Kansas Has Some of the Midwest’s Oldest Taquerias
Kansas has some of the oldest Mexican-American communities in the Midwest, formed when railroads and meatpacking plants recruited workers in the early 1900s — Argentine and Armourdale in Kansas City, Kansas among them.
Kansas: 540 taco venues on record across 97 cities, 80 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 67% independent.
Kansas city by city
Kansas City, Kansas leads; Wichita, Topeka, Garden City and Dodge City follow the packing-plant map.
- Wichita118 places
- Kansas City61 places
- Topeka27 places
- Olathe26 places
- Overland Park26 places
- Dodge City21 places
- Liberal14 places
- Manhattan13 places
- Emporia13 places
- Lawrence12 places
- Salina11 places
- Derby10 places
- Hutchinson10 places
- Garden City9 places
- Shawnee9 places
- Hays7 places
- Newton6 places
- Gardner5 places
- Arkansas City5 places
- Parsons4 places
- Independence4 places
- Junction City4 places
- De Soto4 places
- Mission4 places
- Augusta3 places
- Concordia3 places
- Great Bend3 places
- Bonner Springs3 places
- Lenexa3 places
- Leavenworth3 places
Showing the 30 busiest of 97 Kansas cities on record.
What to order in Kansas
Long-standing family taquerias; several of these neighbourhoods have supported the same kitchens for generations.
Styles with venues documented in Kansas, most-recorded first:
Kansas is independent country
Kansas is independent-leaning — 67% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.
- 67% independent (360 of 540)
- 71% close at 11pm or later (41 of the 58 with hours on record)
- 23 have a drive-through
- 1 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
- 2 have outdoor seating
The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in Kansas
Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.
- 1Cinco de Mayo TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 2Juan Jose's TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 3Taqueria La NuevaSee hoursCallDirections
- 4Taqueria la PasaditaSee hoursCallDirections
- 5Ninfa's Tortillas & TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 6Fuzzy's Taco ShopSee hoursCallDirections
- 7Mr TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 8Taco BellSee hoursCallDirections
- 9Taco John'sSee hoursCallDirections
- 10Taco LuchaSee hoursCallDirections
- 11Taco TicoSee hoursCallDirections
- 12Tacos El VeijonSee hoursCallDirections
- 13Tiki TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 14Torchy's TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 15Carnicería y Tortillería San AntonioHours not recordedCallDirections
- 16Taqueria Mexico #4See hoursCallDirections
- 17Chuyitos BirrieriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 18District TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 19El Compa TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 20El Mariachi's TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
Tacos in Kansas: common questions
Which Kansas city has the most taco spots?
Wichita leads Kansas with 118 venues on record, followed by Kansas City and Topeka. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.
Are most tacos in Kansas from chains or independents?
33% of the 540 Kansas venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 360 independents. 80 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.
Where can I get tacos late at night in Kansas?
Of the 58 Kansas venues with opening hours on record, 41 (71%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.
What kind of tacos is Kansas known for?
Long-standing family taquerias; several of these neighbourhoods have supported the same kitchens for generations.
Which taco styles are documented in Kansas?
Barbacoa (1), Sonoran-Style (1). These are counts of venues where the style is on record, so they undercount rather than overcount.
Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.