One big advantage to living in Kansas City is the wide range of cuisines available throughout the metro. It seems that no matter which area you are in you can find a good selection of restaurants. Some of the “local chains” have locations scattered around the city, so we can enjoy our favorites wherever we wander. One of these is Margarita’s, which has five locations in Kansas City.
Plenty of Seating
It is a toss-up between whether we spend more time at the Margarita’s on Southwest Boulevard or the location in Lenexa. Obviously, a lot of it depends on where we are spending our day, but for this article we visited their Lenexa spot at 7890 Quivira Road. For years they were located on Johnson Drive, in a basement, which would have been a death toll for most restaurants. Their dedicated fan base kept them busy, until it became clear that they needed a location with better access. Their move to their current location allowed customers improved parking, and the restaurant certainly has more street presence. For those who have been regulars for years, there is an appreciation that the inside is a little roomier than their past digs. A variety of tables and booths offer plenty of seating, and customers can also choose to sit at the high-tops located in the bar area.
Chips For Dips
We visited between the lunch and dinner rushes on a Saturday afternoon, so the seating was plentiful. We were seated immediately, and served fresh chips and salsa. Our server dropped by, and introduced himself. We seem to gravitate to the same menu items each visit, but decided it was time to mix it up a bit. After some explanations from our server, we finally decided on our meals. With our orders in, we could now just relax and snack on the chips. We are fans of Margarita’s salsa, and even buy it at the grocery store for use at home.
And Now For Something Different
For her meal, Crystal chose the Chicken Argentine. This consists of a grilled chicken breast that is coated with their signature Margarita Dip, which is a melted blend of cheese and spices. It comes with fresh tortillas, and a side of rice and beans. She used the tortillas to create her own version of a cheesy chicken burrito, and noted a little kick to the dish. Crystal always foregoes the beans in favor of more rice, which she added to her burrito. For my side dish, I choose to only have the refried beans, and leave the rice for Crystal. (It is obvious that opposites attract.)
I usually order a chimichanga, but on this visit, went with the tacos. Our server explained that they serve a variety of fillings, and that I could mix and match. To get a good sampling of the flavors offered, I decided to order three different meats. One taco was a standard hard shell with ground beef. It doesn’t get any more regular than this, and it had great flavor. That taco didn’t stay around long. The other two were “authentic” style tacos, which are served with onion and cilantro. I selected one with roast pork, and the other with carnitas meat. They both were delicious, and had their own unique flavor. Our meals are always so filling that we can never finish them. We chatted with the server for a bit. before making our way back to our car. We realize that Kansas City offers a wide array of Mexican food options, and it’s great that so many of them serve good meals. So, which Mexican restaurant is your favorite?