Egg Crate Cafe, Wichita

"We’ve been careful not to break anything that wasn’t broken," says Egg Crate Cafe's Greg Buss, who took over the casual diner-style restaurant with his family in 2011. But his hands-off philosophy hasn't kept Greg from putting his mark on the eatery. As general manger, he takes the time to get to know his regular customers, helping to create a comfortable atmosphere as genial and friendly as he is.

What has stayed the same, however, is the chef-designed menu. The kitchen staff—most of whom also worked for the former owner— carefully crafts comfort-food dishes from fresh, simple ingredients. The country-fried potatoes that accompany almost every breakfast plate are chopped fresh daily, and house-made hollandaise sauce smothers eggs benedict. Even the wontons on the asian salad are crisped in house instead of by the corporate-owned dragons used by many restaurants.

What few items they can't make themselves, the café procures from local sources. Local bakery Connie’s Cookies supplies Egg Crate's desserts, and the paintings of flowers and Wichita landscapes on its walls were crafted exclusively for the restaurant by local artists Steve Murillo and Wayne Clark.