10 Best Mexican Restaurants in the Kansas City Area!

Do you live in the Kansas City area and are craving some good Mexican food? Here’s my the list of the top 10 Mexican restaurants you have to try out if you’re big on Mexican food!

Mexican restaurants are an iconic style of restaurants in the Kansas City area. They are one of the major types of restaurants to be found. But which restaurants are truly good and authentic Mexican restaurants? Strap yourself in for a tour of the 10 best Mexican restaurants to be found in KC.

10. Mi Ranchito

8550 W 151st St

Overland Park, KS 66223

Probably not the best restaurant in terms of authenticity, but it is rapidly growing in popularity. For those who live in the Overland Park area wanting to try a good Mexican place, give Mi Ranchito a try. Everyone in the area seems to like it (myself included), and the location and service is great. The food is also great, though not as good as the others on the list, which is why Mi Ranchito is at the bottom of the top 10 list.

Give it a try, nonetheless. It’s increasing in popularity for a reason, after all.

9. Chuy’s

209 W. 46th Terrace

Kansas City, MO 64112

Yes, yes, it’s a chain restaurant. And chain restaurants aren’t always the best places to go for the best and most authentic Mexican food (On the Border is a great example of this). Yet, if you’re going to go to any chain restaurant for Mexican food, go here. The food is great, the staff is nice, and the atmosphere is pleasing.

It’s a good place to visit with friends and family, and they have good selections consisting of chips, tacos, chimichangas, fajitas, salsas, and more. If you’re looking for a good, family-friendly, taste-bud pleasing, Tex-Mex restaurant, this is the place you’re looking for.

8. El Pollo Rey

901 Kansas Ave

Kansas City, KS 66105

El Pollo Rey translates to “The Chicken King” in English. With a name like that, you can guess that chicken is their meat specialty. In fact, don’t even expect to find options for pork or beef here.

Nevertheless, despite the limited selection, the food here is unbelievably good! Like several other places on this list, it isn’t the nicest looking place. If you’re looking for a fancy dining place for date night, this ain’t it. But is a great place to go if you’re looking to give your taste buds a treat! What you’ll likely get when you’re here is a whole or half chicken, pinto beans, Mexican rise, corn tortillas, sliced red onions, avocado, and you can also get a soft drink if you want one. The star of the show is their chicken. You won’t even care much about the sides once you’ve tasted the chicken. It’s that good.

Be aware, though, that the prices of this place are rising as of late, so it’s slightly more expensive to eat here than it used to be.

7. El Rey Del Taco

6450 Truman RD

Kansas City, MO 64126

Another street taco place that deserves a spot on this top 10 list, El Rey Del Taco dishes out authentic, fresh, and well-prepared food. The atmosphere is not the best; do not expect anything nice or fancy when coming to this place. If you can handle the somewhat lacking atmosphere, however, you’ll find that the menu, though it may be small and limited, contains very delicious items that’ll leave you wanting more. If you’re a fan of tortas, quesadillas, tacos, and burritos, you’ll find that this place is worth a look.

6. Don Antonio Carnicería Y Taqueria

7510 State Ave

Kansas City, KS 66112

Love Mexican food? Visit this place. At least once. It’s a small restaurant but the food is quite good. It can be found near the Legends outlets, and it’s got great service, great food, and if you’re wary of restaurants because of covid-19, know that this place is very covid responsible. You’ll order through a microphone, pay at the counter, you can get the food to go, and it’ll be worth it.

It’s hard to find one single thing to recommend from this place. The tacos, the burritos, the tortas, the carnitas, the salsa roja, the chicharones, and the tortillas are all amazingly good! The service here is also remarkable. Definitely worth a look if you’re in the area.

5. Tortilleria San Antonio

830 Kansas Ave

Kansas City, KS 66105

In the list of Mexican restaurants that surround the KC area, Tortilleria San Antonio stands tall as one of the best. However, it may be a bit hard to find as it is partially a restaurant, partially a convenience store. But if you can find this hidden gem, definitely try the food. Street tacos are their specialty and they have great condiments and sauces. Their Al Pastor tacos, asada quesadillas, and chicken tortas are all highly recommended. Not to mention their tortillas are thick and beefy and great tasting!

There is a large grocery section available as well as an area to purchase butcher meat, which is pretty nice. They also offer a variety of self-serve sauces to flavor whatever you get.

4. Tacos El Gallo

806 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108

Located in a pretty nice area, where you could walk and shop around, Tacos El Gallo is a great place to stop for a meal. The food is fresh and authentic and you do not have to worry about the wait times here. There’s a dining area outside where you can eat, which is nice for a day with pleasant weather.

Let’s get to the food. The food is spectacular, though you might want to be cautious if you hate things that are spicy (their pickled onions in particular will leave your mouth scorching). They have a breakfast and dinner menu, both of which have amazing options.

You definitely have to try their tacos, especially their carne asada tacos, which are world class! The food is inexpensive enough that you can order a meal for about 6 bucks and leave the restaurant with a full stomach. Also, there is a small grocery store attached so that you can stock up on your Mexican candies before you leave!

3. Taqueria Los Altos de Jalisco

3719 Saint John Ave, Kansas City, MO 64123

A fun, family friendly, authentic, Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Los Altos de Jalisco is home to some of the best and tastiest Mexican food in the area. Everything on the menu is absolutely amazing and their street tacos are to die for! Tasty and straight off the grill, their tacos are undeniably pleasing and the three different sauces they give you are all amazing. The prices are also quite reasonable.

This restaurant has more than earned its place in this top 10 list, with food that exceeds many other Mexican restaurants in authenticity and deliciousness. Just a heads up, though, they only take cash. No cards. Though there is a convenience store with an ATM not too far away, so you may be in luck if you’re short on cash. Also, the place is not ventilated too well. But even with these negatives, if you love good Mexican food, this place will be worth it.

2. Tacos el Tio

78 N 10th Kansas City, KS 66102

Considered to be another hole-in-the-wall restaurant, this restaurant is still without a doubt one of the best in this area for authentic Mexican food. Their menu is quite small (only one page), with the typical Mexican dishes you’d expect, such as street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.

The one thing you must try if you come here are the pastor tacos. They are juicy and filled with grilled and marinated seasoning that will make your mouth water. Here, they use finely chopped red onions for garnishment instead of the white onions that are found on most street tacos. And they are all the better for it as the red onions are actually a great accompaniment.

The tacos here are fairly cheap (around $2 per taco) and the food is very authentic, not to mention tasty! The kitchen is open and everything can be seen cooking as you walk in, so you can see the cooks prepping everything.

One potential downside of this place is that they only take cash and there are no ATM's, which may discourage those who prefer paying by credit/debit card.

1. El Gallo

15840 E US Hwy 40

Kansas City, MO 64055

As unimpressive as this place may look (yes, it is a hole-in-the-wall place next to a gas station), El Gallo takes the spot of the best Mexican restaurant due to its authenticity and flavorful food. The dining room is spotless, and the place is kept remarkably clean.

Not only is the food more authentic than most other Mexican restaurants you’ll find in this area, but the food is always fresh and they’re always on time when it comes to the order. Everything is made from scratch and they have delicious options, including burritos, tamales, fajitas, and of course, their most delicious specialty, their tacos!! These tacos are the real deal and if you show up on Taco Tuesday, you should definitely give their tacos a try!

The best recommendation from this place, though, has to be their birria tacos, which is a special they serve on Fridays and Saturdays. Birria tacos, if you haven’t heard of them, are traditionally a sweet, sour, slightly spicy, and utterly savory Mexican beef that’s slow cooked until the beef is tender and juicy and delicious.

The service here is fast, and it’s well worth the money. In fact, you’ll likely want to revisit this place again and again if you love good Mexican food!

I only scratched the surface of the best Mexican restaurants in KC. There’s just so many of them. Do you know of any you think deserve to be on this list? Mention them in the comments below. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go eat some Mexican food now!