A Chain Restaurant With "NOT BAD" Mexican Food

On The Border - Barry Rd.

8340 NW Roanridge Rd.

Kansas City, MO 64151

Website: OnTheBorder.com
Phone: 816-759-2270

Price: $$$$$

I usually do not review chain restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised on a recent visit to On The Border, a Mexican restaurant chain found many places across the country.

I decided to go because I was havin' a hankerin' for tacos that evening and recalled hearing the TV commercial about their "Endless Tacos".  I am not usually a fan of "all you can eat" restaurants and promotions because I tend to to just that ... eat all I can...AND MORE!

It was a Saturday night and the place was packed, but only had to wait ten minutes for a table.  I was greeted by Kelsie, a lovely and personable young lady who just graduated from Northwest Missouri State and is planning on becoming a registered nurse...BRAVO Kelsie!

I ordered a house margarita, the Guacamole Viva!, and Endless Tacos, but being rather busy it took ten minutes or so to get my margarita.  It was tasty enough, but a little "light" on alcohol for the price.

Kelsie arrived shortly thereafter with my Guacamole Viva! which she prepared tableside with two ripe avocados, a little salt, fresh cilantro, diced red onion (I would have used white onion), a splash of lime juice, and chopped tomato.  I am "The Guacamole King" and famous for my delicious guacamole.  A guacamole purist at heart,  I normally ditch the tomatoes (usually a filler in restaurants to make it look like you are getting more, but paying mostly for the much cheaper tomatoes), use finely chopped white onion, and added a clove of garlic or two.  Guacamole Viva! was good nonetheless, but the chips (and salsa) that came with my meal were too thin and broke half the time I dipped...very unnerving!

The Endless Tacos come with spanish rice and beans, black or refried.  You get three (your first go-around) and get to choose from three meats, ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork (carnitas for you non-gringos).  You also get your choice of tortilla, corn or flour, soft or deep fried.  I chose two ground beef tacos in fried corn tortillas and one pork in a soft flour tortilla.  I also dispensed with the rice, knowing that I was not going to waste a bit of room on the cheap "filler" and go for the gusto with the tacos ... AND I DID!

The beef tacos were excellent, coming with plenty of meat, some shredded cheddar cheese, and a small amount of lettuce and tomato on the plate (for all three tacos - more tomatoes required!).  I added some refried beans, guacamole, and salsa to the beef tacos and they were excellent!  Unlike Jalisco, which I reviewed a week or so back, the taco shells remained firmly in one piece, a sign of an expert taco maker and the way I prefer them. 

The pork (carnitas) tacos were also very good.  The meat was bountiful and cooked just right, there was a little cheese (I would have liked a bit more), and the tortilla much larger than the corn and toasted just enough to remain pliable, but soft enough to contain the beans, guacamole, and salsa I added.

In all, the meal was very good and I ended-up getting seven tacos.  You should know that after the initial "three" tacos, subsequent "endless tacos" come only in pairs of two, so my second order was a replica of the first, but I only ended-up getting two beef tacos.  I had to order the other pork taco later, but when it arrived there were two, so I took home the seventh taco along with the extra guacamole fro lunch the next day.

I must say that the highlight of my meal was Kelsie. She was sweet and attentive, following up just enough and not too much to make my meal enjoyable and stress free.  Best of luck to you Kelsie in your nursing career!  If you are as good a nurse as you are a server, your patients will be in very good hands!

CombatCritic gives On The Border 6 BOMBS OUT OF 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD! 

Key Words: on the border, on, border, Kansas City, northland, barry, road, mexican, food, restaurant, eat, taco, enchilada, margarita, burrito, flauta, bar, combatcritic, combat, critic

Rancho Grande Cantina (Parkville) ... Bueno!

Rancho Grande Cantina
(816) 505-9097

11015 NW Hwy 45
Parkville,MO 64152

Price: $$$$$ - All entrees below $15

RANCHOGRANDECANTINA.COM

Rancho Grande in Parkville is a weekly staple in our house. Yes, of course it is Americanized Mexican, but we are in America after all. If you have a craving for inexpensive, quality food, this USED TO BE THE PLACE. I have been a customer for five years and have continued to go back week after week, but that could soon change!

You would think that customers who come back week after week after week, particularly ones who have a restaurant and food blog, would be known by name, perhaps greeted with more than indifference, but that is not the case at Rancho Grande Cantina.

The food is good, normally consistent, but that has changed recently.  For example, on their "Fajita Special" night a few months back, I sat in the bar and had some of the worst service in recent memory. On the back of many employee's shirts is the phrase "I know Joe", referring to the alleged owner, a guy named "Joe" apparently. Well, Joe was sitting in the bar with several of his cronies and my waiter seemed more focused on making Joe happy than any of his customers.  Joe and his pals were knocking back the beers while I sat, and sat, and sat, and waited for my appetizer, then dinner, when my waiter was more interested in making sure Joe and his pals were supplied with cold beer than taking care of his customers.  

The fajitas, although discounted $3.oo, were more than 30% less than their normal portion AND BURNT. I could not get my waiters attention long enough to convey my displeasure because of his infatuation with Joe, so I went home and conveyed my displeasure via Yelp and Foursquare.  I was being lazy.

Cinco de Mayo, to my displeasure, was an extremely busy night on a normally quiet Sunday, our normal Rancho Grande evening.  The hostess told us our wait would be 30  minutes, but we ended up waiting over an hour. When I saw that we were next on the list for a table, we went to the front and waited next to the hostess, thinking we would have a table in a few minutes.  A party of eight was seated before us even though they fell after us on the list, but that is not irregular.  What was irregular was the party of two, plus a child, that got our table because they were "friends' of the hostess.  I saw the man conversing with employees earlier, so I knew that he was either an employee or a friend of staff.  So when he and his family were seated, at our table, without being on "the list", I was unhappy, but because of the mass confusion, I kept my mouth shut.

Our server did not greet us for close to ten minutes after being seated and when we ordered, we let her know that my wife's quesadilla was cold last time she ordered it, asking her to please ensure that it was properly heated this evening. When it arrived, 30 minutes later, it was luke-warm. The young woman that dropped-off the plates ignored our pleas for assistance, pretending that she did not hear us as we attempted to point out the chill on the quesadilla.  Taking several minutes to get the attention of our server, we finally let her know that the meal was cold and finally received our complete meals ten minutes later.

All the while, Joe, whom we still do not know after five years of weekly visits, was sucking down a beer by the bar, ignoring his customers and the horrible service we were receiving.

We have spent literally thousands of dollars at Rancho Grande in the five years we have lived in Kansas City.  I enjoy the food and some of the servers recognize us although none even have any idea what our names are.  I would expect a little more of a business whose business is customer service, but customer service seems to be a thing of the past, so why should I be disappointed?

As I said, even though we eat there very week, most of the staff barely recognize us and hardly anybody has any idea what our names are.  Temira, a native-American server with a Hebrew name (meaning "tall"), is one of the few servers that bothers to give us the time of day.  She is very pretty and kind, giving personalized service where most of her peers fail.  A personality ... what a concept ... thank you Temira!  I would like to personally tell Temira how much I appreciate her personalized attention, but the restaurant is not amenable to such conversations.  Fell free to send me a message Temira ... SEND ME A MESSAGE

Having been dedicated and consistent customers for five years, I would expect more from a restaurant where we literally spend thousands of dollars a year.  There are a few servers , like Temira, that stop to say hello, but the busboys know us better than any of them, making sure to bring the "hot" salsa when we arrive.  If the rest of the staff were as attentive as they are, we would feel like royalty, a not so terrible thing considering our loyalty to the establishment.

Joe, whom I still do not know, even though I have been eating at his restaurant every week for five years, should be ashamed for his apathy toward guests and his propensity to suck down beers rather than  ensure his customers get the service and quality we deserve. I do not expect, nor would I accept, special treatment because I am a food critic.  But I am a paying customer and would expect that our loyalty to his business would at least be appreciated, something we have not felt in five years of eating at Rancho Grande. The manager, a nice woman who knows us by face and that I have a food and travel blog, does not even know our names ... after five years ... every Sunday for five years ... can you believe that?  Maybe it is time to find a proprietor and restaurant that appreciates our hard earned money and loyalty.

In all, Rancho Grande in Parkville WAS an excellent choice for quality American-Mexican food with large portions at a reasonable price, but if you want to be appreciated ... go elsewhere!  Jalisco is a new Mexican restaurant is the Parkville area, see my Jalisco Mexican Restaurant Review, and while the food is not quite as good as Rancho Grande, you feel welcome when you walk through the door.

CombatCritic gives Rancho Grande Cantina in Parkville 6 (used to be 7) Out of 10 BOMBS ... Bombs are good!

11015 NW Mo-45
Kansas City, MO 64152 

ranchograndecantina.com

Key Words: 64152, CombatCritic, critic, eat, eating, kansas city, mexican food, missouri, MO, Parkville, rancho grande cantina, restaurant, Restaurants, Review, Review Kansas City Restaurants, reviews, Temira, Mexican, food

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Taco Mobil Jalapeño Brothers Arthur's Lounge ... It's a Taco Truck for Cryin' Out Loud!

Jalapeño Brothers
World's Liquor Parking Lot
8108 NW Prairie View Road
Kansas City, MO 64151
816-337-1014

Jalapeño Brothers Facebook Page

Prices: $$$$$

Mobile food trucks have become trendy in recent years, ever since I started the craze with Mobile Joe, a mobile internet cafe business I built literally from the ground up in 2005.  MasterChef, Hell's Kitchen, and many of the other food-based reality shows inevitably dedicate one or more episodes to a challenge involving food trucks.  A lot has changed since the days of the "food truck" arriving at construction sites with cold sandwiches, luke-warm coffee, and food piled on a bunch of ice.

I am not quite sure what the name of this business is ... Taco Mobil? ... Jalapeño Brothers? Arthur's Lounge? ... Taco Mobil Jalapeño Brothers?  It really does not matter because you can find this truck, a modified industrial size van to be precise, in the parking lot of World's Liquor on Prairie View Road between Barry Road to the north and 72nd Street to the south in Kansas City's Northland.  Up the street from Jaliscos (reviewed elsewhere in this blog) and LC's, the famous hamburger stand, close to the also well known In a Tub, the greasy spoon, I mean, taco stand, and spitting distance from Saffron Indian Restaurant (also reviewed in this blog), there is no shortage of fast food in this neighborhood.

The menu is short and sweet, although not easy to figure out the first time you see it.  Your options are tacos ($2.00), burritos ($4.00), Torta (a large Mexican sandwich - $6.00), and quesadillas ($5.00) with a choice of meat (carne asada - small chunks of steak, pollo - shredded chicken, al pastor - small pieces of pork with pineapple and onion, and carnitas - shredded roasted pork).  I had the tacos, carne asada and pastor, and as you can see in the photo, they come open-face with just meat and the accompanying salsa verde (green chili sauce) and a guacamole-like concoction that looks more like avocado salad dressing, if it still exists.  I added the cheese because tacos without cheese is like a day without sex, bearable, but definitely better with the sex, I mean cheese.

The tacos were excellent and at $2.00 each, you can gorge yourself for the price of an appetizer at most restaurants.  As I said, they come only with meat on a warm corn tortilla, the way they are served south of the border.  No rice, no beans, just good tacos with an abundance of protein for the carnivore in you.  I will try the burrito, torts, and quesadilla on future visits, likely once a week from now on. 

They apparently also serve tamales and fish tacos because a sign on the truck says so, but I did not see a price or anybody ordering them.  I do not think they have drinks, but World's Liquor is right there, so you should be able to find something to your liking, like a cold Tecate con sal e limon ... YUM ... minus the salt and lemon I am sure!

I will update this review as I sample more of the small menu ... very soon ... Ole'!

Jalapeño Brothers gets 8 BOMBS OUT OF 10 for quality food, abundant portions (I saw a torts ... grande!), and extremely reasonable prices!

Key Words: jalapeño, brothers, mobil, mobile, taco, tacos, burrito, torts, quesadilla, tamale, fish, carne asada, carnitas, pastor, food, truck, comabtcritic, World's, liquor, Northland, Kansas City, 64151

Kansas City Yelp Elite '14 Event: Yelp Oughta Be In The Pictures

The Palace Cinema is on the second floor of an indoor mall on the Country Club Plaza. There are several theaters showing a variety of films, but this event was in the "VIP" theater, an appropriated place for yelp's Elite '14!

I was finally able to meet Matt E., our Kansas City Yelp Community Manager, and he was very welcoming. Unable to attend the three previous events since becoming an Elite '14 due to travel and illnesses, I was very pleased to be able to attend this event and meet some of the wonderful folks I have only known by name and photo.

The VIP Lounge was small, but comfortable with a full bar (soft/mixed drinks available at an extra cost - my wife's Coke was $4.99) and COMPLIMENTARY beer, red wine, and treats (mini-popcorn balls dipped in chocolate, M&Ms, Gummy Bears, and cherry Twizzlers).There was also a gift bag available for all, containing a yelp super ball, peppermints, and chapstick in addition to a coupon for a free small popcorn and a ticket for free entry to one Kansas City Film Festival film.

The film, "Doomsdays" (a pre-ecliptic comedy following "the misadventures of Dirty Fred (Justin Rice) and Bruho (Leo Fitzpatrick), a pair of free-wheeling squatters with a taste for unoccupied vacation homes in the Catskills". Their commitment to the lifestyle is challenged, however, when a runaway teen and an aimless young woman join their ranks") started promptly at 6:30PM with an intro by Matt E.

The seats in the VIP theater were big and comfy with a small table between every other two to stow our sweets, drinks, and popcorn. Seating only 80 or so Yelpers,it was an intimate affair. The movie was interesting, an "Indie" film and winner of a couple small film festival awards, and entertaining.

We had a great time and the event was well worth the 50 minute drive from Lawrence! I hope to attend more Elite Events in the future, POSSIBLY ONE IN LAWRENCE IN UPCOMING MONTHS!

CombatCritic Gives "Elite Event: Yelp Oughta Be In The Pictures" and "Matt E." 10 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!

Key Words: yelp, elite, event, kansas city, Missouri, country, club, plaza, Palace Cinema, palace, cinema, theater, VIP, lounge, Doomsdays, film, Kansas City Film Festival, CombatCritic, TravelValue

Cascone's Sits Atop North Oak Trafficway ... And Headed Downhill

Cascone's (North Oak)

3733 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 454-7977

www.Cascones.com

$$$$$ (PREVIOUSLY $$)

Ponte Vecchio - Florence, Italy

I am an Italian-American, was raised by first generation immigrants from the hills between Napoli (Naples) and Bari on the Adriatic Sea, lived in Italy for three years on assignment with the U.S. Air Force, and married an Italian (Sicilian to be precise), so we travel there often to see family and enjoy the wonderful cuisine.

Traditional Italian food (in the old country) only resembles what we call "Italian" here and you have not lived until you have eaten a traditional Italian meal...in Italy. Dinner in Italy normally does not start until 9PM and rarely ends before midnight. Starting with the antipasto, you may have assorted fresh meats and cheeses, prosciutto e melone (cured Italian ham from Parma and melone which is Italian cantaloupe - a traditional antipasto during the warm summer months), or, my favorite, insalata caprese (fresh buffalo mozzarella with bright red tomato slices drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fresh basil leaves). Fresh homemade bread always accompanies your meal, but you may be charged a "coperto" (cover) of one or two euros for the bread and place setting. Primo (or the first dish) is next and usually consists of soup or pasta, an infinite variety of freshly made pastas mixed with an equally infinite number of sauce combinations. All the while, you sip bottled water (with or without gas...bubbles) and some of the most delicious wines in the world, usually locally made, if not on the premises. Next comes the secondo (or main dish), usually meat or fish, simply prepared and accompanied by contorni (vegetables, potatoes, and salad...yes, salad comes with the main dish, not before your meal). Italians would never think of eating pasta and meat (or fish) on the same plate, so the traditions you see in the U.S. (e.g. Olive Garden...excuse me while a vomit a little in my mouth) DEFINITELY did not originate in Italy. Finally, a digestivo, a liquor such as grappa, amaretto, or, my favorite, limoncello, is served before cafe (what you call espresso (cappuccino is never drunk after morning and is considered a woman's drink) and dolce (dessert), usually something simple like fruit and cheese or biscotti (cookies).

My wife and I have been going to Cascone's for three years and have never had a bad meal. Some were not as good as others were, but never bad. My Sicilian spouse has grown accustomed to the American version and, even though nontraditional (in her eyes anyway), Cascone's is one of her favorites. Strong praise indeed from an Italian citizen.

We inevitably arrive on Sunday evening and the soup selection (all entrees come with soup or salad and a loaf of fresh baked bread) is very limited, rather predictable, and mostly boring..chicken of one sort or another with noodles or rice.

The salad with the house dressing (an olive oil and vinaigrette) is always good, but inconsistent. Sometimes you get olives, artichoke heart, and croutons, sometimes not. I order the blue cheese crumbles on the side and get a twist of fresh cracked pepper. Very good salad and the great bread makes up for the lack of consistency in ingredients (croutons for example). ... UPDATE ... THE NEW MENU ) AS OF APRIL 2013) IS NOW ALA CARTE (AGAIN ... WE HAVE BEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE) AND SOUP OR SALAD ARE NOW EXTRA WITH A HOUSE SALAD GOING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $3.50 WITH AN ENTREE.  INSTEAD OF GETTING THE WARM LOAF OF SESAME SEED TOPPED OF WARM, CRUSTY BREAD IS NOW A COUPLE OF PIECES IN A BASKET ... BOOOOOO!

The antipasto selection is limited and non-traditional, including the "Italian Nachos" a huge concoction that looks filling, but not appetizing. With the size of the entrees and the soup/salad, you will not need an antipasto anyway. If you do, get the steamed artichoke (when it is in-season) and share it with your guest.

I love veal and their veal parmigiana is superb. Pounded thin, lightly breaded, and pan fried, you get two large escallops on a bed of spaghetti (I order the mastacioli instead, a type of large penne). I do not like that the meat covers the pasta and inevitably have to dig the pasta out to scrape enough sauce together to cover the mastacioli, sometimes having to ask for extra marinara to cover the white bits. The servers are skimpy on the hand grated parmigianno-reggiano cheese, so I usually have them fill up my bread plate and scatter the cheese as I see fit.  

... UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE ... 

EVEN THOUGH THE MENU HAS CHANGED TO ALA CARTE AGAIN, AND PRICES HAVE GONE UP, PORTIONS ARE SMALLER.  MY MASTACIOLI LAST NIGHT WAS NOT DRAINED WELL AND THE SAUCE WAS WATERY.  CASCONE'S MARINARA SAUCE IS VERY GOOD, BUT WATER, UNFORTUNATELY, DOES NOT ADD TO THE FLAVOR ... ANOTHER BOOOOOOO!

I have had the veal marsala and it is not like any marsala dish I have ever tried. They use green (bell) peppers and onions in addition to the more traditional mushrooms, a combination that does not quite work with a delicate marsala sauce. I would not bother with this dish if I were you.

The chicken spedieni is very good and bountiful, but everything comes with pasta and marinara sauce, so if you want alfredo or olive oil and garlic, which would be more appropriate, be prepared to pay extra.

The pasta dishes are good and my wife usually orders the tortelonni Savina Maria, large shells stuffed with veal and cheese in a white sauce with mushrooms, peas, and pieces of prosciutto (cannot tell if it is cotto or crudo). It is very good and enough for one very hungry person of two light eaters (be prepared to be charged if you share, they charge for everything not priced on the menu). She also likes the Pasta Asiago, bowtie pasta in a crème sauce with broccoli and mushrooms (and chicken if you want to pay extra). The Pasta Asiago comes with tomatoes, but my wife is intolerant to tomatoes (can you believe it, an Italian woman that does not eat tomatoes, drink wine, or cook!).  There are a couple pizza choices (two to three depending  on the menu) and are decent, being the single serving (one person) size and much smaller than their Naepolitano (from Naples, Italy) cousins...VERY DISTANT COUSINS!

I have never had room for dessert, but the choices are traditional and look good so go for it if you have room.

The wine list (and menu) change as often my brother's underwear, so do not become too attached to any particular maker or vintage. The house wines are pretty good and come in various varieties and at $6 per glass, are a relative bargain ... 

... UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ... 

We returned for dinner on April 26th, 2013 and the menu had changed once again! THE WINE LIST IS VERY DIFFERENT ... WINE BY THE GLASS ARE NOW $8 TO $11 AND UP!  BOTTLES MAY HAVE RISEN, BUT ARE NOW A MUCH BETTER VALUE.  MANY "UPSCALE" RESTAURANTS CAN GET AWAY WITH $8 TO $11 GLASSES OF WINE, BUT CASCONE'S IS NOT THAT KIND OF RESTAURANT AND THESE PRICES ARE GOING TO HURT WINE SALES BECAUSE CASCONE'S HAS A LARGE SENIOR CITIZEN CUSTOMER BASE AND IN TODAY'S ECONOMY, FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO PAY THE EQUIVALENT OF $60 FOR A $25 TO $30 BOTTLE OF WINE. 

As I said, we have been going to Cascone's practically every Sunday for five years, so you would think the wait staff would know us by name by now. They do not. The receptionist is quite friendly and knows us by face, but do not expect to be called by name by any of the staff, no matter how long you have been going there. Service is friendly enough and things get done on time (mostly), but they do not chit chat and seem to care less who you are. After all, I am there for food and companionship with my table mates, not to make friends with the wait staff. 

... UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE ...

OUR SERVER LAST NIGHT WAS WONDERFUL AND VERY FRIENDLY AND ACCOMMODATING, EVEN THOUGH SHE NEVER TOLD US HER NAME ... THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND EXCELLENT SERVICE ... WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS!

CombatCritic NOW gives Cascone's (North Oak) ONLY 6 out of 1o BOMBS ... BOMBS in this case are good!

CombatCritic's BOMB ratings are based on "VALUE" ... quality of the food, service, ambience compared to the prices, so the drastic price changes in the case of Cascone's dropped their score one BOMB ... SORRY FRIENDS!

On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Overpriced Food

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Key Words: Cascone's, Italian, restaurant, food, spaghetti, lasagna, wine, vino, salad, bread, pasta, pizza, Kansas City, Kansas, city, TravelValue,CombatCritic

Saffron Authentic Indian Cuisine

Saffron Authentic Indian Cuisine

8140 NW Prairie View Road

Kansas City, MO 64152

Phone: 816.505.5576

Fax: 816.505.5586

Website: www.saffronindianfood.com

Saffron is an excellent Indian restaurant with a family atmosphere in the Northland just south of Zona Rosa.

Lamb Vindaloo

In a strip mall off I-29 near Barry Road, it does not look like much from the outside. Looks can be surprising because the interior is clean and tastefuly, although sparsely, decorated.

The staff welcomes you warmly and quickly, providing a menu that is almost overwhelming. There are far too many options to choose from, but based on our experience, you will not be disappointed no matter the choice. Vegetarian, chicken, and lamb options dominate the menu. You will not find beef here because India is a predominantly Hindu nation and cows are sacred...SO YOU CANNOT EAT THEM!

The dishes are well prepared and presented, offering reasonable quantities at less than reasonable prices. Not extremely overpriced, the restaurant was empty at 8PM in a Friday night, so shaving a few dollars of the completely ala carte menu would probably draw more customers.

Sag Paneer

Our hostess and server was delightful, dressed in traditional Indian fashion and an accent to match.  She quickly took our order, asking if we had any questions.  Having lived in England for three years while in the military, I became quite familiar with Indian cuisine, so we did not need the help.  She brought the traditional papadum (crispy spiced lentil wafers) accompanied by two relishes, one green and one red.  I ordered the lamb vindaloo combination plate ($18.99 – lamb rogan josh, a classic curry, and pasanda, served in a mild walnut cream sauce, were other options), including a generous copper bowl of lamb vindaloo (lamb and potato in a spicy sauce) accompanied by dal (a lentil stew), raita (a creamy sauce similar to Greek Tzatziki used to temper the spiciness if desired), and nan (traditional handmade, baked flatbread).  My wife, preferring vegetarian dishes and not a fan of lamb in particular, had the sag paneer ($11.99), a copper tureen of creamed spinach baked with chunks of white farmers cheese inside.

Classic Nan Bread

My combination plate was delicious and a fair value for the amount and quality of the food. It could have been priced a dollar or two less if they hope to generate more business, but I was not disappointed.  The vindaloo was delicious although the chunks of lamb were not abundant, the dal was a little dry, but delicious, the raita was creamy and a nice compliment to the spicy vindaloo, and the nan bread scrumptious.  The sag paneer was also delicious and plentiful, but at $11.99 ala carte, quite a bit overpriced for some creamed spinach, a few chunks of cheese, and spices.  We ordered the kabuli bread ($3.99) for my wife, a leavened bread stuffed with nuts, cherries, raisins, and coconut, which was tasty, but a little to sweet for a main course accompaniment.  There are 13 bread choices, so I think we will pick a more savory option next time if ordering ala carte.

In all, the meal was delightful even if they have not received their liquor license yet, beer and vindaloo were born for each other, but staff says they should have it "any day".

CombatCritic gives Saffron a fair 5 out of 10 BOMBS ... more bombs are good ... leaving room for improvement in the decor, pricing, and liquor options.

HOURS

Lunch Buffet 7 Days a Week
Mon- Fri 11.00 to 2.30
Sat- Sun 11.30 TO 3.00
Dinner
Mon - Sat 5.00 to 10.00

Sun 5.00 to 9.00

Key Words: Saffron Indian Cuisine, Saffron, Indian, cuisine, Kansas City, MO curry, basmati, naan, samosa, vindaloo, korma, jasmine, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, valueWebRep

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Vietnam Cafe ... Serious, Affordable, Quality Vietnamese Cuisine in KC

Vietnam Cafe
522 Campbell Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 472-4888
Price: $$$$$

Vietnam Cafe is hands-down the BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT IN KANSAS CITY! A small, clean, unassuming diner-type building in the old Little Italy section near River Market, they have great, authentic Vietnamefood at very reasonable prices.

We started with the Vietnamese egg rolls (4 - $5, you have to ask for them specifically) which are only different from regular egg rolls in that you get lettuce leaves to wrap them in and cilantro, mint leaves (if available), and sliced carrots to add inside the lettuce as well as a spicy rice vinegar dipping sauce ... YUM!

I had the beef curry and my wife had the vegetarian pho. Both were excellent although the curry was not of the variety of Vietnamese curry that I am used to (a thick red curry with mostly beef). The pho, my wife's favorite, was chock full of veggies and as tasty as we have had.

The staff are very friendly and helpful and the restaurant is extremely clean. It is not a huge place, but we had no difficulty getting a table. The neighborhood looks a bit dodgy, but we have never had any problems either at Vietnam Cafe or Garrozo's which is not far away.

CombatCritic Gives Vietnam Cafe 8 Out Of 10 Bombs for good food and service at a GREAT VALUE ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Vietnam Cafe, Vietnam, cafe, Vietnamese, pho, curry, noodles, egg roll, egg, roll, Kansas City, Missouri, MO, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp, Urbanspoon, TripAdvisor