Restaurant Review: El Torito Taqueria

  Kansas City, Kansas has the distinct honor of being the host to many of the finest taquerias in the metro. They number in the dozens with many of them being located near the downtown area. Quite a few are actually a combination of grocery store and taqueria rolled into one. Among this group, El Torito stands out for their large selection of tacos, which rivals any other eaterie in Kansas City.

  On any given day expect to find customers crowding the meat counter, all attempting to gain the attention of the butcher. Being a grocery store expect to find many freshly baked bread and treat items. There is also the usual selection of canned, bottled, and prepackaged staples required to whip up a home made meal. During my last visit, I was solely there for the tacos.

   The taqueria is connected to the store, but it also has it's own entrance. Unlike many other restaurants of this style, El Torito does not have counter service, and instead engages servers to deliver the food. As is common in many establishments, you will start with chips and salsa. The salsa is unlike that you find in many restaurants, as this is made with charred tomatillos. As I stated before, El Torito offers a wide variety of tacos, with skirt steak and cured ham being two of my favorite. I also noticed they offer fish, as well as shrimp varieties, which makes them one of only a handful that I know of in our city.

  There eat-in menu does not stop at tacos, and includes many favorites people expect at a Mexican food restaurant. Burritos, fajitas, gorditas, and quesadillas add to the expansive offerings on their menu. The next time you are in the mood for some authentic Mexican food be sure to head to El Torito Taqueria at 1409 Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Visit http://www.eltoritosupermart.com/ for more information and to preview their menu.

Restaurant Review: Amigo's Grill & Cantina

   In the past I have refrained from writing reviews about places we decided that we just didn't enjoy. Sometimes the reason was the food, sometimes it was just a bad experience. After thinking about this I have determined that it would be best to still tell of out experiences, so that you can decide if you want to try them for yourselves. I understand that what doesn't hit the spot for one may be someone else's favorite. From the constant crowd at their Kansas City, Kansas location, I assume Amigo's is one of these for us.

  We had tried them when they were still located at 18th Street & Steele Road, before moving to their current location at 47th Street & Shawnee Drive. I have also visited their new home, and have to say it is a much nicer place, with the room they need to serve their ever growing customer base. On our previous visit we found the service pleasant and quick. The chips and salsa, a staple at most Mexican restaurants in the city, were crisp and fresh with flavorful sauce.

  We both decided to order the tacos, which is the menu item we use to determine how we like the food. the shells were good, and the filling was plentiful. The issue we had was the flavor of the meat. It had a definite sweetness that we were turned off by, and that was the one visit. On my subsequent visit I was just meeting someone for drinks, so I only had some chips and salsa. I did enjoy one of their house margaritas, which I feel were a good value. Too often restaurants will water down their house drinks in an effort to increase their profits.

  I suppose we should give Amigo's another try, and maybe pick something else off of their menu. With so many Mexican food restaurants in the city, we have just never felt compelled to stop by since the original dinner. I know that my mom loves the place, and is probably one of their biggest fans. When I told her we didn't enjoy our visit she just couldn't believe me, and peppered me with questions regarding my decision. If we do visit again I would hope to find a more authentic Mexican dish. Ay suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. Feel free to list your favorite menu items in the comment section. Thanks. http://amigoskc.com/