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Barrio Cafe, the boundary-pushing restaurant that has served Mexican food in Phoenix for more than 20 years and is credited for its role in putting the Phoenix on the culinary map, closed on Friday. On Sunday, the restaurant hosted an “Ultimo Adios,” goodbye party with artists, food vendors and music…
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Danielle Cortez
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May was a big month for closings. Whether due to the intimidating task of staring down another Phoenix summer or chefs finding the right time to retire, the Valley is down a dozen eateries…
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Tirion Boan
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Barrio Cafe, one of the most iconic restaurants in the Valley, is closing. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza shared the news with the Arizona Republic on Wednesday and confirmed it via a video shared on Instagram…
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Tirion Boan
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Two of the Phoenix restaurants on this list were named in late January as semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, one of the top honors in food.
While the national spotlight shines on the Valley’s outstanding Mexican cuisine, we’ll take pleasure in being able to hit up any number of lauded local eateries for lunch. From over the top to under the radar, these are the 10 best Mexican restaurants in metro Phoenix right now.
4900 N. Litchfield Road, Building B, Litchfield Park
Plan ahead and leave plenty of time for your meal at Alebrijes Cafe & Grill. This Litchfield Park restaurant is popular and often requires a wait. But the food is oh so worth it. The kitchen focuses on Oaxacan-style Mexican food, with many of the dishes smothered in sweet, rich black mole or the slightly spicy red version. Stop by for brunch and order the chilaquiles and a coffee-infused cocktail. Or, stay a little later and enjoy a hearty burrito drenched in mole and paired with a fresh fruit-filled margarita. Make sure to check out the specials boards posted in multiple locations around the colorful dining room, which sometimes features spicy and satisfying bowls of pozole or sweet creations such as concha French toast. The restaurant offers indoor tables, bar seating and a shaded patio.
Bacanora’s chef, owner and grill master Rene Andrade has been nominated for a James Beard Award two years running.
Jackie Mercandetti
1301 Grand Ave., #1
Many words have been written about Bacanora, which opened in 2021. That year, Esquire magazine put it on its best new restaurants list. In 2022 The New York Times penned similar praise. And in 2024, the James Beard Foundation nominated chef Rene Andrade as a semifinalist for the second year in a row. It’s safe to say this restaurant has gotten a lot of hype and all this attention has made it one of the hardest reservations to score in the city. But the food is so worth the fuss. Sure there are the flashy items — such as a tomahawk steak that will set you back around $150 — that are undeniably delicious, but it’s the little details that keep us coming back for more. Soupy beans are packed with rich, meaty flavor, and the tortillas are that special Sonoran variety made slightly translucent with their rich combination of flour and lard. At Bacanora, almost everything touches an open flame, and the rotating specials are seriously special.
2814 N. 16th St., #1205
It would be almost impossible to write a list about Mexican food in Phoenix without including Barrio Cafe. Since opening over 20 years ago, this mural-covered space has put Phoenix Mexican food on the map. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has been nominated for almost as many awards as there are spices in her rich mole, a favorite on the dinner menu. Some of her most famous dishes include fresh guacamole adorned with deep pink pomegranate seeds, which is an essential start of any meal at Barrio, along with a mango margarita or creamy horchata. The Cochinita Pibil comes piled high on a plate swimming in juices best mopped up with the thick homemade tortillas, and the Chiles en Nogada, a colorful dish that represents the Mexican flag, is the restaurant’s signature dish for good reason at this 16th Street institution.
Chilte, the modern Mexican restaurant on Grand Avenue, continues to build national recognition.
Allison Young
765 Grand Ave.
Chilte is coming off a breakout year after transitioning from a food truck to opening in the revamped Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue in 2023. The modern Mexican restaurant helmed by couple Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo caught the attention of local foodies for its birria, which is stuffed into hand-pressed squid ink tortillas or a Benny Blanco flour tortilla and served alongside a savory miso consommé, as well as its mole de la casa and quesadilla with grasshoppers. Chilte also has generated lots of buzz outside of the Valley, with accolades from Esquire and Bon Appetit magazines. Contrary to the restaurant’s mantra of “Me vale madre,” the care and attention the team brings to their food is evident. Chilte’s menu changes seasonally, and the owners often host collaboration events with other chefs, making it worth a visit, and a revisit, regularly.
Try the enchiladas filled with chicken and drenched with a fresh, bright salsa verde at Cocina Chiwas.
Dominic Armato
2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe
Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are behind some of the Valley’s most beloved and buzzy restaurants, starting with the Tacos Chiwas taquerias and as co-owners of Bacanora, Espiritu and the recently opened Santo. With Cocina Chiwas, the couple has carved out something that reflects where they are in their lives and as chefs, taking diners on a culinary journey from their Chihuahuan roots to a seat at their family table. You can smell the mesquite and pecan wood that fuels the grill and oven in the open kitchen, which chars meats, the Anaheim pepper that’s stuffed with queso menonita for the chile relleno and crisp open-faced quesadillas. The space inside is comfortable and chic. The desserts are stunners. Try the sweet corn panna cotta — creamy, beautifully set and full of rich, sweet flavor from the corn that plays well against seasonal fruit.
Las 15 Salsas specializes in dishes from Oaxaca including multiple varieties of mole.
Jackie Mercandetti
722 W. Hatcher Road
As evidenced by this list, metro Phoenix is filled with wonderful Mexican restaurants, but only a few specialize in food from Oaxaca. At Las 15 Salsas, a small, welcoming spot complete with a twinkle light-strung patio, Oaxacan food, and particularly mole, takes center stage. For those who aren’t sure what to order, try the Moles de Fiesta plate, which comes with three different types of the rich sauce, including black, red, and tangy estofado. An extensive cocktail list accompanies the food and includes one of the best mezcal selections in town. Try the smoky spirit in cocktails such as the Zipolite, a spicy blend of mezcal, tamarind, lime and serrano chile, or neat with individual shots or a tasting sampler.
At Los Reyes de la Torta, the massive menu is only upstaged by the enormous sandwiches.
Tirion Morris
9230 N. Seventh St.
From the outside, Los Reyes de la Torta in Sunnyslope looks like any of the other aging single-level strip mall storefronts that are so common in our desert city. But inside, the restaurant seems to sprawl on forever. Pick a seat in any of the multiple rooms and settle in. The massive menu takes a while to peruse. We like to kick things off with a paper umbrella-adorned agua cremosa, a creamy blend of condensed milk and fresh fruit that comes in flavors including mango, banana and strawberry. And while the menu is huge, pictures help narrow down the choices. There are tacos, burritos, seafood cocktails, large plates and salads, but as this restaurant’s name suggests, it specializes in tortas. We love La Reyna, a mountainous sandwich filled with ham, melted mozzarella, breaded chicken, breaded beef and a sausage omelet topped with chipotle sauce, chipotle dressing, tomato, caramelized onions and lettuce. All of these ingredients somehow blend to create a harmonious lunch that will certainly leave you with enough for leftovers.
If you’re not sure what to order off the long menu at Mariscos Playa Hermosa, try the Plato del Capitan sampler.
Tirion Boan
1605 E. Garfield St.
While the name Mariscos Playa Hermosa suggests this restaurant is similar to many of the seafood-filled spots in town, it really offers a little of everything. Sure, there are giant platters of shrimp, mouth-puckering aguachiles and whole fried fish on the menu, which are worth a visit on their own. But the options here go far beyond the sea. Try a selection of carne asada, fried fish, grilled shrimp and chicken all piled into a scorching hot molcajete with green culichi or red diabla sauces. Lovers of surf and turf can get a taste of the land and sea with the Langosta Playera, a plate that includes a grilled lobster tail, carne asada steak and grilled shrimp. Wash it all down with a creative cocktail that rivals the colorful interior of this bright and lively restaurant. This is a popular destination for family celebrations, so reservations are recommended, especially for groups.
At Presidio Cocina Mexicana, the Chile Relleno is smothered in a spicy, tangy ranchera salsa.
Tirion Morris
519 W. Thomas Road
Presidio Cocina Mexicana is an unsung hero of the Mexican food scene in Phoenix. Sure, people know about it and go for brunch on the weekends. But this place deserves to be celebrated. Tucked into a corner storefront in a strip mall off Thomas Road, this small eatery serves Michoacán-style family recipes. Pull up a seat at the bar or grab a table along the back wall of this long, thin space and settle in for an outstanding meal. The Chile Relleno is a favorite that packs a spicy punch. The fried poblano pepper is filled with queso fresco, topped with ranchera salsa, and served over rice and beans. Specials rotate, and if the mole is available, it’s a must-order dish. A pool of rich, dark mole negro blankets tender chicken in this deeply satisfying plate. Presidio Cocina Mexicana hits that sweet spot where it’s perfect for a casual date night but also a hearty midweek meal.
1325 Grand Ave., #1
Grand Avenue has gotten a lot of press for Mexican food lately, thanks to Sonoran sweetheart Bacanora. But just up the street sits Testal. This small counter-service spot offers intense flavors and soul-satisfying dishes from Chihuahua and some of the most unusual burritos in town. The first thing to know is that you’ll probably want to order two for lunch. These burritos are quite small and come open on both ends, like overstuffed rolled tacos. But the beauty of their size is that it allows you to try a variety of the exceptional fillings on any given visit. The rich, bright red birria is a must, and the spicy, cheesy rajas are some of the best in Phoenix. Thin slices of roasted poblano peppers add a slight crunch to the silky sour cream-based sauce and fluffy flour tortilla. This spot also serves bowls, tacos and breakfast. But the burritos are essential to the Testal experience.
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Tirion Boan
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Here are 10 metro Phoenix spots to get a great margarita – shaken, spicy or sweet.
829 N. First Ave.
Since opening its doors in downtown Phoenix in 2021, Barcoa has been spreading the gospel about all things agave from its two-bars-in-one concept. While the basement lounge is an ideal spot for sipping spirits or watching the creative bar team at work, the cantina is where simplicity reigns with well-made margaritas of all stripes, from house and Cadillac styles to mezcal and mango riffs. On National Margarita Day, you can try cocktails made with agave spirits besides tequila and mezcal. Barcoa will serve margarita flights made with bacanora, raicilla and sotol from 4 to 11 p.m. for $22.
6685 W. Beardsley Road, #180 Glendale
This Glendale cantina has an array of specialty margaritas on its menu, but its namesake is the Urban Margarita, a Cadillac style with blanco tequila, Grand Marnier, agave and fresh lime. Other flavor infusions include prickly bear, blood orange, pineapple-jalapeno and chimango – a chile de arbol-infused tequila with orange liqueur, mango and lime. And, if you’d rather keep it simple, Urban Agave offers a house marg that can be served as-is or made spicy or skinny.
The Barrio Cafe Lowrider Margarita pairs perfectly with the restaurant’s famous Mexican dishes.
Melissa Campana
2814 N. 16th St., #1205
Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s “comida chingona” has wowed diners near and far since Barrio Cafe opened its doors in 2002. It’s consistently among our favorite Mexican restaurants and Valley-wide restaurants – and The New York Times agrees. You should come to delight your palate with the kitchen’s stunning Chiles en Nogada or Cochinita Pibil, and wash it down with one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails, including its Lowrider Margarita – featuring Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice – or El Suave, which uses añejo tequila with pineapple, lime, cilantro, candied jalapeno and agave.
3347 N. Seventh Ave.
Sipping a margarita at Mi Patio is a Phoenix rite of passage. The central Phoenix spot has been serving comforting, affordable Mexican food and drinks for 40 years. Mi Patio keeps it simple with a house version that is – yes, even in this economy – $3.89 or $4.99 for an extra large. Sure, it does taste a bit like Gatorade, but it’s hard to argue with a sub-$5 cocktail, seemingly bottomless chips and salsa and hearty plates.
The Arcadia Margarita from CRUjiente Tacos features cucumber, cilantro and jalapeno.
Crujiente Tacos
3961 E. Camelback Road
At the Arcadia taqueria and cantina CRUjiente Tacos, the neighborhood gets a namesake drink. The Arcadia Margarita combines tequila, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, house agave syrup and fresh lime. CRU’s bar team also is infusing unique flavors, including cinnamon, coconut and a version with passion fruit and serrano. You’ll find daily happy hour specials, including Margarita Mondays when select margs are $8.
202 N. Central Ave.
Located inside the San Carlos Hotel in downtown Phoenix, Centrico’s extensive, well-executed margarita menu led it to being named the New Times’ Best Margaritas for 2023. Its selections include a sandia version with muddled watermelon, a spicy chipotle-infused take, a classically-Phoenix prickly pear rendition and a jamaica sipper that uses reposado tequila, triple sec, simple syrup, hibiscus and orange bitters. The bar also boasts an extensive list of agave spirits including tequilas, mezcal, sotol, raicilla and bacanora.
For National Margarita Day, Hamburguesas y Cervezas is offering select $5 and $7 margaritas, including its chile-infused Green Emerald Margarita.
Hamburguesas y Cervezas
888 N. First Ave.
The team from America’s Taco Shop opened Hamburguesas y Cervezas just off Roosevelt Row last year serving, you guessed it, Mexican-style burgers and beers. In addition to Sinaloan-style eats, the team is shaking up inventive margaritas, including the Green Emerald, made with tequila, house-made margarita mix, a chile verde infusion and agave. For the holiday, the restaurant is offering $5 house margs and specialty versions, including its Green Emerald and Pineapple Habanero margaritas for $7.
9120 N. Central Ave.
This Sunnyslope institution serves an astonishing selection of Mexican dishes, including breakfast staples such as chilaquiles, comforting meatball soup, burritos, fajitas piled atop pasta and a solid selection of vegetarian dishes. Its tequila selection is just as encyclopedic. Via Delosantos will pour you a shot of blanco, reposado or añejo tequila or mezcal, or make it into a margarita. If you don’t want to worry about picking your spirit, you can stick to the house version – available by the glass ($4) or in small ($10) or large ($20) pitchers.
Adrian Galindo works his margarita magic at Bacanora. The restaurant features margaritas made with its namesake agave spirit.
Jackie Mercandetti Photo
1301 Grand Ave., #1
Bacanora is a love letter to Sonora, including the restaurant’s namesake agave spirit that hails from the Mexican state. On the celebrated spot’s taut cocktail menu, Bacanora offers a traditional margarita and or the Bacanorita – using bacanora, fresh lime juice, agave and orange liqueur, garnished with a citrus-sugar and chiltepin rim. Reservations to chef Rene Andrade’s Grand Avenue restaurant remain a hot commodity, but you can also try your luck walking in for brunch or visiting his reservation-free sibling restaurant Huarachis Taqueria, which serves a classic margarita among its array of inventive cocktails.
928 E. Pierce St.
Chef Doug Robson’s bright Garfield neighborhood eatery and bar offers several renditions, from the Gallo Margarita – its house version using a scratch-made sour mix – to the El Dorado, made with tequila, mango, guava, lime, chile and chamoy. The restaurant offers a daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. that features $5 margaritas. And, if you’re not imbibing, Gallo Blanco’s regular rotation of agua frescas – a blend of fruit, water, lime juice and sweetener – are a fantastic zero-proof mimic of a flavored marg.
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Sara Crocker
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