Tacos Chiwas Makes Simple Tacos Awesome
Tacos are tricky. When you start getting into the world of “actually good” tacos, you’ll find that people are in two different camps: tacos with more stuff and tacos with less stuff. All over town you’ll find tacos with a pile of exotic ingredients that end up all over your face and hands, and admittedly, some of them are delicious. But to this day, the best taco I’ve ever had was in Rocky Point at one of those roadside carts, and all it had was meat and a tortilla. Tacos Chiwas is that kind of place, and almost as good. Now, to be fair, this was in college and I was probably on my fourth or fifth Sol beer, so there’s a good chance Tacos Chiwas is even better. It’s hard to compete with a memory.
Where: Downtown Mesa, in Phoenix on Indian School, an on Alma School in Chandler
Website: tacoschiwas.com
Reservations: Nope
Tip: The downtown Mesa location is my favorite, and you should definitely grab a loaf of bread or something from Proof next door.
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Husband and wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin (a classically trained chef) bring the meat-centric home cooking of Chihuahua to their small but mighty menu, featuring, among other things, melting beef cheek barbacoa (smoked for more than 12 hours), tender lengua, and crispy fried tripas — all tucked in handmade corn tortillas and doctored up at the salsa bar.
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What started out as a small, counter-serve restaurant offering a tight menu of Chihuahua-style street food has expanded to three locations across the Valley, including a new larger location for the original Phoenix eatery. But even with all those changes, the excellent quality of the food has stayed consistent. Husband-and-wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are behind the local chain, which remains one of the best spots in Phoenix to enjoy an afternoon taco — barbacoa, pastor and lengua are our picks.
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This family-operated establishment serves recipes that have been passed down through generations, offering traditional dishes from Chihuahua, Mexico. Tacos Chiwas exudes a playful atmosphere with a vibrant ambience and a welcoming staff. Order the calabacitas tacos for a golden balance of squash, corn, white onions, and asadero cheese. Expand your food-centered excursion with classics such as the barbacoa and carnitas tacos.
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These are not your regular tacos. These are tacos from Chihuahua. Everything they make is very, very, very good and always very consistent. The burritos are delicious. I get the gorditas de rajas. They’re so good I’m craving them right now! Tacos Chiwas has locations across the Phoenix area; I usually go to the one in Mesa.
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In Phoenix, you’re never far from a good taco—and they’re more than good at Tacos Chiwas. They draw on an archive of family recipes, including lingua and tripe, two things you won’t find at just any ordinary walk-in taqueria. Other notable menu items include the pillowy gorditas, cheesy quesadillas, and hefty burritos.
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It's nearly impossible to find a Phoenix local who hasn't had the pleasure of taking a delicious dive into a taco from Tacos Chiwas. The original restaurant's location opened less than a decade ago by Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez and quickly established itself as a Phoenix landmark. The restaurant has since expanded to include three locations, all paying homage to a cultural cuisine that cemented itself in the city long ago.
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I trust the judgment of the Mayor of Flavortown. One bite of the barbacoa tacos and the gorditas at Tacos Chiwas — both sampled by Guy Fieri during his 2017 trip there for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — and I knew there was something special about this place. Readers agree: they recently named Tacos Chiwas’ carne asada and calabacitas tacos among metro Phoenix's best tacos.
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An Arizona institution, Tacos Chiwas makes some of the best tacos in Phoenix, and, bonus, they are easily accessible with three locations across the valley. All the classic tacos are available here, served on thick, housemade corn tortillas. The humble chicken taco stands out here, with a fresh and herby cilantro crema and pickled red onions
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It doesn’t matter how many times we visit Tacos Chiwas, we could never get sick of their authentic tacos. We recommend the asada, the pastor, and especially the pollo, which is one of our all-time favorite chicken tacos. With seasoned grilled chicken, pickled red onions, and cilantro crema, it’s heaven in a tortilla. Be sure to also try their gorditas, a soft masa shell filled with potatoes, beans, and your choice of red or green shredded beef. Whatever you order, the price and quality here are hard to beat! Tacos Chiwas is truly one of the very best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix.
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Husband-and-wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin from the state of Chihuahua lit up the taco scene when they opened their first tiny taco shop in 2016. They later moved to larger digs, adding a bar and playing a soundtrack of Latin Urban. The place is cool without being tragically hip. Everybody has their own personal favorite taco here, whether it’s carne asada, pastor, carnitas, barbacoa, pollo, or calabacitas (Mexican squash, corn, onion and asadero cheese), but for the record, here’s where you’ll find the crispiest, best tripas (tripe) in town and a signature taco chiwas (think beef, ham, jalapeño, Anaheim chile, and asadero) that rocks.
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For a fast-casual lunch or dinner, head to Tacos Chiwas for street tacos that are tasty and friendly on the wallet. Tacos Chiwas is a Phoenix staple with three locations throughout Arizona, including a hip new spot in downtown Mesa. The menu is simple: choose from tacos, gorditas, burritos, or a quesadilla, but “tacos” are the namesake of the restaurant for a reason and are our personal favorites as well.
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PHENOMENAL FAST CASUAL CONCEPT
