To the mostly Mexican members of the well-read TLO audience, “calacas”—or, in an alternate spelling kind-of-way, “kalakas”—needs no introduction. They are the distinctive skulls and skeletons, grinning among the festive decorations that color the city in early November to celebrate Día de Muertos, or, in English, Day of the Dead.
“Kalakas” is also the name of a great Mexican restaurant at 4101 N. MacArthur Blvd in Warr Acres—one that fully leans into the dark, celebratory vibe of the semi-morbid iconography I grew up with... something most non-Mexicans will probably never quite get.
But if there’s one thing everyone should get, it’s a proper review of some of this city’s most overlooked and underappreciated cuisine. So let’s get to it—Kalakas deserves the spotlight, and we’re turning it on, post haste!
As my wife and I arrived at the restaurant, the ethereal blue paint job on the cathedral-like building was only one of the sky-high surprises that Kalakas had in store for us. Once inside, my wonder and excitement were only compounded by the wall-sized sugar skull that greeted me, letting me and my skull-loving fandom know that we are most welcome here.
When we took our seats around noon on a Friday, the place was – pardon the pun – dead.
But that didn’t matter, because the waitstaff treated me like a true zombie king, with fresh chips, salsa, and queso promptly delivered to the table. The chips were thick and crunchy, and – along with the telenovela playing on the screen behind us – did a great job keeping us occupied as we waited for the food to arrive.
We started with the neo-traditional Mexican Street Elote ($7.99), an appetizer consisting of three ears of corn, pierced on sticks and covered with mayo, Tajin, and Mexican cheese.
Like a somewhat-natural lollipop, I sucked on this corn cob with wild abandon. The lascivious mayo mixed with the spicy Tajin, creating a magical taste that made it more of a main course than a starter.
As we picked the corn bits out of our real and fake teeth, our main courses arrived. My wife went with the tried and true Grilled Chicken Chimichanga ($12.99). Always a safe bet, the fried burrito was filled with grilled chicken and cheese, topped with more cheese, and then paired with traditional rice and refried beans.
Chicken chimichangas can often be dry and forgettable, but this hit all the moist, tender notes! The fried tortilla created a real gate from the cooling sour cream that really finished the whole affair. It was a perfect lunch for her, small and compact with very well-done sides.
But you know me—I’m always going comida más inusual, chasing whatever I haven’t tasted before, right?
So, of course, I had to try the Potato Flautas ($9.49). Healthier than I imagined a Mexican lunch would be, they were five potato-loaded flautas with lettuce, sour cream, and Mexican cheese on top.
At first, I thought the potatoes would be boiled and stiffer, but Kalakas really gets the potato right, especially in a full-blown taquito: the creamiest potatoes with a little bit of roughage thrown in, expertly seasoned and fried perfectly.
What a comida espléndida, I thought, my cheesy thumbprints all across the plate.
Now, to be fair, no Mexican meal feels complete without something sweet to seal the deal. I was already satisfied, but for $1.50, two sopapillas felt like a moral and cultural obligation. With a little sugar and a little bit of honey, it was alright by me.
Between the elote, the flautas, the chicken chimichanga, and the sopapillas, we left full, happy, and maybe a little more alive than when we arrived. That’s the thing about Kalakas: sure, it’s named after the dead—but the food brings you alive.
So, if you can spare a lunch or two or three, give a Kalakas a try. Your bones—your very own kalaka—will thank you.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
