Authentic Mexican Restaurants Review

It’s not uncommon to find me sitting on my friends’ couch on a Saturday night watching “This Is Us” while scooping some to-go Salty Iguana Iggy Dip into our mouths. I’ve gotta admit, I find myself sticking to the Prairie Village classic a little too often — it’s my comfort food. This week, I decided to change it up and try out more authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. Here’s what I thought:

PONAKS: 4/5 STARS

Judging solely off the queso, though, this place is a win. I’m picky when it comes to queso, like really picky. The crunchiness of the chips combined with the medium-spicy queso made my eyes go wide. I couldn’t stop myself — I kept taking bites until only crumbs were left in the chip bowl and my stomach was way too full.

I ordered one Flauta — a tortilla that is rolled around a filling of meat and cheese and then fried. It only cost me five dollars because I wasn’t hungry enough for a full plate with rice and beans. The pork had a nice savory flavor and was warm like it had just come out of the pan. But the intense, crunchy texture wasn’t my favorite. It took me a solid ten seconds until I had fully chewed through one bite.

My friend shared their food with me so I could get a good feel for the menu. The fish taco definitely took me by surprise — the texture of the soft shell and the full-flavored Mahi Mahi fish worked well for my tastebuds.

PALETERIA TROPICANA: 4/5 STARS

I ordered the strawberry-filled churros and Mexican Elotes with the intention of picking two incredibly different things. And I don’t think I’ve ever tasted two foods so different from each other.

The Elotes, which is usually Mexican grilled corn, came in a styrofoam cup — corn on the bottom, mayo in the middle and parmesan cheese on top. Not knowing it wasn’t all combined, I spooned only mayo and cheese into my mouth. As someone who always tells the Goodcents workers to make my sandwich without any toppings, the mayo was an absolute no-go. This spoonful made my lips curl. I couldn’t get myself to mix it all together and try it that way.

The churros were incredibly redeeming. The warmth and familiarity of the cinnamon sugary delight was something I didn’t even realize I’d crave after shivering outside and spooning mayo into my mouth. The pop of strawberry sauce through the middle of each churro added a refreshing, fruity touch.

But I really felt like I had to do their ice cream justice. A few days later, since KCMO weather is as unpredictable as the school’s wifi, the sun came out and I went to the other location of Paleteria Tropicana on Southwest Blvd.

The Yelp reviews were not wrong. Their ice cream was incredibly creamy and I downed a $3 scoop of “Masita,” or cookie dough, way too fast. My friends and I agreed: this is a place for sunny days only.

EMPANADA MADNESS: 5/5 STARS

When I took the $4 golden-brown beef empanada out of the styrofoam to-go box, it literally glistened in the sun. I thought I was in some sort of cheesy movie.

The outer shell was as flaky as a Krispy Kreme donut while the beef was perfectly moist. I finished the whole thing so quickly I didn’t even think about the fact that it was still really hot from being made fresh.

My friend also got an order of churros. Thinking nothing could beat my usual Costco snack, I was left in amazement after eating one. The melt-in-my-mouth texture mixed with the strawberry sauce on top made this one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever had.

Yes, the parking situation down on Southwest Blvd. isn’t exactly ideal (especially for my barely-passed-drivers-ed self), but I will be coming back down to get these empanadas and churros many times to come.