AVI Seabar & Chophouse
135 N Waco St, Wichita, KS, 67202
AVI Seabar & Chophouse Menu
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Address :
135 N Waco St
Wichita, KS, 67202 - Phone (316) 262-3300
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Classy
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Ganganath K.
Wow this place is amazing. I really like the atmosphere . Classy! Food is good. Service is great. Would recommend and would go there again.
(5)Kim W.
This is my second time dining at this restaurant. The more recent event I went with an agency and we sat in the private room. We had a limited menu to order from since our party was large. The tuna appetizer was visually appealing with liquid wasabi and delicious. The bread and the homemade butter was good and addicting. I ordered the KC strip medium rare with asparagus and mashed potatoes. When the steaks came, everyone at the table did not get the right temp on their steak and it was under seasoned. The creme brûlée was okay, could have been hotter. My friend ordered one to go and they presented him with a small styrofoam container. We opened it and it was all mushed up and the sugar layer was on the bottom. The service was lacking organization. Our waitress seemed frazzled during the whole dinner, but especially during splitting of the checks.
(2)Lara W.
There were six of us that dined at AVI tonight. We all got different dishes and they all didn't disappoint. I can't think of any time ever that I could say that. The seafood was expertly seasoned. I had the smoked duck. AMAZING! We were also impressed with the price point. This little gem need not be ignored.
(5)Kelly L.
Ordered room service while staying at Drury. Decent food & Very convenient. Food took about 30 min on a Friday night, not too bad. Lobster spinach and artichoke dip was okay. AVI club melt was very good- lots of meat on a warm croissant. Brooklyn pastrami sandwich on wheat berry bread was good as well. Tried the truffle fries and mashed potatoes both were okay, nothing spectacular.
(3)B.W. R.
Celebrated with dinner last night. Very good experience. Our server, Chelsea, was excellent. On top of things the whole time. We started with their cheese & meat plate. That could easily have been dinner by itself. Wisconsin & Vermont cheddar, a third cheese that was a spread, and 3 different meats. Apricot mustard, a brown mustard, and some hard bread. I had a burger with their mashed potatoes. Good burger, excellent potatoes- very creamy & garlicky. She had the Vermont salad with grilled chicken. Very light on the dressing- you might want to ask for extra on the side. Grilled chicken was well done. Dinner, with one drink was just under $50. A bit pricy. If you park across the street in the garage, remember to get your parking validated!
(4)Nicole C.
Love this place! Great food and fantastic service. The inside of the restaurant is just gorgeous and such a wonderful place for lunch or dinner. Parking kind of sucks but totally worth it!
(4)Michael C.
Consider this an option for a good steak in Wichita area. I had the rib eye and enjoyed it. It was cooked perfectly and was served promptly. I really liked the atmosphere, very chill lighting with a relaxing jazz music playing. Location is right next to hotel, but consider walking along the river after your meal.
(5)Amy W.
This was my second meal here. The food is pricey but ambitious and worth the $$. I've had the divers scallops, which nicely come in two portions, 2 for an appetizer and 4 for a main. This night I had the duck beast. The duck was moist and smoky, and amply portioned (a whole breast). The pomegranate molasses was sweet and a nice flavor blend with the duck. I chose the Brussels sprouts, a very fashionable dish right now. These were small and tender, gently grilled to be cooked but not crisped, and served with pickled onions and a few bits of bacon. A nice execution of this dish. The creamed spinach is not for the faint of heart. It's mostly cream and cheese with the spinach wiltedly drowning in this rich goodness (an exaggeration, but I couldn't stop imagining the leaves screaming "Help!"). It's very, very rich. Like full fat gourmet ice cream. I enjoyed the wine special (note to self--medium Spanish white not a good pairing for duck--only self to blame) but they have a list. Our server Chelsea was 5 star. Friendly, attentive and knowledgable. The bartender was busy, efficient, and accurate. A note about the decor: warm yellow stone walls frame dark wood tables and a stained concrete floor. The main dining room lofts grandly up to a high second story where the bar is along with a balcony of more tables. I was there late at night when only the second level was open, however my glances at the black painted ceiling with exposed ductwork didn't show any obvious acoustic dampening. I'm guessing this place can get really loud if full? This location is adjacent to the Drury hotel and the river.
(4)Sidney H.
Great food at very reasonable prices. So far I've tried the crab cake, ribeye steak, rueben sandwich, and crab dip appetizer. Each of one of them was fantastic. The steak was cooked like I ordered. The crab cake was fresh and was very meaty. My only complaint is that while I sat at the bar upstairs, there was a nosy, squirrelly Latino server(yeah you) hovering behind me to see what I was looking at on my phone. The same server also sneakily hovered behind me at the end of my meal, while pretending that he was looking at the television, while I was writing down the tip on the ticket I didn't like that sh!t AT ALL. The next time I went back I requested a table downstairs. The waitress was very friendly and professional. So was one of the managers who stepped up when my waitress was busy. Like I said, great food and great prices. I wish they had more dishes on their menu. But I wouldn't set foot in an Outback when there's a place like this in town.
(4)Anita H.
Great food, atmosphere and location there's always parking next to the hotel. Salads and the seafood tacos are amazing
(5)Bob R.
Not great and not as good as it should be. Lobster artichoke dip was OK, loaded fries app was full of bacon and cheese, but not unique. Downhill slightly from there.... two colleagues had crusted talapia. Overly spicy and dry, neither finished the portion. Another colleague's ribeye, ordered rare, was medium plus, but said to have good flavor. My salmon wrapped scallops were average but extremely light on the salmon, so much so that the waited requested a replacement for me without me suggesting (nice awareness). Overall the visit it wasn't bad, just not great for a $200 dinner for four (included a cocktail and moderate wine). Service was good, decent ambiance but sub-par food. Somewhere else for my next $200.
(3)Suzie W.
My husband and I dined at AVI for Valentine's Day 2015. The food was OK...but not worth the price. Our server was also just OK. Several times we sat with empty beverages and had to ask for things that we needed - such as a spoon for the lobster bisque. And those are the good points of the night. The following day I noticed we had been charged twice on our debit card for the meal. I contacted the manager, Matt, and he assured me the second charge was deleted. This was Sunday. As of Thursday the following week they were still holding the additional charge on my credit card. I called the restaurant and asked to speak with the manager. This time it was Bart. However, the young lady that answered the phone could not "find him". So I called back a few hours later and spoke with Gerald. He refused to let me speak with Bart " the manager " as he was too busy expediting orders. That was a pretty good one. Anyhow, I called Corporate Caterers as they are the owners. The secretary tried to help but in the end was unsuccessful. I requested from the secretary at Corporate Caterers as well as from Matt to receive a call from the owners. I still have not received any communication from this poorly ran establishment. After a simple Google search, I found a review from a user on urban spoon had a very similar experience. This makes me question AVI's integrity. My family and I were frequent diners at AVI simply for the location. We'll be looking for a better place... I suggest you do the same.
(1)Ron W.
We just moved here from California and was looking for a place that had a good food, drinks and cool atmosphere and my opinion I feel AVI has that vibe.
(4)Meghan H.
Very delicious food. The steaks were perfection. I have no complaints about the good. Everything was delicious, I had a kc strip. The creme brûlée was nicely done. Atmosphere is moody and great place for a small party or a date. I don't know it was waitress or the bartenders fault, but I ordered a Jack and Coke and received a Coke and Jim Bean. Also my husband ordered a 7&7 and had to send that back to the bar because it was made incorrectly as well.
(4)Shawn B.
Sat at the bar for dinner. Very friendly and attentive bartender. They had a special going with an appetizer, entree, and a dessert for a reasonable price. I got what turned out to be the best crab cake I've ever had! It was actually mostly crab, not a lot of breading. Entree was a ribeye that was cooked perfectly. Then a New York style cheesecake that was quite good. Would return if I'm ever in the area.
(5)Bob B.
Unfortunately I would give it 0 stars if I could - really really bad experience. It started out very good - good drinks and appetizers. But then we got to the main courses and worse the experience with the manager. Several colleagues ordered the "chop house" steak which is their high end rib eye steak. They specifically asked our waitress if the steak was bone in. She thought not; but after asking someone - we're not sure who - she reported that the steak was bone in. When the steaks came out, they did not have a bone and the cut of the steak was very fatty and extremely poor quality - definitely not what one would expect in this part of the country, the land of KC and Omaha steaks. The texture and flavor was very fatty and both colleagues sent the steaks back. I had the scallops and also did not have a good experience - my scallops were very dry and did not have very much flavor - true to my character I did not complain or send them back. At the end of the meal - which was still overall pleasant, the experience went from so-so to very bad. We noticed that both steaks were still on the bill. When my colleague talked to the manager, he insisted that the quality and preparation was exactly as advertised and refused to budge - I don't think this person has ever had experience in the restaurant business before based upon this attitude. He also told us that we hassled our waitress all night - which frankly made us more mad than his refusal to take the steaks off the bill. Yes - we had a few questions. One of colleagues was vegetarian so was trying to figure out what he could eat. But this assertion was totally out of line - perhaps everyone in Wichita is so nice that they never ask any questions about the food or drinks? I don't think so but that is the impressions that was given - don't ask any questions or challenge any of the restaurant's assumptions. But if you ask any questions, then you must be a troublemaker lol. Totally bad experience in the end - horribly bad. I don't see how this restaurant can stay open - maybe only because they are attached to a large downtown hotel. It's funny because, when we told one of the desk clerks at the Courtyard that we were going to this restaurant, her face kind of contorted and she had to admit having a bad experience there. We didn't believe her because my colleagues had already had a nice experience there - well, we believe her now. Cannot say how much I do not recommend this place - travel to Wichita every week on business - and will never darken their doorstep again. By the way, I live in Chicago and have traveled throughout the country and the world, so I know a bit about good food and good restaurant customer service - this place was awful in the end.
(1)Steve F.
Here in Kansas and since I'm staying at the Drury for a wedding I decided to check out the restaurant w/my wife...Cool ambiance... Had the Mahi Mahi...a little on the bland side...Truffle fries were just ok...Cream of spinach was good but a little too salty for my taste...My wife had the chicken tenders and they were good...Asparagus was very good...Prices are reasonable...
(3)Douglas B.
First time there was last Friday, everything about it was very GOOD!!! Server was very professional, was treated very well by the entire staff!!! One of the most enjoyable points of the evening, the music was not so loud we couldn't have a conversation!!! Exceptional evening!!#
(5)Byron G.
Great steak!!!! Get the filet, double veggies, med rare. Eat at bar for faster service
(4)Angela F.
I ate at AVI today during a work lunch. The food was very good and our server was very friendly and accommodating. There were several other large (ish) groups besides ours so she was VERY busy. I had the fish tacos with a side salad and brussell sprouts and it was all delicious. We had dessert to share and they were both great but the creme brulee cheesecake was by far my favorite thing during the entire lunch! Presentation was done well and the food really was delicious. The only negatives I have are small things that wouldn't make or break my decision to return. The fish tacos should have had more of the avocado cream on them, our waitress kept bringing me the wrong drink, I ordered Diet Dr Pepper and was served regular Coke and Diet Coke a couple of times. Which, just reinforces that they need to have more servers available. We had made a reservation and it was all going on one ticket so we did our best for them to be prepared.
(3)Gary W.
Components of the food here are very good, but the overall dishes lack just that little bit. Crab cakes, Vermont salad, fries, spinach, & greens are all great. Duck was a little dry, blackening spice for fish too salty, sandwiches are greasy. Prices are below average for the quality ... so overall this is a must try.
(4)K R.
The salad I had for lunch was delicious. This place is never full when I go. Maybe they don't market themselves enough? Decent service. Stark decor.
(4)Bryan M.
Lunch on a weekday. Downtown-ish location, in a Drury Inn (newly remodeled, I'm told). AVI has a good sized main floor, and then a mezzanine with a cool looking bar. Food was good. Light crowd that day. Lunch menu didn't seem to reflect seafood or steakhouse, but was pretty good. A colleague requested a change to his dish that didn't turn out so well, but that could be a function of new staff/communication issues. Attended with a group of 6, and most seemed to enjoy the food and experience.
(4)Angel B.
Pretty good, even with a bungle. I was there with a group. I had ordered a KC strip rare with sides. My order was sort of lost and eventually mixed up with someoneelse's in my party. I ended up with a well done KC strip. The one thing I usually dislike is well done piece of meat as it usually cooks out the flavor and you lose moisture etc. Having said that, what I was served was pretty damn good. Great texture, beefy flavor and complimenting seasoning. I still eyed my original plate with envy a bit. I made sure to jibe my compatriot the next day for ordering a city slicker steak as he is from Oklahoma. I did make a foolish mistake of ordering dessert; a NY cheese cake. It was delicious, and a humongous slice. I managed to make it past 3/4 of the way through it.
(4)Brad S.
It's hard to change the eating habits of this city. Our concept of fine dining consists primarily of steaks, and we're still largely clinging to the dinner club-type atmosphere that prevailed forty years ago - dress up and go to a dimly-lit restaurant to eat the same general cuts of beef we eat at some of those more brightly-lit restaurants, albeit in hushed tones of conversation and a bill that's twice as expensive as what we're used to. Restaurants like Chester's have helped bridge the gap to more esoteric cuisine at Ya Ya's or Newport, but those places are still far and few between (though geographically not that far apart) - and they all still have a fairly extensive steak selection, just in case we get scared and need to regress to our basic primal urges for large cuts of beef. Still, if we need to push the boundaries of our collective tastes under the guise of Sterling Silver, then so be it. Looking at the early version of the menu that was posted online in the months leading up to AVI's opening, it was worryingly scattershot, with several pages devoted to sandwiches and burgers and fish and "other things to eat". Obviously this was not a final draft, but it spoke to just how many ideas Ben Arnold and Adam Courtney had for the place. Thankfully, the final list of offerings has been pared down quite a bit, though I'm a little sad to see that it's been reduced to many of the same steak-and-fish entrees that are basically available at those other restaurants. Of course, pining over what may have been is pointless, and what is here now is indeed some of the finest food I have had in this city. The blackened red snapper was the star on the menu, but it was very nearly upstaged by its paired starch, a potato, bacon, and lump crab meat hash. It was great because, well - BACON - though were there more restaurants of this type in this city I might question the use of two separate proteins in what was supposed to be a complementing side dish, not a meal unto itself. I suppose an argument could be made for the large flavors of the blackened fish requiring a similarly bold accompaniment (though it's an argument with which I would not agree), but it's a nitpick on what was an excellent meal. Besides, any place that can properly cook asparagus is on point with me. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the menu still has a variety of cheaper sandwich options for the lunch crowd or frugal dinner date, though the one that stuck out to me was the house-made corned beef, which I have never seen in another Wichita restaurant. Can I give bonus points for AVI corning their own beef, despite not having tried it yet? Given that I have never had a bad homemade corned beef, I think I can. Like some other reviewers, I received my bread "late," but my server addressed it right off the bat, and brought it to me as soon as it was done baking. I eat earlier in the night anyway, so this wasn't an issue for me. Along with the fresh-baked bread he brought an ENTIRE HEAD OF ROASTED GARLIC, which for some people might be a little too much garlic for one roll, but for others (ME) you can never have enough garlic. I ate an entire head of garlic that night. Don't judge me. Service-wise, I found my server to be extremely prompt and competent. I was not in a large party, though, and I know that dining with large groups of people can be a fundamentally different dining experience and not every restaurant is suited to it (check out the reviews for Hangar One, for example). As this is a hotel, I imagine there will be more than a few large gatherings within AVI's walls, and they'll probably get better at it over time (there was even another large get-together at the bar during my visit). Groups of 2-4 shouldn't have anything to worry about when it comes to service. AVI is within eyesight of the Hyatt where another great Wichita restaurant - the Harvest Bar - is located, and I imagine it remains similarly not crowded most of the time, in no doubt due in some part to being part of a hotel and another part due to its location Downtown, which still has a significant dearth of reasons to visit after the sun goes down. I hope AVI helps to continue to sway the ICT dining scene towards more modern fine dining options. I also hope AVI helps to give people a reason to go Downtown again. More than anything, I just hope AVI gets recognized as the excellent restaurant that it is.
(5)Lisa T.
Very disappointed!!! We went in a large group for a bday party. it was a saturday but they were not busy at all. The food took forever (about 2 hours) to come out. My boyfriend ordered the rib eye and they gave him the wrong sides so he had to wait another 15 mins. The rib eye was ok, except it was burnt on the outside. I had the trout which was burnt too. They brought out the bread, butter, and roasted garlic at the end of dinner (they're suppose to bring it out at the beginning). They never refilled our water. We had to walk over to the bar to get our drinks because we got tired of waiting for a waiter. They messed up all the checks because they forgot who ordered what. The waiter walked to just one person, asked them what they ordered, walked into the kitchen to prepare that one person's bill, walk back to give the bill to the person, take the credit card, walk back to run the credit card, then walk back out to give the credit card slip back to that person. OMGGGGGGGGGGG it was ridiculous!!!!!!! A manager didnt even come out to explain what was going on or apologize to us. We were there from 7pm-11pm!!!! I know we had a large party but they werent busy AT ALL. We were SOOOOOOO mad. We didnt complain because we just wanted to LEAVE. HORRIBLE service.Food was just average. NEVER coming back. IT COMPLETELY RUINED OUR SPECIAL BDAY CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)Kris H.
Really good food and even better people that work there! My friend stayed in the Drury which is connected to this awesome place. We were there for only 2 nights and witnessed what she was talking about. She got back from the Hospital a little late for their Sunday hours and starving ,but the kitchen was closed. The female cook just happened to walk up at the very moment as the bartender was telling us the bad news. She then offered to go back to the kitchen and cook my exhausted friend a meal! For that she and myself were thankful! She saved my friend from going to bed hungry. I just wanted to thank her for her selfless act! This place was my friends landing place nearly every evening for close to 3 weeks and wanted to thank everyone for being so kind and taking care of her. THANK YOU
(5)John D.
I had the lunch special, an Italian sub sandwich. It's not going to knock your socks off but it's wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. My wife had the reuben which she said was so good it made her top ten sandwich list. We both had fries as a side. The fries were thick, seasoned and had a little skin left on them. Very good. The atmosphere in AVI is great. Nice decor and quiet. It wasn't crowded at all when we were there (11:30-12:15). Our service was quick and our server was attentive without being annoying. Definitely a great lunch spot if you are downtown or want a good bite to eat in a quiet location.
(4)B p.
I was part of a group of eight friends on NYE. It wasthe first time for each of us and may be our last. It wasn't busy at 8pm, full but not busy. Our server was on par with a bad mom and pop eatery, it was like she didn't even want to be there, or cared if we knew. A bottle of sparkling water took longer to arrive than cocktails, which in itself took quite some time to get. Everything (exept the bills) took a long time to receive. EVERYTHING. the apps we tried (sliders, cheese plate, lobster something) were good. My Ceasars salad was fantastic. Then came the entrees. Three of the eight ordered filet ($28) Medium. Each one was burnt on the outside and mid-rare on the inside. I didn't mind the mid-rare at all, but I did mind the taste of char, and the fact that the filet mignon took the steak knife AND considerable force to cut. The highlight of my meal were the truffle fries. I would have assumed at a CHOPHOUSE the highlight would be the beef. So far, 3 bad meals. One had the porkchops, of which, one was good and one was "like a boot". The young lady that ordered the salmon also received some hairs from the cook. The seared tuna was good, except they got the sides wrong. yes, both of them. When the waitress brought the truffle fries to correct the problem, she apologized noting "THE CHEF WAS ANGRY BECAUSE OF ALL THE SUBSTITUTIONS." Seriously? Two of the eight enjoyed their meals. Desserts, we got 4 or 5 desserts. I can only review my chocolate covered carrot cake: again, burnt. The chocolate combined with the burnt, really mixed horribly. The others seemed to enjoy their dessert. Some friends in another area of the dining room experienced similar service issues and even had food comped it was so bad. Raw salmon, looooong wait times, etc. The 8 of us took 3 hours to get in and out, which at a high end place isn't too bad. It is too bad this is not high end. At least not what I consider high end (Wichita high end = Scotch, Newport, and Chesters in my opinion ALL of which have FANTASTIC service) If you're going to open a high end establishment I would expect the kinks to be ironed out already. It was a big disappointment. My wife and I only ordered one drink in addtion to our food and our bill was $120. If I'm spending $120 for crappy food and service I much rather bought food for a bunch of kids at McDonalds. Why didn't we complain? It was 10pm by the time we ate and I wasn't going to wait another 20-30 minutes for them to learn how to cook a filet (or refire other poor meals). Maybe they'll get their act together, until then, STAY CLEAR.
(2)Michelle T.
Great atmosphere! I didn't even know this place existed. Our server was very attentive and had a great funny personality. Entertained my customers over a fantastic dinner! Filet was wonderful and all in my party were pleased with their selections. Dessert was great too. We had all but carrot cake. Cheesecake was some of the bet I've had in Wichita and really anywhere in a long time. Creme Brûlée was fantastic as well. higher priced, but very well matched with quality.
(5)Geoff E.
Good steak, friendly service, and a generous wine pour.
(4)Christine C.
I went here last night for a late dinner with friends. The restaurant had just been reviewed in the paper which is possibly why they were out of a number of items. Three of us arrived around 8pm and were told it would be about a 15 minute wait. We went to the upstairs bar to have a drink. At least 45 min later we were finally seated at a table that had sat empty the entire time we were there. We sat for a while looking over the menu and maybe 10 - 15 minutes later our waitress arrived to take our orders. We were informed that the Blackened Red Snapper and the Pork Chops were sold out. The Snapper had gotten a very good review in the paper. So we ordered salads, all of us got rib eyes, one person ordering the 22oz bone-in ribeye. The waitress returns about 10 - 15 minutes later to inform us they are out of the 22oz rib eye. The 12 oz boneless was then ordered. We wait.... and wait... and wait... Finally we inquire about or salads. The waitress goes to check on them. The hold up was that they ran out of salad so they had to prep some more. Um ok. We wait... finally my friend tells the waitress her husband is diabetic and he needed to eat! He was actually fine but just trying to get some food on the table! She very soon brings out our salads. We ask about some of the bread that was supposedly so good according to the review in the paper. They were out of it! The salads were very tasty with made from scratch dressings. The rib eyes, grilled asparagus, creamy polenta & fresh cut fries finally arrive!! The steaks came with a small dish of steak sauce. I felt it was needed as they weren't seasoned at all. I ordered mine medium and it was nicely pink in the center but it also seemed a little dry, some slightly burned edges. The grilled asparagus was excellent! The creamy polenta was very creamy. I added salt & pepper to mine. It seemed like it could have used a little more flavoring such as butter or a touch of cheese. I didn't try the fries but my friend said they were very good. Anything was tasting pretty good since we had to wait so long. We were all pretty hungry! We all cleaned our plates! It was mentioned that with the recent review and the weekend before Valentines Day they had more people than expected which was why they were out of so many items. If you KNOW you have a recent good review and you KNOW it it a holiday weekend, wouldn't you plan accordingly and have enough food on hand? Just sayin'! There seemed to be a person or two that were walking around, checking on something or other, not sure what. If food orders are being held up because of something simple like getting salads ready, go in the kitchen and help! Also the name Seabar didn't quite fit because in my opinion if they are advertising as a fish restaurant, there needed to be more fish entrees on the menu. Overall, it was tasty and I would most likely return. The decor was very nice and comfortable too. They offer menu items suitable for children. Attire could be from dressy casual to dressy. They have a cheese, bread & cracker plate that sounds like it would be a nice thing to have with a glass or two of wine!
(3)Ian S.
This place is cool! Inside has a very neat feel to it. That alone set the stage. The cheese plate was nice, the food was good, and the service was awesome...especially for a newer restaurant. We will be returning!
(4)Molly C.
We went with a group of 7. We ordered chicken piccata and spicy garlic shrimp over polenta and greens. Everything was delicious!! Meals are between $15-30. Rolls are great and have a curry flavor. We will definitely be back for special occasions!
(5)Dayna C.
we went to AVI with high expectations as there are few qualtiy seafood restaurants in Wichita. We were dining with another couple for an early Valentines dinner. Arrived for an 8:00 reservation and we're seated about 8:30. There were two other couples waiting so the restaurant was full but not overflowing. The hostess asked if we wanted to check our coats but then never took them. The decor of the restaurant was very probably it's best quality. While trying to order we were informed that several things on the menu that we were interested in were "sold out" for the night. We finally decided on the Moroccan Swordfish and the Prime Rib. After inquiring a couple of times we were served our salads which were fine and served with home made dressing, however, the server informed us that they were out of the bread that is normally served with the salads (after we asked). After waiting nearly an hour for our food and having to request drink refills we were finally served our entrees. We were all beyond disappointed , the three swordfish entrees were way overcooked and very small thin portions. My rib was very thin but edible, little flavor. My garlic fries, which I had ordered as my side after online recommendations, were way undercooked, had no garlic or seasoning and crunchy inside. We couldn't help wondering what kind of chef would send out food cooked like this. At $20-$30 an entree, we expected more. After tracking down a manager we had her come look at the food, she offered the excuse that they had been overwhelmed because of the holiday weekend (at this time the restaurant was about 1/4 full at most). She offered to re-order our food and promised it would be out in 5-7 minutes. Those with the fish all re-ordered trout and one ribeye, I kept my steak but requested new fries. The trout came out in about 20 minute, cooked much better than the swordfish, however both my second order of garlic fries and those that were served with my husbands steak were once again hard in the middle. At this point we gave up and didn't send them back. After 2 1/2 hours when we finally received our bill, not only had the re-ordered dinners not been comped as promised by the first manager, they failed to change the entrees to the ones that were re-ordered which were less expensive. After asking for the bill to be fixed a different manager came over and took care of the bill. While I understand that sometimes things go wrong, the only thing that worked about this restaurant is the decor, which is not enough reason to go back again.
(1)Melinda S.
I've visited twice -- both times for weekday lunch. It's a good setting for a business lunch meeting -- you're not rushed and if you need some privacy there are booths with high backs or even a side room with a door that seats as many as 20 that you can reserve. I also like that it's easy to get in & out of the restaurant even though it's part of a hotel. Park on the Waco side -- either on the street or in the garage -- and the restaurant is right inside the east door. The interior of the restaurant is very cool. The food was good but not great. I had a salad the first trip and I liked it although the grilled chicken was a little overdone. I had a turkey sandwich the second trip; it was good but a little messy to eat (the croissant didn't hold up very well). Based on other reviews, I get the feeling that the lunch menu is very different than the dinner menu.
(3)Sean T.
My wife and I tried AVI for the first time Friday before Craig Ferguson. Our waiter was fantastic and even though we were in a hurry, we still generally enjoyed our experience. Well, I did. I went with the fish tacos as I'm always interested in any place that can get me fresh fish in Wichita and I wasn't disappointed. I had never had swordfish in a fish taco before and the texture against the honey-lime slaw was fantastic. However, "lightly" fried as the menu says is not even close to the truth. I don't think Long John Silvers puts out fried fish with this much oil still on the food. If this was the only fat bomb, I could live with it -- I did order fried fish. My wife's turkey melt (described as "fresh sliced turkey, swiss cheese, bacon, roasted tomato aioli, croissant) was dripping in fat. I get that a buttery croissant can do that, and a rich swiss cheese, sure. But the real problem was the tablespoon or two of bacon fat that made it into the sandwich. My wife ended up eating about half and even that didn't set well with her. Finally, something needs to be done about the serving sizes. I'm glad Chef came to his senses when it comes to menu size (but not menu design, it is quite the ugly duckling). However, he needs to come to his senses on portion size. As I watched people leave from the tables around us I noticed more food was left behind, even as compliments were given on how good it was, than was actually consumed. Yes, insert your fat wichita jokes here, but even Denise Neil picked up on this in her Eagle review. I ended up just eating my fish tacos salad style and I left most of the shrimp behind. I have high hopes for AVI and I'll at least give it another go but I do hope there are a few tweaks made.
(3)Thaihoa H.
i would come back. they can improve on a few things. servers could help each other more (especially on the slow night when we came in). they have a nice private room, prob good for ~ 12 people. bread was good. love the garlic roasted butter, very creative and different. need more pasta dishes. hubby had a san francisco club (large portion and very good). I had the fish taco. loved it but the tortilla was too big. they have steak fries (i dont really care for the big fries). it was nice of them to give me a free dessert for my birthday. thank you!
(3)Thomas S.
I was in Wichita for a few days recently and did not have a car. I wanted to have a really Wichita food experience, and I thought that might be a cheeseburger, since this city was known as Cow Town a long time ago. I had the cheeseburger at AVI, right in the hotel where I was staying, and I was blown away. It was exactly the way I wanted it - medium rare - and it was large and obviously made with very fresh meat. Awesome. Even if I were willing to pay $50 for a cheeseburger where I live (California) I couldn't get one like that.
(5)Cathy C.
We had such high hopes but were quickly disappointed. It was overpriced and seafood entrees were very limited on the xeroxed paper menu. The meal was bad from start to finish. Our wine was the only part of our meal. We were given a steak knife to cut through our fish and a complimentary slice of key lime pie for our bad entree. We were asked to please give them another try in the future. No, not happening any time soon.
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