Kansas City Lunch Spots

Cancun Fiesta Fresh: 4019 Pennsylvania – MOVED

Posted by Dave at 8:18 pm

Nov 272007

With a name like this I can’t believe it’s not owned and operated by white people. Housed in one of westport’s most doomed restaurant locations on Pennsylvania just north of Westport road, this little taqueria dishes up some really good mexican food in addition to some less adventurous standards. I know that Mexican food and BBQ are overrepresented on this blog, but let’s face it, they are overrepresented in my life.

Cancun has a very pleasant little interior–I think the place used to be a gas station or garage because it’s small and there is a big overhead door to the outside. Not sure if this opens in the summer, which would be nice. Regardless, there is some outdoor seating with delightful views of that weird bar with the volleyball courts, not to mention giant semi-trucks parked in front of the Beaumont club and roadies showing how big their dicks are by carrying the heaviest gear as quickly as possible while simultaneously smoking cigarettes and cracking wise about the next guy’s mom. Well, it’s not exactly sitting outside season, but in this town you never know. It was 70 a week ago.

The people who work at Cancun Fiesta Fresh (god, it’s hard to write that name with a straight face) are super friendly. They have counter service, but typically bring out your food to the table. They have several salsas to choose from, including one that is actually hot.(from now on, due to the silliness of its name, I’m going to refer to this restaurant in all caps, i.e., CANCUN FIESTA FRESH!). What you want here are the so-called ‘street tacos.’ They feature your choice of meat, including carne asada, pork, chicken, lengua (tongue), and beef cheek. Yes, beef cheek. Anyone who watches enough of those food shows on the travel channel knows that the animal’s cheek is always the best stuff. Street tacos at CANCUN FIESTA FRESH! also come on steamed corn tortillas, the way it should be. You can be a jackass and get hard tacos with shredded lettuce and cheese and so forth, but you might as well go to taco bell. Or most any other mexican joint in KC for that matter.

The fish tacos are delicious as well. Lightly breaded whitefish served on corn tortillas, topped with a sweet and tangy shredded cabbage mixture. These are really really good. The refried beans at CANCUN FIESTA FRESH! are excellent as well, no doubt due to their use of lard. That’s why they always taste better in restaurants. Kind of like MSG in that respect. So this is a great lunch alternative to the host of other places in Westport. It doesn’t really have that dinner vibe, but it is open until very late–I think 2 or 3 a.m. at which point street tacos must be absolutely divine.

And dude, they also deliver.

Yelp

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RJ’s Bob-Be-Que Shack: Lamar & Johnson Drive

Posted by Dave at 6:17 pm

Nov 162007

This is probably the best bbq I’ve had in JoCo not counting the illustrious Oklahoma Joe’s. It rivals Joe’s in many ways, and surpasses it in atmosphere which is pure tavern. I know, I know, Oklahoma Joe’s is in a friggin gas station what the hell is my problem? Well, simply put, the gas station gimmick just doesn’t do it for me. Certainly it is an unusual situation and makes for a good story. But ultimately it gives old JoCo people the impression that they are slumming it when really it’s a very boring and family-friendly place. I mean, the seating area itself looks like a Hardee’s (don’t get me started on Gates). They also have a very self-satisfied attitude about the gas station aspect, even selling cheesy t-shirts about it. Indeed, their whole sense of marketing is very cartoonish, gimmicky and dated. Remember the Far Side? Their shirts and packaging is in that vein. Only less funny. “Night of the Living Barbeque sauce!” OMG that’s hilarious! Joe’s reliance on oversized kaiser rolls and “specialty sandwiches” doesn’t endear them to me either. I feel a BBQ place should have a simple, modestly sized menu. All that being said, OK Joe’s has excellent barbeque and everything on the menu is tasty, but in other ways it’s just not that interesting.

Admittedly RJ’s Bob-Be-Que Shack has a stupid name. But the place is about the size and shape of a double wide trailer-a shack, basically. It could easily turn into a drinking establishment in the evening. For all I know it does. The interior is super casual, quiet but not awkwardly so. Suprisingly they offer table service–and it’s excellent service at that. I had absolutely no complaints about that–they were friendly, attentive, efficient, and no bullshit–everything you want in servers.
RJ’s advertises $2 PBR bottles and cheap draws as prominently as the daily specials, which makes it my kind of place.

Their sauce however is…unusual. I hesitate to say that I don’t like it because I do, but I think it may be a liability more than an asset to RJ’s great smoked meats. I just don’t like sauce to distract me and I fear that this one does. It is overly sweet, but also vinegary. It has a subtle flavor that I absolutely cannot identify. I’ll have to make a repeat visit or two to render absolute judgment on this one. Regardless, they offer regular and spicy versions which seem to have no discernable difference from one another. It bugs me when spicy is not spicy. Damn midwesterners.

The pulled pork here was great. Both the pork and french fries were every bit as good as Oklahoma Joe’s who I find overly salt their fries. The chicken however, is uninspired. I expected a kind of pulled chicken, but instead got thick slices of dry breast meat which did not fit comfortably on the bun. But that’s what I get for ordering a chicken sandwich at a bbq place. I really wanted brisket, but was feeling particularly cholesterol-laden.

It is interesting that I haven’t heard much about RJ’s before, perhaps it is a relatively new establishment? Regardless I will continue to make periodic visits to see if other visits measure up to the first one. Both times I have been there, the place was pretty dead–once I was the only customer at 1pm. Mr. Goodcents was hopping next door, though. What the hell is the matter with these people?

Yelp

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Tienda Casa Paloma: 8220 Metcalf (OPKS) – CLOSED

Posted by Dave at 3:00 pm

Nov 152007

I stopped by Tienda Casa Paloma yesterday on a whim. It really looks more like a market (which is what “tienda” implies) from the outside, but they I noticed some signs on the window advertising tacos, burritos, lunch specials, etc. In the end, I’m very glad I stopped in, for I found a place with a huge menu, lots of seating, and good food.

The vibes in this place are super friendly and positive. I received an immediate greeting from the two people behind the counter, as well as some advice about what to order. I opted for green chili, the special of the day. I had heard about green chili before, but had never noticed it on Mexican menus. It always struck me as a southwest, ameri-mex kind of thing. Maybe it is, but I decided to give it a go on the brisk autumn afternoon.

Green chili is basically a soup or stew, made with a base of tomatillos, the main ingredient in salsa verde which you see at many Mexican restaurants. I understand the dish is also infused with some roasted green chilis and lime juice. The protein kick is provided by shredded bits of roasted pork and chicken. This is not a spicy dish at all, and really is rather simple, hearty and fresh tasting. The whole thing was topped with fried tortilla chips and finely shredded cheese. I really need to start bringing a camera around with me, but maybe life is to short to start taking pictures of my lunch in order to spice up blog posts.

The green chili was very good, but not the best thing I’ve ever had. I would have preferred more meat, but basically I’m not a soup guy, so it would have been hard to overwhelm me with this dish. However, the meal was rounded out with a fantastic bottle of coke imported from Mexico, which tastes so much better than the crap we get here due to the use of sugar instead of corn syrup as sweetener. Anyone who has not experienced a real coke, go out and spend 1.75 at your local Mexican market for one. I was also happy to see a wide assortment of Jarritos sodas which were a favorite of mine when i lived in Chicago. Mmmm, tamarindo.

This place has counter service as I mentioned, which makes the whole experience very quick. My food came out to my table before I had taken off my coat and bag to sit down. Super fast. Unlike the Chartroose Caboose, the place was populated entirely by women, who i imagined were stay at home housewives in the midst of a typical day of working out, running errands, and conspicuous consumption. Entertainment was provided by two small children, who were dancing spontaneously to the jaunty mexican music being piped in, while being ignored by their parents.

As the name implies, Tienda Casa Paloma features a small assortment of Mexican foodstuffs for sale, including an enviable selection of dried chilis. The whole room looks like it is in flux, they were doing some work at the front corner while I was there. I think in due time they will get their organizational scheme figured out, because the atmosphere is just a bit weird. I ate my lunch right next to a shelf full of styrofoam plates and boxes of plastic forks.

In conclusion, I am very happy to have found this place-it’s right next to Mr. Gyro, so next time you are in the area, opt for some good Mexican chow instead of greasy processed lamb meat. Mind you, I enjoy greasy processed lamb meat as much as the next guy.

Yelp

India Palace: 9918 W 87th St (OPKS)

Posted by Dave at 9:39 pm

Nov 132007

Carrying on the fine tradition of the Indian lunch buffet, India Palace does not disappoint. The place is veritably hopping during lunch hour, but I can’t imagine you would ever have to wait unless you were with a large group.

The buffet itself is about on par with Taj Mahal on Wornall. In other words, very good but don’t eat too much unless you want to belch tikka masala fumes for two days. Actually belching will be the least of your problems.

The restaurant itself is not fancy, and kind of ugly. Vinyl booths, industrial carpet, drop ceiling, etc. But don;t come for the decor, come for the food. The assortment at the buffet is quite impressive for its modest size, and includes everything you could want: samosas, pakoras, vegetables, chicken, lamb, beef, nan, rice, and a variety of deserts, including those weird little doughnut balls soaked in sugar syrup. There’s also a dispenser full of free chai!

I tried everything and everything I had was good except for the chicken samosa. Usually these are vegetarian appetizers filled with a mixture of potato, carrots and spices. The chicken in this samosa was choped to a gritty, fine consistency, and unaccompanied by any friends with better mouthfeel.

Service was really a nonfactor because of the buffet aspect, but the folks were friendly as they seated us and took our money. Speaking of the latter I think the buffet runs 9 bucks–I can’t remember exactly. I’m always on the lookout for good Indian food. Taj Mahal is pretty solid, as is Korma Sutra which has the disadvantage of really odd decor and proximity to drunken westport hooligans on the weekends. I would not travel out to JoCo from KC just to go to India Palace, but if you live or work out that way, it worth a stop for lunch.

Yelp

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Chartroose Caboose: 12976 W 87th St (Lenexa)

Posted by Dave at 9:03 pm

Nov 132007

This is a fast food, railroad-themed, johnson county cheesesteak emporium. Thanks to commenter JH for bringing this local chain to my attention. Apparently chartreuse is a particularly obnoxious variety of the color green. I’m happy to report that the large model train featured at the Lenexa location opts for a more understated green than true chartreuse. One also hopes that the misspelling “chartroose” was an intentional gesture to facilitate visual rhyming with “caboose” in that gimmicky, commercial signage kind of way.

The Lenexa Caboose is located in a strip mall west of I-35, a truly uninspiring but typical placement for establishments in this part of the metro. The place was entirely filled with dudes–overgrown frat boys on lunch break, college students, random jobless yahoos. Not sure why, but cheesesteak doesn’t seem to be popular with the ladies.

The food at this place is fine, mostly because i can’t really think of another fast food place that specializes in cheesesteaks. As discussed previously, Grinders has a damn good one, but lots of places just phone it in, resulting in highly perplexing and uninspired varieties of this delicacy. The cheesesteak was good, but not awe-inspiring. Shockingly, it really needed more cheese. I’m thinking Cheez Whiz. I mean, it’s called a cheesesteak for chrissake, what’s the deal here? They have other things on the menu but I wasn;t going to order anything else if they consider this the specialty. The prices are cheap–I got outta there for 6 bucks all said.

The decor of course is pretty terrible–formica tables, too much light, hotel-grade artwork with a locomotive theme. They can’t decide whether this is a fast food joint or or a hangout. There is a small video game room and a train track that runs along the circumference of the wall. One can only imagine that the model train takes periodic trips around the confines but I did not witness this. They also serve beer which, along with these other things indicates to me that the Caboose wants to be a dinner destination for families. My advice, quit trying to hard and be a lunch spot.

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Los Tules: 1656 Broadway

Posted by Dave at 5:35 pm

Nov 082007

This place gets some serious traffic in every sense of the word. This is an extremely high-profile location near 17th and Broadway and anyone cruising toward or away from downtown, the westside or the crossroads is likely to notice it. I’ve been wanting to check it out ever since I moved here. I’ve noticed that they do a good business on First Fridays, which is what you would expect. It’s not too easy to park around there, mostly because Broadway is a little wacky thereabouts. Southbound drivers are so relieved to take advantage of a little post-construction homestretch that a parking car in front of los tules is a prime target. And a northbound auto will have to make a left turn across aforementioned nut jobs to get to the place.

But enough about parking, which is a seriously overrated, oft-discussed and less than interesting topic in this town. I mean the first time I parked on westport road I spent 5 minutes looking for a no parking sign because there was no parking meter. I assumed the spot was illegal. We got it lucky here, people. Hell, at Lawrence public library you get 4 hours for quarter. Oops I’m talking about parking again.

Los Tules pretty much kicks ass. It has a bar and a dining room. The service is decent, and much of the food appears pretty authentic. The tacos are very cute–tiny little doubled up corn tortillas with finely chopped meat, cilantro and onions. This is good stuff. It took a little longer than I would have expected for the food to arrive after ordering, but compared to other places, it was just fine. I have a habit of ordering tamales everywhere I go. Sadly the offering at Los Tules was not among the best I’ve had, owing to a truly odd, meaty sauce and less than creamy texture. But I haven;t eaten very many good tamales anywhere. Best I’ve had was sold by a guy in Chicago who walks around from bar to bar at night with an insulated bag full of them. but maybe that was a beer-induced infatuation.

The atmosphere at Los Tules is pretty nice too. They have a nice collection of potted plants in the front window, including one of the largest aloe plants I’ve ever seen. The staff should take a hint from the Succostash folks and start using leftover water from people’s glasses to water the plants. I love that about Succotash, it makes me fall in love with the waitress every time, whoever it is.

Anyhow, this place is solid–thanks to condoChiefs/muzak and a couple others for recommending it.

Wyandot 2 BBQ: 7125 West 75th (OPKS)

Posted by Dave at 9:19 pm

Oct 252007

My first foray into the wild world of johnson county lunch cuisine was, expectedly, pretty disappointing, but for weird reasons.

Wyandot 2 is a great little barbeque place near 75th and Metcalf. Well, great in every respect except the food. It has a casual, almost bar-like vibe to it–wooden booths, brick, and faux-wood panelling come to mind, though I’m not sure there was all three. Basically if your grandpa turned his basement into a rec room/bar in the 1970s, Wyandot 2 will remind you of it. Right down to the cheap beer.

This place also has at least two-maybe three-televisions on. Sorry but I’m not a fan. I prefer an ackwardly silent lunch to caterwalling ESPN ‘analysts’ in shiny suits any day. At least it wasn’t “The O’Reilly Factor” which I experienced at a truck stop outside of Des Moines recently. Worst. Buffet. Ever.

Anyhow Wyandot 2 is a counter service place which is just what you want in a barbeque joint. The employees are regular folks, which I also like to see. They are maybe a tad long in the tooth, maybe spent a few too many weekends at the local JoCo watering hole, maybe had a pall mall or six before breakfast, but they are fast and perfectly friendly. The menu is very typical of other places, as are the prices. Plan on spending 8 or 9 bucks on a sandwich, fries and a delicious fountain drink.

This is the kind of place that would go on the regular lunch rotation if only the food was better. But sadly, my brisket tasted like it was cooked in an oven.

It looked right–pickles, wonder bread, the whole nine yards, but had virtually no smoke flavor. Come to think of it, it didn’t really smell like smoke in the restaurant at all. It didn’t taste bad, but that’s not good enough. I’m sorry, people but this is just inexcusable for Kansas City. The OP has several very good BBQ spots but this is not one of them which is a shame because it could have the complete package. All that being said, I’ll totally go back because it beats the hell out of Mr Goodcents.

Yelp

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Moving out into the metro

Posted by Dave at 7:50 pm

Oct 222007

For a variety of reasons, I have decided to give up any pretense at remaining downtown with this blog. I’m just gonna rant about crappy lunches whenever and wherever they happen. I still have very particular notions of what a lunch spot is supposed to be:

efficient
good value
locally-owned
comfortable for solo diners
tasty food

I think it’s clear that downtown KC has a long way to go before it has much to offer in that department.

But guess what? So does virtually everywhere else in this metropolitan area. KCK? no way. Waldo? not even on a good day. JoCo? forget about it. This can be a truly pathetic lunch town. But there are shining spots, you know about many of them. And I’ll bring them both to you, in the off chance that anyone out there gives a damn. You see I believe that complaining is an essential part of making things better. People try so hard to make restaurants work, sometimes in hilariously misguided ways. Other times, people are doing it right, and for some reason, they go out of business because no one shows up. So here I am, establishing a culture of excellence around the dispensation of lunch, with a membership of one.

Oh yeah, I also quit my job downtown so I’ll be eating at a lot of other places now.

Antonio’s Pizzeria and Walnut Deli: 527 Walnut – CLOSED

Posted by Dave at 4:26 pm

Sep 212007

For some reason I always avoid the places on the east side of walnut. Never been to Vivace, because its name reminds me of 5th grade piano lessons. The owners probably have no idea what it means. Or maybe they do, and just have an inflated sense of how great the place is. Anyhow, nestled close by is a nice little lunch spot called Antonio’s.

Antonio’s has a menu a mile long. I have mixed feelings about this, mostly because it took me 10 minutes to find a freaking sandwich without mayo on it. Mayo is disgusting. All the sandwiches are named after celebrities, which is nice but unnecessarily dates the place about 5-8 years before the present. I mean, who has hear the name ‘Ally McBeal’ since like 1999? As you can imagine the McBeal is a low-cal alternative, which is relatively funny. Anyhow, their sandwiches are really good, made with higher quality meats, cheeses and bread–this already puts it head and shoulders above most other sandwich places downtown. That shouldn’t be the case, but it is.

Prices are decent, about what you would expect. My last visit there I ordered a nice sized turkey sandwich with stuff on it, a bag of chips, a delicious fountain soda, and a cookie for about 8 bucks and change. Normally I would get the sandwich and nothing else which would put me in the 6 dollar range. But I just want good food, I’m not gonna split hairs over three bucks unless it tastes like crap or is served by annoying people.

Antonio’s advertises itself as a pizzeria, but I have not had the pleasure. Pizza is really not a lunch time food unless you’re talking slices. I don’t even know if they are open in the evenings, this really doesn’t seem like a dinner restaurant, but then again, nothing in the river market really does. But I’ll warrant the pizza is good here, just judging from the quality of their ingredients.

In summary, I’m a fan of Antonio’s because the selection is good and the sandwiches are made like the give a shit about what they are doing. That shouldn’t be too much to ask for. in most cities, Antonio’s would be just a good, run of the mill option, but here it outshines the rest of the crappy competition. I plan to go back often.

Grinders: 417 E. 18th Street

Posted by Dave at 8:12 pm

Sep 102007

Now I like Grinders well enough, but it has a really stupid name. It almost sounds like a chain restaurant in a mall food court, only it should have an exclamation point:

“Come join us at Grinders!”

or maybe “Grynders!”

This place definitely deserves a more interesting moniker.

And Kansas City definitely needs more places like this–most cities are full of them: Casual, cheap, young-ish, inventive, locally-focused, open late. You can smoke, you can have some beers, they have good and fairly interesting food, albeit a little on the lowbrow side.

It’s also easy to pick on Grinders (idiotic name aside) and it usually has to do with Stretch. Yes, that Stretch dude has apparently burned a couple bridges, whatever, I don’t know him at all. Certainly his art is not my cup of tea. Not because it’s too wacky for me, but because he clearly thinks it’s too wacky for someone like me. It’s actually a lot like the stuff my cousin was making in the 60s and 70s, and it’s just not that challenging. And that sculpture park is just plain bad. Anyway, there’s some of that crap in Grinders, including a huge, twisting metal arch near the front door. Whatever, it’s fine really.

But the place is locally owned and operated, and the employees seem happy to be there. They certainly are friendly. I wouldn’t call it the most efficient operation, but these kinds of joints rarely are. Anyway, go there, get the Philly cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz (!) and be glad you did.

Yelp

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