Fogones Mexican Delights

The Mexican restaurant Fogones, located next to the Shawnee City Hall on Johnson Drive, is relatively new, but business is booming; for good reason, too. I was greeted with a brightly painted interior, friendly staff and mouth-watering aromas upon entering, and that was before I even sat down. Papel picado was strung across the ceiling and strings of chili peppers dangled over the counter, making for a festive appearance which, paired with the bright walls, created a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Upon sitting down, I was delievered freshly prepared chips and several salsas: a fruity mango pico de gallo, a mild red salsa, and a tangy green salsa. The menu was minimalistic with only a few options for tacos, burritos and special dishes that included ostrich meat burritos and fish tacos. I stayed away from the ostrich meat and went with a Cochina Pibil taco (marinated pork with achiote seeds and orange juice), a Taco con Carnitas en Salsa Verde (shredded beef in a tangy green sauce), and a chile verde tamale. All three items were around $2.50 each and were more than enough to fill me up, though I could not stop eating. As far as service, food quality and overall experience, Fogones did an outstanding job. I would go so far as to say it is the best Mexican restaurant in Shawnee.

El Maguey Mexican Restaurant

Located in the small strip mall just southwest of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Monticello Road, El Maguey is a good choice for quick and decent Mexican food. The first thing that is noticable is how open the space is, which makes it feel a little unfriendly. The staff was amiable enough, however. I ordered a chicken soft taco and the Enchiladas Verdes: pork enchiladas smothered in green tomatilla sauce. The green sauce was tangy and sweet, but it had a little kick to it. As for the taco, I was delighted to find that it had a great flavor. For how close and how quick it is, El Maguey is the place to get your taco on.

Ponaks Mexican Kitchen

While Ponak’s has been on the Kansas City Mexican food scene since 1975, I was not impressed with what it offered. First, I had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. It would not have been so bad if the chips and salsa had been better when I did sit down. On top of that, I felt overcrowded, like they were trying to fit as many people in there as they could. I ordered deep fried tacos with shredded beef and a pork soft taco. The deep fried tacos were delicious, as expected, most likely because of the deep fried shells. They had a lot of flavor and I was pleased with the product. The pork taco was OK, but was a little dry and didn’t have as much flavor as I had hoped. For the Southwest Boulevard, an area known for Mexican food, I was unimpressed with the results Ponak’s had to offer.