20 March 21st-March 27th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Flavors of Mexico The 10 best Mexican restaurants in metro Phoenix. BY TIRION BOAN AND SARA CROCKER T he scope of Mexican food in Phoenix is vast, with restau- rants and chefs showcasing recipes from Sonora to Chihuahua and Michoacán to Oaxaca. Each region is as different and special as the local restaurants serving the food. Two of the Phoenix restaurants on this list were named in late January as semifi- nalists 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. Alebrijes Cafe & Grill 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 loca- tions around the colorful dining room, which sometimes features spicy and satis- fying bowls of pozole or sweet creations such as concha French toast. The restaurant offers indoor tables, bar seating and a shaded patio. Bacanora 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 nomi- nated 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 every- thing touches an open flame, and the rotating specials are seriously special. Barrio Cafe 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 pome- granate 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 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 restau- rant’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. Cocina Chiwas 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 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. Clockwise from top left: Chilte, the modern Mexican restaurant on Grand Avenue, continues to build national recognition. Barrio Cafe’s “world famous” guacamole pops with pomegranate seeds. Bacanora’s chef, owner and grill master Rene Andrade has been nominated for a James Beard Award two years running. If you’re not sure what to order off the massive menu at Mariscos Playa Hermosa, try the Plato del Capitan sampler. (Photos by Allison Young, Jackie Mercandetti and Tirion Boan) ▼ Food & Drink >> p 22
