Photography by Doug Stremel
One writer hits the trail in search of the perfect taco—and uncovers why Kansas City is America’s unlikely taco capital
Over the course of a long, scorching July day, I tackled the Kansas City Taco Trail. Billed as a flavor-packed journey through culture and history, this free digital guide and reward program features more than 60 local taco spots in Kansas City, Kansas.
My first instinct was to start early in the morning and see exactly how long I could last. Instead, I narrowed my route to five spots, arranged in a lazy curve that wound south through several historic neighborhoods, giving me a taste of many taco styles before eventually heading home. Each restaurant promised authentic flavors and fresh ingredients.
I considered ordering the same taco at every stop for consistency, but that felt contrary to the trail’s adventurous spirit. Instead, I gassed up the car and let flavor be my guide.
Happy Trails to You
One of the best signs of a solid taco spot is a cluster of neon yellow. When you spot a construction crew in safety gear and dirt-covered boots, you just know the food will be tasty, affordable and fast.
Don Antonio Meat and Tortillas at 7510 State Ave. hums with a lively, working-class energy. People of all ages crowd the counter, eager to place their order. Part taqueria, part butcher shop and part small grocer, the Midtown storefront keeps things straightforward: customers order directly at the grill. The menu delivers all the street taco classics, from asada to pastor. I chose a cold can of soda and the buche taco, which arrived almost instantly.
The buche came topped with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lime. Not for the faint of heart, buche is slow-cooked pig’s stomach. The pork’s tenderness reminded me of lengua (beef tongue), but with a deeper, richer flavor. A small ramekin of avocado salsa offered a sharp, sneaky heat that perfectly balanced the flavorful, fatty meat. I was tempted to order another, but I still had four more stops to go.
Next, I made my way east to Bonito Michoacán at 1150 Minnesota Ave. Slightly larger than Don Antonio, it’s similar in that it is a taqueria, butcher and grocer all rolled into one. Inside, a massive drinks cooler near the front door is stocked with seemingly every flavor of Jarritos. Outside, the heat was climbing, so I grabbed an ice-cold agua mineral to wash down my next taco.
A friend once told me that eating spicy food can actually cool down your body temperature by making you sweat. I don’t know if that’s true, but I took their advice and ordered a spicy chicharrón taco. In its simplest form, chicharrón is fried pork belly or rinds. At Bonito, the kitchen chops the pork skin and stews it in a vat of salsa verde until tender, then piles it onto a tortilla topped with onion and cilantro. A nearby salsa bar offered plenty of toppings, but my pleasantly spicy taco didn’t need a single drop.
What truly elevated both of my first two tacos, though, was the house-made tortillas. I would have happily taken a stack of those tortillas on their own, sopped up nothing but pan drippings, and called it a day. However, my taco trail was not quite complete.
In pursuit of more tacos, I headed south into the historic Central Avenue corridor and landed at Supermart El Torito, 1409 Central Ave. This one-stop shop is small but packed to the brim, with a robust restaurant tucked into the south end. You can order to go or dine in with a basket of chips and salsa while you wait. Caught in a fit of indecision, I broke my one-taco-per-spot rule and ordered two. And I’m glad I did. Both the cabeza and lengua tacos were perfection.
Cabeza directly translates to “head” in Spanish, but in cooking terms it means the cow’s head has been slow-roasted until the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. I added a few pickled onions to mine, though honestly, it needed nothing more than the basic toppings. The lengua was also impressive.
Next, I headed south for a 13-minute ride into the Argentine neighborhood to try Caporales Mexican Food, 1260 Merriam Ln. A little off the beaten path, Caporales sits in a strip mall beside a laundromat. Ranchera music drifts from the speakers, setting a lively, welcoming tone.
Simply put, their al pastor might have been the best I’ve ever had—and I’ve had plenty. A favorite among taco enthusiasts, al pastor is slow-roasted pork marinated in a fragrant blend of Middle Eastern and Mexican spices, finished with bright chunks of pineapple. This version came out savory, tender and topped with sautéed onions.
For my final stop, I curved west toward Amigos Grill & Cantina, 2737 S. 47th St., a family-friendly sports bar whose grilled fish tacos caught my eye. Five tacos deep into my adventure, I wasn’t sure I could handle a sixth, let alone a seventh. But at Amigos, fish tacos come as a pair. My order arrived with two grilled 4-ounce cod filets loaded with spiced lime crema, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, queso fresco and avocado. (Plus a side of rice and beans for good measure.)
The cod came out perfectly cooked—each bite delivered a satisfying crunch alongside flaky, savory and soft textures. As I finished one taco and sipped a cold Modelo, my only regret of the day was having just one stomach. I boxed up the second fish taco for my wife.
As I wrapped up my taco trail experience, I realized the Kansas City Taco Trail had given me more than a full belly. It had taken me through vibrant neighborhoods, introduced me to family-run kitchens and served up a slice of the community that pours its heritage into every tortilla. This experience will stay with me as I wait for the next excuse to come back for more.
What is the Taco Trail?
The Kansas City Taco Trail is a digital passport program spotlighting locally owned taquerias, Mexican markets and food trucks across Kansas City, Kansas.
“There are more than 60 spots,” says Ritz Dasgupta, senior manager of integrated marketing communications for Visit Kansas City Kansas. “With 52 weeks in a year, you can go to a new spot each Taco Tuesday!”
Visit Kansas City Kansas launched the self-guided food trail in 2020 to honor the city’s rich Hispanic heritage—wherever you are in Kansas City, you’re never more than 10 minutes from authentic Mexican tacos.
“You probably didn’t realize that KCK is the true taco capital of the United States,” wrote Brandon Schultz in his 2021 Forbes article, “America’s Taco Capital Isn’t Where You Think.” “Unlike other U.S. cities, Kansas City’s Mexican population comes from nearly all of Mexico’s cultural regions, which means KCK doesn’t specialize in carnitas, mole or sopes, but is home to masters of all Mexican dishes.”
Schultz may have written the article a little tongue-in-cheek, but Dasgupta says Kansas City wears the taco crown proudly: “We’ve got some of the best tacos,” she says. “Why not us?”
Hispanic migration to Kansas City first took root when the Santa Fe Trail opened trade with Mexico in 1821, but the first major wave arrived with the railroad boom in the mid-1860s. Mexican workers laid tracks and built communities near the rail yards in the Argentine, Armourdale and Rosedale neighborhoods—and they brought their recipes with them.
Over time, Central Avenue became the commercial heart of the Hispanic community. Taquerias along this 13-block stretch helped fuel Kansas City’s economic revival, and similar growth spread to Kansas Avenue, 7th Street Trafficway, 18th Street, and Minnesota and State avenues.
“Grocers and restaurants alone are responsible for $8 million to $10 million in sales every month,” wrote Mark Wiebe in his 2023 Journal article “Latinos Enrich the Culture and Economy of Wyandotte County.”
These roads host most of the featured restaurants on the Taco Trail, which works as a mobile-exclusive passport. Sign up for free online, eat your way through participating spots, and check in to earn points redeemable for things like T-shirts, stickers and hats. Foodies follow the trail for bragging rights, and many have completed it only to start again right back at the beginning.
Beyond the digital passport, Visit Kansas City Kansas has partnered with Red Machine Party Bus to offer Taco Trail Bus Tours. Each three-hour tour visits four spots, each themed around a different style of taco.
“You take the guessing game out when you are looking at these tours,” Dasgupta says. “Just hop on the party bus … and enjoy someone else doing the planning for you.”
The Taco Trail experience runs through December 31, 2026.
