La Vida

An agua fresca is a treat any day of the year. But a tall cup of water blended with fruit, served fresh and ice-cold, in the middle of summer? It tastes like heaven. Local chain Tortas Manantial has the aguas frescas game down; they serve them in two sizes in flavors like pineapple, papaya, grapefruit, soursop, lemon, coconut, cucumber, and more. And you know the ingredients are fresh because you can watch while the staff chops and blends the fruit for your drink. Tortas Manantial’s three Valley locations also serve just juice, plus licuados (smoothies). Any of the restaurant’s beverages are perfect for washing down their lineup of tasty sandwiches.

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast food featuring tortilla chips lightly fried and simmered in a sauce, then used as a base for various toppings. At popular Arcadia eatery The Bread and Honey House, the chilaquiles are a delicious mess, a huge portion of tortillas made soft and mouthwatering by fresh guajillo- and pasilla-roasted salsa. They get topped with crema fresca, cotija cheese, sliced onions, and cilantro, plus one egg your way (we like ’em scrambled). The Bread and Honey House gives you a huge portion of chilaquiles, but if you’re still looking for more sustenance, try adding a protein like carnitas, bacon, or our pick, savory chorizo. It’ll fill you up and make your taste buds sing, a perfect start to your day.

Metro Phoenix is filled with roadside stands with colorful tents churning out excellent bacon-wrapped hot dogs. But if you’re looking to sit down at a restaurant and enjoy a Sonoran-style dog, that’s a little harder to find. Enter Emilio’s Tacos & Hotdogs. Located on 19th Avenue in a former Dairy Queen, a small team of servers and cooks work the drive-thru window, fry churros, fold burritos, and top baskets of fries with carne asada, guacamole, cheese, and a rainbow of salsas. Best of all, they roll hot dogs in bacon, top them with savory pinto beans, a smattering of tomatoes, and a heavy-handed drizzle of mustard and mayonnaise, then serve them piping hot. Get messy at one of the wooden tables inside the small, brightly colored restaurant, or sit outside on the covered patio. Whether you’re from Tucson and miss the Sonoran hot dogs available at BKs or El Guerro Canelo, or you’ve tried these messy creations on the streets of Sonora, Emilio’s dogs stand up to the best.

There’s a difference of opinion in the street-corn-lovers community: Do you like your corn in a cup (which is called esquites), or still on the cob (elote)? Popular central Phoenix eatery Gallo Blanco caters to the cob crowd. Its version of the Mexican snack food is one ear of corn smeared with just the right amount of mayo, then generously dusted with cotija cheese, chile piquin, and smoked paprika. You can slice the kernels off the cob, or dig in face first — hey, that’s what napkins are for. The elote is perfectly roasted, fresh, and crisp, and the ideal start to a great Gallo Blanco lunch or dinner.

Taco Boy’s two Valley locations serve some of the best tacos in town, no question. But when we think about meals we’ve had there, the dish that sticks in our mind, that we crave, that we tell others about, is … the beans. Seriously. Think of the many bland piles of refried beans you’ve eaten in your life, then imagine the opposite of that. Taco Boy’s beans are dark, with a smoky flavor. They’re mostly smooth, with just a tiny bit of texture. They’re incredible fresh or reheated. And they’re the perfect side dish to the main offerings at Taco’s Boy — we particularly love the al pastor and the carne asada. The Phoenix outpost has a few beer options in bottles, but if you head to Tempe to try the beans and their sidekicks, you can pick a beverage from the beer wall, which offers 20 taps of frothy refreshment.

A bit of Googling quickly brings up the recipe for the guacamole at the iconic and oft-celebrated Mexican restaurant Barrio Café. It seems simple enough — avocado, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pomegranate seeds (and optional tomato) — and yet nothing we whip up in our kitchen tastes the same as the version that comes out of the kitchen at the central Phoenix eatery. That’s fine with us — it gives us an excuse to walk through Barrio Café’s doors yet again. We start with the guac, or maybe the queso fundido, then face the hard question — which of Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s excellent dishes do we choose as an entree? (Spoiler: It’s usually her savory, fragrant cochinita pibil.) But while we wait for the main course, we get to feast on the guacamole and chips, each light chip cradling a scoop of chunky green heaven.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of Mexican sushi, it sounds like an oxymoron — or a joke. But it’s neither. While Mexican sushi has lots in common with the conventions of traditional Japanese sushi, there are plenty of traits that make it unique. There’s no nigiri or sashimi; the hallmark of Mexican sushi is the deep-fried roll, and the things that go into said rolls can vary wildly from anything you’ve seen before. At local chain Sushi Sonora, that means the Sushi Dog, a roll with sausage, bacon, cream cheese, and avocado, or a traditional Mexican sushi creation, the Cielo, Mar y Tierra (sky, sea, and land) Roll, which includes chicken, beef, shrimp, cream cheese, and avocado. Our favorite is the Potan Roll, which features crab mix on top of salmon, shrimp, and cream cheese, all topped with a zesty sauce. If you’re looking to expand your sushi horizons, Sushi Sonora is the place.

On weekend mornings, the parking lot at Don Cahuamanta is filled with people waiting in line for their favorite menu items. The tiny restaurant, black and white on the outside, with “Bienvenidos” painted in bold letters across the arching doorway, is a neighborhood favorite. Don Cahuamanta specializes in its namesake, manta ray. The Sonora-style restaurant’s logo shows a large gray stingray, and it serves the unique meat in rich soups and atop tacos. Inside the tiny restaurant, hungry customers chat exclusively in Spanish, ordering fresh plates of aguachile and smoked marlin tacos. Cold seafood cocktails are also available in large glass goblets or served inside coconuts. Get here early or be prepared to wait at this west-side seafood destination.

Chantico is a cute date spot, open and airy with modern vibes and lots of good bites. But the Spicy Halibut Ceviche stands out among tasty dishes like clams al vapor and mesquite-grilled achiote chicken. Presented in a fresh coconut, chunks of tender halibut and pineapple sit in a spicy medley of cilantro and chiles. The generous portion, served with fresh corn tortilla chips, is refreshing and surprisingly filling, and a great way to start the meal before trying some enchiladas or tacos. Dig into the meaty coconut after you inevitably devour the ceviche, and you may not even want dessert. But no promises.

This local bakery shot to social media fame last year when it sold purple and orange tie-dye conchas to support the Phoenix Suns. But La Purisima has been churning out some of the best pan dulce in the Valley since 1983. Stop by the Glendale or Phoenix stores to find shelves of fresh baked and brightly colored pastries lining the counter, offering almost endless options. Cherry-filled turnovers, colorful conchas, fruit-filled empanadas, and overflowing cream puffs beg to be picked by hungry customers pointing to their selections at the busy bakery. Bags and boxes get filled quickly, making way for the next batch of baked goods to be put out on display. Regulars order their pan with a dozen tortillas for later, or a cup of fresas con crema for an extra sweet treat.

Drinking horchata at Belly, the hip Southeast Asian-inspired eatery in Phoenix’s Melrose District and coming soon to Gilbert, isn’t a suck-it-back experience out of a plastic cup. No, it’s a slow-sipping affair that invites all your senses along for the ride. Your eyes are drawn to the backlit bar and cocktail-slinging bartenders, your ears are tuned to the buzzy chatter and techno beats, and your mouth is stunned into submission by the frosty freshness. It’s both thicker and lighter than any horchata you’ve had before, punched up with the tangy hint of citrus. That’s no accident. Made by simmering fresh-cut lemongrass and makrut lime leaves to extract as much flavor as possible, the tangy tea is then blended with house-made rice milk, coconut milk, and coconut cream for a trippy sip that adds a bright Thai spin on the traditional Mexican drink. Booze it up by adding a dark aged rum like Ron Colón. Bonus: Belly Gilbert will be offering a cinnamon and star anise version. Double bonus: Both happen to be vegan.

Gaze at a mural of Frida Kahlo and sip on a cold margarita while you devour a quesadilla or three at Taco Chelo. These handheld creations are different from the large ones you’re used to, made on your choice of a small corn or flour tortilla folded in half. And like so much in life, the simpler these quesadillas are, the better. The cheese blend melts into the tortilla creating a perfect bite, warm and melty with nothing but queso and carbs. Add carnitas or veggies to the little snack if you’d like, but know that the classic dipped into some red or green salsa is just as good.

Move over, Starbucks. We know of a much better spot for sweet coffee drinks. The Van Buren location of Tres Leches Café is a bright, invigorating space with multicolored walls, a charming courtyard, and plenty of space to work, read, or catch up with a friend. The menu is filled with Mexican-style coffee creations. We love the rich Tres Aztecas, a Mexican mocha with espresso and crema, and the Cafe de Frida, a gently spiced blend of coffee and cream. If we’re feeling peckish, we’ll pick a Mexican pastry out of the bakery case, maybe a concha or an Oreo doncha. Tres Leches also offers the fruit smoothies known as licuados as well as aguas frescas and the hard-to-find aguas sucias, aguas frescas taken to the next level with espresso.

You can find margaritas everywhere, from upscale cocktail bars to basic chain restaurants. But if you want good margaritas served along great food in a fun atmosphere, Crujiente Tacos in Arcadia is the go-to. The tiny eatery’s signature margarita is the Premier Cru. Elegant in its simplicity, the margarita contains blue agave tequila, house agave syrup, fresh-squeezed lime, and muddled orange. We recommend experiencing it during happy hour, when it’s a couple bucks less than usual. But Crujiente’s other margaritas are worth trying, too: the guava margarita is sweet without being cloying, and the Arcadia Margarita with cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño is bright and spicy. All of them strike a perfect balance: you can taste and feel the tequila without it overpowering the other ingredients or making the drink too strong. Any of the margaritas on the menu match perfectly with Crujiente’s award-winning food, which includes inventive tacos (think crunchy lamb and grilled pork belly) and tasty snacks like queso with chorizo.

It can be hard being an imbiber on a budget. Drinks plus tips add up fast, unless you’re enjoying the house rocks margarita at Mi Patio in the Melrose District. The longtime neighborhood favorite serves the margarita in a hurricane glass with a salt rim for the low price of $3.19. And it’s great — tasty, well-balanced, and you’ll notice a pleasantly warm feeling starting to spread through your chest after the first one. If you want to splurge, the extra-large version is, well, larger and still only costs $6. We recommend using them to wash down Mi Patio’s delicious family-style Mexican food; we’re partial to the taco salad and the Baja spinach and feta cheese chimichanga.

With two locations in the Valley, El Rancho Market IGA is an excellent resource for groceries or prepared meals in a one-stop shop. Both the Chandler and Phoenix locations have weekly specials on meats for that barbecue — carne asada, pork spare ribs, and marinated chicken legs, to mention a few. You can buy them from the frozen section or pull a number and wait for one of the butchers to weigh and wrap up the selected freshly chopped protein. Veggies and fruits are stocked daily. During a recent three-day weekend, mangoes, jalapeño peppers, Roma tomatoes, and onions all cost less than $1 per pound — meaning you can whip up that mango salsa for practically nothing. El Rancho’s locations make fresh salsas, guacamole, and tortillas from scratch every day. And if the shoppers are pressed for time and late for their own fiesta, no worries: The deli and bakery have freshly made items ready to serve. In addition, the supermarket carries a wide selection of cold domestic and imported brews to tame the spicy salsa. ¡Buen provecho!

Keep your eyes peeled, and you’ll see the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe all over metro Phoenix — in art galleries and on murals, painted on lowriders and hanging, in jewelry form, around the necks of believers. If you want your own version, check out Autom, a Catholic supply store in southwest Phoenix. Autom does most of its business online, but you can visit the store to see the goods in person. The image of the Virgin is available in the form of statues, charms, wall art, rosaries, tote bags, and more. And while you’re there, you can check out the wide selection of Bibles, home decor, holiday items, and gifts, all of which can help add a bit of the sacred into your everyday life.

We often go out carrying an exquisite hand-tooled leather purse. The warm brown leather has a rose design, and the petals and stem are dyed with red-pink and green hues. It never fails to garner compliments, and when admirers ask where we got it, we tell them that we found it at Mexican Arts Imports. The family-owned business has been open for 60 years, and they source the goods from artists in six Mexican states. And the goods are great. Besides clothing and accessories, you can find housewares, wall art, outdoor decor, all types of stuff with Frida Kahlo’s face on it, papel picado in various sizes, and Día de los Muertos decorations. They’ve upgraded their website, but you should definitely visit the deceptively large Phoenix storefront in person, and make sure you leave plenty of time to explore everything Mexican Arts Imports has to offer.

Since opening in 2020, Churros Don Lencho has quickly become a churro go-to, drawing crowds to its practically middle-of-nowhere location. Parked most nights behind an AutoZone on Lower Buckeye Road, the food truck’s location may not be fancy, but the churros are. Thin, crispy, and just the right amount of dense, the freshly fried doughy delights could easily pass for a fancy dessert at an upscale resort. Founder Edwin Tlaseca got the idea to make churros during a trip to Jalisco, Mexico, where his family is from. Afterward, he got down to recipe-testing until he had the perfect crispy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-middle balance. Not only are they a deal — get 12 churros ($12), six churros ($6), filled churros ($2), or the churro sundae ($9), a six-churro treat topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles — the treats are vegan, meaning even more people can experience what Churros Don Lencho has to offer.

Birthday parties and festivities aren’t the same without piñatas to smash on with that colorfully wrapped stick. So hit up one of three Dulceria La Bonita spots in the Valley for a great spread of piñatas. They’ve got various colorways in the old school eight-pointed ball and star types, plus trendier motifs based on popular characters like the Minions gang, Batman, Baby Shark, and so many more. And since dulceria means candy store, the local chain has everything you need to fill whatever piñata you choose, including a wide selection of American sweets and a fascinating assortment of Mexican goodies. We have to build in extra time to examine all the delicious-looking yet unfamiliar treats. Besides piñatas and the stuff to fill them, the warehouses in Phoenix and Mesa also sell Mexican chips, cookies, party tableware, and decor.

We don’t get out to the west Valley town of El Mirage very often. But when we do, it’s usually because we’ve been thinking about the tacos at La Bamba Mexican Grill Restaurant and we can’t hold out any longer. We’ve written plenty about the outstanding al pastor at La Bamba, the tender meat marinated in a house-fermented pineapple vinegar. It’s part of a very small menu: just a few kinds of tacos (get them Bamba style to add cheese), plus a quesadilla, a torta, and a salad. Topped with Chef Edson Garcia’s red, green, and yellow sauces (red salsa, avocado salsa, and a secret salsa), tacos are accompanied by a pile of diced onions and cilantro, lime wedges, and cucumber slices. The lightly crispy shells give way to an incredible blend of flavors. Trust us when we say, these tacos are worth the drive.

We never get tired of seeing artist Lalo Cota’s murals filled with lowriders, skull figures, alien spaceships, and other stylized imagery around town. But Cota took it to the next level for his solo exhibition at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. The lowrider paintings were awesome, of course. But the best lowrider we saw this year was a three-dimensional car he built for the entrance to the exhibit, where people could pose as if they were in the driver’s seat and hanging out the window waving to all their fellow autophiles. It worked as an art piece and a unique photo opportunity, and everyone in the gallery from kids to grownups loved having the chance to take an imaginary spin through lowrider culture.

Collaborations born of creativity and necessity marked the COVID-19 era, but this year’s best Latinx collaboration continued an innovative series of multidisciplinary celebrations and conversations launched in 2016 by CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas). Adapting to the times, organizers presented a hybrid event in March, so people could gather at Crescent Ballroom or participate via livestream. It was a rare opportunity to experience a blend of sound with meditative, healing qualities, and sculptural installations that transported participants to various sites in the Americas within the context of hard political realities. By blending bilingual music, art, and conversations in this casual setting, Crossfade LAB made space for fresh insights about culture, geographies, and politics, and helped people make connections that will empower future actions in the realm of social justice and creative expression.

Maybe you were that kid who always swung just a bit too hard when they brought the candy-filled piñata out at birthday parties. You’d have met your match at Phoenix Art Museum, where the “Desert Rider” exhibition included a car piñata built to scale and suspended from the ceiling so people could walk around to check out every little detail accentuating its bright pink form. Beyond bringing back childhood memories, the piñata inspired people to think about not only the richness of Latinx culture, but also the ways adulthood can sometimes suck out all our childlike qualities. Justin Favela’s piñata helped us reconnect with the curiosity and wonder of our youth — even if it didn’t entirely dispel our fondness for breaking things open in search of treats.

Día de Los Muertos festivals around metro Phoenix are explosions of color, expressions of long-held traditions and entertaining spectacles. When the Day of the Dead rolls around, we head to Mesa Arts Center to watch and participate in the festivities. MAC’s version of the event includes a community ofrenda (a memorial altar) where attendees can leave photos of loved ones, plus music and dance performances, food and drink for sale, kids’ activities, vendors, and more. We’re not the only ones impressed by what MAC has to offer: In March, the National League of Cities gave the city of Mesa one of its 2022 Cultural Diversity Awards for the Día de Los Muertos event. This year’s festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 22 and 23, and is free to attend.

Club DWNTWN is a landmark of Phoenix’s Latin dance scene that’s been around for nearly 20 years, which, by itself, makes the club unique among local discotecas. The secrets to its longevity are also why it’s the top club in town: a wide variety of hot tunes, plenty of space to dance, and numerous amenities. DJs bring the bops in three different rooms, each with its own varied sound. Up front, the expansive main room rocks with the harder beats of Latin urbano, hip-hop, and Top 40. In another dance hall and out on the back patio, genres such as rock en Español, cumbia, bachata, and musica tropicales are all in the mix. When hombres y mujeres aren’t dancing at DWNTWN, they’re drinking at its main bar (which is stocked with a wall of tequila), hitting up a separate michelada bar, or being seen in the VIP section. The crowds here are as wide as they are varied, as the turnout is typically huge. Saturday’s Noche Latina party is the biggest night of the weekend, with lines stretching up Central Avenue. In other words, show up early (and dress to impress) if you hope to hit the dance floor.

Consider it pure luck if you can find a seat at this tiny, yet highly acclaimed eatery on funky Grand Avenue. Dig into some fresh guacamole — limey and topped with cotija cheese and chiltepin peppers — or grilled elote with spicy crema to start. Later, watch James Beard Award-nominated Chef Rene Andrade grill up Sonoran specialties like perfectly seasoned carne asada and pollo asado over an open flame. Since it opened in February 2021, Bacanora has racked up accolade after accolade; it was just included in Bon Appetit‘s list of the 50 best new restaurants in the country. And when Machine Gun Kelly needed to grab a meal while he was in town for a show, Bacanora was the restaurant he chose. The menu, like the restaurant, is small but mighty, so book well in advance, grab a couple of friends, and try at least one of everything.

Call Her Martina, a new restaurant along the Scottsdale Waterfront, looks like a modern Mexican restaurant complete with greenery, neon signs, posters of movie stars, and sleek black furniture. But the space sounds like a nightclub. A mix of reggaeton, hip-hop, and pop hits blasts over the speakers of this trendy Old Town spot. Customers just starting their night stop by for a trio of salsas, an appetizer plate of steak-specked guacamole, or a cocktail or two. Tables of friends celebrate birthdays and go all out with orders of grilled octopus served over dramatically dark squid-ink risotto. The drinks, beautiful and balanced, steal the spotlight, while the flan topped with fresh mint drowns out the music with notes that are sweet, creamy, and rich.

If you’re focused on your driving while tooling down 16th Street (and you should be), you may miss the two food trucks camped out near Monroe Street. But the next time you’re not rushing to get somewhere, stop and experience some of the best Mexican food in town. La Frontera #1 faces 16th Street, and the cash-only joint serves up tacos, burritos, vampiros, tostadas, and more. The al pastor is to die for and we usually order it packed into a burrito, but with a long list of available meats, including carne asada, cabeza (beef head), and buche (pork stomach), it’ll be a long time before we run out of things to try. And speaking of options, you can take your food to go or enjoy it under the awning of the small seating area, or you can check out La Frontera #3, the food truck with a more seafood-heavy menu located in the same parking lot.

In a city with a ‘Bertos on practically every corner, it’s safe to say that Phoenicians have no shortage of choices when it comes to drive-thru Mexican food. But when we can, we eschew the corporate option and go for something a little more authentic (and in our opinion, way tastier). Maria’s Frybread and Mexican Food is a small restaurant in east Phoenix, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in taste. The eponymous frybread is outstanding — we love it under the red chile beef, which in turn gets topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Burritos (breakfast and non), tostadas — there’s really not a bad choice here. You can eat in the homey dining room on oilcloth tablecloths, or pick up your meal in the drive-thru. Just be aware that unlike a ‘Bertos, Maria’s has limited hours for the dining room and the drive-thru, so make sure you time your visit well in order to try this hidden Arcadia gem.

Among the many strip mall joints of midtown Phoenix, Casa Corazon sticks out. The red-painted restaurant is housed inside an old church, complete with high ceilings and arched doorways. However now, the space welcomes the masses to celebrate the holy ritual of happy hour. From 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, Casa Corazon serves carne asada, al pastor, and canasta-style tacos for $4 a pop. Draft and bottled beers cost $5 and a house margarita will set you back $6. On Tuesdays, the $4 taco deal runs all day long. We suspect that you’ll love the food so much that you come back for lunch or dinner, when the menu includes mouthwatering fare like Pasta Corazon with Tequila Shrimp or the house special chicken with mole negro.

It’s been 20 years since Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza opened Barrio Café with Wendy Gruber on July 11, 2002 — and the Mexican restaurant that blends cuisine, art, and culture is still going strong despite some significant challenges. Esparza recalls the kitchen flooding on opening day, the chronic health condition that could have destroyed her spirit, the devastating financial impacts of COVID-19 closures, the death of a beloved friend and artist, and the politicians who promulgated racial profiling of Latinos. Instead of giving up, she’s pushed forward grounded in love for family, community, and food as a profound creative expression of resistance. We can’t wait to see what adventures await her as her impact continues to grow in breadth and depth.

If your experience with gorditas is limited to the ones you’ve had at Taco Bell, you haven’t had real gorditas. At popular local chain Tacos Chiwas, the gorditas are small — about the size of a coaster — and stuffed with flavor. There’s only four to choose from: two kinds of shredded beef (red sauce and green sauce) with potatoes and beans; ground beef with carrots, celery, potatoes, and beans; and the standout rajas gordita, which comes with roasted poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, onions, asadero cheese, and beans. All offer incredible flavor with just the right amount of spice. Depending on how hungry you are, you’re going to need at least two for a meal, so we recommend mixing and matching in order to experience what Tacos Chiwas has to offer.

We love melted cheese on tortilla chips, whether it’s at the movie theater or a fast-food joint or a trendy eatery. But of all the nachos we’ve tried (and trust us, we’ve tried a lot), we haven’t found any we like better than the chips and cheese at Cocina 10 Kitchen, the restaurant at Crescent Ballroom. Of course, there’s way more to the I-10 Nachos than just chips and cheese. Order them and you’ll see what we mean. The chips come buried under an avalanche of refried beans, cheddar cheese, Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, cotija cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. It’s messy, delicious, and more than enough to share. Add carne asada for extra flavor, then head into whatever show is going on at Crescent that evening.

Cocina Madrigal Tacos + Tequila looks like a hidden gem, except everyone knows about it, especially since Yelp put it at the top of their Top 100 Places to Eat in 2022. (By the way, that’s a national list, not a local one.) The little restaurant tucked on a residential street in south Phoenix draws a crowd every day of the week. This neighborhood joint serves an eclectic menu of burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and burritos. But the enchiladas are the star: warm, soft, and unbelievably good . You get to choose from chicken, beef birria, barbacoa green chile, or wild mushroom (our favorite). You can also mix and match, the better to try what Cocina Madrigal has to offer. Each satisfying plate is served with two enchiladas, warm tortillas, rice, and beans.

You know a burrito is good when people are willing to wait in the Arizona sun for it. To order your food at El Norteño, a tiny eatery in west Phoenix, you enter a small indoor space that holds maybe two people. Then, you stand around in the parking lot until your food is ready. There’s a small covered patio with a few tables, but most patrons get their food to go. Believe us when we say, the food is worth it. They open at 7:30 a.m. so folks on their way to work can grab a hearty, delicious breakfast burrito (we like the chorizo, egg, and potato). Around lunch, there’s a line to order dishes like the machaca burrito (machaca is El Norteño’s specialty). We like the Arizona burro, a massive, two-meal creation that includes carne asada, rice, potato, beans, sour cream, and guacamole. In addition to nearly two dozen burrito options, El Norteño offers a full menu of tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and more. Just remember to bring cash — the establishment doesn’t take credit or debit.

To the first person who saw a burrito and thought, “I should deep-fry this and top it with a bunch of stuff,” we salute you. Their creation is one of our favorite Mexican dishes, and there’s no better place to get one than at local chain Rito’s. Rito’s serves up enormous chimis with crispy, flaky exteriors, topped with sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, and diced tomatoes. You’ve got your choice of fillings: The red chile beef is a longtime Valley favorite, but we love the shredded chicken with green chile sauce and pico de gallo as well. Order them enchilada style (with red or green sauce) for even more flavor.

When trying to find Topo, just look for a giant, cowboy hat-wearing gopher with glowing yellow eyes. The landmark in Gilbert’s Heritage District is hard to miss. At this outdoor counter-service joint, the menu is small but mighty. Order the Topo Loco Burrito for a tin-foil-wrapped explosion of flavor. This burrito comes stuffed with chicken or pork, beans, sweet corn, hot sauce, cilantro, cheese, tomatillo crema, and crunchy Fritos chips. The textures contrast each other perfectly, making each bite a creamy, crunchy, messy mouthful. We recommend clearing your palate of all that savory goodness by finishing your meal with Topo’s prickly pear soft-serve ice cream.

It’s often the little things that make Phoenix Burrito House feel special. Like the fact that it takes up an unassuming, converted old house. Or the old loteria art that decorates the walls. Even the mere availability of those large-sized Mexican Cokes makes a difference. It’s that very idea that makes their breakfast burritos equally great, and arguably the star of a stacked menu. It’s the quality of the meat, from the extra-crispy bacon and the perfectly spiced chorizo, to the overall size and proportions. And, of course, something has to be said for the pinto beans, which are as close to performing a magic spell on your breakfast as humanly possible. Is it the most imaginative burrito you’ll ever eat? Probably not, but these are breakfast burritos that we’re talking about, and what these bad boys lack in innovation, they more than make up for in overall quality and a kind of down-home connection that all the truly best foods foster. Food should be about community and connection as much as the way the potatoes are perfectly cooked — that’s why PBH feels like the breakfast burrito for this city.

Tamales are traditionally a holiday treat, made around Christmastime. But we’re glad we can grab this comfort food practically any day of the year at The Tamale Store in north Phoenix. The bright, airy space has a little bit of everything: plenty of seating, shelves featuring Tamale Store-branded salsas and other items, flat-screen TVs, and a mercado area offering frozen tamales to take home. The daily lineup of fresh tamales varies a bit, but we’re always happy when the Tex-Mex (ground beef and Monterey Jack cheese), pork red chile, or Arizona cornbread with Colby Jack are options. All of the tamales are soft and delicious — never stale or bland. We like to pick a couple and stick them in a combo meal, pairing them with great side dishes like elote and potatoes with chorizo.

No less a personage than Guy Fieri agrees that the sandwiches at Los Reyes de la Torta are something special. They start with a soft bolillo roll, and then the sky’s the limit. The Del Rey is the most popular sandwich, according to the website, and we can confirm it’s pretty great — a mix of ham, mozzarella, pork sirloin, breaded beef, and sausage-chorizo omelet, plus tomato, caramelized onions, fresh avocado, and chipotle sauce, it vanquishes all appetites. We’re also partial to the Hawaiian, a sweet and savory dish made with ham, pineapple, and pork sirloin, topped with melted mozzarella, queso fresco, and a chipotle dressing. With 15 tortas to choose from made with fresh, quality ingredients, there’s a sandwich to everyone’s liking.