Brothers behind Session Taco launching ‘destination Mexican spot’ in upscale JoCo dining district

Just weeks after closing Session Taco in Leawood’s Park Place, the owners expect to revamp the prominent spot for a new destination Mexican restaurant.

Lapez Mod Mex is scheduled to open this summer at 11563 Ash St. 

The former Session Taco space at 11563 Ash St. in Leawood’s Park Place, which is set to become Lapez Mod Mex; photo by Joyce Smith

Brothers Adam and Jason Tilford first opened Mission Taco Joint in the space in June 2023. It rebranded as Session Taco in September after their company was sued for trademark infringement by a tortilla maker that uses the same name.

Then Session Taco closed in mid-March when sales were underperforming.

The Tilfords also closed their South Plaza restaurant in 2024, but they have a Session Taco in the East Crossroads, as well as six in the St. Louis area.

Adam Tilford said Session Taco had more of an urban vibe, but other Park Place venues, such as Bamboo Penny’s and Aqua Penny’s, are more well-appointed and are destination locations.

“What we are creating is a destination Mexican spot,” he said. “More entree-driven. More knife-and-fork-plus, not eating tacos with your hands. Bamboo Penny’s is a great example. Not your typical Thai spot.”

Aqua Penny’s underwent an extensive $1.4 million transformation of the former Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant space before opening in Park Plaza a year ago.

Jason Tilford is working on the Lapez menu but it will include such entrees as shrimp al pastor (jumbo prawns, achiote butter, smoked pineapple, coconut rice and grilled chayote), carne asada (wood-grilled prime steak, huitlacoche butter, and chile mashed potatoes), and chile-braised short ribs with mole negro and roasted polenta.

Appetizers will include quesadillas, blue corn sopes with duck confit and chipotle-cherry sauce, and tostaditas with chile-seared tuna, jicama, pineapple, pickled radish and smoked salt. It also will have tacos.

The brothers had a similar upscale restaurant in St. Louis, the award-winning Milagro Modern Mexican, for eight years but they said it was not a convenient location for their customers.  When the lease expired, they closed it to expand their popular Mission Taco Joint concept.

They will change the decor at the Leawood location and slightly alter the seating arrangement.

Previous tenants were Ingredient True Eatery and The Ainsworth. The Leawood spot overlooks Barkley Square community space.

“We absolutely love the location,” Adam Tilford said.

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Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follow her on Bluesky, here for X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.