Jenna Thompson
jthompson@kcstar.com
The inspiration behind a new Johnson County restaurant’s name sits on a warm plate, ready to be squeezed over a helping of brie and shrimp quesadillas.
Every entrée at Local Lime is served with a fresh lime wedge — one of a few aspects that give the Arkansas-based brand recognizability.
Though each of its four restaurants has its own flair, its modern, trendy style is replicated through its Southwestern tiles and geometric bar design. If customers see the “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” sign inside and smell the queso flameado sizzling, they’re likely in the right place.
Local Lime will soon open its fourth location. This is the first spot in the Kansas City area. Jenna Thompson jthompson@kcstar.com
Local Lime will open its Leawood restaurant soon, marking the company’s entrance into the Kansas City market. Two of its other spots are in its home state, while another has landed in Tennessee.
It’s been serving tacos and tequila for about 15 years, altogether.
At a friends and family night in the KC metro Tuesday, employees showed select customers what’s to come once it officially opens on Monday.
The spot will be at 5005 W. 117th St. in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza, overtaking the former Bravo! Italian Kitchen space.
Servers on Tuesday practiced recommending items on the menu, which holds a few dozen offerings. Starters, soups, salads, tacos, tequila-based drinks and large plates are among the categories it includes.
The restaurant calls it “fresh-Mex,” aka not Tex-Mex, but something else entirely. Some dishes lean more traditional, others are modern.
Local Lime is opening soon in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza. Jenna Thompson jthompson@kcstar.com
“It’s not even a spin; it just is what it is,” spokeswoman Amber Brewer previously told The Star. “We’re just showcasing the more vibrant and fresh side of the cuisine.”
Street tacos include Pacifico fried fish (North Atlantic cod fried in Pacifico Mexican Pilsner batter and topped with coleslaw, pico de gallo, poblano-dill crema and cilantro for $20), local chorizo (caramelized pineapple, verde tomatillo sauce, jack cheese and cilantro for $17) and verde veggie (grilled corn and zucchini, cotija cheese, verde tomatillo sauce, Mexican crema, pickled onions and cilantro for $16). Each serving comes with three tacos, wrapped in house-made flour tortillas.
Larger plates include the grilled Atlantic salmon, filet marinated overnight in orange and achiote. It’s served with Caribbean mango salsa, black beans and cilantro rice and costs $30.
Salsa flights allow customers to pick three scratch-made options for $5.50 and dip with their table. Those offerings include zucchini, Chipotle, tres chiles, verde tomatillo, house tomato and Caribbean mango salsa.
“Every syrup, every sauce is gonna be made from scratch,” Brewer previously said.
Local Lime is an Arkansas-based, Mexican-style restaurant. Soon it’ll have a KC-area spot. Jenna Thompson jthompson@kcstar.com
On the bar side, Local Lime offers mezcal and tequila-based drink flights, as well as standalone cocktails.
Its signature drinks include an Heirloom Primo margarita (Gran Centenario Reposado tequila, cointreau, Essence of Grand Marnier, lime, simple syrup, salted rim) a Mezcal Negroni, a frozen piña colada, Texas Two-Step margarita (a choice of Reposado Tequila or Mezcal, jalapeño-infused triple sec, basil syrup, lime) and several others.
Its happy hour will run 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, during which it will offer $2 off draft beer and $5 margaritas.
The space itself sits over 230 customers, including its heated patio (baskets of blankets included) and a semi-private “oasis” room, with glass doors that open and close as the occasion fits.
Bright wallpaper, terracotta-colored accents and ceramic pottery fill the space, along with plush booths and light wood.
Once the spot opens, its hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Just a couple of days ago, Brooksider opened across the street in the same shopping center. It moved into the old Hereford house space.
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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