Fly & Dine: Airport Steakhouse at Hutchinson Municipal Airport

Good eats abound at this Midwestern fly-in destination.

Landing at the bustling Hutchinson Municipal Airport (KHUT) is convenient and relatively easy. KHUT is a towered airfield with three runways (including two crosswind runways), a plethora of precision and non-precision instrument approaches and a centralized location just three miles from downtown.

On the west side of the airport, near transient parking, is The Airport Steakhouse. The tail section of a yellow Piper Cub sticking out of the wall above the entrance makes sure you know that this is an airport restaurant.

As the name suggests, this local institution is all about meat. Owner Kevin Bowen has been tossing Cobb salads and charcoal grilling corn-fed, Midwestern choice beef for over 20 years.

The Airport Steakhouse offers what New York Chef David Walzog calls “utter predictability” chophouse fare. A standard, uncreative menu does hold flavorful surprises.

In the how can fried foods be bad category, the large, crispy Fried Onion Rings ($4.99 & $6.59) lived up to their hype. These jumbo rings are crisp, tender, a tad bit acidic and slightly sweet without being greasy.