KCRag Forum

http://www.pitch.com/2011-03-24/restaur ... tha-senda/

has anyone been to chapala, at truman and hardesty?  sounds tasty.  i am not as plugged in to the old NE as i want to be, but it seems like old NE's mexican food scene rivals SW Blvd and KCK these days...

Old NE's ethnic food scene is pretty much straight kickin'. Not just Mexican (although there's TONS of it... seems like significantly more than KCK to me... taquerias, carnicerias, panaderias, paletarias, and abarottes literally everywhere) but various other Latin American cuisines, as well as several really good Vietnamese places, and even Ethiopian, Somali, and Cambodian if you know where to look. My neighborhood of choice is still decidedly blue collar and hardly in great shape economically or in terms of infrastructure, but there's some damn good food.

mean wrote: Old NE's ethnic food scene is pretty much straight kickin'. Not just Mexican (although there's TONS of it... seems like significantly more than KCK to me... taquerias, carnicerias, panaderias, paletarias, and abarottes literally everywhere) but various other Latin American cuisines, as well as several really good Vietnamese places, and even Ethiopian, Somali, and Cambodian if you know where to look. My neighborhood of choice is still decidedly blue collar and hardly in great shape economically or in terms of infrastructure, but there's some damn good food.

NE rules. 

suggestion:  please create a "Old NE Eats" thread with a directory of the good food up there for us yokels in midtown... 

Yes! I'm a new resident to the NE and would love some suggestions.

nilsson1941 wrote: Yes! I'm a new resident to the NE and would love some suggestions.

Drive or walk down any stretch of Independence between the Paseo and Hardesty. Don't be afraid to step into any places, because the food is almost all amazing.

I never thought I would find a better taco in KC than Rico's Tacos "Lupe," but I may have recently seen the light. El Torito II in KCK on Central is pretty amazing. It is attached to a grocery that is pretty packed on the weekends. The food has been amazing both times I have visited.

Honorable mention also goes to another supermarket/restaurant, Bonito Michoacan for great tacos and soup. I will still go to Rico's, though. For chicken, El Pollo Rey cannot be promoted enough.

El Torito II on Central KCK has a great cafe. Their gordita (green, get the chicharron with fresh cheese) is amazing. I've had it a number of times and it's delicious. Crispy, chewy chicharron, it's never been flabby, love it with the little slab of fresh farmer cheese, slightly sweet masa. MMMM. They have good salsas too, always several to choose from.

Also would like to plug a newish place north of Central at 78 N 10th, Birrieria Michoacano. Really good birria, which has been difficult to find in restaurants here. Usually they have several kinds, including lamb and chivo. I hear they close when they run out, and open early - I've never been there past one or so. Cash only.

Ooh, forgot - for JoCo residents this is important! El Fogon Deli Taqueria, 10450 Metcalf. It's great, the quesadillas are awesome, tacos are good. the tortillas are fresh, not 100% sure they make them to order but they tasted like it. Saw several people chowing into huge yummy looking tortas. The carne asada taco I had this last sunday was a high quality specimen, the el pastor was good. Are the el pastor tacos as good as El Camino Real? No. Are they great, especially considering that they are $1.50 and located at 104th & metcalf? YES.

Edit: Tortillas are not made there. Still good though, and still at 104th and metcalf

bookmarking this topic...

bobbyhawks wrote:I never thought I would find a better taco in KC than Rico's Tacos "Lupe," but I may have recently seen the light. El Torito II in KCK on Central is pretty amazing. It is attached to a grocery that is pretty packed on the weekends. The food has been amazing both times I have visited.

Honorable mention also goes to another supermarket/restaurant, Bonito Michoacan for great tacos and soup. I will still go to Rico's, though. For chicken, El Pollo Rey cannot be promoted enough.

I will give a second to El Torito II. I've only been twice as well, but loved it.

chrizow wrote:http://www.pitch.com/2011-03-24/restaur ... tha-senda/

has anyone been to chapala, at truman and hardesty?  sounds tasty.  i am not as plugged in to the old NE as i want to be, but it seems like old NE's mexican food scene rivals SW Blvd and KCK these days...

Best pozole

kansas wrote:Ooh, forgot - for JoCo residents this is important! El Fogon Deli Taqueria, 10450 Metcalf. It's great, the quesadillas are awesome, tacos are good. the tortillas are fresh, not 100% sure they make them to order but they tasted like it. Saw several people chowing into huge yummy looking tortas. The carne asada taco I had this last sunday was a high quality specimen, the el pastor was good. Are the el pastor tacos as good as El Camino Real? No. Are they great, especially considering that they are $1.50 and located at 104th & metcalf? YES.

Thanks for the heads up. I've seen that place before but never had ventured.

kansas wrote:Ooh, forgot - for JoCo residents this is important! El Fogon Deli Taqueria, 10450 Metcalf. It's great, the quesadillas are awesome, tacos are good. the tortillas are fresh, not 100% sure they make them to order but they tasted like it. Saw several people chowing into huge yummy looking tortas. The carne asada taco I had this last sunday was a high quality specimen, the el pastor was good. Are the el pastor tacos as good as El Camino Real? No. Are they great, especially considering that they are $1.50 and located at 104th & metcalf? YES.

Thanks for the heads up. I've seen that place before but never had ventured.

kansas wrote:Ooh, forgot - for JoCo residents this is important! El Fogon Deli Taqueria, 10450 Metcalf. It's great, the quesadillas are awesome, tacos are good. the tortillas are fresh, not 100% sure they make them to order but they tasted like it. Saw several people chowing into huge yummy looking tortas. The carne asada taco I had this last sunday was a high quality specimen, the el pastor was good. Are the el pastor tacos as good as El Camino Real? No. Are they great, especially considering that they are $1.50 and located at 104th & metcalf? YES.

Edit: Tortillas are not made there. Still good though, and still at 104th and metcalf

Edit: This is now open - El Fogon in Imo's old spot in Westport....

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 09129.html

Nice. Good Mexican food is weirdly lacking south of downtown in KCMO.

Anyone care for Taco Republic? I've been there 2 or 3 times in the last year, or so, and have enjoyed the variety of street tacos and their cheese/beef skillet appetizer thing.

StL_Dan wrote:Anyone care for Taco Republic? I've been there 2 or 3 times in the last year, or so, and have enjoyed the variety of street tacos and their cheese/beef skillet appetizer thing.

Not a fan of Taco Republic - I find their street tacos to be pretty dull, overpriced and lacking flavor. That said, I love their restaurant and think they really hit a sweet spot for that part of town.

Tiki Taco on 39th has had people packing the sidewalk since they opened, and they have solid street tacos, as does El Fogon near Sun Fresh.

kcjak wrote:
Tiki Taco on 39th has had people packing the sidewalk since they opened, and they have solid street tacos, as does El Fogon near Sun Fresh.

Thanks for heads up. Im going to try both....assuming I'm not distracted by Flea when driving towards El Fogon.

Has anyone ever gone to Jarocho's seafood? They have a location on Kansas Ave in KCK and another around 131st in Leawood. I've heard four different people over the past few days raving about their food. The outside of the KCK spot is a little off-putting for a place I would order seafood, but most good mexican places are pretty lacking on the ouside.

Yes, Jarocho Pescados Y Mariscos at 7th/KS Ave is decent, though I've only been for lunch - fish tacos.
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/def951_5 ... 965825.pdf