180 LA VIDA menu staples including plenty of tacos and crunchy fried vampiros. Its juicy, rich birria also comes as a spicy ramen, which gets a kick from chiltepin. The Glizzy Deluxe tops a spicy beef link with piles of fixings and bites of al pastor. And the rotating specials always offer something new and tasty. This truck, frequently parked outside Cobra Arcade Bar, The Theodore and Club Contact, is a desti- nation worthy of a trip of its own. i i i BEST VEGAN MEXICAN FOOD TACOS VEGANOS 3301 E. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD 602-675-2100 1579 N. DYSART ROAD, AVONDALE 480-699-8629 AZTACOSVEGANOS.COM You won’t believe it’s not real pork or carne asada. Tacos Veganos packs its menu with street tacos, gigantic burritos, towering nachos, mulitas, sopes, tortas, quesadillas, birria plates and even birria ramen, all made entirely from plants without sacrificing the bold flavors that define great Mexican food. The portions are huge, the prices are easy on the wallet and every bite makes a convincing case that vegan comfort food has arrived. Even WNBA legend Diana Taurasi counts it among her favorite Phoenix restaurants. Don’t expect rabbit food here. Come hungry, bring friends and prepare to leave wondering why anyone doubted the power of vegan Mexican food. i i i BEST 24-HOUR MEXICAN FOOD SALSITAS MEXICAN FOOD 1501 N. 43RD AVE. 602-278-0205 1541 E. ROOSEVELT ST. 602-258-1888 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS Metro Phoenix loves its 24-hour Mexican restaurants. You can hardly swing a bottle of hot sauce without hitting an all-day eatery, often of the ’Bertos variety. When it’s late and we’re hungry, we’ll hit up the closest drive- thru, but the choice port in a storm is a Salsitas. The local chain serves customers 24/7 from the drive-thru and, depending on the location, in the dining room as well. Dining room access means you can jazz up your meal at the salsa bar, which offers a variety of sauces, pickled onions, radishes and other groceries. At 2 in the morning your ultimate savior is the quesadilla, which is huge, rich and served piping hot. i i i BEST MEXICAN BREAKFAST CULTURA MEXICANA 5713 W. GLENDALE AVE., GLENDALE 602-806-1227 CULTURAMEXICANAGLENDALE.COM There’s always a line at Cultura Mexicana. Those folks waiting outside know what’s up — the downtown Glendale restaurant is a wonderful start to your day. Sip horchata from a glass jar with a peanut rim while you admire the colors of a giant Frida Kahlo mural. The menu offers breakfast, brunch and lunch with plenty of sweet and savory options. Sure, the chilaquiles and breakfast burrito are great. But dig a little deeper and the menu really shines with regional Mexican dishes hard to find elsewhere in the Valley. The pambazo, for instance, is a football-sized sandwich built on bread dipped in bright red guajillo chile sauce and stuffed with chorizo and potatoes. Our favorite is the Tecolota, which puts red or green chilaquiles into a sandwich alongside crema, queso fresco sizzled to a crisp on one side, two eggs and your choice of meat. It’s impossible to leave without feeling stuffed, happy and ready to return. i i i BEST TACOS HUARACHIS TAQUERIA 814 N. CENTRAL AVE. 602-773-1413 HUARACHIS.COM Fans of James Beard Award-winning chef Rene Andrade rejoiced when he opened a second concept a stone’s throw from the heart of downtown. Landing one of the ever-exclusive reservations at Bacanora is far more daunting than walking through Huarachis Taqueria’s salmon-pink-hued doors on Central Avenue. Since 2024, this upscale taqueria has served fabulous vampiros and the eponymous huarache, which consists of masa dough and smashed pinto beans with a host of toppings. And yet Andrade’s tacos still stand tallest in a city awash in great Mexican food. You can’t go wrong with the carne asada, pescado (fish) and lengua (tongue) — though his vege- tarian options (including crispy potato and mushroom options) are show-stoppers in their own right. i i i BEST TACO TUESDAY TACOS HUICHO 3831 E. THUNDERBIRD ROAD 602-404-7545 2722 E. MCDOWELL ROAD 602-244-1560 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS Head to Tacos Huicho for discounted tacos on Tuesday, and go straight for the al pastor. Let’s be clear: There isn’t much ambiance at the local chain’s storefronts, but you’ll down three tacos in quick succession without caring where you are. Order at the counter and maybe ask for some horchata to balance out the spice. If al pastor isn’t your scene, reach for carne asada or chicken. Each taco is topped with cucumbers, cilantro and onion. If you’re beyond taco-hungry, consider adding a classic side of beans and rice or an order of chips and salsa. With a squeeze of lemon and their signature green sauce, tacos from Tacos Huicho will be your favorite meal every Tuesday. i i i BEST BURRITOS JALAPEÑO BUCKS 3434 N. VAL VISTA DRIVE, MESA 480-459-3050 JALAPENOBUCKS.COM Tucked deep inside what’s left of the agricul- tural heart of Mesa, you’ll find a spot that looks straight out of the Texas boonies. Jala- peño Bucks sits at the front of a 32-acre citrus grove that traces its roots back to 1915, a stone’s throw from the bustling lanes of Val Vista Drive. Though Jalapeño Bucks is tech- nically a barbecue joint, their green chile (accompanied by shredded beef or ground pork) and brisket burritos are standouts. In the green chile option, the bright spice of New Mexico’s finest mix in synchronicity with some damn fine meat. In your brisket burrito, expertly smoked beef gives a killer umami pop. The true smorgasbord of meat- centric options is worth the drive to this one- of-a-kind location. i i i BEST BREAKFAST BURRITOS OTRO CAFE 6035 N. SEVENTH ST. 602-266-0831 OTROCAFE.COM The longstanding all-day joint that chef Doug Robson brought to Seventh Street in uptown Phoenix offers Mexico City-style fare from dawn to dusk. Somehow, though, we always seem to gravitate to the restaurant’s football- sized breakfast burritos. The two options — one packed full of chorizo, scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, beans and salsa; another vegan-friendly tofu and mushroom version with beans, potatoes and salsa — will satisfy omnivores and herbivores alike. You may be tempted by the cafe’s flapjacks. Stray if you must. You’ll soon find your way back to these tortilla-wrapped works of art. i i i BEST CHILAQUILES EL HORSESHOE 2140 W. BUCKEYE ROAD 602-251-3135 INSTAGRAM.COM/EL_HORSESHOE For 30 years the Avitia family has run this joint on an industrial stretch of Buckeye Road, wedged between car maintenance shops. Rosa started the hole-in-the-wall favorite; her kids now run it side by side. Their chilaquiles are a standout because of a simple formula the matriarch established: day-old tortillas torn by hand (rather than pre-fried chips), fried to order until crispy, doused in red or green salsa and finished with melted cheese and a little cotija. For such a humble dish, that commitment to craft is hard to come by. El Horseshoe has perfected the crunchy, flavorful breakfast — in a decidedly working-class dining room that seats two dozen or so people — while flying under the culinary radar.