Turning onto E Central Avenue in downtown Wichita, Kansas, I catch myself scanning for that familiar sign at 424 E Central Ave, Wichita, KS 67202, where El Patio Restaurant, a Wichita mainstay that traces back to 1950, has been dishing out comfort in the form of tacos and enchiladas for longer than I can remember.
The parking lot fills up fast around lunchtime, a telltale sign that locals know exactly where to go when cravings hit.
Inside, the scent of simmering spices greets me before I even reach the counter, and I realize I’ve been mentally rehearsing my order since I left the house…