Bourbon & Baker

Tapas style. Get ready to shed your money but also taste amazing food. Chicken and biscuit was phenomenal. Studded pepper was yummy with its bread mmmm. Then duck tacos. Wow. Wish it was in a set of 4. House made margaritas with white whisky that was great I prefer that over tequila actually.

Love love love this place. The service and the food are both amazing. I’ve now been here twice and tried quite a few of their small plates. All but one have been out of this world. You have to try the chicken and a biscuit or the chicken and waffles. Delicious! The service is also wonderful. The one time I tried something I did not like (which was my fault not theirs. I knew it had some components that I traditionally do not like. I thought the parts I normally like would win out but they didn’t). Anyway, the one time I did not like something I ordered they did not charge me for it and we’re very nice about it.
They have a great selection of bourbons obviously. Any time I am in Manhattan I will be heading here. Yum yum.

Bourbon & Baker is a hidden gem in Manhattan and a nice change of pace from the college scene. The atmosphere is casual and the menu is a unique spin on Southern cuisine.
Two things you absolutely need to try:
1.) The Chicken and Waffle. It is spectacular.
2.) Any of their whiskey cocktails.
Accomplish the above and you’ve won Manhattan. Highly recommend.

B&B has easily the best staff in town. Excellent kitchen, chef’s dinner special is different throughout the week. Largest selection of whiskey in town. Consistently good times.

Although it was a rocky start with a misstep on our bloody marys, Ben redeemed the whole experience with his attention to our experience. What a very exceptional dining surprise in Manhattan. Do not miss the shrimp and grits. Everyone was so concerned about us and checked with us throughout our meal. The bartender, so sorry that we didn’t get his name, talked to us and made drinks to order according to our tastes. This place is such a gem. Thanks again, Ben, for making our experience something special.

Food and service were excellent! Our favorites were the chicken and waffles and the pulled pork quesadillas with the most amazing heirloom tomato fillings sauce. There are only one or two tables that are not countertop level so we had to hold our one-​year-​old (not sure if they even had high chairs), but it worked out well.

Great atmosphere. Good strong cocktails. Delicious food and great service! And the waffles in the chicken and waffles is amazingly scrumptious!

Had a great time tonight. Jamie W was our server. She came quickly to our table to take drink orders. Appreciated her honest direction regarding food and beverage options. She did a nice job of managing two birthday girls and hungry golfers. The pork belly, duck tacos, asparagus frites and Brussels sprouts were all good. Loved my brown derby cocktail.
Thanks for making our celebration a fun one!

All I got was a scotch and Chicken and a Biscuit, but it was great! The bartender was awesome, and made sure I had a good experience! Even though I didn’t eat much, the food was amazing, and perfectly hit the spot!

Our server was lovely and she explained the menu, and even offered to stagger the dishes so they didn’t all come out at the same time and my husband and I could share. The food was fabulous, I could have licked the plates! As another reviewer mentioned, some combinations of spices and ingredients are complex and unusual, but we LOVED it.
When we were there, the dessert didn’t quite equal the quality of the rest of the meal. They offered to give us a different dessert, and ended up not charging us. They were most gracious about it.
Oh yes, I’d go back… I want more of those stuffed peqiuillos and duck tacos.

Great food, served in a tapas type style. Great for group occasions and/​or one on one dinner dates.
It is a small location so it does tend to get louder as the place fills up, but the food is well worth the noise.
They have excellent service. Very quick, efficient, and genuine.
Overall a great restaurant for any occasion, formal or casual.

OMG! This is a wonderful place to hangout with friends, eat & drink! My husband relocated for work here and we go every time I’m in town. My absolute favorite drink is the Sideways Sidecar!!! We alway get the scrumptious duck fat fries & Kobe sliders! This last time we also tried the new bologna slider, smoked cheese dip & the ribs… holy cow Batman! Everything was SO delicious… it was hard to quit ordering more stuff! My husband and I left so happy and full, but with regrets of eating so much! Lol
The service has always been outstanding also!

Bourbon & Baker may be one of the BEST culinary experiences Manhattan, Ks has to offer. This small unassuming restaurant looks like your average whiskey/​bourbon bar for the over 30 crowd, but hidden within is some of the best food that can be found in this small city. The culinary style is new-​American fusion leaning to the southwestern pallet and all of the food is served tapas style with the exception of half a dozen larger plate options. The restaurant offers four seating option including a few booths, tall tables, European community style seating, and bar seating. The prices are affordable by the plate, but once you consider you will be eating two to three plates, drinks, maybe a desert, and tip, my date and I spent $ 100 between the two of us, but it was WELL WORTH the cost.
My beautiful date and I arrived at the early portion of the dinner rush and was met at the door by a hostess who offered immediate seating despite the small establishment being rather busy. One of the few drawbacks to the place is that the lighting is subdued and the close quarters can create a rather loud atmosphere. My date and I chose to sit at the bar and the seating was typical tall chairs and an oak bar, but it was difficult to appreciate its beauty in the subdued lighting.
The menu offers a score of choices that vary wildly in flavor profile and presentation. Fair warning, many of the offerings will challenge the average pallet, but if you’re willing to roll with it and step out of your box, then I promise that you will not be disappointed.
The serving size of their small plates is about appetizer size for two people; so to make a meal out of it you will need about 2 – 3 plates per person. This can cause some people to be overloaded with choices if you are not familiar with tapas style cuisine, but that is also the beauty of the menu as you get to try many dishes before you are satisfied. The menu also offers well over twenty different bourbons with a wide enough range to please any connoisseur.
My date and I wanted to make an experience out of it so we ordered six different items so we could try a bit of everything. They are as follows:
–CHICKEN & WAFFLES:
This dish is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to stray too far form their comfort zone. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The meat was tender and juicy. The chicken skin was crisp and the fat perfectly rendered. The spice pallet worked perfectly with the syrup that was drizzled on the plate as well. The waffle was lite, tender, and was pleasantly sweet yet balanced with the maple-​pecan butter, maple syrup, and the hot sauce drizzled on top.
–SHRIMP ÉTOUFFÉE &CHORIZO HUSHPUPPIES
This dish is fantastic for someone wanting some spice and seafood. The shrimp was decent quality for the Midwest, but not fresh. My discerning pallet could pick up a hint of fishiness, but I doubt the average consumer would have noticed. Despite this small flaw, the shrimp was perfectly cooked keeping the ideal tenderness without being too soft. The creole pecan étouffée was spicy without being overbearing and provided great texture. This puppy was soft, yet filling, the chorizo provides a smoother texture than your average cornmeal hushpuppy. I could have made a meal out of just eating these.
–DUCK FAT FRENCH FRIES
Even as I write this, I’m not sure how I would rate the fries. It appears like they fried Yukon gold shoestring fries, then refried them in rendered duck fat, and then seasoned them. The fry was obviously cooked well, but they were not entirely crisp leading me to think they were double fried. Unfortunately our fries were over-​seasoned leaving them a little on the salty side, but this will happen when you season fries cooked in duck fat as duck fat can be a little salty. Also a broiled egg is put on top with the idea of breaking the yolk over the fries. The Mornay sauce is just your average bechamel with grated cheese, but the sauce greatly helped balance the salty fry and brought the whole dish together.
–PULLED PORK QUESADILLA
This dish was a fairly decent quesadilla, but the pork could have used a little salt if the quesadilla is eaten on its own. The salsa could have used a citrus kick, but it did add some needed flavor to the quesadilla. However, the creole avocado sour cream brought the whole dish together.
–STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS
Had we not ordered the chicken and waffles, this would have been the best dish of the entire meal. But I warn you; this dish twill challenge your pallet. Each element on its own may overwhelm the untrained pallet, but when combined together it is a mouthful of culinary bliss that is flavorful, complex, and will not be like anything you have ever had before. I can still taste it as I’m writing this review.
–PULLED PORK ENCHILLADA
This dish was the special of the evening and utilizes many of the same elements of the afor mentioned quesadilla. The enchilada suffered from the same lack of salt issue shared by the quesadilla.

I had a great time here! I came with 2 friends (3 of us total) and we each ordered a few small plates, and then did a second round. We chose on our own, and didn’t share our choices until we placed the order with the waitress. So it was a surprise which was fun (and none of us had any dietary restrictions so it worked). Our first round we ordered 5, and we were still very hungry. A few of the things (wrapped dates with asparagus) were especially small, and felt like a lot of $ for the amount of food that you got. But on our next order of 4 we had a few successes — the ribs were great, the grits were tasty and filling, and the asparagus fries were nice. The strawberry and arugula was also light and tasty. It was pretty pricy ($ 27 each for an average of 3 small plates, without drinks) but it is fun for a special occasion.

My 2^nd visit in 3 days, 3^rd visit in 2 months, and couldn’t be more excited to keep working my way through the menu! 1^st visit was a table of 4, so we were able to put a sizable dent. There were only two of us on the second visit, but we tore it up! 3^rd visit and I’m on my own and its Happy Hour! I vow to make more progress to completion of every food item on the menu.
It’s all amazing but favorites include.
Chicken & Waffles! Tempted to get a full order but will have to wait till I’m done with the menu. They’re that amazing!
Fried Bologna Slider. Yes! It’s just that good. Had the Kobe Slider, while great, the plain old Bologna beats it no contest. It’s a must.
Asparagus Fries, Brussels Sprouts and Esquites Corn are plates I will crave going forward! Loads of flavor and sized to share, though you won’t want to. Those three veggie dishes are a staff favorite I was told, obviously they know their food! Trust them! Awesome!
Shrimp and Grits are comfort at its finest. Another dish I’ll need again soon. Good food!
The Deviled Eggs are definitely not «your aunts» eggs. There are 4 varieties on the plate, 2 eggs, and they pack a load of punch in each! Wow!
Red Beans & Rice, Pork Quesadillas, Duck Tacos, Poblano Cheese Dip, Cornbread Slider, and Figs in a Blanket all get honorable mention to the favorites. I would start all over with the menu again as they are all incredible small dishes! The perfect way to get an amazing meal with huge flavor and loads of variety.
As if the menu wasn’t enough reason to visit this local gem, the staff will be. 3 visits, 3+ different servers and all were attentive, helpful, knowledgeable, and genuine. I’m currently sitting at the table and have had the incredible pleasure of Anton taking excellent care of me. Truly a great asset to the team as he walked me through his favorites that were on point! He makes me want to come back and try more. Valuable staff member to have!
I’m not a bourbon fan so I can’t speak to their extensive drink menu, but if it’s anywhere close to as great as the food, it’s all wonderful.
I was in town to take my sick dog to the KState Vet School, so it’s been stressful visit. But the incredible food and top notch service helped take my mind off of it for a bit at least!
I’m over 2 hours from Manhattan, but I would make the weekend road trip to get some of my favorites or plan more frequent business trips for sure! 29 small plates on the menu and I only have about 8 to go!

I love the «small plate» concept, and the unique menu options. It’s the perfect place for a date with that special guy, or a fun girls night out.

Love this place, I my opinion one of the best places in Manhattan. Great mixed drinks and their small plates are just right for getting a bite to eat, but not consume a huge meal. The atmosphere is informal, comfortable, but on weekends it gets really busy for sure, so they do have a wait in the evenings.
My hands down fave is the Whiskey and Coke «Done right» and an order of duck fat fries with an egg on top. I could keep ordering that in repeat all night long. Other foods are also amazing, such as the chicken and biscuit, ceviche and small burger. And if you still have room after eating, try one of their desserts made in their very own in-​house bakery, I recently had the chocolate layer cake and OMG, delish.

A little more fancy than your average restaurant. This is a good date night restaurant. The menu consisted of small plate items that you can usually split. Order three or four and they come out staggered. The service was top notch. The Kobe Slider was freaking amazing. A must order.

This place blew us away. It’s the first restaurant in Manhattan that has thoroughly impressed us.
The drinks were very good and the food was so great. The chicken wings are flat out amazing! The chicken/​waffle combination is not to be missed either, the real maple syrup can’t be taken for granted. The duck tacos were also solid. Actually, we didn’t eat or drink anything that wasn’t good.
We will definitely be back many times!
My only complaint is the lack of seating and the noise level. Really no need to play music so loudly you have to yell to the person next to you.

I love the concept of Bourbon & Baker, I mean who doesn’t love a variety of small plates and bourbon??? Luckily I consulted Unilocal during my trip to Manhattan, KS to find such a gem of a place!
I came for dinner one night and happy hour the next day and throughly enjoyed both visits! I loved their St. Louis Ribs and would recommend them to any meat lover out there! Their wrapped figs were also so delicious and Adam enjoyed their cornbread slider. I agree that they are a bit on the smaller side for small plates, so order 2 or 3 if you’re hungry. They do offer some entrée plates but I did not have the opportunity to try them.
The happy hour experience was awesome as they had great deals on their drinks such as the Whiskey Punch and Whiskeyrita in addition to half-​priced plates. I thought their Whiskeyrita reminded me a bit too much of a Whiskey sour drink but I can’t really complain as I continued to order it… Their Old Fashioned are great as well! Definitely must try it if you like bourbon drinks.
Considering that the plates are a bit more than I’d like to pay for small portions (ranging from $ 6 – 13 if I recall correctly), I will say Bourbon & Baker is wonderful on the customer service and delivery end of things. Our food came out so quickly which is makes sense for small plates and their staff was pleasant and just peachy! You could tell they enjoyed working there and wanted to make sure everyone who came in was having a wonderful time. With a wonderful staff, delicious food, and bourbon drinks that didn’t break the bank but tasted like they should, how could I not love this place?! If you’re in the Manhattan area, this restaurant is a gem and should be on the top of your list of places to eat or drink.