The Fry Bread House vs. Sacred Hogan Navajo Frybread
In One Corner: The Fry Bread House
4140 N. 7th Ave.
602-351-2345
At noon on a Saturday, the dining room of The Fry Bread House is packed. We head to the counter and order an Indian Taco with a Red Cream Soda and then sit at a booth waiting for our name to be called.
At $5.99 apiece, the Indian tacos are filled with refried beans that are made in-house, and topped with shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese.
"This is heart attack city," our friend says as we assess the massive taco between us.
We tear the taco in two and each go after our portions. The fry bread lives up to its name. It's a crispy, crunchy mess and maybe a stitch too greasy as we cycle through napkin after napkin.
"It's definitely salty enough," our friend adds.
While the iceberg lettuce and cheddar cheese are nothing special, the beans are good. The taco is decent but so greasy you can't imagine eating more than a half of one.
In the Other Corner: Sacred Hogan Navajo Frybread
842 E. Indian School Road
(602) 277-5280
You'll find Sacred Hogan Navajo Frybread across the street from the VA Medical Center on Indian School. It's a modest joint, where you also order at the counter and sit at a booth while waiting for your food. A cooler to the right of the cashier is filled with cans of Shasta colas.
Unlike at the Fry Bread House, Sacred Hogan distinguishes between different types of Indian tacos. The Navajo taco is made of whole pinto beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, served on Navajo fry bread. A full is $5.99 and a half is $4.99.
"I can already tell this one is better," our friend says as soon as the taco is served.
It's clear this is the superior of the two. It could be the addition of onions and fresh tomatoes, or the juicy salsa available at the table. It could also be the fact that the fry bread doesn't look quite so greasy. This taco is actually light and airy, which are the last words you'd expect to hear describing anything served on fry bread.
"The other one felt really heavy -- maybe it was the refried beans," our friend adds, in between bites.
The Verdict: Sacred Hogan Navajo Frybread
