What’s a KC-style taco? + Japanese concept opens
Welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City. I’m Rachel Schlueter, an audience intern at The Star.
This week, I tried the iconic Kansas City-style taco at In-A-Tub, a long-time fast food joint in the Northland. Since the 1950s, the dish has been a local favorite — neon powdered cheese and all.
Plus, a new Japanese concept opened this weekend in the Crossroads, and Lee’s Summit finally has its first location of a beloved ice cream chain. Also, vote for your favorite local spot to pick up a gooey, buttery cinnamon roll.
Let’s dig in.
This week’s taste test
Street tacos in Mexico City. Fish tacos in Baja. And now, cheese-dusted tacos in Kansas City.
You know KC for its barbecue, but the city also has its own distinct taco style, dating back to the early 1900s when Mexican and Italian immigrants worked together in the city’s meatpacking factories. The result: a deep-fried ground beef taco traditionally topped with Parmesan cheese.
In-A-Tub, a Northland fast food institution, uses neon-orange cheese dust instead. Like many taco purists, I was skeptical. But at In-A-Tub, there’s a story behind each cheese-dusted bite.
It’s not just the unconventional menu that sets the restaurant apart from other fast food chains. What stood out to me was the restaurant’s deep roots in KC food history — and the owner’s mission to keep that legacy alive.
Check out my TikTok to feast your eyes on these dusted concoctions, and learn how the owner is keeping the restaurant’s history alive.
Now open in KC
✴️ The award-winning restauranteurs behind The Antler Room have set their sights on a new concept: a Japanese-inspired bar and eatery, which opened over the weekend in the Crossroads.
✴️ I scream, you scream — Lee’s Summit especially screams for ice cream. After several requests, the suburb has finally gotten its first location of a fast-growing ice cream chain.
✴️ This Dallas-based drive-thru coffee chain has made its long-awaited debut in Johnson County.
Latest restaurant inspections
Prime Sushi in the South Plaza neighborhood and Blue Parkway Sun Fresh Deli on the East Side were both cited in KC-area food inspections last week. See their violations — and which other spots made the list — from The Star’s Eleanor Nash.
Give us your take
We asked, and you answered: Where can you find the best cinnamon roll around Kansas City? Now, it’s time to vote on which of these eateries serves up the best sweet, pillowy and buttery treat.
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Happy eating! We’ll see you Friday.
This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 10:31 AM with the headline "What’s a KC-style taco? + Japanese concept opens."