Ribs for breakfast? Absolutely, at this Mexican restaurant in Kansas City. So tender

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When I was a little girl, my mom would cook chorizo and eggs for breakfast, with fried potatoes, beans and tortillas. The aroma was a wonderful wake-up call.

That amazing smell would make its way outside, too. One day a friend walked by our house as my mom was cooking and said, “Oh my, that reminds me so much of my mom who passed away many years ago.”

That aroma is unforgettable. It’s not just a sensory experience, it’s a nostalgic journey.

Los Alamos Cocina, 1667 Summit St., knows just how to make a great Mexican breakfast, heavy on the nostalgia. Breakfast here can be carnitas, chilaquiles, tamales or refried beans.

But my go-to breakfast every time is the green chili ribs, refried beans, eggs and tortillas ($12.99). No silverware needed. Eating that breakfast using your tortilla is a ritual. The pork ribs are so tender they melt in your mouth. The tomatillo sauce has a little spice to it, but not too spicy. It’s perfect.

Los Alamos’ owner, Augustine Juarez, got into the restaurant business on a whim back in 2001. He was a regular at Jingles Market, a corner store, and one day asked the owner if he could sell some of the items there that he’d bought at the border.

The owner had a better idea: Augustine could buy the market instead.

When it came to naming his new business, he thought back to when he was just 5 years old in Mexico, working at a bar called El Alamo.

Los Alamos started as a small market, selling the same goods Jingles carried as well as the small items — or curios, which means “Mexican products” — he brought back from the border.

As he ran the business, Augustine’s wife would cook for the family in the back of the market. The aroma caught the attention of customers, who would ask Augustine if he sold meals.

They decided to try it. Using his mom’s recipes, his wife would cook whatever she had available, selling it until they ran out. They started with one table in the back of the market, eventually moving out aisle after aisle to make room for more tables. Until they had one aisle left.

Los Alamos still doesn’t have a traditional menu. Augustine’s late wife would cook what she had, and what they had was what you’d get. That concept still applies today.

At the counter, a glass display case is filled with an array of enticing choices. Some are mainstays, others are specials for the day. In addition to my go-to green ribs, some of my favorites are carnitas, chorizo (Mexican sausage), barbacoa, refried beans and fried potatoes.

Customers often bring their own empty pots to have them filled with Los Alamos’ delicious stews and soups — menudo and pozole.

It’s all cafeteria style. They take your order at the counter and bring your food piping hot, and full of spicy aroma, to your table. Again, no need for silverware, only a tortilla for scooping.

Just like how my mom would serve us breakfast every Saturday morning.

This story was originally published December 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM.