This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a family-owned Mexican restaurant on Brookside Plaza in Kansas City, MO, owned by the Hernandez family since 1995 and now run by second-generation operator Justin Hernandez; Tier 1 as a locally grown, owner-operated neighborhood institution.

Description

Jalapeños is a family-owned Mexican restaurant located at 6318 Brookside Plaza in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.12 The restaurant serves Mexican food made fresh on-site with “fresh, local quality ingredients,” and is known for its house dip, burritos, fajitas, and margaritas.34

The Brookside restaurant opened in 1995 as the second location of a Jalapeños that first “served its first table in 1991.”356 It operates Monday through Saturday 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. and Sunday noon–9:00 p.m.12

Signature items frequently cited by the restaurant and by reviewers include the “addicting” Jalapeños dip, the jalapeño-dip burrito, the verde burrito with its tangy green sauce, the fajitas, and margaritas served by the pitcher.13 The business describes itself as “locally grown, locally owned and operated.”3

Ownership and history

The Jalapeños brand was founded in 1991 by partners Pat and Benny Hernandez, who opened their first location in the Stanley area (Overland Park / Stanley, Kansas).356 In 1995, Benny Hernandez opened the Brookside location at 6318 Brookside Plaza.56

In 2013 the two original partners parted ways, each taking a well-established location: Pat Hernandez retained the Stanley/Overland Park restaurant, and Benny Hernandez became sole owner of the Brookside restaurant.35 Benny has since stepped back, and his son, Justin Hernandez, now serves as the general manager and operator of the Brookside location, making Jalapeños a second-generation, family-run business.35

In 2023–2024 the restaurant drew attention when an unrelated establishment, “Jalapeños Mexican Grill,” opened downtown at 1501 Grand Boulevard. Justin Hernandez publicly clarified that the longtime family restaurant was not relocating downtown and remains in its original Brookside Plaza home — “It has created quite the stir.”5

Last verified: 2026-06-20 · Source: Jalapeños Brookside official site (food menu + drink menu) · URL(s): https://jalapenosbrookside.com/kansas-city-jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-food-menu · https://jalapenosbrookside.com/kansas-city-jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-drink-menu · Confidence: High (items, descriptions, and prices pulled directly from the restaurant’s own current menu pages; Medium only on whether posted prices reflect the most recent in-store update).

A full-service Mexican menu built around the house Jalapeños dip, oversized signature burritos, sizzling fajitas, and margaritas by the glass or pitcher.78

Signature dishes (the items the restaurant builds its name on)

  • Jalapeño Dip — house white-cheese dip “with our special ingredients”; the namesake starter. ($10.75)7
  • Jalapeño Dip Burrito — billed by the restaurant as the “most popular burrito in KC,” smothered in the signature dip. ($16.95)7
  • Chicken Verde Burrito — chicken burrito with the tangy green (verde) sauce. ($17.25)7
  • Chubby Burrito — beef, pork, beans, and cheese under queso sauce. ($16.25)7
  • Santa Cruz Dinner — grilled chicken topped with the Jalapeños dip. ($16.35)7

Appetizers & dips

  • Chile Con Queso — traditional yellow cheese dip. ($10.45)7
  • Nachos — ($9.70; add beans $10.55; add protein $13.55)7
  • Quesadillas — ($11.25; add protein $13.50)7
  • Mexican Egg Rolls — chicken, corn, black beans, peppers, spinach. ($12.80)7
  • Jalapeño Wings — Mexican-style with ranch. ($14.55)7
  • Jalapeño Poppers — cream-cheese filled, fried. ($11.90)7
  • Guacamole Appetizer — two scoops with pico and parmesan. ($10.55)7
  • Mexi Fries — ($11.75; add protein $13.95)7

Tacos

  • Crunchy Tacos — beef or chicken. ($3.95)7
  • Soft Tacos — beef/chicken/pork ($4.90); fish or shrimp ($5.95); tilapia ($5.25).7
  • Vera Cruz Taco — fried flour shell. ($5.60)7

Burritos & enchiladas

  • Burritos — ($10.45; add protein $11.60)7
  • Cheese & Onion Enchilada — ($4.99; add protein $7.15)7
  • Spinach & Cheese Enchilada — ($6.99; add protein $7.85)7

Fajitas

  • Veggie Fajitas — ($13.75)7
  • Steak / Chicken / Pork / Grilled Pork / Combo — ($18.95)7
  • Shrimp or Combo — ($19.50)7
  • Fajita Quesadilla — ($14.95–$17.55 by protein)7
  • Fajita Burrito — ($13.85–$17.40 by protein)7
  • Fajita Nachos — ($16.75)7

Combination dinners

  • #1 Jalapeño Platter — taco, enchilada, tamale, tostada. ($19.95)7
  • #3 Tacos! Tacos! Tacos! — three crispy tacos. ($15.25)7
  • #4 Hombre — two enchiladas, one taco. ($17.95)7
  • #6 Three Amigos — three cheese enchiladas. ($15.95)7
  • #7 Mucho Chimichanga — ($16.95)7

Seafood

  • Tilapia Taco Dinner — grilled tilapia, cabbage, pico. ($17.45)7
  • Fish Taco Dinner — fried cod. ($17.95)7
  • Shrimp Taco Dinner — grilled shrimp. ($17.85)7
  • Tilapia Platter — baked tortilla-encrusted tilapia. ($17.95)7

Specialty entrées

  • Chile Rellenos — battered Anaheim peppers stuffed with cheese. ($16.55)7
  • Flautas — ($16.15)7

Drinks — margaritas & beer

  • House Margarita — by the glass ($8.00) or pitcher ($32.00).8
  • Gold / Premium / Top Shelf Margaritas — glass $9.25 / $10.00 / $11.00; pitcher $37.00 / $40.00 / $45.00.8
  • Fruit Margaritas (strawberry, peach, raspberry, melon, mango) — glass ($9.00); pitcher ($36.00). Skinny margarita ($9.00).8
  • Import / craft beer — pints $6.25 (pitcher $18.00); domestic pints $5.25 (pitcher $15.00).8

Sources

Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

  1. Jalapenos Brookside official site (home) — https://jalapenosbrookside.com/ — asserts: address 6318 Brookside Plaza KC MO 64113; phone (816) 523-5462; hours Mon–Sat 11a–9p, Sun 12p–9p; signature dip, burritos, fajitas, margaritas; authentic Mexican, fresh local ingredients; currently operating. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Yelp — Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant (Updated June 2026) — https://www.yelp.com/biz/jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-kansas-city — asserts: 6318 Brookside Plz, KC MO; phone (816) 523-5462; 113 photos, 254 reviews; listing active as of June 2026. ↩ ↩2

  3. Jalapenos Brookside official site (About) — https://jalapenosbrookside.com/kansas-city-jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-about — asserts: first table 1991; founded by Pat and Benny; 2013 Benny became sole Brookside owner / Pat took Stanley; son Justin Hernandez now manages Brookside; locally grown/owned/operated; fresh on-site. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  4. Order.online — Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant 6318 Brookside Plaza — https://order.online/store/jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-kansas-city-186542 — asserts: active online ordering/delivery; address; authentic Mexican menu. ↩

  5. “No, this longtime Kansas City Mexican restaurant isn’t moving downtown — despite the name” (Kansas City Star / Yahoo News) — https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-longtime-kansas-city-mexican-154002361.html — asserts: owner Justin Hernandez; Benny is Justin’s father; Brookside opened 1995; 6318 Brookside Plaza; not relocating; unrelated downtown “Jalapenos Mexican Grill” at 1501 Grand Blvd. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. Jalapenos Brookside Facebook post — https://www.facebook.com/JalapenosBrookside/posts/ — asserts: “Ben Hernandez opened Jalapeno’s Brookside in 1995.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. Jalapenos Brookside official site (Food Menu) — https://jalapenosbrookside.com/kansas-city-jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-food-menu — asserts: full food menu with item descriptions and prices — Jalapeño Dip $10.75; Jalapeño Dip Burrito $16.95 (“most popular burrito in KC”); Chicken Verde Burrito $17.25; Chubby Burrito $16.25; fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, combination dinners, seafood, specialty entrées as listed. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37

  8. Jalapenos Brookside official site (Drink Menu) — https://jalapenosbrookside.com/kansas-city-jalapenos-mexican-restaurant-drink-menu — asserts: margaritas by glass and pitcher (House glass $8.00 / pitcher $32.00, up through Top Shelf $11.00 / $45.00; fruit $9.00 / $36.00; skinny $9.00); import/craft/domestic beer pints and pitchers. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

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See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/jalapenos-mexican · record updated 2026-06-23