Abarrotes Durango

Behold, Abarrotes Durango, a grocery store and casual dining spot so off the Yelp radar, if you drove by, you likely never gave it a thought. You were thinking, "Hell no, I ain't stopping THERE!" Mistake. I've corrected this error twice this week. Never reviewed, until now. Meets my strict requirements of desirability for the ultimate dining experience:1) bars on the windows, bad area of town2) small restaurant in the grocery store, run by the butcher3) brightly colored walls, preferably green, red or orange.4) I'm the only gringo in the place5) great people that make you want to return6) FANTASTIC foodRight under our collective noses, one of the better in the city (my opinion after two visits). Yea, not a great area of town, but damn if they don't do one dish that will have me coming back regularly: tripe tacos. Disclaimer: I cannot do menudo. I've tried. Spongy tripe in menudo is chewy, tastes like a wet dog smells (this is what everyone says, not just me) and is a textural thing I've decided is not for me. Ah, but fried up crispy, served in street style tacos with onions, lime, cilantro. Taste bud heaven, like nothing I've ever had. Best damn taco I've had in the city, hands down, with apologies to my beloved Bonito Michoacan. Sorry, Bonito, but they have you beat with the tripe. Everything else, not so much.The other dishes? I had the carnitas today. Good, not terrific, but the tripe tacos once again were as good as a Salvador Perez grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied at Royals Stadium. The rice and beans, solid, small salad served with a generous slice of avocado, perfectly ripened. Two sauces, both 4-alarm and clearly made in house. Small Mexican Cokes in glass bottles for us, Jarritos available in the case if you wish. $6.99 for a massive plate of carnitas, rice & beans, salad. Half of it came home. Dining companion flipped out over the taco plate, all tripe.If like me you dig "joints," and like to mingle with locals, crave real food made by real people, locally made tortillas and meat the cook carved himself, this is your place. If you're afraid of the Lexus possibility getting a scratch, are scared of brown people, or prefer a margarita on the rocks with salt from the Power & Light District, move on brother and sister. No alcohol served here.If you go: small parking lot to the East of the store. Credit cards accepted, check out the fine meat selection where you order your food. I brought home a pound of locally made chorizo. Only 3 tables, the air conditioning is not necessarily the greatest. People here on two visits clearly know there's something special going on. Taking a friend to KCI for an early flight a week from this Saturday and instead of hightailing it back to Lawrence, their Huevos Rancheros will be mine for breakfast that morning.

Good down home authentic Mexican food . Cheap and made fresh , nothing made and stuck in a warmer for hours . Don't really know what the previous poster means about "bad area of town" unless he's used to the sanitary confines of JoCo (ugh!) open til 10 pm 7 days a week . Bring your Spanish , as some of the help doesn't speak English at all ( welcome to little Mexico!) overall it's an excellent , reasonably priced place to eat, it absolutely will not leave you disappointed.

Love 99 cent tacos on Wednesdays. Their carne asada tacos with the green salsa is amazing. Always friendly faces and willing to accommodate large orders. I highly recommend trying them out! This is one of the best "hole in wall" secrets in the city. While you're waiting on your order, shop some of the freshly butchered meats. You will not be disappointed.

I eat lunch here almost every day. I'm going to need to check into a program to kick this taco habit.