Session Taco

the East Crossroads outpost of a St. Louis-based, multi-location Cali-Mex taco-and-margarita group founded by brothers Adam and Jason Tilford. The KC location opened circa 2018 as Mission Taco Joint and was rebranded to Session Taco in September 2024 following a trademark settlement with Gruma Corporation (Mission Foods). Classified Tier 3 — the ownership locus is St. Louis, not Kansas City.

Description

Session Taco is a modern Cali-Mex taco restaurant and cocktail bar in Kansas City’s East Crossroads Arts District, at 409 E. 18th St.¹ The concept pairs chef-driven coastal-Mexican fare — tacos, burritos, nachos, and items such as blue crab taquitos and lobster tacos — with an extensive margarita and cocktail program and a laid-back, West-Coast / beach-town atmosphere featuring hand-painted murals.²³

The brand draws its name and identity from skate, surf, and music “sessions” — co-owner Adam Tilford has described “Session” as evoking “skate sesh, surf sesh, jam sesh,” an approachable and fun experience.⁴ The KC location is one outpost of a regional group with multiple restaurants across St. Louis and the Kansas City metro.⁴

Ownership and history

Session Taco is owned by brothers Adam and Jason Tilford, who are based in St. Louis, Missouri.²³ They launched the concept as Mission Taco Joint in 2013, with its original location in St. Louis drawing inspiration from San Francisco’s Mission District, and grew it into a multi-location group across St. Louis and Kansas City.²

The Kansas City Crossroads location opened around 2018 as Mission Taco Joint — contemporaneous customer reviews from mid-2018 reference it as a then-new KC arrival.⁵ on the precise KC opening date.

In 2023, Gruma Corporation — the parent company of Mission Foods tortilla products — sued the chain for trademark infringement over the “Mission” name. The parties reached a confidential settlement in February 2024, and the company announced its rebrand to Session Taco in September 2024, accompanied by menu changes.³⁴

Local-ownership assessment: Session Taco is not a Kansas City-owned business. Despite its KC Crossroads presence, both the founders and the ownership/operational base are in St. Louis. It operates as a regional multi-location group, not an independent KC owner-operator.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-23 · Source: Session Taco official menu + Uber Eats (East Crossroads) · URL(s): https://www.sessiontaco.com/menu · https://www.ubereats.com/store/session-taco-east-crossroads/ArZo3t0vXIy2bPWvpLJTKA · Confidence: Medium (item set High from official site; dine-in prices approximate — figures below are from third-party delivery, which typically runs above in-house pricing)

Modern Cali-Mex tacos, shareables, burritos/bowls, and an extensive margarita + tiki-leaning cocktail program. Item set verified against the official menu;⁶ representative prices verified via the East Crossroads Uber Eats storefront and should be read as delivery-platform figures (in-house prices run lower).⁷

Tacos

Sold individually; the kitchen leans inventive Cali-Mex.⁶

• O.G. Brisket Birria — slow-roasted brisket, birria jus, carnitas, avocado.⁶
• Lobster — flash-fried lobster, rosa blanca sauce, lettuce (premium item).⁶
• Carne Asada — grilled steak, arugula, avocado, pico, queso cotija (~$7.10 delivery).⁶⁷
• Mango Habanero Shrimp — beer-battered shrimp, mango salsa, avocado (~$6.00 delivery).⁶⁷
• Baja Fish — beer-battered or grilled tilapia, chipotle baja sauce, cabbage (~$5.40 delivery).⁶⁷
• BBQ Duck, Hot Fried Chicken, Grilled Chicken, BLT, Regular (ground-beef picadillo), and vegetarian/vegan options (Portobello, Vegan Soft Taco).⁶⁷
• Late-night happy hour features $3 tacos (after 8pm Sun–Thu, 9pm Fri–Sat).⁸

Shareables

• Carne Asada Fries — chile-crusted fries, oaxaca cheese, carne asada, guacamole, crema, pico (~$18 delivery).⁶⁷
• Guacamole — hand-smashed avocado, lime, sea salt, pico, queso cotija (~$10.80 delivery).⁶⁷
• Queso Con Chorizo — cheese dip with Mexican beer and chile serrano, pork or vegan chorizo (~$10.80 delivery).⁶⁷
• Mexican Street Corn Fritters, Chicken Flautas, Huitlacoche Empanadas, Mexi-Cali Cheese Curds, Dip Trip (poblano salsa / guacamole / queso trio), and Chips & Salsa (~$7 in-house).⁶⁸

Burritos, bowls & tortas

• The Brah-rito — carne asada, beans, fries, carnitas, cheese.⁶
• 3 Little Piggies Burrito — pork carnitas, chorizo, pork belly, cheese, beans.⁶
• South Beach Burrito, Cali Burrito (vegan), Fajita Quesadilla (chicken or steak), Portobello Quesadilla, Chicken Milanesa Torta, Cheesesteak Torta, and The Fajita Bowl (chicken / beef / shrimp / mushroom).⁶

Sides & dessert

• Street Corn “Off the Cob”, Cilantro Rice, Chile-Crusted Fries, Smashed Black Beans; Churros with Mexican chocolate sauce for dessert.⁶

Bar program — margaritas & cocktails

The bar is a signature of the concept.⁶

• Margaritas: Session (joven tequila, curaçao, lime, agave, agua-fresca flavors), Reserve (añejo, Hawaiian black salt), Mezcal (Banhez, Tajín rim), Spicy (joven tequila, fresh jalapeños — ~$13), Frozen, and Smuggler’s Blues (frozen, strawberry-pineapple agua fresca, coconut).⁶⁸
• Cocktails & tiki: Paloma, Mexi-Cali Bulldog, Oaxacan Firing Squad, El Diablo, Hurricane, Zombie (three rums; limit 2), Pineapple Mai Tai, and pisco sangria.⁶
• Beer-tails, zero-proof “Sober-rita” cocktails, and aguas frescas round out the list; draft/canned beer is rotating.⁶
• Happy hour (Mon–Fri 3–6pm): $5 food deals plus margarita-pitcher, single, beer, and shot specials.⁸

Note: the official site does not list prices; figures above are from the East Crossroads Uber Eats storefront and run above dine-in pricing. Menu and prices subject to change; verify before publication.

Links

• Website: https://sessiontaco.com (KC location page: https://www.sessiontaco.com/locations/east-crossroads)
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sessiontaco/ (KC-specific: https://www.instagram.com/sessiontacokc/)
• Phone: (816) 844-3707 — per the official location page ¹ (seed-supplied number (816) 974-7680 could not be confirmed and appears incorrect)

See also

• crossroads-arts-district
• Registry

Sources

Footnotes

1. Session Taco — official “East Crossroads Art District” location page. https://www.sessiontaco.com/locations/east-crossroads. Source asserts: address 409 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO 64108; phone 816-844-3707; East Crossroads Arts District. ↩ ↩²

2. Feast Magazine — “How Session Taco is using a rebrand to return to its roots.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/restaurants/classics/session-taco-mission-taco-st-louis-jason-tilford-adam-tilford-calimex-cuisine/. Source asserts: founders Adam and Jason Tilford; founded 2013; St. Louis-based; Cali-Mex concept; multi-location group across St. Louis and Kansas City; rebrand from Mission Taco. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. KCUR (NPR Kansas City) — “Missouri-based Mission Taco rebrands as Session Taco after lawsuit from tortilla company.” 2024-09-10. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2024-09-10/mission-taco-session-kansas-city-st-louis-trademark-lawsuit. Source asserts: St. Louis-based; Tilford ownership; Gruma/Mission Foods trademark suit (2023), confidential settlement Feb 2024, rebrand announced Sept 2024; locations across KC and St. Louis with two in KC area. ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. KCTV5 — “Lawsuit means Kansas City’s Mission Taco is now Session Taco.” 2024-09-09. https://www.kctv5.com/2024/09/09/lawsuit-forces-popular-kansas-city-taco-joint-change-name/. Source asserts: rebrand details; “session” branding rationale. ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Tripadvisor — Session Taco - East Crossroads reviews (historical Mission Taco Joint reviews from mid-2018 referencing the KC location as newly arrived). https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44535-d12965981-Reviews-Session_Taco_East_Crossroads-Kansas_City_Missouri.html. ↩

6. Session Taco — official menu page. https://www.sessiontaco.com/menu. Source asserts: full menu item set — tacos (Brisket Birria, Lobster, Baja Fish, Mango Habanero Shrimp, Carne Asada, BBQ Duck, etc.), shareables (Carne Asada Fries, Guacamole, Queso Con Chorizo, fritters, flautas, empanadas, cheese curds), burritos/bowls/tortas, sides, churros, and the full bar program (margaritas, cocktails, beer-tails, zero-proof). No prices listed on official site. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰

7. Uber Eats — Session Taco (East Crossroads), 409 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108. https://www.ubereats.com/store/session-taco-east-crossroads/ArZo3t0vXIy2bPWvpLJTKA. Source asserts: representative (delivery-platform) prices — Carne Asada taco ~$7.10, Mango Habanero Shrimp ~$6.00, Baja Fish ~$5.40, Carne Asada Fries ~$18, Guacamole ~$10.80, Queso Con Chorizo ~$10.80; 4.7-star rating. Delivery prices run above dine-in. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

8. Tripadvisor — Session Taco - East Crossroads, menu/reviews. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44535-d12965981-Reviews-Session_Taco_East_Crossroads-Kansas_City_Missouri.html. Source asserts: Spicy Margarita ~$13; chips & salsa ~$7 in-house; happy hour Mon–Fri 3–6pm ($5 food deals, margarita-pitcher/single/beer/shot specials); late-night $3 tacos after 8pm Sun–Thu / 9pm Fri–Sat. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴