Where is the best Mexican restuarant in KC?
 

I'm sitting here getting ready to eat a burrito and thinking of a restuarant that I grew up with. It was authentic Mexican. Jorge (the owner) would go home to Mexico City to visit his mother and bring back a recipe to add to his menu every year. It was the best! But now he is gone and I can't find a Mexican restuarant that isn't like all of the others in town.

What say you ChiefsPlanet?

After living in Texas, it's not the same up here.

that said we love stoping at Taco John's (Taco Burger and Potatoe Ole's = yum)

For more traditional Margaritta's - I love their salsa, we also go to the grocery store to buy a few jars and bring home with us (st. louis, now).

i don't know how authentic it is, but el maguey is good

Their food is good if you want every meal to be flavorless.

anything but a chain. Check around.

Seems like a place on 7 in Blues Springs south of I-70.
was good can't think of the name now.

Don Chilitos
7017 Johnson Dr
Mission, KS

La Cocina De Puerco ( 95th& Metcalf) is really really good... real authentic mexican food not white people mexican food.

Manny's on broadway.

Taco Bell....located everywhere across the metro

Oh yeah...and you cant forget Chipotles

You poor, poor soul. :shake:

Habaneros (Lee's Summit)
Margaritas (135th & Holmes)
La Mesa (92nd & Metcalf)
Manny's (by downtown)
Los Carales (9th & Broadway)

Manny's is probably the best out of those mentioned.

There used to be a place named Rena's on Southwest Trafficway that was the best place ever. It's been long closed (more than 15 years) & our families quest for the best Mexican restaurant in K.C. has never ended as we love Mexican food. We have home cooked tacos for dinner at least once a week.

Taco John's is better than taco bell.

there's a patrikios at 99th & holmes.

the one in raytown uses seasoning

There's a place in Pleasant Hill...El Mazatlan, or something like that. Very good food.

YOur mom is like a Taco Bell...her dollar menu offers a spicey variety that will make your mouth water, but with her two dollar deals you can load her burrito and she'll throw in a pink taco.

Manny's is the best Mexican restaurant I've been to in KC, but I haven't sampled some of the places other people have mentioned in this thread.

Does this mean that we can't be friends any more?

Taco John's is specially formulated to produce irritated bowels in less than 5 minutes. I ate there in Maryville a few times, and I wouldn't even make it out of the building before my body had decided it didn't want any part of that crap.

You're kidding me. I hate that place. It was the most flavorless garbage I've ever tasted.

I would also avoid the Coyote something or other at Noland and 40 Hwy.

My favorites are the afformentioned Habeneros in Lee's Summitt and Jose Peppers (multiple locations).

I don't particularly care for "authentic" mexican food.

You don't like Jose Peppers? There's one right down the street from you.

From what I heard it's HORRIBLE.
There's another place that absolutely horrible on 103rd Between Wornall & State Line.

Forgot the name of it.

I completely agree.
My mother seems to like it though. I can't understand that one for the life of me. We both usually have the same taste.

The best burritos are Ponchos on 39th & Main. Best damn burritos in K.C. period. 2nd is Chipotle.

Abuelos is a chain but a VERY good one.. or you can get damn good food at Baja 600 in the Plaza.

YOur mom is like salt water taffy...soon as you purchase her you can start pulling and stretching her sweet spot, she'll let you chew on her for a bit, and when you get done with her she have you begging for another piece.

me either. Authentic = Pork and Shredded beef and stuff.

Your moms stretch marks can be counted like rings in a tree

I know, isn't it great!?!


:fart:

Did my mother piss you off Red?

No! She pissed me off. Or I pissed on her... I can't remember. :shrug:

ROFL ROFL

One nice place is in Cleveland, MO. A Guatemalan lady owns it.

I like the Taqueria Mexico on SWBlvd & 7th St. They have a few around town.

Chipotle isn't bad at 91st and E of Metcalf.

Mi Ranchito in Lenexa is good. Small place, but I really like their food.

you're talkin about Guadalajara Cafe... only think good about them is they serve margaritas in a huge glass

i dunno... the place was packed and the pollo loco or whatever was pretty good...

ever tried californias on SW BLVD? i think they closed though

Yep, they're gone. That place when it was on Summit, was a gem.

The Belton Jose Peppers is destination dining.
Their 5.99 lunch menu [with drink] is a modern marvel. Everything from Shrimp tacos, to the chicken/spinach/queso burritos, to chipotle chicken and mushroom, to near perfect fajitas.

I generally judge a Mexican establishment by the quality of their beef fajitas. Jose Peppers does them as well as the finest of the fine in Texas. Their guacamole is also pristine. I'd also recommend them for catering.

I didn't know their lunch was so reasonable. I need to take the wife there sometime.

Not all of them have the lunch special. My sister works on Metcalf, and the one over there doesn't.

If you do go the Belton location, ask for the manager's habernero salsa f[free with chips]. He's quite proud of it, and it'll make your hair sweat.

WOW....between which blocks...how much does she charge....

Being Mexican with the best cook in town as a mother, I am really picky about my Mexican food. Some of the gringo establishments listed here make me laugh... ROFL. Jose Peppers. ROFL ROFL ROFL

For authentic I would recommend those filled with Mexicans eating there (vs. just working there) on a daily basis. Taqueria Mexico has great inexpensive food with pretty good margaritas.

Mia Ranchito has EXCELLENT tacos. Probably the best in town outside my Mamas. Their margaritas are pretty pathetic though.


I remember Jalisco's as a kid but I haven't been there for decades so I can't comment on their food.

This is my favorite. I also live 1.5 blocks away so that's nice. It's 91st and Metcalf I believe.

YIKES, we are neighbors?????

La Fonda down on SW Blvd is one of my faves.

Why? Do I smell? :)

You know how it's 'authentic?' It doesn't taste as good!! :thumb:

Jose Peppers makes good food, who cares whether it gets the Offical person of Hispanic heritage Seal of Approval?

Nah, I just like to think of Chiefsplanet/CP Members as those folks in cyberspace 'way out there...' ;)

I guess I didn't adequately disclaim. I do not like "authentic" mexican food. "Gringos" took the best of Mexican food and improved upon it.

Again, the best way to tell if it's good Mexican food is by scanning the crowd. If the only Mexicans there are the ones busing tables or frying chips then you have a good indication of the quality of the food according to the experts.

There's some irony.

I don't think Jose Peppers even does gringo Mexican very well. Their beans taste like paste and their rice like Rice-a-roni.

If a place can't nail the staples then they are not going to have the rest of the menu down, IMO.

Margarita's

Oh, is this some hispanic version of the magical black man [a la Bagger Vance] where Mexicans can tell me what I like better than I can figure out for myself?

Like Phobia said, the gringos at Jose Peppers have improved on authentic, reliably and for a great price.

Oh, well I don't know anything about that. Their fajitas and guacamole are head and shoulders above any other and that will win me over any day. I don't care how many of my co-diners are Mexican. I care about the taste of the food and the damage to my wallet.

They used to be the best...

back when they first opened. My sister and I practically helped fiance the place we were there so much.

Now??? Their food is average. Their plates have gotten smaller, prices higher, and quality questionable.

Funny you should cite that, there's a nearby place that is as 'authentic' as can be. Family operation, the waiters speak english, but cooks and servers don't. But they're also cheap. And their 'Mexican Rice' is Minute Rice with some chili powder and [uuurrp!!] canned vegetable medly.

Also not getting shanked is kind of important.

The first time I ever went to El Puerco (I didn't even know the full name for a while) I thought it was weird that everything had peas in it. Went home to SW Kansas (was going to KU at the time) and told one of my Mexican friends about it and he said "Oh, they're from" some town I don't remember. "Down there they do that." I thought it was kind of funny he could name the area of Mexico they probably came from by the peas.

Perhaps we shouldn't give a hoot about your opinion because the thread poster is asking for AUTHENTIC Mexican food. ;)

FTR, Ponack's/Panzon's has some decent Tex/Mex food.

YUCK. I wouldn't go there if the rice is bad.

Torreon. It's off of 87th near Antioch. Get there early, since the dining hall is quite small, and thank me later. Trust me.

When I was living there, the big three were Manny's, Ponak's, and Margarita's. Used to do happy hours at one of those three almost every Friday.

There was a damn good Mexican restaurant across from the Glenwood Theaters. 92nd & Metcalf maybe? Can't recall the name of it, but it's not the same one mentioned earlier in this thread....or is it?

Actually he asked about the 'best' mexican food that wasn't 'like all the rest.' His remark on 'authentic' was fondly recalling a place from his past.

Hey, that's fair. There's a reason the "authentic" restaurants most have mentioned have mostly dropped out of business. Most successful restaurants of any ethnicity adapt their menus to what will sell rather than authentic. I've lived in Japan and there are zero Japanese restaurants that taste like the food I ate in Japan - which is a good thing, IMO.

The first LaMesa(within that family of owners)was started here in St Joe about 14 years ago,I think they're up to 9 locations now.Best homemade salsa I've ever had.

And one he seems to be looking to find again... :hmmm:

Oh I forgot... Carona Garden on I35 & Santa Fe.
That's the place I go everytime I'm out that way.

Godd stuff. Buffet style.

There's plenty of "authentic" Mexican around here...just find a small town with a meat packing plant.

They stay in business solely by serving other Mexicans - the white people, by and large, won't eat there...

Yeah, i like it....good stuff.

You should try the one in P. Hill, it's not far from you. I've never tried the fajitas, cause I'm not into peppers and onions too much. I had a shrimp chimichanga last week and it was great. Very reasonable prices and good margaritas to boot. I think we spent less than $40 including a pitcher of margs.

Yeah, just looked it up. $37 for two entrees, pitcher of margs and tip.

Used to be that way in KS but not anymore. Go to SW Blvd. on a Fri. or Sat. and you will many cars from Johnson County.

Last time I was in KC, stayed at the HIE across from Rosedale's on SW Blvd. I noticed it seemed to be a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with a ton of restaurants...

Habaneros (Lees Summit)
Don Chilitos (Mission)
Manny's (Downtown)

Hidden gem, poncho's is good, that place and manny's have my vote...