If readers haven’t heard Rulber de la Torre’s name, perhaps they’ve tasted his espinaca dip.
De la Torre’s been cooking Mexican food in the Kansas City area for the last 37 years. Twenty-two of those have been at his longtime brand with seven locations, Mi Ranchito. Its sunny logos hang on buildings in Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe and beyond.
But de la Torre has more menu ideas than one restaurant chain can contain. His newest spot is born out of an overflow of that creativity.
Rulber’s Restaurant Mas Cantina tells the story of his life and legacy in the restaurant business, from margaritas made with his own tequila to photos of his family ranch hanging on the walls.
It opened a few weeks ago at 5358 W. 95th St. in Prairie Village, replacing on-again, off-again brunch spot Another Broken Egg. It neighbors Meadowbrook Park and the giant macaroni-fork sculpture.
And yes, it offers dishes expected of a Mexican restaurant — enchiladas, burritos, fajitas and street tacos — but Rulber threw a few outliers on the menu. There’s a bacon cheeseburger ($13), fettuccine (price varies based on protein option) and a grilled chicken sandwich ($13).
“The menu pretty much came out to where I always wanted it to be,” de la Torre told The Star.
Its most popular options so far are the billionaire burrito (fried ribeye, grilled shrimp, crab meat, grilled onions and peppers, pico de gallo, jack cheese, chipotle cream sauce, sliced avocados and cilantro for $25), ribeye tacos ( corn or flour tortilla with grilled onions, lettuce, cherry tomato salsa, queso cotija and sliced avocados for $23), various street taco offerings and fajitas (choice of chicken, steak or shrimp).
Another menu favorite, which de la Torre emphatically recommended, is the build-your-own guacamole. It starts at $15.
From behind a bar near the entrance, employees slice and dice Haas avocados into share-size molcajetes. They throw in whatever add-ons customers opt for: lime juice, sea salt, garlic, cilantro, red onions, cherry tomatoes, pineapples, habanero, cotija, mangoes and more. For an added cost, customers can try shrimp or crab meat in their guacamole.
“Our avocados are perfectly ripe,” de la Torre said.
Customers seated at either the bar or tables can sip on an assortment of margaritas. Spicy margs ($12) combine jalapeño with mango, watermelon, guava, coconut and several other fruit favors of the customer’s choosing.
De la Torre’s special margarita, Rulber’s Dobel, includes his own tequila. It comes with lime juice, orange juice, agave nectar and Grand Marnier for $12.
The area has responded well to the concept, de la Torre said, showing up in droves for lunch and dinner, with some coming back a second time.
“Honestly, I’m very, very impressed and happy with the amount of customers we got so far and their comments,” he said.
Rulber’s Restaurant leans heavily on the ranchero theme, with horseshoes repeated on its walls and in the logo.
He was born on a ranch in Mexico. A canvas in the back-center of the restaurant displays his parents in front of some vaquero-esque backdrop. He admitted to The Star that he misses hearing the perpetual whinnies and moos of his horses and cattle.
Since moving here at 15, Johnson County has been his home. He loves the people and place all the same, even with its astonishing lack of horses.
“I am very grateful to all my customers and all my employees,” he said. “I’m always excited to go to work and make people happy.
“That’s my goal every day … to get up and make customers happy.”
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Jenna Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.
Dining and Cooking