pizza. You can purchase the dough and mozzarella that is hand-​made on-​site to take home and try to recreate them.

I had been hesitant to return, since they changed management and chef. Teller’s previously had been the best Italian restaurant in Lawrence, but its new menu is shorter and has far fewer Italian dishes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the waiter was willing to make many changes, so that I was happy with everything they served. For example, we told him to skip the cream sauces and instead use infused olive oil. Requesting a lot of changes can create confusion in some restaurants, but Teller’s did not miss a beat.

Again, gotta show the love for Teller’s.
They have $ 5 wine specials on Mondays. For some glasses, this can mean you save as much as 50%! They have a superb list.
Monday is also their «Family Night» (and no, this does not mean your typical «nuclear» family night) which sponsored a fashion show to benefit Haiti (Teller’s actually stopped dinner service for the night, so they get extra props for that). It was really fun show and featured local stores and designers.
Part of what I love about Lawrence is the tolerance and liberal attitude. The town applauds people who dare to be different. Places like Teller’s are a haven for those of us who don’t fit in the mold of the typical person living in the Midwest.