Wild enchiladas, which curl themselves into tubes to roll away from predators, can only be caught with a spring-loaded enchilada trap. Let trained huntsmen catch you free-range enchiladas with today's Groupon: for $9, you get $18 worth of fine Mexican fare and drinks at Kokopelli Mexican Cantina in Prairie Village.
There's more smoke than fire in the flavors of Kokopelli Mexican Cantina, and the lively old-timey-barbecue-joint-meets-Mexican-dive-bar décor neatly matches Kokopelli's between-borders menu. Shrimp-and-cabbage-stuffed tacos del rey ($10.50) call to mind Pacific Mexico, and the Las Cruces burrito, stuffed with chicken and black beans and topped with chipotle sauce, monterey jack cheese, and scallions, is Southwestern ($9.25). The experimental Tucumcari enchiladas—with crab meat, white-wine sauce, black olives and paprika—give the sense of a placeless, taciturn wanderer in a land of Mexican dishes ($9). Kokopelli also offers a full range of appetizers, soups, desserts, and drinks.
Kokopelli Mexican Cantina is a member of the Kansas City Originals, a sassy alliance of local eateries and chefs dedicated to nurturing and frequently basting the local culinary scene. Kokopelli's doors open at 11 a.m. every day and close at 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to allow hungry moonbeams to drop in).
Kokopelli Mexican Cantina
With its dark wood-paneled walls, antique road signs, and murals of Mexican pueblos, Kokopelli Mexican Cantina’s dining room resembles the fusion of a southern roadhouse and taqueria. It’s a fitting backdrop for a menu of homemade tamales, burritos, and enchiladas sprinkled with southwestern flourishes, like the pepper jack cheese layered on spinach enchiladas or the crab and white-wine sauce stuffed in the tucumcari's flour tortillas. Fajitas—Kokopelli Mexican Cantina’s specialty—feature strips of shrimp, steak, and chicken seasoned with a piquant blend of spices and scoops of homemade guacamole.
Kokopelli Mexican Cantina is a member of the Kansas City Originals, an alliance of independent eateries and chefs dedicated to nurturing, growing, and regularly basting the local culinary scene.
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