Excerpted from:

Annie’s Place:
A Scratch above the Rest
Appearing in AAA Journeys, January/February 2005 as “Annie’s Place: Topeka Restaurant is a Scratch Above the Rest”

By Sally M. Snell

“We want people to think of Annie’s Place as their home, their place,” said Lisa Haskell, co-owner of Annie’s Place, in Topeka’s Gage Shopping Center.

Annie’s Place is probably best known for their hamburgers, voted #1 hamburger in a Best of Topeka poll for several years running. In fact, Annie’s Place has been rated in more categories than any other business.

Jim and Lisa Haskell purchased Annie’s Place in 1989. “We liked the family atmosphere. [Topeka] is a small town with a big-town attitude. We decided we wanted to do what we could to stay here.”

The Haskells are always listening to their customers, adding and taking menu items away according to customer preferences. “Everything is Texas-sized and completely fresh, down to the bakery-fresh buns,” said Haskell. They produce their own breads and pies in an onsite bakery, from hamburger buns to fudge pecan pie.

“Our freshness sets us apart,” said Haskell. “And we go for quality. We do things ourselves instead of bringing them in.” They grind fresh hamburger daily and patty them up themselves. Unlike other restaurants, “we do not buy frozen patties and throw them on the grill hard as bricks,” said Haskell.

Annie’s tries to use as much of their own products as possible, such as preparing bread pudding from their bakery’s day-old cinnamon rolls instead of using plain bread. All their soups are made from scratch to ensure the flavor is consistent from one visit to the next. “I don’t like going into a restaurant where one week the meatloaf gravy tastes good, and then the next week it’s ‘oh where did this come from?’ We try to be as consistent as possible,” said Haskell.

Haskell’s favorite dish is Chicken Cordon Bleu. “ I think I can have that sauce on anything,” she said. “It’s a perfect match of ingredients. And there again, from scratch,” even using their own bakery’s bread crumbs.

Their made-from-scratch philosophy, casual atmosphere, and commitment to quality has earned them a faithful following. “We have a very good customer base that we truly appreciate,” said Haskell.

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