We took the first bus tour of KCK’s Taco Trail. Check out the sights, smells & tastes
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Over the past four years, more than 26,000 people have visited one of Kansas City, Kansas’ 60 taquerias on the city’s Taco Trail.
The pass was started by Visit Kansas City Kansas in 2020 as a way to showcase some of the city’s culture and its finest shops as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented people from visiting like they normally would. More than 100 people have finished the trail so far, said Alan Carr, executive director of the tourism agency.
Robert Galicia, KCK native and owner of Red Machine Party Bus, often visits the taquerias himself. His bus service takes big groups to Royals and Chiefs games, and he thought it would be a great idea to bus loads of people who otherwise may not have found the restaurants to different shops in the area.
So he reached out to Visit KCK, and after a quick conversation, the Taco Trail Bus Tour was born.
“These are people that maybe have never been to the Kansas side and don’t know what Central, Strawberry Hill, Armourdale, Argentine and different communities offer,” Galicia said. “To get people to the Kansas side to see what they have to offer I think is a win-win for everybody.”
The first tour happened Wednesday, taking 40 people to five different taquerias whose best taco is filled with carnitas, a popular type of seasoned pork meat. At each stop, guests receive one taco, with the option to buy more.
It quickly sold out, and Galicia said organizers responded by adding more dates for carnitas tours.
Thinking about joining in? The Star takes you inside the inaugural ride so you can decide if it’s worth trying.
Taking the taco tour
On Wednesday, cars lined up near the pickup spot in downtown KCK as Galicia and his driver Mark Coronado waited for everyone to show up. When it was time to go, adults of all ages and backgrounds filed onto two party buses, one in black and one in red with Chiefs designs.
The Star hopped on the bus led by Coronado, who had a big smile on his face as he greeted everyone who took a seat. Modern Latin music from Bad Bunny, J. Balvin and Peso Pluma played through the speakers as everyone chatted and waited with excitement.
The first stop was just 42 seconds away from the pickup location: Tarahumaras, 503 N. 6th St.
Visitors were warned ahead of time that the taquerias are small and might not be able to seat everyone, which proved to be the case at Tarahumaras (they also have a bigger location at 3212 Merriam Lane).
But when it comes to taquerias, do size and looks matter? The inside of Tarahumaras doesn’t have much, just a few decorations and a television, but you’re not here to watch TV. You’re here to eat tacos.
Since both buses started here, some people ate standing up or went back to the bus to eat since there weren’t enough chairs.
The taco, topped with onion, cilantro and your choice of sweet, tangy or spicy salsa, was delicious. A few patrons said it would be hard to top.
You have enough time to enjoy the taco and talk with the people around you, but the buses are on a time crunch and move quickly from destination to destination. Both Coronado and Galicia said they fell behind schedule by a few minutes, which is something they want to improve for next time.
Before arriving to the next stop, California Taco Shop, 1286 Kansas Ave., a guest heckled Coronado, saying it took more than five minutes to get here after the driver promised it’d be a short ride. (He wasn’t counting on hitting every red light.)
The taco shop is even smaller than Tarahumaras and had just enough seats for 20, but it also delivers a good taco. There is a self-serve station next to the counter, where guests can pick and choose what type of salsa and toppings they want.
One patron made the mistake of topping her taco with the hot salsa. Her lips were still burning as the bus arrived to the next stop: Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio, 830 Kansas Ave.
San Antonio is a combination taqueria and market, stocked with produce and Mexican goods. They make their own tortillas, too, which you can buy fresh.
It was packed before the bus arrived, as shoppers waited for their meats to go and looked around for dried chile peppers and sweet treats. The local market atmosphere made this location a favorite among people on the tour.
At this point in the tour, the biggest complaint on the bus was the lack of margaritas. Kansas’ alcohol laws prevent people from carrying alcohol out of restaurants.
“It’s a party bus, so you would think (we would get margaritas), right?” Marcie Young said. She and everyone else were able to get their margaritas at the last stop, making it worth the wait.
Conversations on the bus ride about margaritas and study abroad trips to Taiwan came to a screeching halt as we were almost t-boned by a firetruck on the way to the next stop, Tacos El Tio, 78 N. 10th St. The only person who heard the siren blaring was the partially deaf passenger, since everybody was having too much fun talking to each other. Coronado jokingly said the scare was planned for the trip.
“A for excitement,” yelled one guest.
The excitement carried over into Tacos El Tio, where guests were greeted by corrido, a traditional Mexican style of music, playing over the speakers. Not much time was spent here, as the buses had to get everyone to the final stop to meet a special guest.
The fifth and final destination on the tour was El Torrito Grill, 1304 Central Ave., where there was enough space for everyone to sit on the patio, order margaritas and hang out with Taco Man, Visit KCK’s taco mascot. The mascot waved at everyone and stood ominously at the end of the patio as the guests ate their last taco, then talked about and voted for their favorite location.
The results weren’t shared at the end of the day, but a lot of people said Tarahumaras was their favorite. Over time, all the flavors start to blend together, but when the taco is just as good as the last place, you can’t be upset.
Many people, like Marcie and Mike Young, said they’re looking forward to the next tour. Others said they can’t wait to tell their friends and family about the tour.
As for next time, Galicia said he’ll try to make sure every stop has margaritas available.
What’s next for the Taco Trail Tour Bus?
If you missed this one, you will have another chance to take the tour. There’s one each month through October, hauling visitors from one taco shop to the next.
The following themes include:
Wednesday, June 26, carnitas
Wednesday, July 17, chicken
Wednedsay, Sept. 25, barbacoa
Friday, Oct. 11, birria
Galicia said they’re looking to add more dates because of how popular the first tour was and the amount of tickets they’ve sold for the next tours.
Tickets are now $28 and can be booked through Eventbrite.
Each stop also counts toward the Taco Trail Pass, which people can sign up for online and track how many restaurants they have visited. Participants have until April 15, 2025, to complete the trail to win prizes.
