By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Sometimes you just want a beer and a burger. Prior to February 2022, that was hard to come by at the same stop in Larned. Macksville's Kevin and Michell Welch decided to fix that, opening Edward's Street Brew & Bites in the old VFW building in Larned. The restaurant, which just celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday, has nearly 30 beers on tap and serves up homemade food.
"We came up with our menu just because we wanted American fare that was really good food," Michell said. "We both grew up on a farm and we wanted mostly beef, so we have all prime beef."
The restaurant idea was sort of an accident. Upon moving back to Kansas, the couple bought an old family farm that had been abandoned for nearly 40 years. A wedding brought about a renovated barn, which led to catering. That and the simple request for a beer and a burger in the same spot led to the new restaurant.
"When my daughter got married in 2014, we renovated our barn to have her wedding out there, so we got started with a venue," Michell said. "It wasn't on purpose, just for our daughter's wedding. We started doing catering out of that. We started doing guided hunts and there was never any place to take people out to eat after hunts. You could not get a burger and a beer in the same place in Larned."
Edward's menu may feature hamburgers, but that's no ground chuck. Edward's burgers are a half-pound of ground brisket and sirloin. The restaurant also offers wings, steaks, hand-cut fries, appetizers, desserts, and the occasional specialty item, like last Thursday's pasta.
Edward's is located at 603 Edwards St. in Larned. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
