Teocali Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

a Jalisco-family independent open since 2006 just south of downtown Kansas City, named for the founders’ hometown of Teocaltiche, Jalisco. Tier 1 (KC-resident, family owner-operated).

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Description

Teocali Mexican Restaurant & Cantina has operated at 2512 Holmes Street, just south of downtown Kansas City, since August 2006.¹² Founded by Enrique Gutierrez and his wife Graciela “Chela” Gutierrez, the restaurant is named for the family’s hometown of Teocaltiche, in the Jalisco region of Mexico, and is built on family recipes carried from prior generations there.³ In 2013 the operation expanded within its three-story building to add a second floor and rooftop patio.²

(Correction to the prior queue brief, which described Teocali as “multi-location”: it is a single-location Jalisco-family restaurant, ~20 years old — not a multi-location operation.)

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Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-23 · Source: Teocali official website (food menu) · URL: https://teocali.com/kansas-city-crown-center-downtown-hospital-hill-crossroads-teocali-mexican-restaurant-and-cantina-food-menu · Price tier: Medium · Confidence: High (official-site menu; corroborated by web-listing spot prices)⁴⁵

The menu is built on Jalisco family recipes carried from Teocaltiche — combo platters, enchiladas, fajitas, and a deep taco list, plus handcrafted margaritas from the cantina.³⁴

Combo platters (Platos Combinados)

• Los 3 Amigos — 1 tamale, 1 burrito, 1 soft taco ($16.99).⁴
• Faby’s Favorites — 1 enchilada, 1 taco, 1 tostada ($16.99).⁴
• El Par — 2 flautas, 1 sope ($16.99); El Dueto — 2 enchiladas, 1 tostada ($16.99).⁴

Enchiladas

• Enchiladas Rojas, Enchiladas Verdes, and Enchiladas de Espinacas (spinach) — $16.99 each.⁴⁵
• À la carte: cheese enchilada ($2.99), meat enchilada ($3.99).⁴

Fajitas

• Beef, chicken, or combo ($18.99); shrimp ($20.99); Tapatías (chicken, steak & shrimp, $20.99).⁴
• Fajitas Vegetarianas ($15.49).⁴

Signature dishes

• Carne Asada ($17.99); Pollo en su Salsa ($16.99).⁴
• Viva Jalisco a la Parrilla — grilled mixed plate ($21.99).⁴
• La Parrillada — shared grilled platter for 3–4 ($44.99).⁴
• Tacos Puerto Vallarta (2 tacos, billed on the menu as voted best in KC; the awarding publication is) and Tacos Manzanillo (2 shrimp tacos) — $16.99 each.⁴

Tacos & burritos

• Taco plates (3 tacos unless noted): Tacos Mexicanos, Tacos Fritos, Birria Tacos ($16.99); Lettuce Tacos ($14.99).⁴
• Teocali “Grande” Burrito ($15.99); lunch burritos (El Tri, Spread, Ranchero) ~$12.00.⁴⁵

Appetizers & soups

• Bottomless chips con salsa ($3.49); Queso con Jalapeños ($6.99); Queso Fundido con Chorizo ($12.99); Dip de Guacamole ($8.49); Nachos Supremos ($15.99); Teocali Sampler ($17.99).⁴
• Pozole ($14.50, weekend traditional).⁵

Prices verified from the official food-menu page as of 2026-06-23 and are subject to change. Price tier Medium — most entrées cluster at ~$16–$22, with shared platters to ~$45.

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Ownership and history

Ownership timeline

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
2006 → present	Gutierrez family (Teocali Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, LLC)	Founded by Enrique & Graciela Gutierrez; independent, family-owned; no franchise or corporate parent.16

Founding narrative

Enrique and Chela Gutierrez opened Teocali in 2006, naming it for Teocaltiche, Jalisco, and building the menu around family recipes “in the family for generations.”³ The restaurant grew into a three-story destination with a rooftop patio (added 2013).²

Owner KC roots

Co-founder Enrique Gutierrez is demonstrably rooted in Kansas City: he holds a BBA from Rockhurst University (KC) and has served on KC civic bodies including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the UMKC School of Medicine Board of Visitors, and the City of Kansas City Plan Commission.⁶ He was among the KC business owners who donated meals to victims after the February 2024 Chiefs rally shooting.⁷ (Exact city of residence and the specific operating generation count are; civic-board membership requires KC-area residency.)

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Sources

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Disputes

(None active as of 2026-06-01.)

Footnotes

1. Teocali Mexican Restaurant & Cantina — official site. https://teocali.com/ — asserts: single location at 2512 Holmes; restaurant + cantina; Jalisco family recipes; founded 2006. ↩ ↩²

2. Visit KC — Teocali listing. https://www.visitkc.com/listings/teocali-mexican-restaurant-cantina/ — asserts: 2512 Holmes; three-story building; 2nd floor + rooftop added 2013; “Best Rooftop Patios” mention (awarding publication). ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Teocali — “About.” https://teocali.com/about/ — asserts: named for Teocaltiche, Jalisco; recipes in the family for generations; founders Enrique & Graciela Gutierrez. ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Teocali Mexican Restaurant & Cantina — official food menu. https://teocali.com/kansas-city-crown-center-downtown-hospital-hill-crossroads-teocali-mexican-restaurant-and-cantina-food-menu — asserts: combo platters (Los 3 Amigos, Faby’s Favorites, El Par, El Dueto $16.99), enchiladas rojas/verdes/espinacas ($16.99), fajitas (beef/chicken/combo $18.99, shrimp & Tapatías $20.99, vegetarianas $15.49), signature dishes (Carne Asada $17.99, Viva Jalisco $21.99, La Parrillada $44.99, Pollo en su Salsa $16.99, Tacos Puerto Vallarta “voted best KC”), taco plates ($14.99–$16.99), Teocali Grande Burrito ($15.99), appetizers/queso. Verified 2026-06-23. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

5. Web listing spot-prices (search aggregate, corroborating official menu) — https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44535-d864190-Reviews-Teocali-Kansas_City_Missouri.html — asserts: Pozole ($14.50), Teocali Grande Burrito ($16.50), Flautas Norteñas ($19.50), Enchiladas Verdes ($17.50) — consistent ~$14–$20 entrée range, supports Medium price tier. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

6. Greater KC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Facebook) + LinkedIn — https://www.facebook.com/hispanic.chamber.7/posts/1227923182886084/ — asserts: Graciela Gutierrez owner; Enrique Gutierrez Owner/GM, Rockhurst BBA, KC civic-board roles (Hispanic Chamber, UMKC School of Medicine Board of Visitors, KC Plan Commission). ↩ ↩²

7. KSHB — “KC business owners donate meals to Chiefs rally shooting victims.” https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/this-is-going-to-bring-us-back-together-kc-business-owners-donate-meals-to-chiefs-rally-shooting-victims — asserts: Teocali among KC owners who donated meals (community-rootedness). ↩