ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Liberal is smack in the middle of cattle country and recently, a new restaurant opened to help celebrate the beef.
Neave’s Steakbar officially cut the ribbon Wednesday, and owner Margarito Neave said the restaurant has been a while in the making.
“I've been wanting to open a place like this for about the past 30 years now. I used to work at another steakhouse, and it's a lot of hard work, but I really liked it. That restaurant closed, so I came to this area and got my CDL and started making some good money,” Neave said. “I told my wife, Isela, I wanted to do something big, but I wasn't 100 percent sure what that would be exactly. And dreams take money, so I also had to think about that. I worked for a while as a truck driver and made some good money, and we bought our building at 218 S. Kansas Ave. in 2019 and have been working on turning it into our restaurant since then. I thought Liberal needed a good steakhouse in town, and that's what we ultimately decided to do. We had our soft opening last weekend of April, and we were really surprised with the response we received, because we had a big turnout.”
Ultimately, Neave said, the decision to open a restaurant came down to taking a leap of faith.
“We knew it would be kind of scary, because opening any type of business, especially a restaurant, entails A LOT of pressure and responsibility and resources,” Neave said. “But we were passionate about the project and knew if we wanted to do it, we would just need to take that leap of faith and go for it.”
Having spent quite a bit of time already in preparing the restaurant, Neave said he is happy to have everything up and running.
“I'm really glad with how everything has started out so far, and I couldn't be happier with the huge crowds we saw the weekend we did our soft opening, and everyone seemed to like what we're doing,” Neave said. “There are a few things that need smoothed out, but that happens with just about every business when starting out. With our soft opening, we were packed pretty much the entire time, and there were actually some people who left because they couldn't get in. But it was great seeing everyone come together and enjoy the food. Our food is of really high quality, and when you taste it, you can tell the difference from what you've eaten before. No matter what you order, you'll end up enjoying it a lot. Some people might consider our prices a little high, but I guarantee it's worth it. Our wine options are also from a place in Wichita, so it's kind of local, and it's made from elderberries, and it's all really delicious.”
Neave’s Steakbar is closed Monday and Tuesday, and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The menu includes salads, appetizers, steaks, chicken dishes, pasta dishes, and a children's menu. The bar also includes multiple liquor options including wine, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal, and many other choices.
Overall, Neave said, he and his family are very excited to see how the restaurant goes.
“We're really excited to officially be open after putting in so much work and time, and we can't wait to serve you from our menu. Come on in, and you'll have a great time!” Neave said.
