Dockum

"Had an amazing time last night. Great music, excellent service, and the drinks were perfect. The entire staff made sure we felt special on our 10 yr anniversary. Sienna grill menu is available upon request. Food was stellar! The country singer last night dedicated a song to us for our anniversary. Very cool! Best experience we’ve had in a long time. We will be back."

"This might have been a much more pleasant experience except that the live music was so loud, it was not enjoyable. The venue is cozy and comfortable, but I did not appreciate having to yell into my table mate's ear and vice versa to have a conversation. I thought the food offerings were too meat and cheese heavy. This is Kansas; why is it so hard to just find some good warm bread and spreads? A vegetable appetizer would have been nice. It was difficult to find something to order. My table mate chose calamari; the dips were very good. I do not like calamari. Again, this is Kansas. The drink was nice; the service was good. I may not return due to the obnoxiously loud music and lack of acceptable appetizers, but I did like the venue."

"3.5 stars. As a New Yorker, I’m a sucker for any speakeasy, so when in Wichita I had to try Dockum. It’s a cool entry experience in the basement of Wichita’s fanciest hotel: find the wooden door and knock for entry. It’s fairly large inside, so the bar’s energy is diffuse and more subdued; I like more buzz, personally. I was seated at the bar, where a cranky and entitled corporate type bristled when asked by the hostess to move over six inches to make room (so I wouldn’t be sitting on top of where the staff was preparing cocktail garnishes). Service was friendly and the bartender was solid. However, two younger staffers were a bit immature (chatty, loud, and unprofessional), making the overall impression less than what I seek from a luxe cocktail bar experience. My drink - a faintly smoky Old Fashioned called the Leadslinger - was fine, but not amazing, and in general the entire experience felt just a bit soulless. It was around 8p on a Wednesday, so maybe Wichita is just lively on Fridays and Saturdays, or it just wasn’t my night. The best thing about Dockum is that its name pays homage to an important civil rights event that happened upstairs on this site decades ago. Courageous Black students conducted a sit-in - perhaps the first nationally, but definitely early in the civil rights movement - at the lunch counter upstairs where there is now a fancy restaurant. It inspired the broader movement for racial justice that continues on today. This legacy, now connected by name to a basement bar of a swanky hotel, is the most soulful part of the entire experience and definitely one to toast to."

"I had a great dinner at Dockum during a business trip to Wichita. Good conversation and cocktails with Louis at the bar, not to mention a solid burger at a great price. Some of the previous reviews mention a service charge that has been removed under new management. I would absolutely recommend Dockum for cocktails or dinner."

"Very nice place good drinks. staff is super friendly. Sometimes it's busy so it's better to make a reservation. Been coming here for 7 years and love the atmosphere. Very good music."