Lawrence (KS): Fair Italian in a Town Without A "Proper" Italian Restaurant

Paisano's
Iowa Street
Lawrence, Kansas

First of all, if you're looking for authentic Italian food ... GO TO ITALY! I've been to many American-Italian restaurants and have yet to find one serving "authentic Italian".  Lidia's in Kansas City (near Grand Station) is about as close as you will find (and it's good, but pricey).

Being new to Lawrence, we are trying different restraunts to find some we like. Our first night here, my son wanted Italian and Paisano's was all we could find on a Friday night without reservations or a long wait.

We were served quickly and our waiter was Jake, a nice lad and very helpful. He brought the salad and bread sticks, which I was not overly impressed with. If I wanted the Olive Garden, and I DO NOT, I would go to dinner there.

The veal parmigiana and Marsala are tasty enough and portions are moderate, but the veal is too thick. Pound it out dadburnit!

The meat sauce on the accompanying pasta is chock full of, no not nuts, ground beef, almost too much. There needs to be a bit more tomato, after all, it is pasta "sauce". It is very good, even if it is a bit too thick.

The ravioli appears homemade and was decent, but only 8 or 10 ravioli left us hungry for more, literally. The baked pasta "al forno" (in the oven) was creamy and savory, a better value for the price than the ravioli. 

The pesto, which my wife ordered over penne, was tasteless, seemingly watered down for no apparent reason. She NEVER adds grated cheese to pasta, Italians love their pasta after all, but she succumbed in order to enhance the taste of the dish.

I wanted to try the "Sicilian" meatballs, not knowing what makes them different from other meatballs, but the server told us "we are out of meatballs tonight". An Italian restaurant out of meatballs...seriously?

Paisanos is "OK" as far as Lawrence Italian restaurants go, but that is, unfortunately, not saying much. We will return only because there are no better options in town ... unless you consider Olive Garden in Topeka (25 miles away) ... and I do not!

CombatCritic Gives Paisano's 5 OUT OF 10 BOMBS ... Bombs Are Good!

Key Words: Paisano's paisano Italian restaurant food eat Italy Lawrence Kansas pasta ravioli veal parmigiana Parmesan cheese pizza pesto Bolognese spaghetti Iowa

Lawrence (KS): The Mad Greek ... Good Greek Cuisine, Moderate Prices

Mad Greek Restaurant

907 Massachusetts

Lawrence, KS 66044

http://www.madgreekrestaurantlawrenceks.com

Phone: 785-843-2441

If you like arsenic poisoning, you will love the Mad Greek in downtown Lawrence! Seriously, this restaurant is actually pretty good and reasonably priced. The reason I made that comment is because they seem to serve rice and green beans with EVERY dish and rice has been linked to high arsenic content with recommendations, according to OneGreenPlanet.org and others, to limit rice consumption to once a week among other precautions.

Greek "Side" Salad

On our first visit to The Mad Greek, my wife ordered the spinach pie ($7.99), spinach and feta cheese with herbs baked in a light phyllo dough with tzatziki (a creamy cucumber sauce used extensively in Grecian cooking) and fresh pita bread. The spinach pies were light and flaky with a perfect ratio of filling to crust. For the price, I would think a salad would be included, but you must pay $1.99 to add a Greek salad ($1.59 for "house" salad) to any entrée. My wife and I both ordered a Greek salad with our meals and at $1.99 extra, not a bad deal considering the quality. Fresh romaine lettuce, tomato, Greek Calamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese in a Greek olive oil and vinegar dressing. I would prefer chunks of feta over the fine crumbles, but the taste is the same either way…very good.

Moussaka with Pita Bread and Fries

I ordered the gyros platter, a reasonable ($9.99 - not abundant) amount of sliced gyro meat (a combination of seasoned beef and lamb), pita bread, tzatziki, green beans, and rice (of course). The gyro meat was fresh and tasty, and the tzatziki delicious, but the pita bread was a little too soft for my taste. The green beans were simmered in a tomato sauce and were "OK" and the rice was similarly boring, but I am not a huge rice lover. I ordered a side of french fries ($2.99), which were hot and crunchy just the way I like them, but I will probably ask to substitute fries for the rice and green beans on our next visit.

On our second visit it was my wife's birthday, so I ordered the "flaming" saganaki, a slab of fresh Greek goat cheese soaked in batter, deep fried, and served in a flaming extravaganza table side. The "oohs" and "aahs" of fellow customers followed the lighting of the cheese, but at $7.99 the dish was overpriced by AT LEAST $2.00 in my opinion, coming with one slice of pita bread (cut into six pieces). The birthday girl ordered the moussaka, one of her staples (along with Greek salad) during our month-long visit to Greece in 2005. The moussaka - eggplant, ground beef and other ingredients covered with a béchamel sauce and baked - looked as though it had been sitting for a while and the serving was small, a cube no more than two and a half inches in diameter and at $9.99, about one quarter of the size of servings we received in Greece. The moussaka came with pita bread, rice and green beans, so my wife substituted french fries at no additional charge. She did not like it and I thought it was very "average", being overpriced for the serving size.

Cannelloni Florentine

I decided to try one of the Italian offerings, so I ordered the cannelloni Florentine, pasta tubes stuffed with veal, spinach and seasonings then baked after being covered with alfredo (white) and red sauce. The cannelloni was actually pretty good, but the sauces were both rather boring, most likely coming from a can or jar, not homemade. Again, we had to pay $1.99 each to add a Greek salad and mine came with two small pieces of garlic bread ($9.99 for pasta and bread, $11.98 including the salad, not bad, but NOT A GREAT VALUE).

Wine is reasonable at $3.50 per glass for the house wine, a tasty, inexpensive burgundy that went well with both meals. They have a full bar and prices seem fairly reasonable with a decent selection of drafts at $3.99 to $4.59 (stout). Water is served wit a lemon slice, but I had to ask for refills, something that should not have happened considering the small number of customers that night.

The Mad Greek has original Greek recipes and decent food, but the value for the price is questionable. Ordering "ala carte" should be reserved for restaurants with cloth napkins and severs who take your payment rather than making customers stand in line to pay our bills (as is the case at The Mad Greek). I would recommend including a Greek salad with entrees and maybe increasing the price by fifty cents to a dollar to offset the cost and having servers handle payments as is done in even the cheapest sit-down restaurants these days. People should feel as if they are receiving a "good value" for their money and NOT feel like we are eating at McDonalds after having spent $25 each for dinner.

CombatCritic gives The Mad Greek 6 Bombs Out of 10 ... Bombs Are Good!
 

Key Words: mad, Greek, Greece, restaurant, gyros, moussaka, mousaka, phyllo, pita, bread, souvlaki, tzatziki, hummus, food, eat, wine, beer, CombatCritic, Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence (KS): Basil Leaf Cafe ... LEAFt Me Unimpressed

Tables and Bar Area

Basil Leaf Cafe

616 W 9th St

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number(785) 856-0459

Website






When I was told by a Lawrence Bohemian acquaintance of mine that "the Basil Leaf Cafe has the best Italian food in Lawrence", I was intrigued because we have yet to find a decent restaurant of ANY kind since moving here in August. Paisano's (reviewed in August 2013) is "OK", but nothing to write home about, so our quest to add a new Italian restaurant to our arsenal continues.

Enter ... The Basil Leaf Cafe. Yelp reviews are mostly positive with people raving about the food, but slamming the "gas station" decor of the previous location (it really was in a gas station). The new building sits in a row of shops on 9th Street not far from downtown and the University of Kansas campus. The decor is modern with a smattering of tables (about 8) in a room that could easily handle 12 or more. The arrangement of tables, bar, kitchen window and cash register is inefficient, appearing as though there really was not a plan in the first place.

Tortellini Cordon Bleu, Side of Meatballs

We sat at a table uncomfortably close to the front door and were quickly greeted and given menus. I ordered a glass of the house wine, a "primativo" that was aptly named being primitive and obviously cheap. At $6.00 a glass, I would not be surprised if the mark-up was in the 600% to 700% range. The glass was small and filled a little more than halfway, leaving four, maybe five, ounces ...

I ordered the New England (the white variety) clam chowder, the tortellini cordon bleu, and a side of meatballs. After asking for water three times, my wife finally received hers, but I had to ask yet again to get mine, coming in a mason jar for some odd reason. This restaurant is apparently trying to find an identity with its' eclectic menu, modern decor, and new location, but they obviously have not figured it out yet. The soup finally arrived just seconds before our

Having lived in Italy for three years and traveling there extensively over the years, I found that Italians would NEVER think of eating meat and pasta together. Basil Leaf's menu is not even close to authentic Italian. Meat loaf? Yes, Italians actually eat meat loaf, calling it "polpetone", literally "big meatball" (meatballs are called polpette in Italy). They eat meatballs too, but NEVER WITH SPAGHETTI!  Spaghetti and other pasta dishes are called "primo piatto" or "first plate" and are also referred to as "primi" for short. Meat dishes fall into the "secondo piatto" or "second plate", aka "secondi" and are not brought to the table until the antipasto (appetizer) and primo have been consumed.

Anyway, the New England clam chowder came in the smallest soup cup I had ever seen and was filled a little more than halfway. I asked the server if I could get some bread with my soup, but she said "the bread sticks come with your entree". Translation: "No, you cannot". Fortunately, the entrees arrived just seconds after I got my soup, so it did not take long to consume it and prepare for my oversize entree.

I had heard good things about Basil Leaf's tortellini cordon bleu on Yelp, so I had to try it. The presentation was well done, being served in an oversize bowl (see photo). I love veal and schnitzel (pork cutlet) cordon bleu and this dish actually came close in terms of taste. Nontraditionally covered with a chicken cutlet (something you would never see in a classic Italian restaurant), the dish reminds me of a carbonara with ham and cheese added. It was delicious, but would have been better had it been served fresh from the pan and hot (warm). I finished half of the pasta, the lone bread stick (cut loose folks), and one of the three meatballs, leaving me a hearty dinner for the following night. The meatballs were excellent, having the correct consistency and seasoning and obviously homemade. Kudos to the chef!

Mac and Cheese

My wife ordered the "mac and cheese", another heaping helping of handmade pasta reminiscent of my Aunt Gina's chicatielli from Ariano, Irpino (Italy). The sauce was creamy and rich, but not overwhelmingly so. Being a native Italian born in Sicily, her palate is well honed when it comes to pasta, an Italian staple. She liked the mac and cheese even though there is no such recipe in her homeland.

Basil Leaf Cafe left us unimpressed. Maybe it was because of the hype, maybe a bad night, time will tell. The pasta dishes, "starters", and salads are overpriced ($8 for a house salad?) as was the wine ($6 for 4 ounces of cheap wine). The decor needs some warming up, the tables could be rearranged to seat more customers or create a much needed waiting area (waiting customers now hover over tables of seated customers), the service sketchy, and the menu and food underwhelming. I spotted only two or three dishes on the limited menu that I would bother ordering, so our options for a return visit are already limited. There are enough "classic" Italian pasta sauce recipes to fill the menu twice over (carbonara, amatriciana, ragu, bolagnese, boscaiola, marinara, alfredo to name a few), so embrace something ... anything ... and create an identity in your decor, servers, and menu fit for a town that still does not have an Italian restaurant worthy of our custom.

CombatCritic Gives Basil Leaf Cafe 5 Out of 10 Bombs ... Bombs are Good!

Key Words: basil, leaf, cafe, Italian, restaurant, Lawrence, Kansas, pasta, soup, salad, wine, vino, meatball, marinara, penne, spaghetti, macaroni, cheese, CombatCritic, 66044

Lawrence (KS): La Familia ... Mediocre Mexican Food and Watered Down Margaritas

La Familia Cafe and Cantina

733 New Hampshire St

Lawrence, KS 66044

(785) 749-0105

Prices: $$$$$

La Familia is a small restaurant with friendly service and decent food. Being a Mexican food junkie from SoCal and used to some of the best Mexican food north of the border, I have high standards. La Familia failed to meet those standards, at least on our first visit.

I ordered the large guacamole, trusting the server when she said it would be "just right" for two ... it was enough for four and at $7+ not a total bargain. It was tasty even though we ended uo taking half of it home.  I also tried the margaritas, an impressive 16 ounces for $5 but lacking ANY noticeable alcohol content (isn't that the whole idea?). 

My wife is Italian and not a big fan of Mexican cuisine, so she usually orders a quesadilla and did not surprise me here. An Italian that hates tomatoes, does not cook (thankfully, I am quite a good cook) and does not drink wine, she makes a great designated driver. Trying to find Mexican food WITHOUT TOMATOES is like trying to find a beach in Greenland ... Good luck! The quesadilla was stuffed with tasty sauteed mushrooms, but little, if any, cheese. The name "quesadilla" comes.from the word "queso", meaning cheese, so you would expect cheese. There was none that we could find, but my wife liked it nonetheless. 

I always order the staples, tacos and enchiladas, when trying a new Mexican restaurant because if they cannot get those right, there is little chance the rest of the food will be with trying. Store-bought chips and pre-fab tacos shells are another dead give away and La Familia did again disappoint, although the tacos were tasty and the shells the large variety, beating out any Mexican restaurant in Lawrence so far (Fuzzy's Tacos being the exception), but that is not saying much. The cheese and onion enchilada was nothing special. Finally, the "sweet" salsa I had heard so much about was awful, but thankfully they have two other savory and spicy options. 

In all, when a bunch of gringos run a Mexican restaurant, you cannot expect authentic recipes and that was the case at La Familia. We will return and give them another chance only because they are so convenient and my wife liked the chesseless quesadilla. Asta la vista baby!

CombatCritic Gives La Familia 5 Out of 10 Bombs ... Bombs Are Good!

Key Words: La, Familia, Mexican, restaurant, food, eat, taco, enchilada, burrito, salsa, sweet, guacamole, mediocre, margarita, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic

Lawrence (KS): Finally ... Good Mexican Food in Lawrence and Reasonable Prices Too!

Tortas Jalisco
534 Frontier Rd
Lawrence, KS 66049
(785) 865-1515
Prices: $$$$$

Being a Mexican food junkie from SoCal (LA-LA LAND) and used to some of the best Mexican food north of the border, I have high standards. I read about Tortas Jalisco on Yelp where the restaurant seemed to get mostly very positive reviews.  I hesitated going there only because I heard they charge $2.69 for chips and salsa, something I have never seen in over 50 years of eating at hundreds of Mexican restaurants north and south of the border.  Not a good business practice from my perspective and a fact that may account for the reports of empty tables even on Friday and Saturday nights.  When we arrived on Sunday night at 6PM, there were in-fact only two tables occupied by customers compared to 95 to 100 percent occupancy every Sunday night at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Kansas City.

We ordered the queso blanco (white cheese dip - $4.99) and guacamole (also $4.99), both coming with a basket of chips and salsa (green/spicy and red/mild), bringing the price of each appetizer down to $2.30 each after deducting the price of chips and salsa.  The queso blanco was not very thick and barely attached itself to the chips when dipped, but very tasty nonetheless.  The guacamole was also good, but too spicy for my wife's taste and with too many tomatoes for mine.  Tomatoes are much cheaper than avocados, so many restaurants use them as a filler even though traditional guacamole is not normally prepared using tomato (see my recipe below).  Their could have been less tomato and more guacamole for the price, but it was well seasoned and delicious from my vantage point.

I ordered the house margarita (frozen with salt - $4.50), coming in a 12 ounce beer mug, a tasty concoction with a tangy lime base and enough tequila to stand out from other Lawrence Mexican restaurants that seem to serve more diluted drinks.  Twelve ounces did not last long so I ordered the "signature" margarita with dinner, coming in a pint size glass on-the-rocks with premium tequila and a splash of Grand Marnie liquor (with salt - $6), well worth the additional $1.50 compared to the house variety and quite delicious.

My wife is Italian and not a big fan of Mexican cuisine, so she usually orders a quesadilla and did not surprise me here. An Italian that hates tomatoes, does not cook (thankfully, I am quite a good cook) and does not drink wine, she makes a great designated driver. Trying to find Mexican food WITHOUT TOMATOES is like trying to find a beach in Greenland ... good luck! The quesadilla was stuffed with tasty cheese and came with a side of guacamole nearly the size of the $4.99 appetizer ($.99 on the menu). After all, the name "quesadilla" comes from the word "queso", meaning cheese, and my wife liked it even though it was bland because she does not like the sour cream that accompanied the dish or the accompanying guacamole (which was too spicy for her taste).

Torta Cuban

The name "Tortas Jalisco" literally means "London cakes", but Mexican tortas are actually Mexican sandwiches. The torta Cuban, one of nine sandwich selections (right - $6.00 - see menu below), comes with a pork cutlet, ham. cheese, adobo sauce, lettuce and tomato, and is served with a small side of guacamole. The bread was fresh and lightly toasted and the torta was good, but not even close to some of the best Cuban sandwiches I have had (arguably at Cuban restaurants), lacking a bread with the flavor and consistency of a true Cuban sandwich. A side of French fries would be a welcome addition to help round-out the dish.

I always order the staples, tacos and enchiladas, when trying

a new Mexican restaurant because if they cannot get those dishes right, there is little chance the rest of the food will be worth trying. Store-bought chips and pre-fab tacos shells are always a dead give away for mediocre food and Tortas Jalisco came trough with flying colors!  The taco shells are fried in-house, were very tasty, and the shells thick, the tacos withstanding several bites without falling apart and beating out any Mexican restaurant in Lawrence so far in my culinary journey (Fuzzy's Tacos being the only possible exception). The cheese and onion enchiladas were scrummy with just the right amount of filling covered with a homemade red sauce that was one of the best I have tasted in recent memory.  Finally, the "green" salsa I had heard so much in Yelp reviews was excellent with just enough heat and the "red" was also very good, being more mild than the verde (green) version. 

In all, the interior is quite basic, yet clean, and the service was a bit slow as I had heard from several Yelp reviewers, but Carlos (our server) was very friendly and helpful, and attentive even though he appeared to be doing everything himself (we saw no other workers in the hour we were there). The chips, thick, crunchy, and also made in-house, were excellent with just the right amount of salt.  I would recommend that the owners consider providing free chips and salsa like the vast majority of Mexican restaurants, silencing their primary critics, and raise the price of their relatively inexpensive dishes by thirty to forty cents each to make up the difference.  As far as I can see, having to pay for chips is the only flaw Tortas Jalisco has, but as I said, ordering an appetizer solves that dilemma quite easily.

CombatCritic gives Tortas Jalisco 7 out of 10 Bombs ... Bombs Are good!

CombatCritic's "Gnarly Guacamole" Recipe:

4 Ripe (dark and soft, not too soft, to the touch) Avocados
1 Tablespoon Diced Garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/8 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro (or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro)

Remove the avocados from their skin by cutting them in half, removing the seed, and scraping the contents into a large bowl with a tablespoon.  Smash the avocados with a mashed potato masher until all large chunks are well smooshed.  Add the garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro to the bowl and stir well, ensuring all ingredients are thoroughly distributed (the lime will keep the avocado from turning black too quickly from oxidation - lemon juice can be substituted depending on your taste).

Serve with fresh baked chips (cut corn tortillas in half, distribute evenly across a baking sheet, spray with Pam or other cooking spray, coat with salt, and bake at 325 for 20 to 15 minutes - until brown and crispy) and salsa or pico de gallo.

Asta la vista baby

MENU

Key Words: Tortas, Jalisco, Mexican, food, restaurant, taco, tacos, enchilada, enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, eat, tasty, delicious, CombatCritic, recipe, Lawrence, Kansas

Kansas City (MO): Taco Mobil Jalapeño Brothers Arthur's Lounge ... It's a Taco Truck for Cryin' Out Loud!

Jalapeño Brothers
World's Liquor Parking Lot
8108 NW Prairie View Road
Kansas City, MO 64151
816-337-1014
Facebook Page

Prices: $$$$$


Mobile food trucks have become trendy in recent years, ever since I started the craze with Mobile Joe, a mobile internet cafe business I built literally from the ground up in 2005.  MasterChef, Hell's Kitchen, and many of the other food-based reality shows inevitably dedicate one or more episodes to a challenge involving food trucks.  A lot has changed since the days of the "food truck" arriving at construction sites with cold sandwiches, luke-warm coffee, and food piled on a bunch of ice.

I am not quite sure what the name of this business is ... Taco Mobil? ... Jalapeño Brothers? Arthur's Lounge? ... Taco Mobil Jalapeño Brothers?  It really does not matter because you can find this truck, a modified industrial size van to be precise, in the parking lot of World's Liquor on Prairie View Road between Barry Road to the north and 72nd Street to the south in Kansas City's Northland.  Up the street from Jaliscos (reviewed elsewhere in this blog) and LC's, the famous hamburger stand, close to the also well known In a Tub, the greasy spoon, I mean, taco stand, and spitting distance from Saffron Indian Restaurant (also reviewed in this blog), there is no shortage of fast food in this neighborhood.

The menu is short and sweet, although not easy to figure out the first time you see it.  Your options are tacos ($2.00), burritos ($4.00), Torta (a large Mexican sandwich - $6.00), and quesadillas ($5.00) with a choice of meat (carne asada - small chunks of steak, pollo - shredded chicken, al pastor - small pieces of pork with pineapple and onion, and carnitas - shredded roasted pork).  I had the tacos, carne asada and pastor, and as you can see in the photo, they come open-face with just meat and the accompanying salsa verde (green chili sauce) and a guacamole-like concoction that looks more like avocado salad dressing, if it still exists.  I added the cheese because tacos without cheese is like a day without sex, bearable, but definitely better with the sex, I mean cheese.

The tacos were excellent and at $2.00 each, you can gorge yourself for the price of an appetizer at most restaurants.  As I said, they come only with meat on a warm corn tortilla, the way they are served south of the border.  No rice, no beans, just good tacos with an abundance of protein for the carnivore in you.  I will try the burrito, torts, and quesadilla on future visits, likely once a week from now on. 

They apparently also serve tamales and fish tacos because a sign on the truck says so, but I did not see a price or anybody ordering them.  I do not think they have drinks, but World's Liquor is right there, so you should be able to find something to your liking, like a cold Tecate con sal e limon ... YUM ... minus the salt and lemon I am sure!

I will update this review as I sample more of the small menu ... very soon ... Ole'!

Jalapeño Brothers gets 8 BOMBS OUT OF 10 for quality food, abundant portions (I saw a torts ... grande!), and extremely reasonable prices!

Key Words: jalapeño, brothers, mobil, mobile, taco, tacos, burrito, torts, quesadilla, tamale, fish, carne asada, carnitas, pastor, food, truck, comabtcritic, World's, liquor, Northland, Kansas City, 64151

Title: Taco Mobil Jalapeño Brothers Arthur's Lounge ... It's a Taco Truck for Cryin' Out Loud!

Kansas City (MO): On the Border ... Surprisingly Good for a Chain!

On The Border - Barry Rd.

8340 NW Roanridge Rd.

Kansas City, MO 64151

Website: OnTheBorder.com

Phone: 816-759-2270

Price: $$

I usually do not review chain restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised on a recent visit to On The Border, a Mexican restaurant chain found many places across the country.

I decided to go because I was havin' a hankerin' for tacos that evening and recalled hearing the TV commercial about their "Endless Tacos".  I am not usually a fan of "all you can eat" restaurants and promotions because I tend to to just that ... eat all I can...AND MORE!

It was a Saturday night and the place was packed, but only had to wait ten minutes for a table.  I was greeted by Kelsie, a lovely and personable young lady who just graduated from Northwest Missouri State and is planning on becoming a registered nurse...BRAVO Kelsie!

I ordered a house margarita, the Guacamole Viva!, and Endless Tacos, but being rather busy it took ten minutes or so to get my margarita.  It was tasty enough, but a little "light" on alcohol for the price.

Kelsie arrived shortly thereafter with my Guacamole Viva! which she prepared tableside with two ripe avocados, a little salt, fresh cilantro, diced red onion (I would have used white onion), a splash of lime juice, and chopped tomato.  I am "The Guacamole King" and famous for my delicious guacamole.  A guacamole purist at heart,  I normally ditch the tomatoes (usually a filler in restaurants to make it look like you are getting more, but paying mostly for the much cheaper tomatoes), use finely chopped white onion, and added a clove of garlic or two.  Guacamole Viva! was good nonetheless, but the chips (and salsa) that came with my meal were too thin and broke half the time I dipped...very unnerving!

The Endless Tacos come with spanish rice and beans, black or refried.  You get three (your first go-around) and get to choose from three meats, ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork (carnitas for you non-gringos).  You also get your choice of tortilla, corn or flour, soft or deep fried.  I chose two ground beef tacos in fried corn tortillas and one pork in a soft flour tortilla.  I also dispensed with the rice, knowing that I was not going to waste a bit of room on the cheap "filler" and go for the gusto with the tacos ... AND I DID!

The beef tacos were excellent, coming with plenty of meat, some shredded cheddar cheese, and a small amount of lettuce and tomato on the plate (for all three tacos - more tomatoes required!).  I added some refried beans, guacamole, and salsa to the beef tacos and they were excellent!  Unlike Jalisco, which I reviewed a week or so back, the taco shells remained firmly in one piece, a sign of an expert taco maker and the way I prefer them. 

The pork (carnitas) tacos were also very good.  The meat was bountiful and cooked just right, there was a little cheese (I would have liked a bit more), and the tortilla much larger than the corn and toasted just enough to remain pliable, but soft enough to contain the beans, guacamole, and salsa I added.

In all, the meal was very good and I ended-up getting seven tacos.  You should know that after the initial "three" tacos, subsequent "endless tacos" come only in pairs of two, so my second order was a replica of the first, but I only ended-up getting two beef tacos.  I had to order the other pork taco later, but when it arrived there were two, so I took home the seventh taco along with the extra guacamole fro lunch the next day.

I must say that the highlight of my meal was Kelsie. She was sweet and attentive, following up just enough and not too much to make my meal enjoyable and stress free.  Best of luck to you Kelsie in your nursing career!  If you are as good a nurse as you are a server, your patients will be in very good hands!

CombatCritic gives On The Border 6 BOMBS OUT OF 10 ... 

BOMBS ARE GOOD! 

Key Words:on the border, on, border, Kansas City, northland, barry, road, mexican, food, restaurant, eat, taco, enchilada, margarita, burrito, flauta, bar, combatcritic, combat, critic

Kansas City (MO): Sports Bar or Mexican Restaurant ... Maybe Both?

Jalisco Mexican Restaurant

Category: Mexican

7749 NW Prairie View Rd

Kansas City, MO 64152

(816) 587-0899

Jalisco is more like a sports bar than a Mexican restaurant with TVs everywhere you look.  The decor is new, plain, and cheap, but the colors are pleasant and, most important, the restaurant is clean!

The food is good in general, starting with the guacamole which is fresh and tasty at $4.00 for a medium size serving. The cheese dip, also $4.00 is also tasty and same size as the guacamole.  Margarites are also $4.00, not bad, but on the small side and with NOT MUCH PUNCH if you know what I mean

The first time I visited, shortly after their opening a few months back, I had the carnitas (slow cooked chunks of pork) and the was tender and plentiful.  Served with tortillas, pico di gallo, rice, and beans, a serving of guacamole would have been nice and is always a welcome accompaniment to the tender pork delights.

My wife had the cheese quesadilla, also very good although a bit pricey at $7.50 for a couple flour tortillas and some cheese.  I went for the taco special yesterday, having three beef tacos with rice and beans for $6.99.  I was disappointed in the taco shells, looking like the prefab variety you get at the supermarket.  The tacos only came with white cheese and lettuce, no tomato or pico di gallo, a necessity when eating tacos as far as I am concerned.  All three of the tacos broke in half upon first bite, so I had quite a mess on my hands ... literally!

The service is good, the salsa fresh, and tortilla chips warm.  Do not forget to ask for the "HOT" sauce, a tomatillo variety with more kick than the standard, but not extremely hot.

CombatCritic gives Jalisco 6 BOMBS out of 10 with room to grow as they mature and we try new, hopefully more impressive, dishes ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Title:  Sports Bar or Mexican Restaurant ... Maybe Both?

Key Words: chips, salsa, Kansas, City, combat, CombatCritic, critic, eat, enchilida, food, Jalisco, Kansas, Mexican, Northland, Platte, restaurant, salsa, taco, urbanspoon, Woods, Yelp