This Johnson County Mexican place closed. It’s reopened as a bar and burger restaurant

Jenna Thompson
·2 min read
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People liked Taco Hangover, Brandon Bargdill said.

For 10 months, customers stopped by the Shawnee restaurant and drive-thru for carne asada tacos, cheesecake chimichangas and beef-stuffed burritos.

But the restaurant wasn’t the smashing success its owners had anticipated. Not like their other brand — Saints Pub + Patio — a bar and burger joint that’s been peddling patties in the Kansas City area for 15 years.

So Taco Hangover closed a few weeks ago. It emerged days ago as Saints Express, a sit-down and to-go iteration of the bar and grill.

Bargdill is the new owner of the location at 13655 W. 63rd St., along with Kem Anderson, who owned Taco Hangover and is married to one of Saints’ founders, Scott Anderson.

Saints Express sells longtime favorites like “The Saint” (a burger with barbecue sauce, cheese and onion rings) and bone-in wings. The new location is open a little later than Taco Hangover was; Saints’ hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.Sundays to Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

In tune with its late hours, Saints has a full bar, serving strawberry margaritas, Moscow mules, spicy bloody Marys and other cocktails.

“When it was Taco Hangover, it pushed a lot of margaritas, and we still have those same margaritas, same recipes,” Bargdill said.

Taco Hangover at 13655 W. 63rd St. in Shawnee has been remade into a Saints Pub Express.
Taco Hangover at 13655 W. 63rd St. in Shawnee has been remade into a Saints Pub Express.

The space used to be a Sheridan’s Lattes and Frozen Custard, which closed in 2021. (Sheridan’s has also shuttered locations at 6825 W. 75th St. in Overland Park and 2055 E. Santa Fe St. in Olathe.)

Saints’ other locations are at 16804 W. 89th St. in Lenexa and 20220 E. Jackson Drive in Independence.

Earlier this year, one of Saints’ founders, Scott Anderson, was federally indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in connection with a loan application.

Charges allege that he asked two employees to impersonate business partners on a phone call with financial company Itria Ventures to secure funds.

Released pending trial next year, he told The Star on Monday that he helps out “some” with Saints, but has a less active role as he focuses on other businesses and his law practice. His wife is an owner at all three locations. (Each has different partners, he said.)

He called the indictment “bogus” and said he is “100% confident” that he will be found innocent.

“At some point I will speak up as to why I believe I was really charged and what this is really all about, but unfortunately, today is not that day,” he said.