I think it’s great that a place like this exists in this area! I ordered a bierock(the Czech/German version of a piroshki or pierogi. .. notice the interchangeability of the p/b and k/g voiced and nonvoiced cognate pairs). The cabbage and meat filling was good, but unfortunately the whole thing had been nuked to a point where it was too hot to eat, which also made the bread part so rubbery that it was hard to get down. The gooseberry pie was good(though the ones I bake are better!), and I got a nostalgic pleasure out of seeing the folded-over half pie in the case, just like one of my old neighbors in the Ozarks used to make when a whole pie was too much for just herself and her husband! Had to wait an uncomfortably long time for service while the waitress chatted with people at a different table. Then when she finally got to me, she made a point of casually mentioning that they were closing soon! However, she was very friendly, and the wait for the food was short(of course– they were nuking it!) To be completely honest, her nose ring also put me off a little. .. I have an eccentricity of not wanting to think about people’s noses while eating. But, of course, that is a very minor complaint!
Sunita D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Denver, CO
Cute place in the middle of nowhere. The waitress is super friendly and the food is super duper delicious. The price of items on the menu are reasonable. It is an ideal place for breakfast/lunch/dinner if you are on I70 It is a supposedly the Czech rebuild capital of KS
P K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Cold Brook, NY
Well I have to agree with other 5 star reviewers. Truly a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere, but a must stop if you’re on I-70. The highway signs intrigued us and we took the exit… Score! Great name for the place. «Made from scratch» it certainly was. Never heard of a «bierock», but we ordered one to-go, as well as awesome looking slices of pie. Czech capital of the US in Wilson, KS… who knew. Great decision, great meal.
Don C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Cabot, AR
Great little American diner in the middle of Kansas(Wilson, KS is the self-proclaimed Czech capital of the U.S. with the world’s largest Czech egg). The food was good and is what you’d expect from a small mom & pop place. Our waitress was very friendly & attentive. They had a basic all-you-can-eat buffet for $ 8.85 that included a salad bar, fried catfish & shrimp, beef/pork, beans, rolls, etc. You can get anything on the menu all day long(breakfast, lunch or dinner). They have amazing looking pies — we bought a whole apple pie but are waiting to eat it at the end of our road trip. Be aware that their operating hours are different than those currently listed on Unilocal(see the picture).
Dianne N.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Scranton, PA
They were closed at 2pm so for those who think of dropping by for food, call before you stop in.
Becca L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Colorado Springs, CO
Food was delicious! We were the only people in the restaurant when we followed the signs to Made From Scratch. We both had gravy and biscuits and hash browns. The amount of food was crazy! Next time I will get the half order of gravy and biscuits. Their pies are the bomb. We got a piece of pumpkin and a piece of peach to go… both were still great the next day. Would totally recommend and will stop here again on our way to Colorado! For the people complaining about service, etc. You need to understand that time moves a bit slower in towns like Wilson. Sit back, relax and enjoy some down time!
Adam A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Orrtanna, PA
I just Love this place! I make annual trips to Colorado from Pennsylvania and always make it a point to stop at this hidden gem. You always feel right at home here. The true definition of a family restaurant. All food is prepared and served just like you were just stopping over at your families home for lunch. Unfortunately we didn’t make it there this year before they closed, we were an hour late. Can’t wait till next year, I’ll Def make sure I’m on time :-)
S8adow M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Daly City, CA
The kindness of the waitstaff was truly humbling. The food was made with real ingredients, and was delicious but it was hospitality of the people(always a surprise coming from California) which made me smile. I would give them ten stars if I could. I’ll be back for more homemade chicken next time!
Deb R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
This place is amazing! It was hot outside and they let us bring our service dog in. They also gave him some chicken and ice water and sat us in front of a fan! The food was delicious — fresh green beans and homemade bread. Wow! Come here for sure!
Tiffany D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Louis, MO
Wow. In the middle of nowhere and so good. The cinnamon rolls are an absolute must. Awkward wait staff and awkward ordering, but the chopped meat was still delicious. If you are passing by and need a good breakfast while on the road, it is worth the 3 min off the highway.
Jen F.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Abilene, KS
The food here was great. We were there Sunday evening and they had pan-fried chicken on the buffet. It was REALLY good. Homemade pies. Homemade rolls. Good salad bar. The only reason it gets a 3 star is because I think they need to have another person working. Our waitress was sorely overworked and as a result we didn’t get very good service. We would come back again, but with different expectations to enjoy a nice leisurely meal.
R And K P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Littleton, CO
If you are driving down 1 – 70 and you are looking for a really good restaurant you will not go wrong with this place. The buffet was excellent and the people were too. My wife can’t have milk and they made her a special meal. And even though we usually don’t have dessert we tried their homemade pies. My gosh the entire meal was fantastic. The place is clean and all the food was fresh and cooked properly. The small home town friendliness was most welcome.
Katie L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Davenport, IA
Located in a small town, if you are on your way through Kansas this is a local diner that will satisfy your tastebuds! The homemade chips are AMAZING! The fried chicken sandwitch and chicken tenders were very tender and juicy. There are tons of pies to choose from that are all homemade and delicious! You will not leave hungry when you stop here!
Gantsa Maven Z.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Norwich, CT
On 1÷26÷14, while on a cross country trip, we saw a sign for this place and thought… rural Kansas… made from scratch… how bad can this be? Sadly– horrible. There was a buffet filled with school lunch looking food, loin of pork in water, fried chicken and typical sides and an unhappy looking salad bar. My partner in crime got that which I tried and it was inedible. I ordered the bierock-I got two. These were mostly microwaved bread with very little bland filling. It may be made from scratch but under seasoned and cooked improperly. Definitely not worth the drive off the highway.
David K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Greensboro, NC
This restaurant is no poser — REAL smoked meats, REAL homemade fries, and homemade pies and on and on. This food is what perfect unpretentious food is all about. It is worth a LONG drive to eat here. Don’t judge the book by is cover or you’ll miss a very special food experience
Megan F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Broomfield, CO
Amazing. Simply amazing. If you’re looking for a non-chain on this strip of I-70 — GOHERE! We had the bierock(kind of like a cabbage burger — ground beef, cabbage and onions in a dough crust), and the brisket omelette. Both were amazing. The bierock is pretty savory, and people do everything from buttering it to asking for a bit of gravy — whatever floats your boat. The omelette, though, was probably one of the best things on the menu… brisket and swiss cheese, who woulda thunk that’d work? Yet it does! Definitely get some pie, too. Their cherry pie is some of the best I’ve ever had, and I don’t use that phrase lightly. I grew up in a cherry orchard, I’m a decent cook, etc — I KNOW cherry pie. This was some of the best I’ve ever had.
Kathie C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Lincoln, KS
Just had a fabulous buffet with pulled pork, meatloaf, and smoked ribs with homemade dinner rolls and made-from scratch mashed potatoes and two different gravies. There was also vegetables and a salad bar. Just one problem — there was no room for dessert. So we had to take our pie home with us.
Mary G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Minneapolis, MN
We were looking for places nearby while driving through KS on our road trip from MN to CA. Boyfriend found this while I was driving down the interstate worried we’d only find a fast food chain at an upcoming exit. We decided to go about 10 minutes off the beaten path to give this place a try after seeing they had rhubarb pie. There was a very large group in a side room and the tables were covered in plates with mostly eaten food when we walked in. There was only one server working when we stopped in the afternoon so it was easy to see how she’d gotten overwhelmed with a group of about 14 – 20 added onto their normal afternoon patrons. It took a few minutes but she stopped by with menus, mentioned the buffet, and asked what we’d like to drink. When she came back with the drinks we placed our orders. They were out of kolaches and bierock by the time we got there, but hearing they were out of 5 or 6 items made me feel good since that usually means the food is 1. good 2. made daily. We ended up trying the ham and cheese sandwich and a slice of warm rhubarb pie with house made vanilla ice cream. The sandwich wasn’t much too look at, no fancy sexy plating or garnishes, just a generous cut of ham on a soft bun with good melted cheese. The sandwich came with fresh made house potato chips. While not super crispy they were obviously fresh, had a great flavor, and were not over salted. We split the sandwich and devoured it quickly. The rhubarb pie was one of the best I have had since enjoying a slice off ones my grandma would make when I was little. The rhubarb was well cooked and not killed with sugar or other sweet fruits. The crust was flaky, buttery, and perfectly baked. House made ice cream can be a little hit and miss, but this was creamy and flavorful. The inside of the place is very relaxed, country, and resonates with what you will find in most small towns. You will not find anything pretentious or uppity in this little spot and that goes for the décor, service, and the food. Hipsters, the self-absorbed, and small minded need not stop here. Worth a stop if you’re in the area and substantially better than any of the fast food chains you’ll find along that stretch of interstate. Simple, fresh, friendly, and don’t leave without trying the pie — Better yet, just stop for the pie.
Susan L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
Since the few restaurants in Lucas had already run out of food because of today’s festival, we returned to Wilson for(a late) lunch before heading south. Wilson also has very few options, so we were glad to eat at this place. They have a German buffet on Saturdays(it ends at 2:00 p.m.). Truthfully, the choices were very limited(and the salad bar was measly & uninteresting-looking) — and another problem is that we don’t eat meat — but the dumplings(stuffed with cottage cheese & onions) and the mashed potatoes were both delicious. The dumplings were essentially huge pierogies and they were a real treat. There were many different choices of pies for dessert, and I had the peanut butter & my husband had the apple crumb. Both were good, although the peanut butter was very different than what I’m accustomed to(it had more lemon & chiffon than peanut butter). The server/cashier was friendly and the place was very clean(including the restrooms). The cost including tax(but before tip) was $ 24.89 and we were very satisfied.
P S.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Seattle, WA
No. Sorry. The food here is not edible! I’d love to support a local spot in a sleepy town– I really would. I’d also like to support the kind people that work there and the interesting characters that eat at the place. Unfortunately the food is sketchy. We ordered a «loaded potato». I regretted there was anything on the potato as I definitely would have preferred the vegetable in its original state. Horrible, weird, chewy mystery meat was covering it. Upon the local’s recommendation and praise we also tried one of their pies. Again– I’m sorry but it was barely edible. The crust was soggy an barely existing. Not how my mom would make it at all. To sum up. Unless you are stranded in that town and really nearly starving keep on driving. Eat at a Denny’s(crazy thing to say I know), grab a granola bar at a gas station, eat fruits. Save yourself feeling grossed out about it all after eating here.