This Mexican restaurant is the only place in Kansas City that rivals my mom’s cooking

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I have been asked by many of my non-Latino friends which Mexican restaurant is my favorite. I often tell them that is a hard question to answer, because I love home-cooked Mexican food, an art my mom passed onto me. So I can make most Mexican food, and pretty well, too (and I do believe my friends and co-workers would agree).

But the restaurant that gets the closest to my mom’s cooking is La Fonda El Taquito, a 40-year-old Kansas City restaurant run by the Medina family.

Especially when I eat their carnitas, I’m transported back to my childhood: cleaning the pinto beans so my mom could cook them, the smell of pork cooking on the stove. I would walk in and tell my mom, “It smells like a Mexican house.” Only those of us who grew up in a Latino household can understand.

Perhaps another reason I love La Fonda so much is regional familiarity. In Mexico, the food is prepared differently depending on where you are from. For example, if you go to Veracruz you will most likely eat black beans, white rice and seafood. My grandparents were from Guadalajara. Some of the Medina family is from the same region.

But the other great thing about La Fonda’s carnitas ($8.99) is that they are never dry. I’ve tried carnitas at other restaurants, and they are not the same. La Fonda’s pork is flavorful and juicy, because Sandy Medina and Martha Mendez marinate the meat, then cook it for four hours. The final result is almost falling to pieces and running with juice.

You can’t eat carnitas without beans. And they have some of the best refried beans in Kansas City ($1.99).

Another go-to I love at La Fonda is their chicken soup ($5.49), filled with avocado, cilantro and much more. It’s much easier to buy thank make it at home, and it’s the best cure for a cold.

La Fonda El Taquito, 800 Southwest Blvd., has a long history. It all started when Agustin “Chino” Medina moved his family from Kansas City to California to learn about making tortillas from his cousin and came back with his own new recipe for corn tortillas. Initially, Agustin opened a small neighborhood grocery store, where his wife Teresa made tacos and burritos while he made corn tortillas in the back of the store.

Next, they opened El Taquito restaurant in a new location on 17th and Summit, one of the first restaurants in KC to offer a salsa bar. I remember eating at that location. The food was amazing, and I loved that I could put any fixings on my food, from pico de gallo to green or red salsa.

At El Taquito, they started with a small bar — two seats, two tables and four chairs. The Medina family outgrew that spot and moved to Westport, then moved again in 1989 when the building was up for sale. And they landed where they are today along Southwest Boulevard, renaming their spot La Fonda El Taquito.

Agustin’s kids, Maria Chaurand and Sandy Medina, have taken over the restaurant. Mendez has been the cook for 30 years, keeping the flavors of the food consistent and delicious.

During that time, they also opened what has become a successful tortilla factory. El Taquito tortillas are my favorite tortillas for cooking tacos and enchiladas. They can be found in many grocery stores.

Like many businesses, La Fonda suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and never fully recovered. They once had 20 employees and now have five. They’ve cut back their days and operating hours, but hope to expand them again in the near future.

For now, La Fonda is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant is closed Monday through Wednesday.

I hope they are able to serve Kansas City for a long time, not only because the food is great, but because La Fonda feels like home to me. I often run into friends and family there, whenever I come back for another helping of their carnitas. And I’m never disappointed.

This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM.