The first time I talked to Adrian, from Indios Carbonsitos, was on twitter @INDIOSCRBNSTOS. The first time I met Adrian was later that night, under the 12th street bridges, by the haunted houses. In my search for the great street taco in KC, I had come across Adrian's unique breed of what he calls MexIQ. What caught my eye was his street tacos, but what peaked my interest was the BBQ tamales, I had to try them. I packed my wife up in the Civic and told her we were going out for date night. She didn't exactly expect a food truck under the 12th street bridge, but boy is she glad we went!
When we got to the food truck, I had to try the BBQ tamales (Adrian even makes his own BBQ sauce, both hot and mild). My wife wanted the pulled pork quesadilla. While I have not been a huge fan of quesadillas since I have become a Mexican food snob, the pulled pork in the quesadilla just set it off. After talking to Adrian a bit, he told us that he added the pulled pork quesadilla so that vegetarians could order it sans the swine (he is such a man of the people).
We talked to Adrian for a while, telling him about our surprise trip to Guadalajara and how it lead to a culinary awakening. He told us about how Mexican people loved to BBQ and how it is the perfect fusion. He then insisted that we try the Torta Ahogada, it is a Mexican sandwich made with braised pork, avocado, and pickled onions that has been either topped with (or dunked in) chili sauce (depending on how you order it, but ahogada literally means "to drown" en Espanol, do it!). The creaminess of the avocado mashed up with the hot chili sauce is the perfect pairing, it is like Yin and Yang. We finished up with a strawberry pecan tamale. I was a bit sceptical, a sweet tamale? Oh man was I in for a treat! We now have a favorite dessert, strawberry pecan tamales, it is the perfect blend of masa and the sweet strawberries topped with an awesome glaze. We now order the strawberry pecan tamale every time we visit Indios.
We have had the tacos, tamales, quesadilla, torta, and just about every item on the menu at Indios, but the best, by far, is the Indios Burger! No comparison, this is not only the best burger in Kansas City, but the best burger I have had anywhere! I don't know how he makes the burger itself, but he puts it on a bun with an awesome combination of sauces, a Mexican weenie, melted cheese, fresh veggies, and a slice of grilled pineapple. The burger is juicy. The flavoring is perfect, I don't know why he serves it open faced (other than to show it off, because there is no need to add anything to it). The Mexican weenie adds a great flare, but the item that sets the whole thing off is the sweetness of the grilled pineapple.
The claim has been made (by an ex-Jack Stack employee) that Adrian's brisket is better than Jack Stacks. He gave me a taste of it when we were at his truck on a slow Sunday. The next week, I had to have Jack Stack to verify the claim. The lady that made the claim was not only not crazy, but very correct. Adrian has the best brisket in town! His torta ahogada would also go toe to toe with Oklahoma Joe's Z-man and Carolina for the title of best sandwich in town.
I honestly cannot say enough about Adrian as a chef or as a man. He is a family man to the core. Wherever you see the Indios Truck, you can almost bank on there being a slew of family members in toe. Whether the kids are taking orders, kicking a soccer ball around, taking the photo of my seen to the right, or attempting to light things on fire, the his family is a huge part of his business. The craziest thing about Adrian is how he finds time to work a 9-5 job, do maintenance on his truck, and smoke all of his meats, all in time to work in his truck all weekend. He knows my wife and I by name, he remembers our orders, and knows what items on the menu we have and haven't tried. He carries a full line of Mexican drinks: Mexican Coke, Jarritos, Horchata, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Agua De Jamaica. He can also be credited with broadening my search for finding the best Mexican street food in KC, to finding the best street food period. Which is ironic, as I think Indios Carbonsitos is the best , most creative, and most awesome street food I have ever had! Thank you Adrian!
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