Manny’s

Overrated. I’m surprised at the low rating on Unilocal because people constantly rave about Manny’s. Perhaps its central location on Southwest Blvd. helps it generate traffic. I work downtown, so sometimes I have ended up here outnumbered during lunch because Americans love their Mexican food, and this is the only particularly convenient Mexican restaurant in the immediate area. There’s Mama Tio’s, but they start by serving ketchup for salsa, basically). There’s also Wrap-​It-​Up which is decent, but it’s inconvenient for some because it’s inside City Center.
Everything I have tried has amounted to little more than typical greasy Mexican food you find many other places. One of their staples, the Manny’s Burrito, is very dry and slathered with queso, which doesn’t add anything to it. The ingredients in the entrees don’t blend together at all, which create bland tastes. None of their burritos stand out from one another and all taste the same.
The remainder of the menu is boring, consisting largely of typical fare such as tacos and enchiladas. The enchiladas are weirdly somewhere between sweet and savory, and aren’t a good representation of what an enchilada is. The sauce just sits on top of it and again, the ingredients don’t fuse.
I also know a story involving a coworker whose husband has a loose family connection here. She went in ahead of everyone else in her large party and was told it would be a while before the restaurant could seat them. Her husband showed up a short time later, spoke jovially with the associates, and the party was then promptly seated. I get it helps to know people, but oy.
Speaking of service, it’s between below average and fine. It’s pretty hit-​and-​miss, but it’s unfortunate that poor service is a reoccurring thing. I intend not to go back anymore, especially during lunch, because servers have often walked by the table several times before dropping the check, which is inconvenient when you’re watching the clock. It’s also inconvenient when you are not watching the clock.
Basically, I feel like crap every time I leave here. A very solid 2-​star. Heck, I probably will end up back here because I’m always outnumbered when I don’t want to go here, and I want friends so badly that I am willing to make personal sacrifices at my own significant detriment to please people.
I really, really, really hope you enjoyed this review. I’m willing to change anything about it to cater to your personal opinion of Manny’s. Gosh, I hope I didn’t offend the Manny’s workers…
Food: ²⁄₅
Service: ²⁄₅
Everything else about the restaurant: ²⁄₅
My self-​esteem: ¹⁄₅

I have heard so much about this place and I love Mexican food so I was really looking forward to going here… I must say tho I was disappointed! Atmosphere was neat and the wait staff was friendly but the food… was just bland! The salsa wasn’t anything spicy and the enchilada I had had a very different taste!

shrimp tacos were just shrimp and lettuce, pinto beans were cold. THIS WAS SO TERRIBLE, taco bell would have been better! Never again!

I had heard a lot about this place so I was excited to try it, but I have to admit I was pretty disappointed by the time the meal was over. I don’t plan to give this place a second chance, and from the other reviews Ive read, I’m far from being the only one who feels that way.
The good: The churros! These were well cooked and came with both chocolate and honey for dipping. They seemed very fresh and were tasty.
The bad: They were out of shrimp, which pretty much wiped out anything I wanted to order on the menu. The salsa was extremely bland. My fish tacos came with about 4 pieces of fish, the size of a dime each and were mostly just batter with almost zero fish attached. Margarita was extremely bland and watery as well.
The ugly: The décor– cheap blue plastic table cloths and the same water glasses that my high school cafeteria once used back in the 90’s. Poor service with my water glass sitting empty most of the meal. Having our check dropped off before dessert and having her never come back to check on us afterwards.

For all the hype, I really hoped this place would be better. This is one of my family’s favorite restaurants in KC, so I’ve been here at least half a dozen times, and never has it been anything better than average.
The one thing I will speak highly of at Manny’s is their Queso Fundito appetizer. This dish consists of Chorizo pork, literally smothered in a blend of Mexican cheeses, topped with Pico De Gallo, and served with flour or corn tortillas. This is the only thing keeping my review above 2 stars. In fact, if all of their dishes were as good as this, my review would easily be 5 stars.
Unfortunately, the other dishes are not like the Queso Fundito. The chicken is dry and stringy, the enchiladas have a very strange flavor, and the rest of the meals I’ve tasted are just simply sub-​par. Nothing other than the Queso Fundito has been memorable in the slightest.
With options like El Patron (a must-​try!) so close by, I cannot see why anyone would choose Manny’s. The staff is incredibly friendly, but unfortunately the food just does’t live up.

The service was friendly, the drinks were strong, food was delicious and we left with full bellies and smiles on our faces.

So, I thought the inside was really cool. Lots of space. The food was just o.k. The salsa tasted like they just dumped it out of a can. no cilantro, garlic, salt, nothing… our waitress didn’t introduce herself and couldn’t wait for us to leave. It was weird how they were rushing us when there are plenty of seats available. I feel like customer service had been lost among the restaurants that have been around for awhile. So, step of your front of the house game and your salsa and I’ll be back. There’s a LOT of competition out there. Do something great!

Manny’s is about as basic as it gets when it comes to Mexican food. I give them a half step above Tex-​Mex. The food here isn’t bad at all, but it’s just not your authentic Mexican spot. The white queso is pretty good and on Wednesdays they have it for $ 4. It’s definitely enough for 2 people. If you want your basic Mexican fix, Manny’s is the place.

I first ate a Manny’s with my chef when it was pretty much just a few booths in the bar area (at least as I remember it). I had no idea what real Mexican food was back then, but I remember the guacamole, chunks of avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeño, liberally flavored with garlic and lime. It is the only way I make guac to this day… absolutely delish… and it is so much better than the completely mashed up dish you get everywhere these days.
We ate there recently and it was OK. After living in SoCal for so many years (and Phoenix), it is hard to beat being so close to the border and being able to cook great Mexican food, but our experience was good, service was fast, attentive and friendly, the food was pretty good, the restaurant was clean… I have no complaints… other than like some others, I agree the salsas could use more heat. At least have one for people (like us) who like a bit of spicy.

Great Tex-​Mex. Excellent deep fried beef tacos. Excellent tamales and chili rellenos. I think their best food is on the a la cart menu. I’ve been eating here since I was a child and I still get cravings for those deep fried tacos with the parmesan cheese on top (sounds weird but it’s perfect). A long-​standing, family owned place with good service and food.

Food is not bad, but I like to call it Kansas City Mexican. However, the Mudslide drink I had was awesome. I would go back just to drink!

Good Mexican in the downtown area. We had a short wait to get a table for four but that was no biggie when we had a pitcher of frozen strawberry margaritas to sip on, which are delicious!
Service was fast and we never we’re left waiting on items. All of us enjoyed what we ate (shrimp fajitas, veggie fajitas, Mannys buritto, and Huevos buritto with chorizo). The portions are HUGE and reasonably priced.
The only reason my review got a four is because the salsa wasn’t good and the bathrooms needed some upkeep. We’ll return if in the area looking for Mexican cuisine!

Shortly after moving here we ate at Manny’s for lunch after being told it was a local institution. The location in good and there seemed to be plenty of seating… and that is all I can say in favor of the place. In short the food is unexceptional, the salsa is weak my enchiladas were bland. Honestly if you scoot a little further southwest on Southwest Blvd you will find 3 or 4 more Mexican restaurants that are better.

Manny’s is one of my favorite restaurants and is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Kansas City. I have been a long time fan. When I worked nearby, I would go 1 – 2 times a week for lunch. Now that I don’t work nearby, I go fairly often and it is always as good as I remember.
I always order the Frito Burrito with chicken and beef. It is basically a chimichanga and it is incredibly delicious.
Their spicy salsa is my favorite salsa. I eat way too much of it every time I go. The mild salsa isn’t my favorite, but this is not a problem because I eat almost exclusively the spicy salsa.
The only downside is that Manny’s is expensive. It is worth it, though, and my family and I go as often as we can.

Never again.
We walked in and were waiting forever to be seated despite the fact that it was an off time and not busy. We were seated so far away from the main area way in the back of a second giant room.
The salsa was watery and lacked any substance or flavor. The chips were stale. I ordered a chicken burrito and it was disappointing.
To be on southwest blvd with Mexican food I expected way more. I won’t be coming back here.

If I could, I would give this 0 stars. Horrible service… And one of our friends fell asleep waiting for his food… This is not an exaggeration

Great food and customer service. Able to get quickly sat. Margarita amazing as well. Will be returning. The taco sin carne (vegetable taco) was really good and had a lot of flavor. Manager was proactive and attentive to our table as well.

Food was acceptable. That’s about it. Nothing spectacular. Standard Mexican fare. But the personnel working at the establishment made the establishment one to remember… And not for any good reasons. The hostess was a bundle of joy. If bundle of joy means a petulant unhappy emotionless robot. She did not greet or acknowledge our party of 6 upon entry in any capacity. It was like the worst thing in the world that she had customers to sit. I haven’t bothered to write a review until this visit. But 3 times of dealing with the same rude hostess over a period of a couple weeks prompted me to do so. I would quit going… But my doofus friends keep insisting because it’s close. You should probably hire someone who makes the establishment worth going to.
Edit. I have since been back a couple of times, and after the owner sent me a message, I returned and have yet to see the grumpy hostess I remember. The food was great again. And I feel like my grumpy review from a few months ago was unfairly given. I retract my old review, but will leave it up so people can see that these reviews should all be read subjectively and under the knowledge that most are given by grumpy customers who might be having a bad day. Thank you for making my visits much better in the couple times I’ve been back.

Would love to give this place a (0) Zero star if I could. It took 25 minutes of waiting for a vegan meal. Seriously??? The owner was less than accommodating with a simple request. I’m out of town and like checking new venues.
Glad to say that I will never be coming back to this place.
It’s too bad that the owner don’t see the value of taking care of their guests.

Tried Manny’s for the first time a few days ago for a friend’s birthday. We made the reservation the night before, but still had to wait a while because they won’t seat a group until everyone is present and the person who drove all of us was still trying to find a place to park. They have horrible parking, by the way, so be prepared to drive around the block several times until something opens up.
Anyway when we were finally taken to our table we were led through the first large room and into the next and then given a table placed in the hallway next to the waitstaff’s cash register and computer desk. It felt like we were always in the way as employees and customers were constantly walking past our table.
The food was a let down. It was pretty pricey and lacked flavor. I got the tamale spread, but was turned off by the huge amount of cheese dip that covered both tamales. The cheese quickly cooled and became gluey and the flavor overpowered everything else. I did enjoy their hot salsa and rice, however.
Overall, I’d have to say I was disappointed. I was excited to try the famous Manny’s, but I’m sad to say, I’d rather have almost any other Tex-​Mex place around here.