James Beard Award-winning tortilleria crafting Sonoran-style flour tortillas


1668 Jefferson St #100, Kansas City, MO 64108 Get directions

"This sunny retail store in Kansas City’s historically Latino Westside neighborhood was famous for its flavorful nixtamalized corn tortillas and supple Sonoran-style flour tortillas long before it won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Bakery award in 2023. Sample a pork-fat flour tortilla hot off the press while you shop for bracing chiltepin salsas, tangy aguas frescas, and freezer-ready tamales made with Yoli’s signature masa. Know before you go: Yoli serves a compact lonchería menu Thursdays through Saturdays, with a couple small tables for dine-in." - Liz Cook


"When I tried the barbacoa offerings from Yoli Tortilleria — the James Beard–winning bakery co-founded by Marissa and Mark Gencarelli — the barbacoa had a nice smoky flavor without being greasy, the chips stayed crunchy, and the portions of meat were generous; I also appreciated seeing the co-founders at the stand nearly every game, reinforcing the stadium’s focus on local vendors." - Xiao daCunha

"An award-winning Kansas City bakery recognized for channeling the agricultural and culinary traditions of Sonora into Midwest offerings, earning national recognition from major culinary awards bodies." - Ryan Sutton

"I read that Yoli Tortilleria in Kansas City, co-founded by Marissa Gencarelli in 2016, became an early regional adopter of nixtamalization, grew from trial-and-error in a home kitchen to commercial-scale production (including investing in a commercial molino), sources corn from Missouri and Illinois (and occasionally from Mexico City–based Tamoa for special occasions), supplies many restaurants, and won a James Beard Award for Best Bakery in 2023." - Serena Maria Daniels

"A Kansas City tortilleria that made history by earning the first‑ever Beard Award for outstanding bakery, a surprising and notable first that the reviewer singled out among other award surprises." - Eater Staff