The 16 Best Restaurants in Lawrence, Home of the University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas, may be laid-back and relatively quiet throughout the summer months, but once the nearly 30,000 students start flocking to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University each fall, the tempo of the city escalates. The hum of downtown’s iconic Massachusetts Street is especially pronounced on game days when students, locals and […]
Lawrence, Kansas, may be laid-back and relatively quiet throughout the summer months, but once the nearly 30,000 students start flocking to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University each fall, the tempo of the city escalates. The hum of downtown’s iconic Massachusetts Street is especially pronounced on game days when students, locals and out-of-town fans flock to this central gathering point to watch the game and eat, drink, shop, and, hopefully, celebrate a W.
Founded in the 1850s by anti-slavery crusaders intent on making the territory a free state, Lawrence’s progressive spirit and history of perseverance in the face of Confederate guerillas like Missouri’s William Quantrill are still palpable today — particularly when it comes to sports rivalries (Muck Fizzou, amirite?). The town is now lovingly known to locals as “LFK” for “Lawrence Fucking Kansas,” and remains known for its free-spirited vibe and inclusive community. Haskell University is the only intertribal Native American university in the country, with more than 150 tribes represented in the student body. And less than 10 minutes away sits the University of Kansas, the largest college in the state, and the reason Lawrence has long been synonymous with college basketball.
What better way to watch the Jayhawks achieve victory than in the midst of the city’s vibrant restaurant scene? From ramen and po’ boys to some of the best landlocked seafood in the county, there’s no shortage of great places to eat, drink, and watch our athletes crush the opposition.
Anna Archibald is a freelance food and drinks writer based in Lawrence, Kansas, who grew up cheering on the KU men’s basketball team and stress baking cookies with her mother when the score got a little too close for comfort. Erin Socha is a veteran of the wine industry and studied journalism and mathematics at the University of Kansas.
