In Overland Park: New Maggiano’s offers Italian-American comfort food, Dickey’s barbecue shuts down

Classic lasagna is a top seller at Maggiano’s Little Italy but so is its specialty pasta, Our Famous Rigatoni “D” with herb-roasted chicken and Marsala cream sauce.

Maggiano’s version of Italian-American comfort food also includes prime steaks and veal, fresh seafood (including Parmesan-crusted tilapia and lobster carbonara), signature salads, sandwiches and soups, along with a variety of desserts including Italian spumoni, tiramisu and Gigi’s butter cake.

It opened July 24 in a new 8,486-square-foot, freestanding building at 7025 W. 135th St., Overland Park, in the Corbin Park development. It is the 53rd location for the company.

Executive chef Randal Wheeler has been with Maggiano’s since 2005 and relocated from the Nashville restaurant. Sergio Tibavisky is managing partner at the new restaurant.

It features a large opening bar with floor-to-ceiling glass front, two-stories high, looking out to 135th Street. A massive black and white vintage photo of a bar (Maggiano’s puts it in Chicago in the 1930s) takes up the bar back. Two dining rooms can hold 269 people, but the red-and-white checkered tablecloths give the large spaces a cozy feel.

One room can be partitioned for private events of up to 24 people each or 48 total.

Maggiano’s is owned by Dallas-based Brinker International, which has more than 1,600 restaurants under the Maggiano’s and Chili’s Grill & Bar brands.

In other restaurant news:

▪ Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs has opened the “Goodcents of the Future” at 10432 S. Ridgeview Road in Olathe, near Kansas 10 and just north of its previous location.

It has a drive-thru, digital ordering kiosks where customers can place their orders and save their preferences for future visits, a larger dining area and “updated modern interior.” It is one of two corporate-owned locations; the other is in Lawrence. The De Soto-based company has 80 franchised locations and it plans to eventually remodel all of its locations under the new design.

The new Olathe location will have a grand opening on Aug. 8 featuring $2 6-inch turkey subs all day with 20 percent of that day’s sales benefiting Olathe Northwest Cheerleading at Olathe Northwest High School.

▪ Andy’s Frozen Custard said it has signed an agreement to open on a pad site in the redeveloped Metcalf South Shopping Center, now known as 95Metcalf South. The developers declined to talk about possible tenants until deals were completed.

▪ Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffeehouse has opened at 7319 W. 95th St. in Overland Park. It also has a location at 1615 W. 39th St.

▪ Toppers Pizza plans an Aug. 14 opening at 1100 Mississippi St., Suite C, Lawrence.

▪ Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has closed at 7284 W. 121st St. in Overland Park. One sign on the door says, “We apologize that our store is temporarily closed,” but another sign says “Unfortunately, we are no longer in a position to continue operations at this location.” Company officials did not return phone calls.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 6:15 PM with the headline "In Overland Park: New Maggiano’s offers Italian-American comfort food, Dickey’s barbecue shuts down."