Everything’s great at 30-year-old KC Mexican spot. But this dish keeps bringing me back

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Rudy’s Tenampa Taqueria is my celebration spot. I spent many birthdays here. Friends took me to dinner here when I told them The Star was hiring me in 2021.

The restaurant even catered my cousin’s wedding in June 2022.

One of the last times I visited Rudy’s was on a Friday night in September. It was packed, which isn’t unusual, but it felt like a party.

Little did I know, the restaurant was celebrating its 30th anniversary. If I had stepped out back, I would’ve heard DJ Lisa G (the late Lisa Lopez-Galvan) playing the greatest Mexican hits, and if I stayed a little longer, I would’ve been treated to a live performance from my uncle John, better known in the Hispanic community as Mexican Elvis.

It was a weekend celebration not only for the restaurant, but for Rudy Garcia and his wife, Melissa. They had just bought ownership from Rudy’s dad, also named Rudy, who gave the restaurant its name.

Garcia would pop in and help over the years while he chased his dreams as an illustrator , working for companies like Marvel, Lucasfilm and Universal Classic Monsters. He knows he has big shoes to fill as he joins his brother, Anthony, and sisters JoAnn and Antoinette in taking care of the family business and planning for their Cinco de Mayo celebration .

“There’s a lot of ups and downs and some stress points that you gotta deal with, but it’s all a part of it,” Garcia said.

Tucked away on 1611 Westport Road, the Mexican restaurant has served homemade recipes from Garcia’s grandmother since 1993. Some of their most popular dishes include the bistek ala Mexicana, the Tijuana fish tacos and Rudy’s carnitas, cooked in a special sauce.

But I’ve locked my eyes (and taste buds) on the enchilada burrito. At $12.25 before tax, this meal features your choice of pork, shredded chicken or ground beef, rolled up in a flour tortilla with refried beans, topped with their enchilada sauce and queso fresco. It’s served with refried beans and rice on the side.

All of the ingredients are prepared the day of to ensure freshness, and it takes around two to three hours to get everything ready — the meats, guacamole, pico de gallo, vegetables, rice, salsa.

Make sure you’re heading here on an empty stomach. The burrito, along with the unlimited chips and salsa they bring to your table, can fill you up before you know it. The sauces, mild or hot — your choice — can be found in stores around Kansas City, like Made in Kansas City Marketplace .

The service took a while on the 30th-anniversary celebration, but on a recent random afternoon, I placed my order at 1:14 p.m. and it arrived at 1:18 p.m steaming hot, so be careful on your first few bites.

You can’t go wrong with any choice of meat for the burrito — or any dish at Rudy’s — but I went with the chicken this time. While it’s buried under the tortilla, sauce, cheese and lettuce, its flavor is the star of the show.

Every friend I’ve recommended it to enjoyed it, and said they’d be back for more once their stomachs were empty. I will, too.

There are two locations: the Westport restaurant and 8710 Lackman Road in Lenexa.