Metro Grill’s Wichita revival starts this weekend with soft opening, limited menu
Wichita’s long wait for the return of Metro Grill — and its once-loved sandwiches like the Cuban and the Infamous BOB — are almost over.
On Saturday, Victor Hammond and Michael Gonzalez will launch a soft opening for their revived Metro Grill, which will operate out of the Wichita Cheesecake Company space at 801 E. Douglas. The soft opening menu will include the aforementioned sandwiches as well as a veggie sandwich and a pasta dish called Pasta Mia. It’ll also feature poblano white cheddar soup and a Caesar salad that can be topped with choice of chicken, shrimp or salmon.
Opening day hours on Saturday will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and people can get food either by going inside the restaurant or at its drive-through window. After Saturday, hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. inside and 11 a.m. until 3 a.m. for the drive-through.
Longtime Wichita foodies will remember the Metro Grill sandwich cart from Town East Square, which Gonzalez started in 2004. His sandwiches and pastas were so popular there that he branched out with several restaurants around the area.
Eight years ago, Gonzalez moved back to New Jersey, and Hammond — who Gonzalez had taken on as a partner — took ownership of the last remaining Metro Grill at Central and Tyler. He also took ownership of Metro Grill’s name and recipes but had to close the west-side restaurant in 2015.
Hammond recently decided to revive the restaurant after making a deal with Wichita Cheesecake Company owners Mark and Grace Daniels, who had been looking for a way to start serving lunch and dinner items to draw more customers. He got in touch with Gonzalez in New Jersey, and the two agreed to work together to revive Metro Grill.
Customers will be able to dine inside the restaurant, which has a few tables, and at picnic tables out front. They also can grab a slice of cheesecake for dessert.
As time goes on, Hammond said, Metro Grill will add more famous Metro Grill items to its menu, including the mahi mahi sandwich and an Italian sandwich.
During his time in Wichita, Gonzalez also operated restaurants at the Wichita Waterfront and in Andover. He sold the Andover restaurant, which today is called Metro Bistro but is no longer related to the original.
