We all know that the culinary spotlight usually shines brightest on Missouri’s Kansas City, but I’ve always been a big fan of the Kansas side of things. KCK boasts some of the metro’s most divey dive bars, has plentiful parking and, of course, has the Taco Trail. Most people don’t need to be sold on pursuing a trail of tacos, but if I learned anything from the many tortillas and marinated meats I’ve devoured recently, it’s that KCK’s quietly legendary taco scene is even better than you might imagine.
The Taco Trail is a passport program featuring more than 60 authentic, locally owned taquerias, restaurants and food trucks. It was designed to spotlight the city’s deep Mexican and Central American culinary roots, grounded in decades of Hispanic immigration.
To take on the Trail properly, I enlisted Roman Raya, chef and owner of the sophisticated Mexican restaurant Barbacoa. As we ate our way through El Camino Real’s al pastor shaved from the trompo, El Pollo Rey’s flame-licked whole chickens and GG’s Barbacoa’s smoky Tabasco-style barbecue, I realized something: Eating through the Taco Trail isn’t just a food crawl; it’s a history lesson.
Waves of Hispanic immigrants, many from Mexico as well as Central American countries, settled in KCK throughout the 20th century, drawn by work in the rail yards (like my own family), meatpacking plants and the metro’s industrial corridors. They brought family recipes, regional cooking techniques and a deep food culture that turned neighborhood markets and small taquerias into community anchors. Over time, those businesses became generational, with parents passing down recipes and storefronts to their children. The Taco Trail highlights this history through dozens of takes on the humble taco.
At Tarahumaras Restaurant, whose owners hail from Chihuahua, Mexico, you’ll find everything from classic street tacos to beefy, consommé-soaked quesabirria tacos and even fried tacos tucked into flour tortillas. Some dishes reflect the family’s northern Mexican roots; others subtly cater to Midwestern tastes. Whatever you’re craving, this comfy Mexican joint has likely mastered it.
Then there’s A&J Molcajete, the definition of a hole-in-the-wall. The “A” and “J” stand for husband-and-wife duo Angie and Jose Gomez. Angie is from northern Mexico; Jose’s from the south. Together, they blend their regional styles, most notably in their molcajete taco layered with chorizo, steak and cactus—one of the most unique and delicious bites I enjoyed on the Trail.
Raya, who began his career with his own taco trailer Taco Tank, drops bits of knowledge along the way. When a street taco is served with the standard two stacked corn tortillas, it’s called con copia—“with a copy.” It’s practical, yes, but also traditional. He tells me tripas, a common street taco filling made of intestines, are best served crispy, and he’s right. With each salsa, tortilla and Jarrito we devoured, he was also gathering inspiration for his own kitchen.
At every stop, we agreed: These taquerias weren’t built for trends or Instagram. They were built to feed families, preserve culture and create opportunity. There’s a familiar hominess that transcends any language barrier you might encounter.
If tackling more than 60 spots feels overwhelming, start with the dense corridors along State, Central and Kansas avenues, where you can easily make a crawl of it. Or book a seat on the Taco Trail bus tour, a three-hour guided experience led by Robert Galicia that highlights a curated selection of taquerias with rotating monthly themes.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Taco Trail is more than a checklist. It’s a living archive of immigration, resilience and entrepreneurship. As the broader dining world rushes toward the next trend, KCK continues to thrive in the history and hard-earned enterprise built by immigrant families.
To learn more about KCK’s Taco Trail check out, visitkansascityks.com.
Women of the Taco Trail
Women like Perla Garcia, Gisela Stephany Polanco and Veronica Solis Galicia are not only serving food and leading tours along the Taco Trail but also serving as role models to budding female entrepreneurs. Through their restaurants, they are preserving heritage, building community and inviting others to experience KCK one taco at a time.
By: Ritz Dasgupta, Senior Manager of Integrated Marketing Communications at Visit Kansas City Kansas
Perla Garcia of Tarahumaras Mexican Restaurant
Perla Garcia’s parents opened their first restaurant in 1999. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, they lived in various metro locales before eventually settling in Strawberry Hill. When Tarahumaras opened, Garcia followed in her parents’ footsteps, stepping into ownership as a second-generation restaurateur.
Over the past eight years, Perla has helped expand the family business to two locations: the original in Strawberry Hill and a second spot farther south near I-35 and Merriam Lane. What once felt like a hidden gem no longer flies under the radar. As word continues to spread that Tarahumaras has some of the city’s best birria, new customers seem to stream through the doors daily, Garcia says. During the holidays, her traditional tamales draw lines that can stretch to the door.
Gisela Stephany Polanco of Las Palmas
Las Palmas has been woman-owned since it opened in 2007, when Gisela Stephany Polanco’s mother, Consuelo Ardon, opened the restaurant as a single mother of three. Ardon was driven by her passion for cooking and a desire to share the dishes of Central America with Kansas City. Now, Polanco is helping carry her mother’s vision forward.
Las Palmas’ tacos, made from a family recipe, remain a customer favorite. But Polanco points to the Platillo Típico as the dish that most fully represents her family’s roots. The plate brings together traditional Central American staples like pupusas, stuffed ripe plantains, tamales, yucca, bananas and pastries.
Veronica Solis Galicia of Red Machine Party Bus
Veronica Solis Galicia plays one of the more unique roles along the Taco Trail. She doesn’t own a restaurant herself, but her husband, Robert Galicia, co-owns the Red Machine Party Bus. In partnership with Visit KCK, the couple offers guided Taco Trail tours, shuttling riders to local taquerias while sharing the stories behind each stop. Some tours revolve around a theme—birria tacos, for example, with the Galicias leading guests to some of the best birria in KCK.
Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Veronica says her favorite part of the job is spotlighting lesser-known, family-owned restaurants serving authentic regional Mexican cuisine. For her, the bus tours are about building connections, celebrating the Taco Trail and ensuring these stories—and flavors—are shared.
