24 Feb 2nd–Feb 8th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | ¡Magnífico! Here are the 10 best Mexican restaurants in metro Phoenix. BY TIRION MORRIS T he scope of Mexican food in Phoenix is vast, with restau- rants and chefs showcasing recipes from Sonora to Chihuahua and Mexico City to Oaxaca. Each region is as different and special as the local restaurants serving the food. Three of the Phoenix restaurants on this list — two relative newcomers to Grand Avenue and a longtime 16th Street favorite — 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 restau- rants in metro Phoenix right now. Bacanora 1301 Grand Avenue, #1 bacanoraphx.com 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 the James Beard Foundation just nominated its chefs, Rene Andrade and Roberto Centeno, as 2023 semifinalists. 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 every- thing touches an open flame, and the rotating specials are seriously special. Barrio Cafe 2814 North 16th Street, #1205 barriocafe.com It would be impossible to write a list about Mexican food in Phoenix without including Barrio Cafe. Since opening 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. Most recently, she was nominated, yet again, as a James Beard Award semifinalist. 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 restau- rant’s signature dish for good reason at this 16th Street institution. Caminero Mexican Food 8248 West Deer Valley Road, Peoria camineropeoria.com The cliche phrase “hidden gem” is crimi- nally overused. But Caminero Mexican Food, a little counter-service restaurant tucked around the side of an Albertson’s shopping center in suburban Peoria, may just fit the bill. The eatery first opened in 2001 in Sunnyslope, before the Vasquez family moved it to the West Valley roughly nine years later. In its current home, the restaurant serves menudo on the weekends, and breakfast burritos, tacos, chimichangas, and tortas daily. We are partial to the fajita quesadilla, a platter- sized stack of tortillas sliced into triangles and bursting with chunks of medium-rare carne asada and grilled bell peppers. Caramelized onions add a hint of sweetness, and the accompanying guac and sour cream offer a cold reprieve from the sizzling-hot melted cheese. Head to Peoria to hang out with the construction workers and other in-the-know diners who grab lunch at this mural-decorated gem. Casa Corazon 2637 North 16th Street, Phoenix casacorazonrestaurant.com The first thing you notice about Casa Corazon is the building. This little Mexican restaurant is located inside a bright orange-painted bungalow with a steep roof featuring multiple points. Many years before it became a restaurant, the structure was actually a residential house that the owner lived in. Since 2018, it’s been home to customers enjoying tacos, an extended happy hour, and one of the best salsa bars in town. The menu specializes in dishes from southern Mexico and includes lighter options such as soups, salads, and tacos ordered a la carte. Heartier dishes include enchiladas, flautas, and multiple different steaks. Stop in during happy hour to admire the architecture, and fill up on fresh salsa drizzled over $4 tacos from 3 to 6 p.m. and all day on Tuesdays. Las 15 Salsas 722 West Hatcher Road las-15-salsas-restaurant-oaxaqueno. negocio.site 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. Los Reyes de la Torta 9230 North Seventh Street losreyesaz.com 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. 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. Barrio Cafe’s “world famous” guacamole pops with pomegranate seeds. Allison Young ▼ Café
