Taqeuria El Chino

Taqueria El Chino may look like just another bare-bones counter service taqueria, but the restaurant’s exceptional take on classic Sonoran street food has made it a popular lunchtime destination for hungry workers around the Capitol Mall near downtown Phoenix. The menu is fairly simple, offering tacos, quesadillas, burritos and tortas, but it’s the kitchen’s slow-cooked, juicy meats that take these old favorites to new heights. Cachete and cabeza tacos are tender, moist and drip with juice. The green chile verde beef burrito comes swimming in a savory and slightly spicy sauce. Cahuamanta, a traditional northern Mexico seafood soup, offers a nice break from the red meat-heavy menu, with a well-seasoned broth that is hot, salty and intensely flavorful.