Walk into Port Fonda and your chest will likely rattle from the ear-popping rap music. You may be tempted to dance. But instead of D.J.’s and writhing partyers, you’ll find a mix of soccer moms, yuppies and beanie-and-flannel-wearing hipsters at minimalist wooden tables, straining their voices between bites of lengua tacos and tomato-braised octopus and sips of margaritas flavored with blood orange liqueur and hibiscus syrup.

In Kansas City, Mo., a city with an imaginative and evolving culinary scene, Port Fonda has drawn a dedicated following. That’s partly because of the inventive Mexican food — unlike anything else around town — but also because of its edgy atmosphere, which reflects the personality of the restaurant’s chef and owner, Patrick Ryan, 37, who sports a long orange beard and a collage of tattoos and piercings.

After honing his craft in kitchens in upstate New York and Chicago, he landed in Kansas City (near his hometown, Overland Park, Kan.) about four years ago. In June, he opened Port Fonda.

“I kind of wanted it to be abrasive,” Mr. Ryan said. “You really kind of zip down your insides and show people your guts. It’s not a place that everybody should love. It’s not a place that everybody should even like.”