Dish & Drink KC: Hispanic-owned businesses at Los Hornos and Café Ollama
Argentinian Choripan With Fries Verdeo. // Photo By Lauren Textor
Los Hornos
We’re on our way back from a weekend trip, when we pull off the highway and into the parking lot for Los Hornos. We’re too tired to cook dinner and the chicken salad in the cooler that we’ve lugged across multiple state lines is unappetizing after a long day of driving.
So, we’re here. My mom has never had Argentinian food, but she’s a willing participant in almost all of my food adventures.
We’re the only ones in the restaurant on this dreary Sunday night. We occupy ourselves by reading the entire menu—including the section on the restaurant’s history—because there’s little more to say that hasn’t already been covered during our day-long drive.
We learn that our server, Isolina, is also the co-owner. Los Hornos has a sister restaurant in Tucuman, Argentina that Isolina’s parents originally owned. In August 2022, she chose to carry on the tradition of Argentinian cooking in Kansas City for “its beautiful places, its tranquility, and all the warmth of the people.”
Los Hornos has a small corner with Argentinian goods next to a poster board with receipts for pre-paid meals. Anyone unable to pay for their meal is welcome to grab one of these receipts, which entitles them to a free, hot meal.
When Isolina approached our table, she was followed by a hip-high robot that carried our plates on its trays. Isolina then placed our plates on the table herself. As she turned back toward the kitchen, the robot paused for a moment, then spun around to trail behind her.
Sfija And Chorizo Empanadas At Los Hornos. // Photo By Lauren Textor
Already impressed by the tech, we divided our food. We each had half of the chorizo empanada, the sfija—a pastry with minced meat—and the Argentinian choripán sandwich with fries verdeo.
The choripán is a grilled chorizo sausage sandwiched between slices of toasted, crusty bread with lettuce and tomato.
We found that the fries verdeo were essentially cheesy fries topped with green onions. They weren’t as warm as the rest of our food, and I’m not big on cold cheese sauce, but we still ate every one of them.
On a nicer day, we might have sat on the sizable patio. It’s partially sheltered by the building, but you can see through a fence onto the highway. Not exactly my idea of a prime view, nonetheless you have to enjoy your outdoor time where you can.
If we have more time and we’re less stuffed on our next visit, we’ll try the Maria Luisa cake, a layered jam dessert.
Los Hornos is located at 10004 NW Executive Hills Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64153.
Robot Server At Los Hornos. // Photo By Lauren Textor
Café Ollama
Café Ollama’s March menu is extra special. The baristas who created the Marzo drinks will receive 10% of sales from their personal concoctions at the end of the month. You can help reward their creativity by adopting a new favorite beverage in the last
Pre Paid Meals At Los Hornos. // Photo By Lauren Textor
few days of this month. All drinks are $7.
El Coco Rayado is a shot of espresso with cream of coconut, miel (honey), canela (cinnamon), and sprinkles of toasted coconut topping.
The Xitlalli is cajeta (caramel) with lavender, sweet foam, espresso, and a shake of star-shaped sprinkles. This dreamy drink’s name has an Aztec origin, meaning ‘star’ or ‘moon goddess.’
La Payasita can single-handedly give you a sugar high. It contains chocolate, strawberry, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, oat milk, and espresso—Not to mention it also contains an actual Paleta Payeso marshmallow lollipop.
The Matcha Mami is a tamer, more classic drink, but it still has a twist. This organic matcha oat milk latte is topped with guava cold foam for a tart, tangy finish.
Finally, the Pelón Soda mixes a pour of the most well-known Mexican soda, Jarritos—your choice of guava, lime, pineapple, or mandarin—with condensed milk.
Café Ollama frequently hosts paint-and-sip events, which are posted in advance on their social media. The café can get crowded and free parking can be difficult to find nearby, but if you’re able to snag a spot, then you can enjoy the shop’s warm, cozy vibes, elegant woodwork, and creative drinks.
Café Ollama is located at 523 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108.
