The Wade Brothers had a vision for Tiki Taco on West 39th Street. Brothers Lyndon and Lindsey Wade are local photographers and video artists known worldwide for commercial work on behalf of A-list clients like Nike and Google. They took over this vaguely tropical Mexican restaurant (1710 W. 39th St., KCMO) as a placemaking project that came with the solemn obligation to sate after-bar crowds with cheap tacos. To handle the culinary side, they tapped former Westport Cafe co-owner Richard Wiles, who supplemented classic ground beef in crunchy shells with fare like these Thai fried chicken tacos. The chicken is fried in a tempura batter seasoned with a spice blend that includes ancho chili, paprika and cumin and then gets a nice kick from a dousing of Thai chili sauce. It comes in a perfect Yoli tortilla for $4. It’s double the size of most street tacos and available from the to-go window out front so you can grab one on your way to the next spot.
Martin Cizmar
Martin Cizmar is the editor of Kansas City magazine.
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