A new restaurant in Wichita to wear a sombrero and eat free dessert on your birthday

When it's your birthday, it's hard to beat a dinner where you're publicly serenaded while wearing a giant sombrero and eating free dessert.

Isn't it?

Now, Wichita has a new place where you can do that.

About two weeks ago, Armando's Mexican Grill 2 opened in the space at 2227 N. Arkansas that most recently held Casa Del Charro, which closed late last year. Before that, the space had been home for 18 years to Taqueria El Paisa, Wichita's onetime go-to spot for authentic street tacos.

The restaurant is owned by Armando Perez, who opened the popular Armando's Mexican Grill in Clearwater, population 2,500, in 2015.

"He wanted to try something different," said his daughter, Yohana, who's managing the Wichita restaurant. "He likes to take risks, and there's a lot of restaurants in Wichita. He wanted to go for it."

The Wichita restaurant has the same menu as the Clearwater one (and it's huge) but with some additions of a few more authentic dishes, like menudo and pozole.

In Clearwater, Armando's is known for its molcajetes — a combination of chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo and carnitas served with Ranchero sauce in a hot stone dish. People also love the chef avocado, which is a version of table-side guacamole.

And yes, Armando's is the kind of place where you can wear a sombrero and eat a free sundae on your birthday.

Its hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It's closed on Mondays.

For more information, call 316-201-6875.

This story was originally published March 6, 2018 at 11:24 AM with the headline "A new restaurant in Wichita to wear a sombrero and eat free dessert on your birthday."