Playa & Mezcal - Kansas City, Kansas Playa & Mezcal Mexican Seafood on Shawnee Drive in Kansas City, Kansas just opened in November 2024, but it is already building a great reputation for seafood. They have a big menu (actually two menus) and we have only sampled 5 dishes so far, but they have included some of the best seafood I have ever had. The cooking reflects the owners' heritage from the state of Michoacán in Mexico. The inside looks much nicer than the the outside and I like they way they are decorating the dining room for the seasons.. The service is friendly and attentive. Meals have taken up to about 25 minutes to come out, but that depends on the dish. They have many items for $12.99-14.90, but many of the seafood dishes are much more expensive. You get what you pay for. My first meal was the Torre de Mariscos, a seafood tower with cooked shrimp, raw shrimp, scallops, octopus, surimi, fish cevieche, shrimp cevieche, red onions, cucumber, fresh pico, and a blend of seafood savory, spicy and salty sauces. It was very enjoyable, particularly the octopus and avocado. The crispy corn tortillas that came with it were tasty and added a nice crunch that was missing with all the soft food. I just wish they made their cevieche with lemon instead of lime. During our second visit we had Camarones Mojo De Ajo and Fajitas Mezcal. The head on shrimp was sautéed with a lot of garlic and butter and was quite good. The French fries served with it were shoestring sized and didn't impress until we got down to the ones which had been soaking in the garlic butter. Very Yummy! I do wish they offered a pealed shrimp option on this dish. Not because pealing the shell and head off is an issue, but because it takes so much of the seasoning with it. The molcajete I had during a later visit did not have that issue. The fajitas were chicken, steak, bacon & chorizo, cooked with bell pepper, onions & tomatoes, served with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, beans, sour cream, chile toreado and tortillas. They did need some salt for my taste, but were good as well. It was a generous serving and about half came home with me. Most recently, we had Enchilasas Playa Azul (Two rolled corn tortillas filled with shrimp, pico, and shredded cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream and chipotle cream on top) and Molcajete de Mariscos Rey (Octopus, shrimp, scallops, mussels, cooked surimi, and crab legs in house seafood sauce, served in a hot molcajete and garnished with radish, avocado & black sesame seeds, along with salad, rice and fries). The enchiladas are one of the less expensive items on the menu at $14.99. They were fine, but not a dish I would travel to have. The Molcajete de Mariscos Rey is worth a drive. The Molcajete was served while still boiling and is an impressive presentation. It has a rich, garlicky sauce that will be too hot for some, but should be a treat for someone who tolerates even a little heat in their food. This is one of the best seafood dishes that I have ever had. I am a big seafood fan and have had seafood dishes from simple to complex in at least 10 countries. The food took about 25 minutes to come out. When combined with waiting on seafood emersed in the sauce to cool enough to eat and the time to peal shrimp and get the meat out of the crab legs, it was a long meal, but one I will do again. The octopus was tender and when dipped in the sauce was my highlight from the dish. This had a nice variety of wuality seafoon, but it costs $45.99. I think I will try the Tacos de Pulpo the next time, three grilled octopus tacos with rice and beans for $16.99. The food truck outside was operating on my first visit, but not during the later two. So far, I haven't see the menu in the truck. Reservations are available by calling. Breakfast is served 9 AM - 2 PM and seafood is served all day.
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