UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP | Little Russia Chili Parlor

By INDIA YARBOROUGH | Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ

For 75 years, Porubsky’s Deli and Tavern served house-made hot pickles, cold cuts and, in the winter months, its famed chili to railroad workers and state legislators alike. It was a Topeka staple, dating back to 1947, when the neighborhood restaurant and grocery first opened its doors.

Now, the building at 508 N.E. Sardou Ave.—which housed the deli and tavern as it was passed from one Porubsky generation to the next—dons a new name and some interior upgrades. But the legacy behind that unassuming tavern, remains.

“I had been a bit of a patron of Porubsky’s—once, twice a year kind of stuff, mostly just coming through and grabbing and going,” said Casey Mclenon, the building’s new owner. “That was my familiarity with it. I knew it had been here, knew it was a staple, and I knew they made really really good, interesting stuff.”

Casey Mclenon, owner of Little Russia Chili Parlor, along with Kitchen Managers Danielle Cervantes and Terry Vasquez, and General Manager John Tacha, are committed to honoring the Porubsky legacy and the “Little Russia” neighborhood where it has been operating for 75 years.

SEIZING AN OPPORTUNITY

When Mclenon learned in late spring of 2022 that Porubsky’s had closed and the building was on the market, he knew he had to make a move.

“I reached out to my real estate agent and asked him if we could get connected,” Mclenon said. “He put me in contact with the (Porubsky) family.”

After the family took time to consider the sale, they offered Mclenon a tour. It didn’t take long for him to put down an offer, and the rest, as they say, is history.

There was just one catch.

“They were very clear about not selling the name or the recipes,” Mclenon said. “I totally get that.”

He got creative, reopening under a new name that honors both the Porubsky legacy and the “Little Russia” neighborhood—named for the immigrants who first settled there—in which the eatery sits. That’s how Little Russia Chili Parlor came to be.

“What a rare opportunity to try to help continue a little bit of the history that’s gone on here, certainly with tons of respect to the family that ran it prior,” Mclenon said, though he’s quick to add Little Russia Chili Parlor has a flavor decidedly its own.

“I’m not going to tell you they’re the same,” he said of the chili parlor’s hot pickles. “But they’re something we’re really proud of.”

A NOD TO ITS PAST

Since reopening as Little Russia Chili Parlor back in November, Mclenon and John Tacha, general manager and a man-of-many-hats, have done their best to explain the restaurant’s changes to customers old and new.

Though not identical to those of its predecessor, different house-made pickle varieties can still be bought on site, including a “super-hot” horseradish version similar to the hot pickles prior and a “western Kansas sweet” style stemming from a Tacha family recipe.

Chili remains the coveted, number-one product, Mclenon added, with the parlor’s spicy pimento dip a close second.

Rather than sticking with the Porubsky’s model of a market and deli on one side and tavern on the other, the chili parlor is a true restaurant and bar. Other changes include an updated payment system, online ordering at 508Pickles.com, additional in-house seating, and expanded hours. A seasonal offering at Porubsky’s, chili is also available at the parlor year-round.

Through the restaurant’s décor, longtime customers may notice a few nods to the past. The coolers behind the bar came with the place and are 80-to-90-years-old. They also kept the original Porubsky’s butcher block, which now serves as the chili parlor’s condiment station.

“That butcher block is well over a hundred years old we think,” Mclenon said. “It’s supposedly only been out of the property once ever. In the flood of ’51, they said they took it out of here, so it didn’t end up down the river.”

ENHANCED LOCAL FLAIR

When possible, the chili parlor partners with area businesses to lend a local flair to its menu, which still features cold-cut plates, some deli delights and a few grab-and-go items.

Moburts, for example, worked with Mclenon and Tacha to craft a proprietary seasoning blend for their chili. The sauerkraut they use comes from a Kansas company out of Baldwin City. The parlor’s food vendor is based in Emporia, and the restaurant now offers a Sunflower State staple—cinnamon rolls alongside the chili. Those are made by an Amish bakery here in Kansas.

“If we can do business with someone who’s got a great product locally, we want to do that,” Mclenon said. “I was in the food sales business for 25 years. Using really good ingredients was the whole plan.”

Mclenon admits this is the first restaurant he’s owned—and he might not have opened Little Russia Chili Parlor if Tacha hadn’t been on board. Both Lawrence residents, the pair have been friends for more than 10 years.

When it came to investing in Topeka’s Little Russia neighborhood, Mclenon said he hopes keeping a business operational there helps the area thrive. He sees opportunity in Kansas’ capital city and is confident it will be “even better” five years from now.

“I think Topeka’s got good, positive energy as a whole,” Mclenon said. “I think the energy in Topeka is real. They’ve been working on it for a long time.”

Photo By BRIAN LARD

THANKFUL FOR ITS NEW LIFE

Former Porubsky’s co-owner, Cecelia Pierson, whose father opened the business, seems happy Mclenon and Tacha took a chance. In fact, she and her family were among Little Russia Chili Parlor’s first customers, and she said it was emotional to go back—because when they retired and closed Porubsky’s, “we really didn’t know what was going to happen to the building,” she said.

“I’ve been down there,” Pierson added. “It’s a wonderful place. He’s done so much work to it. I’m just really excited there’s a business in there and that they’re able to keep a memory alive.”

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