Tiki Taco gets new ownership, menu, and dining room

Walk-up West 39th Street taco shop is expanding.

February 11, 2022

Thomas White,

Courtesy Tiki Taco

Tiki Taco opened in 2017 as a late-night walk-up window for 39th Street revelers, but now looks to expand with a new ownership group.

Ownership of Tiki Taco transferred to Judy Rush, Lyndon, and Lindsey Wade, who also own The Guild event space in East Crossroads, Paradise Garden Club, and RW2 Productions.

Former co-owner of Westport Cafe, Richard Wiles, joins the triumvirate as a partner and will oversee menu development and expansion. Jason Kinslow, who opened Gram and Dunn, worked with Trezo Mare and other local restaurants, will function as the Director of Operations.

“We are local Kansas City artists and entrepreneurs who love culture, food, and the arts,” says Lyndon Wade. “We formed this dream team and took the best parts of our past experiences to make this a really interesting and energetic concept with great food.”

New Menu

You can breathe a sigh of relief as the wildly popular KC burrito, nachos, and fish tacos aren’t going anywhere. In a joint effort with Carlos Ruiz-Finch, Wiles captains the new menu with an eye towards coastal and global flavors. Unique items like a Thai Fried Chicken Taco and Thai Chili Pork Burrito were created in Wile’s food truck Westport Street Fare, then adopted by Tiki Taco.

There’s a bounty of vegan and vegetarian options like the jackfruit tacos and mean bean burrito. Ingredients will be sourced locally when possible, like the tortillas sourced locally from Yoli Tortilleria. The four salsa offerings will be made from scratch daily.

This is Tiki Taco, so of course, there are island-themed drinks aplenty. Locally made Bronson’s Milk Punch Spirit** is showcased in the Tiki Milk Punch along with rum and pineapple Jarritos. Another crowd-pleaser is the Poco Picante, a cocktail made with Blanco tequila, triple sec, lime, basil, and coconut cream.

New Dining Room

No longer just a late-night walk-up window, Tiki Taco has seating for 43 now. The new owners worked over the pandemic to reimagine the interior space. They worked with local artists to hand-paint signage and murals throughout the restaurant, which helps put out the island vibe.

“We wanted the space to feel fresh and fun with a beachy, the ’80s and ’90s aesthetic—a time when people were more unplugged,” says design lead Alaina Colleen.

**Former-bartending author’s note: If you haven’t heard of Bronson’s milk punch, read up on it after you finished here, fascinating and delicious stuff.