10 Best Mexican Restaurants in Kansas City
I recently checked out the new menu at Zocalo in Kansas City and it inspired me to think about my favorite Mexican foods, drinks and restaurants. Let’s be honest, everyone likes Mexican food, right? When putting pen to paper, or, uh, keyboard, I had no idea just how many Mexican restaurants there are here in Kansas City! And so many amazing ones at that. Who knew? Check out this top-ten list and let me know your favorites, too!
Zocalo Mexican Cuisine & Tequileria
620 W 48th St, Kansas City, MO | Website
Zocalo sits right in the heart of the plaza and offers a modern take on Mexican cooking & a huge tequila selection in a colorful, contemporary setting. AND they are offering new additions to their menu! Be sure to check it out next time you’re craving some Mexican.
Some of my personal favorites, as seen above, include the Roasted Mushroom Enchilada and the Crab Stuffed Avocado Salad. What I liked best about the Roasted Mushroom Encilada was that even though it was technically a vegetarian meal, it was so filling and flavorful; and the Crab Stuffed Avocado Salad was just as it sounds– a fried avocado half piled up with a delicate crab salad. My mouth is watering as I type!
Chuy’s Tex Mex
209 W. 46th Terrace, Kansas City, MO | Website
What makes Chuy’s so delicious is the extra TLC shown in the preparation of the food. Between hand-rolled tortilla’s, always-fresh ingredients, authentic Mexican green chiles, and the combination of more than TEN signature sauces, Chuy’s food is always innovative and SO flavorful.
Abuelo’s
8541 NW Prairie View Rd, Kansas City, MO | Website
Abuelo’s has been proudly ranked the #1 Mexican restaurant for ten straight years. The Texas-based chain started thanks to Chef Luis keeping alive his Abuela’s authentic Mexican recipes. This specific location lies just north of downtown in Zona Rosa.
Manny’s Restaurante Mexicano
207 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO | Website
Manny’s is located in the convenient Crossroads District of KC. The restaurant is most well known for its salsa, which is actually sold in stores across the Kansas City area because of its popularity. Manny also takes great pride in his signature drink: The Manny’s Margarita. Manny’s Restaurant pours a variety of margaritas but the Manny’s Margarita is most popular. All of the margaritas served are hand poured and made with a special, secret blend of sweet and sour mix. In the 33 years of business, Manny’s Restaurant has poured over 1,000,000 Margaritas!
Rudy’s Tenampa Taqueria
1611 Westport Road Kansas City, MO | Website
Who doesn’t love Westport? Next time your hustlin’ and bustlin’ around this area of the city, Rudy’s is ready to serve up their famous fish taco, the one proudly claimed to be the best in the city. As the name in Spanish holds, Rudy’s specializes in tacos.
Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant
Find your location here | Website
Margarita’s is happy to say they’ve been voted the “best happy hour” and “best margarita” in Kansas City after having started just 30 years ago. Now, the restaurant has five different locations through the greater metropolitan area. An honest staple in my house is Margarita’s salsa which can be found at most grocery stores throughout the city.
El Patron Cocina & Bar
2905 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO | Website
El Patron is located on the west side of Kansas City and is considered a “Mexican-food hotspot.” The best part about El Patron are their generous weekly specials, including a happy hour running 2-6pm weekly, Margarita/Mojito Mondays which run half price all day, and Taco Tuesday which sell $1.99 per taco from 2-10pm.
Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant
7103 NW Barry Rd, Kansas City, MO | Facebook
Although Ixtapa does not currently have a working website, we’ll just credit that to how down-to-earth and authentic this restaurant’s food really is. It is located right in the heart of Zona Rosa, this family owned and operated local restaurant is humble in every aspect. Some people are lucky enough to even be served by the owner himself! Many Mexican-food fanatics deem this the most authentic Mexican food in KC.
Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen
2856 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO | Website
Ponak’s has been a beloved Kansas City restaurant since 1975 with over 280,000 gallons of margaritas and over 6 million tacos sold! Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen’s recipes are influenced by the Sonora region of Mexico, steeped in tradition and flavor for hundreds of years. They use only the finest ingredients and prepare them fresh throughout the day.
Teocali
2512 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO | Website
Teocali is the newest of the 10 restaurants, having opened just 11 years ago in 2006. They are centrally located in Crown Center and have news specials everyday which definitely fit in with every budget.
Okay, Kansas City! Now that you have a list of all the best Mexican restaurants, it’s time you get your foodie on and try them all out! Feel free to let me know of any other hole-in-the-wall favorites of yours!
