Salty Iguana

Wish i read the reviews before i wasted an hour. We ordered 1 taco and a nacho. 45 min later we were still waiting. We told the server BEFORE we ordered that we needed to get back to the softball game in an hour and were assured it wouldn’t be a problem. WRONG!!! At the 45 min mark i went to the hostess stand and asked what was delaying our food. We were told that they were busy and the kitchen was backed up. Not even half the tables were full. I like the food at the other locations but i would seriously reconsider going to this location. We only saw our server twice and never saw the manager, even after we requested one.
SAVE YOURSELF SOME GREY HAIR and go somewhere else!!!

Maybe the best way to describe my experience is what it’s not.
— The food’s not terrible.
— The service is not awful
— The restaurant is not filthy.
On the other hand:
— It’s not great food.
— The service is not fast or attentive
— The restaurant is not by any stretch clean.
To explain: My wife and I went to try the Salty Iguana the other day. Our favorite is Jose Pepper’s in Overland Park; or Vista Grande at Lake of the Ozarks, but we’re always looking for new places to try.
When we walked in, three young women were gathered around the front podium chatting. As we walked up, we were walked to a booth. While there were several open, we were walked to the one closest to the bathrooms. Oh, joy. On top of it, the credit card receipt (signed) from the previous order was still on the table, as were quite a bit of the chip crumbs from the previous occupant.
We waited about 10 – 15 minutes and were on the verge of walking out when the chips and salsa, and menus were brought out, and the drink orders taken. Service was very friendly, but not attentive. Given the unique vista and the faint odor of the deodorizer, we asked to be moved further away from the bathrooms. The waiter saw what we were talking about and immediately moved us to a better location, though it also hadn’t been wiped down — more chip crumbs.
I ordered the taco burrito, and my wife ordered the light tacos with avocado. Both were a miss. The pico in the tacos was way too hot for my wife. On the other hand, my burrito was very bland. Someone else said the sauce over the burrito was like brown gravy. I have to agree.
Our waiter left us to our meals, but never returned to refill the drinks. When he saw we were done, he dropped off the check, at which point I asked for refills for both of us. Again, he was very friendly and responded quickly when asked; still, my expectation for good service is that our server isn’t too much in our faces, but at least keeps the drinks filled.
So to sum up, everything was at best «meh.» To use an extraordinarily bad pun, I don’t think «iguana» be coming back.

Stopped by for lunch on my way to meet a client. Since it was a little before noon the place was almost empty so i grabbed a seat at the bar and chatted with the manager and a couple of the wait staff while i waited for my lunch. Everyone was super friendly and very attentive, which isn’t unusual being the only customer to wait on. But i had the feeling they were pretty well trained too. I ordered the Prairie Village burrito and it was delicious. Lots of meat stuffed inside with the beans, then covered in queso. I devoured it and sat there enjoying my chips and salsa before heading out in the rain. I highly recommend the Salty Iguana. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in KC.

Décor is fun. Location is very good. I really, really want to like this place, but. .. the food tastes weird. It’s like they are using spices/​flavors from Waffle House. For example, a burrito has sauce poured over it that tastes like the turkey gravy you would pour over your mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. My family lives nearby, so we’ve eaten there probably 7 times since it opened. But now the running joke when someone asks where to eat is to say «How about Salty Iguana?» The good news is that there is nothing wrong with it that new recipes wouldn’t fix. Until then, though, we won’t be back.

Great spot to watch the games! We enjoyed several Royals playoffs and WS games at the bar. Super $ 5 margaritas. I enjoy the Prairie Village Burrito or the blue tacos. Friendly service too

Sitting for 45 minutes at an open table waiting to be «sat». A third of the tables are open but there are roughly 30 people waiting with me. The people who are officially «sat» are looking around wishing they were eating. I would leave but I can’t because the family wants to eat here. Seriously need some mgmt help here. I think they have wait staff but you can’t find them. Lucky it is a chain because if not I am guessing this place would be gone in two weeks.
So finally sitting– really should have left. Slooooooow service. One other active table and two servers in our section. All I can say is wow.

We were seated and the hostess wipes off the seats that were dirty with her hand and didn’t say anything, then I ordered a drink off their menu and was informed they don’t offer that anymore, fries were cooked twice, limes dried out, service was slow and not the cleanest place for sure but tacos were not too bad

Been here three times. All three times was bad. The food is just not good at all. I wouldn’t even call it Mexican food lol I just go to kmachos now, Heck even Jose peppers is better than salty iguana.

Service was good, chips and salsa also… But when I received my burrito, the outside was piping hot while the inside was stone cold. So cold it made me wonder if they’re using frozen ingredients. I sent it back uneaten — and due to food safety concerns, didn’t want anything else.
They did give me a $ 20 gift certificate but I gave it away, I don’t want to risk going back.

I went to salty aguana the other day with my family.
They came back in tears. The iquanas there were not at all salty. We tried the iguanas with high hopes, and we were deeply dissatisfied. I highly recommend this restaurant if you like being tricked into buying un-​salty iguanas. I give this resteraunt: thumbs down.

Slow service but friendly
Good queso
Mediocre food
There is far better in the area
Grandson said Taco Bell was better
No need to come back

I’ve been here a few times. the food is decent, nothing drastically different from any other Mexican restaurant in the area. The iguana cheese/​spinach dip is definite for anyone enjoying the chips. The lunch specials are affordable and quick.
I went in during the lunch rush and was seated quickly.
For the wait staff, they seem busy and sometimes forgetful. but they are friendly.

It’s an insult to an entire country for this place to claim it serves Mexican food. I think we only saw our waitress when she took our order and gave us our check. We had to flag down someone for refills on our drinks. The salsa was tomato paste with no added seasoning or spice. Everything looked pretty terrible on the menu, so I settled on a burrito since it’s a U.S. dish and I figured they would be less likely to mess it. When my burrito came out it was drowned in a sauce that may have consisted entirely of spray cheese and black pepper (in equal parts). I took one bite and, after washing it down with an entire glass of soda, pushed it across the table so I wouldn’t have to smell it. My husband got food poisoning from his dish, and that man has an iron stomach. I would deter people from eating here. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere (really anywhere) else.

My chicken skillet needed more favor. It taste like plain chicken with veggies.
My husband thinks food here was «meh»
I thought they might have iguana in the menu didn’t see it!

The «meh» rating is based on authenticity. The service was fine and the restaurant is pleasant, but this is very Americanized and spiced-​down «Mexican-​style» food. Obviously there’s a market for this style because Salty Iguana is successful, but as someone who grew up in Mexico this isn’t the kind of food I crave! These days there is so much more authentically prepared and seasoned Mexican food in Kansas City, in various regional styles, that there’s no reason to have to fall back on this rather retro food that reminds me of what passed for Mexican food in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s (except, of course, in the Southwest and California, where they’ve always known more about Mexican cooking). In short, I doubt I will be back, but not because there’s anything intrinsically the matter with Salty Iguana. It’s just not for me!

We started with their Iguana dip which was good and had a little spice to it. My niece had the street tacos and said the chicken fajitas didn’t have much flavor, but the steak fajitas were better. My sister had the Tacos lite and though she thought they were good, she felt they were a little skimpy on the avocado. My nephew had the Taco burrito and said it had too much meat and not enough lettuce, etc to add dimension and textures to the meal. Overall, it felt like a place you could stop at if it was convenient and you didn’t have high expectations.

This could have been an enjoyable dinner however the service is SOOO bad. We came in for my daughter’s birthday on a Wed night. We were served chips and salsa and when they ran out and our drinks tan dry we literally waited 23 min without seeing a single employee of this restaurant. I saw 4 employees laughing and carrying on doing something, maybe rolling silverware but certainly not serving customers during the dinner hour and everyone in the dining room sat without service. It was appalling. It appeared that there was one, maybe two waitresses for the whole dining room. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is because the food is really good and we actually really like their salsa.

Very good mexican place for the family. Incredibly edible food at dirt cheap prices.
Drinks were good and made to order. I appreciated that very much.
We had a large group and were seated immediately.
Enjoyed a range of different foods, everything was good. Highly recommend.

I use to love SI. Was there with my family tonight and was shocked at how bad it was. For starters, when we walked into the restaurant, 1.5 hours before it closes on a Saturday night, they had already stacked the tables and chairs from the main section on top of the booths. The chips were stale, took too long for our server to engage with us, water was spilled on my foot when refilling the water glass and never cleaned up, the food was below average (I had the Grande Nachos), my wives plate was unappetizing when it came to the table, we had to ask twice to have silverware and napkins brought to the table, when our cheese dip was brought to the table, it was accompanied with a basket of crumbs instead of chips, etc.
I’m sad to see this since SI has been a favorite for years. After this last time, I’m not sure that I’ll be back.

I ate here this week with a friend who picked this as our destination for lunch. I liked the colors from the outside and the bright painted industrial door handles on the front doors. This gave me a good first impression.
The hostess seated us immediately, no waiting. The inside was busy with décor. I got the impression this really was a KID place. Indeed, I may have brought my children here if they were still little, but I felt a little out of place as an adult.
I had the low carb chicken burrito. My friend had a beef tostada. Both dishes looked fabulous. My dish, however, was very bland. The food was all there, but no flavoring was added that I could tell. I resisted the urge to salt it thinking it would be better for me. The tortilla tasted like paper mache, if I were to imagine how that tasted, so I peeled that away from the chicken filling. I double checked the menu to see if it also stated that it was salt free… it did not. So… why no salt or flavorings? Isn’t «Salty» part of the name of the restaurant?
My friend had no complaints on his tostada.
Our service was just ok.
I would not return here. There are better places for the same dollar amount.