Guadalajara Cafe

Tasted like mexican food from the hospital cafeteria. No flavor or spice, I had the burrito with shredded beef, just tasted like something my 90 year old grandma would make.

On a snowy, cold evening in Kansas City, Shawn & I were craving Mexican food. On a spur of the moment decision, we decided to go to Guadalajara Café. I tried looking up the restaurant on Open Table, but unfortunately, the only location that was allowing online reservations (& thus, another 100 points) was the Lee’s Summit location. Big sad face to that!
Due to the weather, & the Kansas City Chiefs playing, the restaurant wasn’t busy at all, which was OK with us. :-) Our chips & salsa were served. Chips were good, thin & salty type. The salsa had a great flavor, but was on the thin side. That’s just a personal preference of mine, having a chunky salsa, but again, the taste was very good!
The Margarita de Almendra, which had almond tequila liquor, was AMAZING! I had never sampled one like that. As Shawn said, we need to find this almond goodness! I also had the Guadalajara Martini. It’s normally served with a sugar rim, but I requested salt. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, & I thought the salt was great on the martini rim. However, most would probably prefer the sugar. They use Milagro Premium Tequila, very tasty!!!
For a starter, we shared the Enmoladas, which was soft, hand-​made corn tortillas, layered with chunks of chicken, mole sauce, & Mexican cactus. A dish that resulted in us *almost* licking the plate, it was so good. Very rich tasting sauce, & the opportunity to have mexican cactus is always a plus!
Main course was the Pollo a la Diabla — chicken cooked in a spicy red sauce with onions & mushrooms. VERY spicy, but very good!!! Perfect flavors, & very warming on a cold winter night! It came with rice, refried beans, & what I believe was arugula leaves (a very pretty, & tasty garnish for the dish.) Also had to try the Guadalajara fried jalapenos. The brown liquid they were served in almost tasted like soy sauce. These are spicy, so beware, but flavors will knock you out!!!
Service was good, for the most part. Only had one instance where we waited for a bit longer than we should have. Another lady came by, & I think the language barrier was a stumbling block, but she was very nice, so no worries.
Definitely will come back to try other dishes on the menu. It’s a fun restaurant to sample some not-​so-​usual Mexican cuisine you normally find around town.

Would NOT recommend to ANYONE!
We have frequented the location in lees Summit for a couple years now and love it – from the ambience, the service, and most definitely the food. The 103^rd st. Location is terrible for all those reasons. The room was empty and dingy, in need of cleaning – especially the bathrooms. The Spanish music was cranked up. There was a worker who we visibly saw hacking, coughing and sneezing throughout our whole experience. She should never have been allowed to work her shift. I had to ask our server to bring back my water glass refilled about five minutes later… he had forgotten the only refill we asked for. We also requested that their worker please at least cover her mouth when she coughed. That didn’t happen either. The food: I got the pork Oaxaca (overdone to rubberiness) and my husband got chile rellenos. He wasn’t interested in eating or boxing up the second one on his plate. It was difficult to find the willingness to leave a tip, honestly. We will not be returning to this location. If you want a fantastic experience however, go to the Lees Summit location!

Camarones ala diabla are so great I almost ordered a second plate. Served over avacado, and nice and spicy. I feel like the restaurant is a little dirty though. Service at the bar was a little slow also.
Beer was pricey, bill for the 2 of us (sharing an entrée) with 2 beers each was $ 50. Most places bottled beer is closer to $ 3 – 3.50.

I went to this restaurant on Monday at noon for lunch. The wait staff were attentive and the food came in a timely manner. There were several problems that need to be addressed, however. The first of these is that the plates were much too hot, like seriously burn your fingers hot. Plates should be warm to keep the food warm, not dangerously hot. Secondly, there were flies and gnats all over us as we ate. I don’t know if it was because we were sitting next to the window, but it was very annoying. Lastly, when I had finished my meal I visited the restroom. It was very dark and the toilet seat was missing, only the porcelain remained.
Guadalajara’s food was good, but needs to be much better before I’m willing to overlook its many faults.

Food was bland.
Server got our food to us, that’s about all.
Cockroach on the wall.
Not going back.

In the enchilada there was high quality chicken breast, however the overall taste and presentation were average. The guacamole appetizer was pleasing, filled with delicious fresh vegetables, but the salsa was gringo-​from-​a-​jar quality. This is echoed in the décor as well — some care was taken to make an interesting space, however the ceiling tiles have aged into a cigarette-​stained yellow, some sagged from water damage, and one half missing. I found myself staring into the abyss left by the missing ceiling panel throughout dinner.
Bottom line, this place is pricy for the quality of food and state of décor. Owners needs to show some pride in their establishment. Given that every customer will see the ceiling and taste the salsa, there is no excuse for these to be anything but perfect — until then, two stars.

My husband and I came here for Sunday lunch with a Groupon. I had done my Unilocal research and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have a good friend who raves about this place, so I thought we should give it a go. Boy, am I glad we did.
We walked in the door and were immediately greeted and seated. It was not very crowded at 12:30 on a Sunday. Water and chips and salsa followed shortly. I always ask for spicy salsa and they brought it out shortly. The regular salsa is very bland. The chips were thick and tasted home (or restaurant) made. They were very fresh. Yummy and different than most Mexican restuaurants.
There was only one waiter and i think he might have been the owner or manager. He came over and I asked what was good. They do have a tex-​mex menu but they also have an authentic Mexican menu. He gave us several suggestions. I decided to get the Steak Guadalajara (can’t go wrong with a dish named after the restaurant, can you?) and my husband said he wanted nachos.
Nachos? Seriously? The waiter/​owner/​manager discouraged him, saying he probably should order off the authentic menu. Hubby said he likes spicy, so our server suggested the Steak Picado — only spicy.
Food came out quickly and it was really good with large portions. Steak was tender, sauces were good, vegetables were fresh. Rice had a good seasoning. The beans looked gross to me (I’m not a fan) but my husband loved them, so I guess they were good.
Prices were $ 12.99 for each entrée. Very reasonable with a Groupon but higher than your typical tex-​mex place. However, you are getting steak rather than ground beef. Kind of like comparing apples and oranges.
Would we go back? Absolutely.

Found myself in the area doing some personal business and decided to eat here out of convenience, not due to the overall rating which didn’t exactly scream «great food.» Simply wanted some good Mexican and gave it a go. Here’s what I found:
Clean, prompt service, greeted immediately upon entering the door. Served water within a minute of being seated and a menu placed in my hands. Waitress comes by a minute later and takes my order. I’m sort of in a hurry, by myself and looking for a meal, not a lengthy wait. Ordered the taco with shredded beef and enchilada lunch. Out it comes piping hot in less than 3 minutes. They don’t mess around here! Food was very good, the chips warm and just amount of crispness and the sauce on the sweet side and just enough heat. Here’s the best thing: not another one of those drown the meal in cheap melted cheese places Kansas City is filled with. The beans were not loaded with lard (obvious in some places) and the rice was fluffy and fresh.
Meal finished, I was immediately asked if I would like anything else and given the bill. No waiting around for that. In, out, got everything I wanted without the wait. Seemed like they sensed I was in a hurry and complied with my wish!
Reading over the reviews they certainly seem to attract a few disgruntled diners. Not sure what that’s about but I found a very professionally run restaurant filled with people that really looked like they knew what they were doing and served by cooks that knew how to put a very good meal together quickly. Three star rating to me seems to suggest mediocre (I know, I know, not what Unilocal says) but I found it to be a very good experience. Doubt I’d dine here again because it’s not in the sweet spot of where I usually hang out, but wouldn’t mind trying a margarita or a beer to go with my meal had it been evening. The décor lacks inspiration but the service and food more than made up for it. This is a good joint minus the trappings that come with too many KC Mexican restaurants which is fine with me.
I give Guadalajara a thumbs up for giving me everything I wanted for lunch today.

There are only two Mexican places in the Kansas city that are my favs. This is one of them. It isn’t cheap like a taco truck or hole in the wall place. It’s no more expensive then On the %^#$ing Border or Jose Peppers. For the reviews that say the food is bland, here is a little story for you.
Went there for lunch one day and asked about the lunch special. I had an owner or manager serving that didn’t give two craps about the customer being right or his tip. He pointed at the lunch specials on the menu and said in a heavy accent «Taco bell.» He then pointed to the real dishes on the menu (which were not part of any special and priced higher) and said «real mexican food.»
When a man is willing to criticize his own bill of goods and give me an honest opinion I’m sold. I’ve never been disappointed with the food there ever since. It’s all about the choices we make in life and sometimes you get what you pay for. I passed up a guy offering cheap tattoo’s out of the back of his van one day. I suspect most of you would’ve jumped right in, just to complain about it later.
I leave my rating at 4 stars because the service isn’t exactly slow. It’s just not the same insanely high paced that most diners want.

Guadalajara Martini is a personal favorite! If you decide to have two, make sure you have a designated driver:)
The food was excellent as it always. This is a favorite local restaurant of ours. We’ve ordered a variety of dishes and we’ve never been disappointed!

Slow service, empty water glasses and lukewarm food equal no return trip. Also, turn on the lights please! I think they are turned off so people don’t notice the water damaged ceiling tiles.
Go somewhere else where they care and save your time.

I’ve been going to Guadalajara Café for at least 10 years; this is not typical Tex-​Mex so if you go in expecting Jose Peppers or Salty Iguana style you probably will be disappointed.
If you go in expecting street style tacos and order the Tacos Chidos platter, you definitely will not be disappointed. These tacos are awesome. Chicken (or steak) on a small corn tortilla with guacamole, onions and peppers. I’ve hosted at least 50 people here over the years and they all loved the Tacos Chidos!
I will say that people who go against my advice and order the taco and enchilada platter are never happy, so skip the tex mex offerings and go for the tacos chidos or the Carne Asada burrito!

Oh Guadalajara Café… I love you… I hate you… therefore you get the right in the middle of the road three stars.
For a least twelve years I step though your doors a couple times a year. I’ve had some really great food and on other nights, just ok food. The one thing that I have consistently liked is your salsa. It always seems fresh with large chunks of onion and large leafs of cilantro. It may not be spicy but it always tastes fresh. The more authentic dishes always tasted better and seemed to be prepared with love where as the more Americanized dishes or not so tasty and dished onto the plate in a messy more careless way. So, I guess the lesson here is to order the more authentic dishes offered here at Guadalajara Café.
The two downsides for me are the service and the atmosphere. First the atmosphere… sad! You ask «how can a yellow room conjure up the emotion of sad?» and I say «come to Guadalajara Café and take a look»!
The fresh bright yellow has never changed so it has taken on a dingy and worn yellow feel. The *flowers* are the AWFUL fake flowers in the resin «look of water» variety. Really? For years, resin water fake flowers… the same ones year after year. Then the biggest pet peeve of mine, candles on the tables that are NEVER lit. Tea light candles in a clear candle holder just asking to be lit in the dimly lit dingy yellow room. Candle light would help everything here. I always wish I had a lighter on me to light our candle but never do. It just stares and taunts me saying «please sir, just light my wick»!
The service is always just ok. They do what is required of them and that is about it. They do take your order, deliver your food and bring your check, but that is about it. No real enthusiasm and no check ins to see how things are or if you need anything else. Water and salsa refills would sure be nice. A smile and a «come back soon» would sure be nice. But as I’m in the yellow haze of eating decent food, I don’t usually realize that the service is really under par until I have stepped away from the situation because all the necessities have been met, but that is all.
I really want to give this restaurant only two stars but know that I would be a fool to keep going back to a place I rated so low, so I do realize I go back year after year for some reason. I just wish it was better on a couple of levels and would bring me back many times a year instead of just a couple of times here and there.

I left Guadalajara’s full but confused.
They give you chips and salsa (as many Mexican restaurants do) as you wait for your food. The chips were nasty. They were void of flavor and tasted stale. I was really hungry so I ate them anyway. The salsa was also bland.
Our waitress was nice but some what awkward. I made it known to her that I was overwhelmed by their large selection of food, but she made no effort to suggest anything. She just kept coming back time and time again to see if I was ready.
I have no idea what I ordered… some kind of chicken dish. I just closed my eyes and pointed to something on the menu .
Whatever was placed in front of me was very visually appealing. I applaud their presentation of the dish.
The décor wasn’t Mexican. The colors were teal and green; there were fine linens and candles on the tables. The atmosphere was more upscale, romantic American rather than Mexican.
My dinner companion had a groupon so I hardly paid a thing for my meal, so I can’t complain too much; I’m just rather confused by the atmosphere, pathetic attempt at chips, and non-​helpful waitress.

I can’t decide between 2 stars, or 3 stars. If Unilocal had a half star, I’d give this 2 ½ stars. I had a coupon… so the meal was worth it, price wise.
The reason being is: the chips offered at the beginning of the meal were, kind of old tasting. They were old and dry. I could taste some grease residue, which made me ponder on the fact that the chips had been sitting on a shelf for a while. The salsa was flat tasting. I didn’t taste any spark.
I ordered the chicken tacos, which were apparently authentic. The type of tacos they serve are steak or chicken, that is it. No ground beef. They were really good, but no cheese. No rice, which I thought I was supposed to have, and I’d rather had it, instead of beans. The beans tasted like baked beans, in a way, a bit like barbecue. There were 5 tacos, they were soft, kind of greasy shells. The shell reminded me of pasta, in a way. They were flat on the plate, and there was sauce, which had a strong flavor of cilantro.
The décor was just alright, but a bit bland for a Mexican restaurant. The service was pretty good. She had me get the 5 tacos, instead of the 3 tacos. I did like it, but it wasn’t like other Mexican food in the area. So, maybe i don’t like authentic Mexican food.
The flavor of the chips and sauce reminded me of what Manny’s serves, and I don’t like Manny’s at all. At the very end of the meal, the waitress offered us dessert, which was no where on any of the menus, and that’s something I don’t care for, if I don’t see the dessert menu up front. That’s just me being menu anal.
Guadalajara’s was great to try. It was worth it cause I didn’t pay full price, due to the coupon I had.

Thank goodness we did not pay full price. The chips were stale. The tacos were greasy. The portions were very small. No guacomole and the dish I ordered was supposed to come with it???
The only good thing was the salsa and the service was pretty good.

My all-​time favorite Mexican restaurant (with Ixtapa!). I am an obsessive Mexican foodie and I owe it, in part, to the owner of this place, who has several times recommended dishes, both on and off the menu, that have blown me away. He introduced me to a Mexican cookbook that I tracked down and use regularly — the recipes in the book are so reminiscent of his restaurant’s dishes!
The waitstaff is friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. Some of the waiter here and at Ixtapa will ask what you’re in the mood for, return to the kitchen, and come back with something amazing.
My favorites: Guadalajara (or Ixtapa) Margarita, steak or shrimp Guadalajara (or Ixtapa), camarrones borrachos, quesadillas de cuitlacoche (corn smut!) and quesadillas con flor de calabaza (squash blossom). Haven’t bothered with typical Mexican-​American dishes like burritos, but the specialty tacos are pretty darn good.
My lone gripe: I like their salsa, but don’t love it. There’s a bitterness in it that I have to get past.
Bottom line, if you love La Fuente or Mi Ranchito — this is likely not your type of place. If you want enchiladas and chile rellenos, stick with one of those choices. Be adventurous, though, and you will usually be rewarded here!

Amazing Mexican food. Perhaps not what you would expect. Good service. Good prices. The staff is very friendly and will give anyone that asks a very thorough tour of the menu. Some may even talk to you for 15 minutes about how proud they are of their food before they bother taking your orders. However even when this happens, it’s never unpleasant, and their recommendations are usually spot-​on.
Personally I recommend Streak Ranchero, Carne Asada, or Tacos Chidos. Avoid anything with mole sauce unless you want to try something really peculiar.

I’ve been to Mexico about 9 times and happily indulged in authentic Mexican food. I’m not sure what this was, but it tasted very bland and… uninteresting. My wife was also unimpressed with her dish as well; bland and simple for the price. If I’m going to pay for premium Mexican food, I’d like to have some premium ingredients tossed in.
The waiter was nice, but the whole place has a odd ambiance about it and feels… awkward, I don’t know how else to describe it.
I totally agree with Todd P.‘s review. For the price, this place is just an odd-​ball restaurant. It’s clean, it’s quiet, and had decent service, but other than that, the food and atmosphere where awkwardly unappealing.