Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine — Restaurant in Kansas City

First of all, I would like to clarify that this is NOT a Tex-mex joint. It's a little deceptive since it's in the classic strip mall location for your typical Tex-mex restaurant. If your favorite "Mexican" food is Tex-mex, this will be nothing like it. In fact, if you have some time to kill, feel free to ask Victor about orange cheese. Lol!

My understanding is that this is true Guadalajara-style food, different from what many Americans think of as standard Mexican fare. Think of the difference in food from California to Louisiana. That same difference can be applied here.

I no longer live in Kansas City but I can tell you that as I sit at home in AZ, I am craving Ixtapa. Even with all the Mexican joints around me, there is nothing I've found that compares, short of traveling to Guadalajara.

Victor is amazing and knows more about food and where it comes from than I will ever know in my lifetime. He visited our table the first time we ever stepped in the door and I am not exaggerating when I tell you it was life-changing. It's the only restaurant I have ever been to where I felt comfortable never ordering from the menu and letting whomever was taking care of us choose for me. The very first time, he brought us small plates of a variety of dishes. Oh. My. Gosh! It was heaven!

The only way I can describe the flavors of everything is that the FOOD DANCED IN MY MOUTH. It was amazing! Every bite was an explosion of flavor. Ixtapa quickly became our go-to place for every occasion, out-of-town guest and whenever we were just tired of the same old flavors.

I could absolutely justify purchasing an airline ticket to KC just to go to Ixtapa again. And the way I've been craving it could...

I’ll preface this review with this - My mom is Hispanic, I grew up in Texas and have spent a lot of time in the Southwest. CA, NM, AZ, etc. I know good Mexican.

We ordered take-out for Cinco de Mayo and it was a solid 3 stars. Four if I was being especially generous. (It was packed & I get how hard take out orders can be under the situation) Two orders of traditional tacos, an order of steak enchiladas and guacamole and chips. Are the 5 Traditional Tacos worth $15? Probably not, but you get a good sized portion. The guacamole had a good flavor, but was a little chunky with tomatoes. The enchilada sauce could’ve used some more flavor/heat, but the steak was good. Mexican food in the Midwest isn’t spicy, so I won’t knock these folks for playing to the audience.

Fast forward to May 18th and we decided on Ixtapa again. My wife had been traveling and we wanted quick and easy. We ordered three crispy ground beef tacos, guacamole and chips a green Chile pork burrito. Yikes! The guacamole was not only still tomato heavy, it was too limey and over salted. The tacos were...boring. My wife’s green Chile Pork burrito was almost inedible. The pork wasn’t shredded or even tender. The pork chunks were pretty unappealing overall. We spent $35 on Mexican take-out and she ended up making toast. It was that bad! We’re bummed because if Ixtapa would have lived up to half the hype of some of these reviews or the boasts in their menu it’d be our biweekly spot. Maybe their take-out is 180° away from the dine in experience. I see the pictures and they look great...that’s the experience we wanted...but not what we got. I posted a picture to go...

The exterior had an obnoxious flashing light from the get-go. Servers would be asked questions and give answers that they wouldn't follow through on, as if they wanted to be around as little as possible. Like mice. The owner did, to be fair, give us a taco on the house, which was actually alright. However, when I proceeded to attempt to order that same taco, he explained to me that I do not, in fact, want a taco, nor do I know what true Mexican food is. He was bound and determined to show me, through some of the whitest cuisine cooked in the worst way possible. I don't even think I would believe this was "real Mexican food" if I went to Mexico and was told by the actual president of Mexico it was. To clarify, authentic Mexican food, according to Ixtapa, is a microwaved porkchop in a bland gravy and, for my boyfriend, unseasoned shrimp wrapped in bacon and doused in a watery raspberry jam. What was guaranteed to be a slap in my white American face absolutely was--in that I thought I was going to Ixtapa for authentic, good Mexican food, only to be sorely, sorely disappointed at the price of over $40. If you want Mexican food in or around Kansas City and Overland Park, you would truly be better off going home and purchasing your least favorite microwave burrito. I think it would be in the owner's best interest to never speak or cook again, in the servers' best interest to find better work, and in any potential customer's best interest to look literally anywhere else. Don't let reviews fool you, this place is unfortunately open and serving unpleasant food hot off the microwave...