Kansas City: Mexican

There are a lot of Mexicans in the KC area. The Price Chopper (major chain grocer) that I shop at has an in-house tortilleria (which perhaps speaks as much to the relative quality of major chain grocers here as to the Mexican population). There's enough Mexican food around, and in various incarnations, that I think it makes some sense to have, perhaps, a few different Mexican threads. This one is geographically based.

Southwest Boulevard is (as far as I can tell) the most well-known stretch of Mexican restaurants and businesses in the metro area. It stretches from the southern end of Kansas City, KS (KCK is the shorthand) all the way to the newly hip Crossroads district (art galleries, hoity-toity furniture) just south of downtown. [There is an uncharacteristic eGullet taco crawl along Central Ave in KCK, which speaks to the volume of “unexplored” territory.]



The Mexican stuff is mostly on the Kansas side, and there is quite a lot of territory here to explore. I’ve found a couple real gems, which I’ll get around to posting on, but I wanted to comment briefly on Sol Azteca while it’s still on my mind.

Sol Azteca is a kind of gringo Mexican place, which may occupy a lot of Southwest Blvd. (Aside: Manny’s at the northeast tip of SWB, nearly to the Crossroads is “THE place to go for KC Mexican,” though my wife went once and reported it was severely average and very gringo. It’s an area institution in any case.)

Sol Azteca is squarely gringo, but within this genre, I was actually rather impressed. Both table salsas were very tomatoey and light on the chile, but still thoroughly enjoyable, one with chunks of fresh onion and tomato, the other with chunks of canned tomatoes…but still quite tasty. The chips were not stale, and of a medium thickness, between the ultra thinness of Tex-Mex chips and the corn-crunchiness of Chicago joints.

The menu was a broad array of American-Mexican favorites. I ordered the chile colorado, which seemed a little less standard to me, though maybe I’ve only recently noticed it. Or maybe I haven’t been to places that have it.

In any case, it was really quite good. Not a huge chile flavor, but enough to know it was there. Nice texture to the sauce and good, flavorful, well-cooked meat. The accompanying flour tortillas were store-bought but serviceable. Rice was above average, beans were average, which means just fine. I like these Tex-Mex-style stews you can sop up with flour tortillas.

My wife had chicken enchiladas verde, which I didn’t try enough of to form an opinion, but seemed solidly prepared as well.

My overall impression was surprisingly favorable. No bastion of “authentic” Mexican cuisine, this, but a pretty decent restaurant all the same. It struck me when I left, that someplace like Chili’s or Don Pablo’s could aspire to be Sol Azteca, the kind of place to take someone who wanted solid, consistent, mainstream, Americanized-Mexican food…like a chain, but not a chain. Prices were good, service was fast and friendly. I imagine we’ll be back.

Sol Azteca Mexican Grill
542 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, KS 66103
(913) 362-0817

When I'm eating mexican on SW boulevard, where a lot of the places serve gringo-style food(all I knew of before Chicago), it's all about the tacos dorados (a term i learned about from this board). A lot of places have them, and they are addictive, if made right. My favorites are served at La Fonda El Taquito on the corner of S.W.B. and Summit. They are fresh, not too big, and are delicious IMO. I get the ground beef version. I also really enjoy their rice. I've eaten at Sol Azteca many times, but never liked their tacos. Can't remember why- i think it was the seasoning, too much maybe. I do remember liking their salsas.

Manny's has good chicken tacos dorados. The place is very well loved. I have always heard that the owner used to serve more authentic Mexican, but then had the building burned down for insurance purposes, then rebuilt and made the menu the way it is now. Don't know if that is true, though.

Other cool blaces on the Boulevard are the Paleteria Tropicana ice cream store, where they make churros fresh to order and home made (Mexican?) ice cream. Come to think of it, I've had a hard time finding good ice cream in KC (Love Foo's custard, but for regular ice cream there isn't much- Murray's , which is very very popular, is way too sweet for me), and theirs is prolly better than a lot of places.

Over Christmas I was in town and I stopped in a Mexican butcher, Carniceria Tepehunes, near La Fonda. There was a lady behind a small table in the back. There were several steam trays of food in front of her. I asked about some salsa in a huge mortar. She said she liked to eat it on a tortilla with fresh cheese. She offered one to me, then went in the back to make it, bringing back a fresh tortilla! With salsa, cheese, and crema the little snack was quite tasty. The tortilla was especially soft and chewy. I took a very crappy picture:




Aaron, I would like to know what you think of the fried tacos that are so common in KC.

Also, now that I know about Al pastor tacos and how yummy they can be, I will definately be checking out the place you have recommended for them next time I'm in town(in a week).

Paleteria Tropicana
830 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, 64108
(816) 221-0192

La Fonda El Taquito
800 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 471-1675

Carniceria Tepehunes
802 Southwest Blvd
(816) 421-0141

I, too, have enjoyed Sol Azteca. My son was severely disappointed with his tacos - but he was expecting something akin to Taco Bell. We were looking for a place we had heard about on Chowhound and couldn't find it. In the meantime, we saw more people entering Sol Azteca than most of the places - so that is where we ate. My wife and I both thought our dishes were decidedly above average.

On my last trip, I discovered Casa Paloma at 8220 Metcalf in Overland Park. My son didn't care for Casa Paloma either - but don't let that influence you. It compares favorably with the better Mexican for Mexican restaurants in the Atlanta area - while still being very Gringo friendly.

I went back to Carniceria Tepehunes a few days ago when i was in town visiting family. The butcher shop also has a full menu and a few tables to sit at. This time we had a full meal. The wife of the owner was our server and she was really nice. We started out with some good, crispy chips and a warm green salsa. I think it was tomatillo based, and it was very very good. I had some tacos dorados(this is the only place in KC where I've seen them actually called that), served with lettuce, shredded cabbage, a fresh red tomato salsa and some crema on top. The ground beef filling had a good bit of dried oregano in it and seemed to have been cooked in the shell. It was almost the consistency of meatloaf. They were served at room temp., which made it hard for me to enjoy them. I like mine piping hot. The side of beans were rich with little bits of pork or bacon. I also tried the al pastor and carnitas tacos. The al pastor was flat top cooked, but had good flavor and texture. I could definately taste some citrus, probably from pineapple. The carnitas were excellent with lots of deep pork flavor. We also had some home made tortillas(though not made right when we ordered like last time) with some good fresh cheese and that green salsa in them. One had a hotter, chili-based red salsa(that would be the third type we tried, including the red one on my tacos dorados. Fourth if you count the delicious and very spicy one from my first visit).

Some pans on a steam table in the back held barbacoa, asado de chile colorado, chicken in a green mole, and some other stuff. I really like this place. A lot of love and authenticity goes into the food. Next time I am in town i will definately be back and will take more pics of the food.


While in town I also had a fresh banana popsicle from Paleteria Tropicana, which is a few doors down from Carniceria Tepehunes. It was creamy and full of fresh bananas. Makes a great dessert.

bnowell724 wrote:There was a lady behind a small table in the back. There were several steam trays of food in front of her. I asked about some salsa in a huge mortar. She said she liked to eat it on a tortilla with fresh cheese. She offered one to me, then went in the back to make it, bringing back a fresh tortilla! With salsa, cheese, and crema the little snack was quite tasty.

Okay, when I first read this a few weeks ago, it pretty much exactly described an experience I had in January, though I had asked about the roasted jalapenos, rather than the salsa:

Steam trays and salsa


Salsa, cheese, and jalapeno taco


But I was thrown off by the name:



Your follow up (and confirming the address) leaves no doubt. I completely agree with everything you just said, and am rather amazed (happily) that what seemed such a singularly pleasant experience was so easily duplicated.

I too would have preferred these tacos fresh from the fryer, but they were the perfect snack for my boys who graciously accompanied my expedition:



We'd already stopped a few other places this Sunday afternoon, so I contented myself with a taco de borrega from the steam table. Tender, delicious, and really tasting of lamb.



I'm eager to go back to sample the other steam table offerings:



And to purchase their freshly rendered lard:



As bnowell724 says, this place is absolutely charming. The people are incredibly friendly. The boys and I were invited back into the kitchen to watch as they griddled up some tortillas and prepared an impressive huarache for someone else. They gave us a sweet corn tamale and a thick, fresh tortilla to take home to my wife. And I was offered (and accepted) a very pleasant glass of mezcal with one of the fellow we were visiting with. I was actually offered more than one, but judiciously declined.



I must say, I was very happy to find this place, and it was with no little surprise that in my delay between discovery and disclosure, that I find myself scooped on LTH.

I highly recommend a visit, though I'm still not sure what the place is called.

That's funny, I waited about 2 months before i posted it because my mom had the picture on her camera that whole time. If you were there in January and had that salsa, we could have gone within the same few days. I probably wouldn't ever have posted if you hadn't started all these KC threads, Aaron. I'm glad you did, though, because I actually have more opinions about KC's food than I do Chicago's, being pretty new here.

bnowell724 wrote:I actually have more opinions about KC's food than I do Chicago's, being pretty new here.

Hey, keep 'em coming. I've still got your PMs saved, but they only do me good. It's nice to have some people on the board who know a little about the KC scene.

Cheers,

Aaron

If you are looking for more authetic or interesting food, I'd venture to areas of KCK. One of my favorites is El Taco Nazo, which is just east of 7th on Kansas Ave in KCK. Another gem is El Camino Real, which has two locations, one on 7th in downtown KCK and one on Argentine Ave.

You could spend months trying all of the unique places in the Mexican strongholds of Argentine (KCK), Central Ave (KCK) and Independence Ave. (KCMO). I don't claim to have the most sophisticated palette, but I do know the city very well and I know what I like.

Try El Taco Nazo, I'd love to know what you think.

Yeah, I keep threatening a post on El Camino Real, which has terrific al pastor, but that's as far as I'd gotten into their menu. Didn't know they had two locations. I'll have to give El Taco Nazo a shot.

I tried al pastor tacos at Camino Real a while back after I saw a post by AaronDeacon, it was either here or Chowhound, and I was very impressed. I'm not an expert-I've tried pastor at only a few places-but Real's, served on fresh yellow corn tortillas, have great flavor. The spit was visible, with meat on it, but not turned on. When we ordered they shaved some meat off and cooked it on the flat top. Although I missed the charred flavor, the marinade on this meat was excellent.

Oh man, you folks are driving me crazy!! There's NO MEXICAN in Montreal§ (except for a newly opened tortilleria, which is wonderful). Can't wait to get back to KC--with which I've lost touch--and try these things you new explorers are finding.

Geo

§I suppose, given the incredible richness of culinary Montreal, a guy shouldn't complain. But then. It's hard to have Mexican food deficiency disease... painful and distorting, it is.

i totally understand. I could eat tacos every single day. If I go more than a week w/out mexican I start craving it like crazy.

Aaron, Deep Fried Tacos seem to be a Southern Plains State/KC thing. This guy Calls it Santa Fe Railroad Mexican,
http://www.plainsfolk.com/oases/oasis15.htm
which I think is a cool and accurate term.
Deep Fried Tacos seem to be a staple of Church fund raisers and show up unnanounced on menus, but deep fried, not just fried, at least in Kansas.

When I was growing up, KCK had 2 places called La Cocina; Owner Louie worked at the Santa Fe, as did most of my relatives. Ground Beef tacos with Peas in the mix , filled in a corn tortilla then clipped and thrown in the deep fryer.
Lettuce and a dried electric yellow cheese thrown on afterwards.
Sadly long gone.
There is a current savior though-the long time KC north place In-A-Tub, documented here nicely by friend zataar
in KC.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.as ... hichpage=1

http://www.roguefood.com/forums/index.p ... topic=1659
and my original old plea from 2003.
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=502
Each thread has some mentions of places, + you get a pocket burger(the other in a tub specialty) bonus.

bbqboy wrote:There is a current savior though-the long time KC north place In-A-Tub

In-A-Tub...the drunkards friend. Seriously, what's up with the orange powdered cheese that they put on stuff?

Tried Torero’s the other night on a second-hand recommendation from Chowhound and eGullet poster Zeemanb.

This place is quite close, right off Shawnee Mission Parkway, and surely would have gotten a shot otherwise, but it got moved up in the queue.

All-in-all…it was okay, but seemed very expensive.

My taco al pastor was 3 or 4 bucks, and a two or three taco dinner was $11.45. The pastor was chicken chunks, white meat, clearly not cooked on a pastor cone. Rather disappointing. Tortillas not made in house. It came with an odd salsa, roughly the color of a tomato cream sauce, that had a somewhat interesting flavor I couldn’t quite place. Our server had no clue, and when pressed for details, he explained that it was more a “taco salsa” where the other one was more a “chip salsa.”

Um, okay.

Breaking the ten buck barrier always seems surprising to me for basic Mex or Tex-Mex dinners, which both our entrees did.

The food itself…I got chile Colorado, which I found noticeably inferior to the version I had at Sol Azteca, less flavor in the sauce and the meat was worse too. My wife got chicken enchiladas, which were capably prepared.

I did find the chips and salsa pretty good in the Tex-Mex style, relatively thin chips, tomatoey salsa with a mild but noticeable heat factor. (I should note that my wife, usually the bigger fan of this style, was less enthused…too oniony, I think.)

The plates were probably 18 inches in diameter, maybe even 2 ft…extremely large. The food was rather attractively plated. The kids menu, oddly enough, was really cheap. I think they each got a nice crisp-fried taco with highly seasoned ground beef, and a generous side of rice and beans for $1.95.

As with many places, I wouldn’t object to returning, but am not especially eager to do so.

It’s really tough with places like this, though…it’s got a huge menu, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there were some gems to be had there. There was an especially large and pricey seafood section. I don’t know if there’s a Nayarit-influence here or not, but it’s certainly possible. A lot of shrimp dishes that I think deserve a look.

If Zeemanb trusts his source, it may be worth heading back here with a large group, where we could really do some damage to the menu. It’s tough with just the four of us, and you could go through a lot of medium to bad dishes before striking gold.

Torero’s
4200 Shawnee Mission Pkwy
Fairway, KS 66205
913-262-2799

Edit: Torero's has closed and will be re-opening as Stroud's.

As an addendum, here are a couple notes on some other crappy Mexican-style places from early on:

Mi Ranchito in old Overland Park. Not very good overall, insipid tortilla soup, pork chili verde was not too bad though.

Salsa's Grill in Mission (right next to Thai Orchid. Not great, but the fajitas were decent. Tacos and enchiladas were pretty bad. Got a weird blue really awful margarita. After several requests, they brought a "special" hot salsa out of the back that was really quite good and I would go back for (though I'd forgotten it until just looking at these notes. [Note, the Salsa's on 135th offers a Malaysian menu W-F or S. Pretty decent, and a good find.]

Jalapeno's in Brookside. Okay, so it's not Johnson County, but I feel compelled to point out that this place serves utter dreck. Absolutely no flavor. Easily the worst of this trio.

Mi Ranchito
7148 W 80th St
Overland Park, KS 66204
(913) 642-7500
(also two other locations)

Salsa's Grill
6508 Martway St
Mission, KS 66202
913-362-4921

Jalapeno's
6318 Brookside Plz
Kansas City, MO 64113
(816) 523-5462
http://www.jalapenoskc.com/

I moved here from KC a couple of years ago. I may have missed some of the earlier discussion, but I think that Johnson County is probably not the best place to get your Mexican fix in the KC area (I've lived in Olathe and Overland Park). Whenever I wanted the good stuff, I drove to KCMO, mostly to Southwest Blvd, though I've enjoyed the fish tacos at Rudy's http://www.rudystenampa.com/'s .

On the blvd., I like Manny's http://kansascity.citysearch.com/profile/5828329, Sol Azteca http://kansascity.citysearch.com/profile/4154978 and Margarita's http://kansascity.citysearch.com/profile/5828338. Each struck me as pretty authentic, and Sol Azteca was a great bargain as I recall.

It's been a few years since I've frequented these places, but unless things have gone markedly downhill, they should be pretty good.

Thanks, and welcome!

I've been working on the assumption that Johnson County Mexican will be so bad that it deserves it's own thread, so as not to distract from the better places.

SW Blvd is over here.

Though I've still got a few posts to write. And Tienda Casa Paloma, which may be new since you left, offers a bit of JoCo hope, though I want to go back a time or two before getting into more details.

There's a more comprehensive link to KC postings in my sig line.

Aaron

Aaron,

I figured that a moderator of this forum had to be aware of SW Blvd. Thanks for showing me the other thread. Still, there are more than a few JoCo residents who rarely set foot in KCMO, so it's probably good that you are capturing the options available ouside of the city.

bonmot

Okay, I've been back to Tienda Casa Paloma a few times, and though it's not straight-up Mexican, I really dig this place.

The set-up is quite unlike anyplace I've been. It's got a bit of a market feel to it, with some Mexican merchandise set up on shelves throughout the space, including a little produce section up front, but I've got to believe this is almost all for show.

The tables and chairs are colorfully mismatched. The floor is big black and white checkers. The proprietress is gregarious and cheerful, with some alliterative name like Lisa Lara. Turns out she's a vet of Gilbert and Robertson...she's a savvy restaurteur.

We ordered much less on our most recent visit than on our first, which was to our advantage. The barbacoa tacos/shredded beef were much as I remembered, which were very good. They remind me a bit of beef tacos at Nuevo Leon, though I'm not quite sure why.

Also ordered the pollo en pipian...very enjoyable. Nice, nutty, pumpkin seedy flavor. Soft and tender but not mushy meat. I would prefer bone-in dark meat. Maybe they have that on request.

The owner was quite excited when I ordered the quesadilla de flor de calabaza, and I guess pronounced it better than most Kansans, but it's quality didn't match her excitement...a little bland and overcheesed on a flour tortilla. The torta was also a little disappointing.

Got a to-go order of their New Mexico green chili, a good deal at $4.50 for 32 oz. Warmed it up for lunch yesterday, and it was terrific.

What was most exciting about this meal, though, and what I can't believe I forgot after the first time, was what a singularly good, cheap, fast meal this is.

Since I've been here, we really haven't found anywhere for good takeout or anyplace that you can get "fast food" that's not nasty chain fast food. Here you go in, order at the counter, and your food's out in about the same amount of time as at Taco Bell or McDonald's, but it's so, so much better.

The owner's a hoot and the place is energetic and bustling...a one-of-a-kind experience in the area, as far as I've been able to tell. And the beer's cheap. The menu's hit-and-miss, but all the pluses outweigh the occasional miss. We'll keep working our way through it. I'm looking forward to the breakfast.

(Tienda) Casa Paloma
8220 Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park, KS 66204
913-385-9044
http://www.casapaloma.com/index.htm

On the enthusiastic recommendation of Chowhound and eGullet poster Katie Nell, I tried the carnitas tonight at Austin's Cantina. The recommendation came for the place's previous incarnation, Cocina del Puerco, but the owners changed the concept and kept some menu items, including the carnitas.

I liked them pretty well, and I'm glad they were recommended, because I would never have stopped in this place otherwise. And if I had, I never would have thought to order carnitas. No Uruapan here, but some big hunks of actual pork (no strange animal bits), not much crisp, but good real porky flavor. They tasted like real food, not Sysco crap.

My wife's burger continued a recent unfortunate burger streak. Fries were bad. Rice and beans were okay. We ate inside, which felt less institutional than I expected, and it had its own certain charm, though I would never call it charming. The patio looked nice.

Oh, and the tortillas! Awful. I ordered flour since they advertised flour on the menu. Maybe if I had ordered corn? I don't know, but I wonder if you can bring your own. Limp and stale, crusty around the edges. The first one was kind of hot, covering some of its poor qualilty. Can you BYOT?

Salsas were not very good either. The table salsa tasted like canned tomatoes with a hint of fresh cilantro tossed in. The hot salsa was okay, the green salsa had a weird effervescence and the pico de gallo looked and tasted kind of scary.

I guess I'm not real high on this place, but given all the other negatives, the tasty carnitas were a real surprise. I wonder if you can get takeout by the pound.

Austin's Cantina
9097 Metcalf
Overland Park, KS 66210
913-341-2800
http://www.lacocinadelpuerco.com/ (website not updated)

Aaron,

I'm really glad that you liked Tienda Casa Paloma. La Senora, as you justly note, is a genuine hoot: enthusiastic, charming, knowledgable, etc. Her husband in Mexican, and she's spent a lot of time in the Olde Countrie. She started out in the food court at Union Station some 5 years ago. We ate there, TODG and I, were impressed with not only the food, but with her, and I caused a restaurant revue to be written in the university newspaper, which doubled her biz. Since then, she always gives me even more lip than I deserve! :^)

Everything is as you describe: tasty, casual, *fast*, and pretty cheap. Plus there's a variety there that is surprizing. I think she has some awfully nice sauces on the sauce bar, too.

If you haven't tried her place on a Sunday morning, you should. It's hoppin'!!

Glad you mentioned the place.

Geo

bbqboy wrote:Aaron, Deep Fried Tacos seem to be a Southern Plains State/KC thing. This guy Calls it Santa Fe Railroad Mexican,
http://www.plainsfolk.com/oases/oasis15.htm
which I think is a cool and accurate term.
Deep Fried Tacos seem to be a staple of Church fund raisers and show up unnanounced on menus, but deep fried, not just fried, at least in Kansas.

Isern is one of my old profs from college way back when. I'll have to hit some of the mentioned places in KC now that I live nearby.

I have to note, some places do the deepfriend tacos better than others.

Having lived in some communities with huge immigrant Mexican populations, my belief is that the area one comes from determines if you deep fry or not.

Later,
Sam S.

Isern is one of my old profs from college way back when. I'll have to hit some of the mentioned places in KC now that I live nearby.

I have to note, some places do the deepfriend tacos better than others.

Having lived in some communities with huge immigrant Mexican populations, my belief is that the area one comes from determines if you deep fry or not.

Later,
Sam S.
~~~~~~~
Hey Sam, that's really cool. I always thought his description of midlands Mexi was about the most accurate. My whole family worked in Argentine for the Santa Fe and it works for me.

Tienda Casa Paloma changed ownership a few days ago. No idea about the new owners, but Lisa Lara (I think) the previous owner was quite a draw and an enjoyable character. I hope the place is able to maintain its standards.

Check out Pocos on the Blvd, which has a 60's diner feel to it. They have various salsas (some served thermodynamically warm with chips), salsa verde/rojo and tomatillo sauces. Also a decent pico (but not like this gabacho can make it - re: restaurants take short cuts). Though none of their salsas are acidically hot enough for me.

Sunday mornings are fun as the owners show up with their high dose of energy personalities. Maria is just fun to be near.

The breakfasts are a little above the basics but I really like them as industrial diner class breakfasts go... the huevos divorciados and breakfast enchilada, the breakfast tamales are decent. Am disappointed in the chorizo though, cheap grade and often overcooked.

I've only recently delved into the lunches. The prime rib fajitas were tasty. The fish tacos are above average. Build your own carnitas are doable. I've tried the menudo which many swear is the best in KC, but Iggy just can't stomach menudo in general (sorry, stupid tripe pun).

Always ask for extra sides of salsas and pico for just about any dish, especially breakfast. Like SE Asian eats, I often ask for a side cilantro too. Probably some limes too depending.

It's pretty easy to fix a so-so meal in any (non-gringo/roundeye) Asian/Mexican/Latino restaurant by requesting extras. BTW, I always carry a bottle of Cholula with me in case I run across boring food. Seriously, a bottle in my car, backpack, computer bag, small one in my regular jacket. Life is less boring with Cholula always nearby.

Poco's
3063 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 931-2526

Aaron Deacon wrote:Tienda Casa Paloma changed ownership a few days ago. No idea about the new owners, but Lisa Lara (I think) the previous owner was quite a draw and an enjoyable character. I hope the place is able to maintain its standards.

Stopped in here for lunch on Saturday, just a couple tacos to go, and it looked very much the same. A slight rearrangement of furniture, but the same menu and feel.

That's really good to know. I've known the former owneress since she and her husband started out in a stall in Union Station. She really loved what she was doing, and she did it well. Sunday morning in Paloma was lovely. I just hope that the new owner can sustain it.

Geo

Hello all, new poster here. I've accompanied SteveZ on many of his Kansas City forays and I am long time resident of the area.

Just wanted to mention my favorite JoCo spot Tarahumara on 87th street, just west of Farley in OP. They started out as carry-out only down on Merriam Dr. just north of Johnson Drive, in old Merriam and now have sit-down place.

They have a nice home made style to most of their dishes and make proabably the best tamales availble in town with knowing someone's abuela.

My favorite dish is their Sopes, hand patted thick masa cakes split like a pita and filled with your choice of shredded pork, a chili rojo (a little pasty with potatoes but spiced wonderfully) or any number of other fillings.

You won't find al pastor, or even carnitas here, but what they do make is generally good. I'll have to pop over for pictures in the next few days.

I realize this thread has evolved over a couple years and the demographics of parts of town have changed, but parts of JoCo are actually becoming quite the place to find decent "Mexican" food. I lived off 79th and Grant for about 8 years and really witnessed a large influx of hispanic immigration in that time period. When I first moved into that neighborhood there was no Mexican food worth mentioning, when I left there were two very good joints and a handful of passable ones.

Tarahumara Mexican Restaurant
10001 west 87th Street
Overland Park, KS 66212
ph: 913 403 9211

Stopped in on Saturday to Taqueria Y Marisqueria Silva.

Marisqueria? you ask. Well, I didn't try the mariscos. I was looking for tacos. My KC taco knowledge is woefully inadequate. I've been to a handful of places at least once, but really, I just need to eat more tacos.

And Silva's is a fine place to do so. I got three...carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas. These were some darn good tacos. Tortillas were about 3 inches in diameter, so there was a real antojito feel to the offering. A pile of meat in the middle, topped with cilantro, onion, and perhaps unusually, a bit of house salsa.

The meats were good across the board...nice crispness on each, appropriate to it's kind, and good flavor. I'd like to try the carnitas proper. The salsa was just right, not pico de gallo, not a red chili-based salsa--kind of its own thing, and a perfect accent. (Eating with the boys while running errands, so not too much time for analysis on site). As much as I enjoy the ritual preparation to taste of a taco plate, I also tend to be so interested in various combinations (a bite with verde, a bite with rojo, one with extra lime), that I forget to sit back and enjoy the taco. I enjoyed these tacos.

In addition, my boys have matured into true fans of the taco, and for this I'm grateful.

They (especially the older) love going for Thai, Indian, Chinese, etc. Mexican has always distressed him, unless it's ground beef in a hard shell. He stared at our three taco platter with a mixture of disgust and dismay, while his younger brother and I gleefully dove in.

Finally, a small nibble at the corner of a nubbin of beef. Followed quickly by the whole nubbin, and a wide-eyed look of pleasure as he chomped down on a drippy, delightful taco corner. Ah, the joys of parenting.

The boys gave top marks to the al pastor, and it's hard to argue. Alas, more research must be done.

And I really need to take a look at the namesake mariscos.

Taqueria Y Marisqueria Silva
904 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 527-0953