What an awesome bar... I was thinking of skipping because, you know, grilled cheese? Come on? But... WOW! It's so much more. And it's damn good grilled cheeses and lots of sandwiches. The bartenders are mixologists and muddled us up some fantastic jalapeño spritzer - damn good. And the selection of beers???? Whoa. Too many to choose and I loved it! Vet owned to boot. You won't be disappointed! read more

First time here but really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was incredible. I feel confident that I will be coming back to enjoy the some of the music and events that they have in the future. read more

The Wheel Barrel - Events & Music schedule - Bars Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

Love. Love. Love love. Beer selection is outstanding. And they have seasonal sandwiches on rotation. You can't go wrong with any selections. It's locally owned and such a cool space. Definitely check it out. Note that it can be hard to get a seat sometimes but that's because it's small AND delicious. read more

The jalapeño popper grilled cheese is quite possibly the most delicious sandwich I've ever had! This place is definitely one of my all time favorites, their pretzels are also wonderful! If you're looking for something that isn't a run of the mill, tired old chain restaurant--keep it local and go to The Wheel Barrel! I have loved everything I've tried there :) read more

It's so good, cozy and great atmosphere. Their cranberry and cream cheese sandwich is to die for if you like sweet and salty in the same bite. We've been a couple of times and never disappoints. read more

Great food and I love the NOTO seating. Staff friendly and attentive and the outdoor seating is always festive

Awesome little local sandwich shop. Sammy l pepper Jackson is awesome as is the tomato soup!

Hands down, one of the most creative sandwich menus that I've ever had the experience of ordering from! You would expect such creativity and quality from a small local brewery in the revitalized arts district in Topeka...and I was honestly tickled with the Monte Christo (which was highly recommended by the waitress). The blackberry jam that went with it was worth the price of admission all on its own. I could only manage to inhale half of the hearty sandwich and my coworkers were equally happy with their lunch choices of a variety of soups and sandwiches. We all agreed we'd go back for a night time visit on our next trip to Kansas, to try all the libations as well and check out the local talent! read more

What an amazing place. Great drink and culinary delights!! If you go you won't be disappointed

Great place for excellent sandwiches and craft beers! Small space, but there is outdoor seating when the weather is nice. The sandwiches are amazing- so many types of cheeses! read more

I grew up in north Topeka in the 70s. I don't recognize this area! It's had an amazing transformation and this place is part of it. Solid sandwiches. Good beer selection. A great outdoor space. Check it out! read more

If you are heading to Topeka make time to eat here! It is described as grill cheese and brews but it is so much more! Start with one of there giant pretzels with dipping sauces. If you do I would recommend getting just 1/2 sandwich... you get to pick ANY Sammie on the menu.. with the side salad. This isn't some bag salad either... it is fresh mixed greens with feta cheese. Top that with either there homemade Ranch or Jalapeño Ranch you will not be disappointed. My husband ordered the Monte Crisco, daughter made her own, and I had the Mafia. so good forgetaboutit.... If you are wanting an adult beverage they have a great selection of beer on tap. Beer not your thing... they have a entire menu of mixed drinks. My seat was facing the bar watching them mix was entertaining in itself. Old school drinks mix the old school way. Yes it a bar but it is still a family environment. The staff is friendly without being pushy. We sat between a first date couple on one side, Grandparents with their 5 grandchildren on the other! Be prepared to wait .. it took us 30 minutes to be seated but you can wonder around looking at the art. I wished we lived closer so I could eat at this hidden gem everyday! read more

I am a native to the NOTO area, and the Wheel Barrel has been an AMAZING addition to the budding art district. The food, beer, and atmosphere are so needed, and it has become a staple in a short amount of time. My favorite sandwich is the Tree Hugger - large grilled mushrooms, mozzerella cheese, greens, and a sundried tomato sauce. So good. Their rotations of beer always offers an interesting selection for a drink, so I like to experiment and sample different ones. The only downside is the size. It is a very small restaurant, so if you go at a high-volume time, you'll be waiting a while for a table. However, this just speaks to the popularity of the restaurant, because it is always packed. The atmosphere is so cool and welcoming, and it's a great place to go with friends and family. Definitely reccommend! read more

Awesome! I had the tree hugger - a grilled cheese with mushrooms, it was amazingly tasty. We had a pretzel for appetizer. It is a SUPER place for kids, there's a playhouse out back and we got a table and nearby so we could have a nice adult conversation while the littles played and drew on the cement wall with chalk. There's indoor seating too but on a nice day, outside is definitely the place to be. Beer recommendations were good and even the plain grilled cheese we got for the kids was delicious and everything a grilled cheese should be. I'll be back! read more

Really liked this cozy little spot in Topeka. Met a friend there for dinner and they were closed for a private event but were going to open to the public in 30 minutes or so. We just went to the brewery down the street to kill time. Came back and we each had a gourmet grilled cheese. I love grilled cheese and I loved their varieties they had to offer. It was excellent. read more

We were looking for a place for Sunday brunch/lunch. Out of a whole list of places we wanted to check out, this was the only one that was open, so it won by default. Great atmosphere, great service, great beer selection, very friendly girl working the bar where we sat, delicious food. Not perfect - the servings are a little small and the husband's came without the chips the menu promised; the mimosa bar is an awesome idea, but the juice they use is apparently really low-quality (chemicals/artificial flavors/HFCS/what-have-you) because I felt like I had a head cold the whole time I was drinking it. I won't get that again, but we'll be back because we're thrilled there's a place like this in Topeka. read more

This is just a sandwich shop. Lovely sandwiches. We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Like 1:45. They are just slow. It took us 75 minutes to finally get out ticket and leave. They are sooooo slooooow. It's sandwiches. I just don't get it. This is my second time coming here. I don't have an hour plus for a sandwich. So I guess it's also my last time coming. Lovely sandwiches. Slow service. read more

The food is delicious! The workers delightful and the building quite charming. Now a must when I visit Topeka. I'm

This the the best place to eat, drink and just hang out in Topeka. The pretzels are the best we've ever had. The Baja turkey grilled cheese was the bomb! Bartender was entertaining and really knows his craft. There's a great patio out back, when the weather breaks. Favorite new place! read more

Great Game Day Food to get together with a group of friends or family or buddies to have a great time and enjoy good company with others

So much flavor! Great local spot. A must-try. We loved the outdoor patio, with a spot for the kids to play in the very back. Not a lot of places like this connect the dots for families like that. read more

Great whiskey and beer selection, sandwiches are on point! Place is small and gets full quick, even the outside patio! Specialty drinks need some work, concentrated juice is used. But Ill go for the other items. read more

I had the tree hugger and scottish ale. Awesome sandwich, great beer . Would definitely return.

Delicious! Best sandwich around , would rather of had fries but the house chips were good

Perfect stop right off the highway on our way to Colorado. We started off with the salted pretzel and craft beer queso. The pretzel was huge, delicious, and so soft and fluffy. My husband had the Jalap-In-The-Club. He said the roasted jalapenos made the sandwich. I had the Summer of Sammy and I swear, it was the best sandwich I've ever had. We will definitely make this a regular stop when driving through Topeka. read more

Good sandwich... wish I had read the menu before committing to meet up there, menu is not keto friendly...

Perfect place for good food and a drink. Band started playing around 830pm. It took about 15 to get our food once we ordered. Perfect amount for the $ Might have to wait for a seat so id recommend reservations if they take them. read more

Took my daughter there when she visited from out of town. My fiancé swears this place has the best Reuben in Topeka. I'm not a Reuben fan, but I had the grilled cheese and it was fantastic. Amazing flavor. The chips were average and it's a bit pricey, but the flavor is worth it and the service is outstanding. Attentive and friendly. read more

I can't say enough great things about this Monte Cristo sandwich! Amazing!!! Josh the waiter was more than happy to discuss all the different beers that were available on tap. There are a ton of them! And the hibiscus mojito was clean and refreshing! Thank you for a great meal! read more

An overall amazing experience. The "Kansan" Sandwich was phenomenal. The servers were very efficient and kind. I'll definitely be back as this was one of my favorite restaurants in Topeka. read more

Great little bar/restaurant. Service was great, conversation was good, and the food tasted fantastic. Do yourself a favor and get one of the pretzels, you'll thank me later. read more

This is an awesome place. It has unique food and fun games. Upbeat environment. Staff is laid back and easy going. I have never had a bad experience. I would also say it's middle of the road on the price. read more

Love the food (especially the soft pretzel and beer cheese), love the staff, love the atmosphere and their outdoor music is always fitting for the scenery. read more

Very good gourmet grilled cheese!!!! Food was great service was good. Would definitely come back!!!

Really great food, stocked full bar and nice staff. This place is worth the wait and a real Topeka must-go establishment.

This has got to be hands down the best place in town to get a grilled cheese sandwich and listen to great local music. Love the vibe of this restaurant and not to mention unique drink and dessert menu. read more

Normally this is one of Topeka's finest.. highly disappointed in the microwave bacon on my $11 turkey sandwich... and didn't have the friendliest host taking my to go order... read more

Extremely pleased with my lunch at The Wheel Barrel today! My husband and I each got a sandwich and soup combo - the Olga and the Mafia and the tomato soup and the soup of the week (mushroom with rosemary and sage). I assumed the sandwiches would be awesome; you can't beat meat and melty cheese, and of course they were both delicious. The tomato bisque was fine; seasoned well and a nice thicker texture. I was wowed the most by the mushroom soup; it was absolutely fantastic! It tasted like gourmet thanksgiving stuffing and was so comforting and warming on this cold rainy day. The chips were very good, too. I'm not much of a chip person, but the seasoning on them is really tasty. We also had a couple drinks with our lunch. My husband got the Weston Dropkick Ale, which is a uniquely wonderful beer. It's mellow, and I (not a beer drinker) thought it was really flavorful without being bitter. I got the Honey Badger, a rye whiskey cocktail with a touch of honey, orange bitters, and apricot (I think?) liqueur. So good! It lets the flavors shine without letting the burn of alcohol come through. Very well thought out and mixed! 99% of what I care about at a restaurant is their food, but everything else about the Wheel Barrel really stands out, too. It's low key and cool, yet kind of homey and cozy. The service was attentive but not smothering, and the bartender/server was knowledgeable and timely. We were so glad we finally got around to stopping in at the Wheel Barrel for lunch today! It's going to be our go-to spot in Topeka for the forseeable future! read more

This is my favorite place to eat in Topeka, full stop. I've been coming here for about 4 years now, and I have yet to be disappointed in a meal. They do grilled cheese sandwiches, but don't be fooled by that! Every sandwich on the menu is completely different from the next, and they have a range of flavor combos that runs from comfortable and safe (still delicious) to unique and adventurous. My go-to sandwich is the Tree Hugger, and I recommend is as written on the menu OR with pesto aioli subbed in--either version is amazing, but the pesto really ties all the flavors together better IMO. If I have one complaint to make, it's with substitutions (and I don't really hold it against the place because going off menu is obviously gonna change your experience and it makes the workers' jobs a bit more difficult): if you do decide to make a change to a sandwich on the menu, especially if it's for a dietary restriction (as opposed to a slight flavor upgrade like in my case), make sure to be clear with your order. Sometimes, especially during busy periods of the day, menu modifications get lost. However, the staff is super friendly and understanding, and the sandwiches are absolutely delicious as written! read more

What a great little place! A little off the beaten path and you'll wonder where you wandered but a unique menu. We split our lunch because we already have dinner plans but the sandwich was plenty big and served up with kettle chips. Very good. read more