Best Tortas 2024 | Tortas el Rey | La Vida | Phoenix
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Best Tortas

Tortas el Rey

Erica O'Neil
The Torta El Rey from Torta El Rey

Everybody knows Los Reyes de la Torta. But with all due respect to the popular (and excellent) darling of the Phoenix torta scene, we pledge our allegiance to another king. Tortas el Rey might not have Guy Fieri's signed poster on the wall, but this place slings some mean tortas. You'll find the usual suspects, including a thin, crispy milanesa; a perky al pastor; and a Hawaiana filled with pork shoulder and pineapple. The El Rey is the obligatory overstuffed festival of six meats, while the excellent Ranchera Especial is a creamy, chipotle-sauced number built on carne asada with griddled onions and peppers. But what sets Tortas el Rey apart from the crowd is its cooks' aggressive, skillful use of the griddle, turning every sandwich into a sizzling hot marriage of toasted bread, seared meats and blistered, charred vegetables. It's all in the technique.

Best Birria

Hola Cabrito

Jackie Mercandetti Photo

As the quesabirria fever dream crests and subsides, freshly minted acolytes in the cult of birria are slowly waking up to discover the place that's been the GOAT all along ... literally. Hola Cabrito now offers beef quesabirria to keep up with the Instagram craze, and you could order it if you like, but you'd be making a huge mistake. The specialty here is old-school birria — fresh, whole goat rubbed with a chile- and herb-infused adobo, roasted and steamed until tender and served alongside a bold and flavorful consommé with tortillas and all the trimmings. Choose a fatty or leaner cut (you might even be able to specify your favorite part if you ask nicely), go for stewed and supple or seared to a sizzled crisp on the flat top, and let them know whether or not you'd like chickpeas in your soup. But however you take it, birria at Hola Cabrito isn't about the cheese and the grease. It's about the natural flavor of the meat, coaxed out, amplified and intensified with pitch-perfect seasoning and technique.

Best Chimichangas

Rosita's Place

Sarah Whitmire

Sometimes, you just need to eat a deep-fried burrito the size of a brick. The chimichangas at Rosita's Place are perfect for the self-indulgent or the very hungry, a giant meal that satisfies the body and the soul. Your options include green or red chile, chicken and machaca, and there's really no wrong move here. What you'll get is an impressively large burrito with a perfectly crispy and flaky exterior, topped with guacamole, sour cream and cheese. It's a feast that can stretch to two meals or even three if you add sides of rice and beans for a modest upcharge. On the rare days that we're not in the mood for a chimi, we still stop at Rosita's to enjoy the rest of their extensive menu, which runs the gamut from breakfast to dessert.

Best Sonoran Hot Dog

Emilio's Tacos & Hotdogs

Tirion Boan

From the outside, Emilio's looks like a party. This little eatery is painted bubblegum pink with sky blue trim and a yellow roof. At night, colorful lights dance in the windows, letting customers know that the fun continues inside. Take a spin through the drive-thru or pull up a seat in the tiny dining room to enjoy a menu of food and drinks as colorful as the space. Start with a bright pink strawberry horchata and then dig into a decked-out Sonoran hot dog. These souped-up sausages put ballpark dogs to shame. The bun is fluffy, the hot dog gets wrapped in bacon, and the whole thing is topped with beans, tomatoes, mayo, onions, salsa and cheese. Anyone who's spent time in Sonora or become a fan of this style of loaded dogs in Tucson or beyond will be thrilled to find such an excellent rendition in Phoenix.

Best Mole

Las 15 Salsas

Jackie Mercandetti

Few restaurants in the Valley offer the varieties of mole found at Las 15 Salsas in Sunnyslope. There's red, green, yellow, black and mole estofado, a chunky stewlike version. All of the moles unfold with layers of flavor as you enjoy them drizzled over tortilla chips, poured on top of enchiladas or in a trio, allowing you to get a taste of three types at once. The little Oaxacan restaurant serves the deep, layered flavors of its owner's origins in the Mexican state's central valleys. Find a seat in the cozy dining room or under the string lights on the patio, and pair your mole with a smoky mezcal cocktail or some creamy horchata to calm the spice. The flavors here will take you far beyond Phoenix.

Best Guacamole

Call Her Martina

Tirion Boan

There are plenty of restaurants around Phoenix that dress up their guacamole. Some top the creamy dip with pieces of mango; others add a sprinkle of cheese or sweet corn kernels. But at Call Her Martina, guac goes gourmet with the addition of crispy bites of charred ribeye. These salty, savory morsels are delicious on their own, as is the pomegranate-topped smashed avocado. But get a bite of both, and your mind may be blown. The hot steak contrasts against the cool guac for a mixture of temperatures and textures that leaves you coming back for more. This dish is a good one to share at the start of your meal, but be warned: It may leave you fighting for the last bite.

Best Pozole

Alebrijes Cafe & Grill

Tirion Boan

Venture to Litchfield Park for a colorful and fun restaurant serving the best pozole in town. Alebrijes Cafe & Grill is the perfect place to enjoy a laid-back brunch. The place is popular, so waiting for a table and then for your food to arrive can take some time. Thankfully, the cocktails and coffees are delicious and will hold you over just fine. The menu is packed with options — many of which are drenched in rich red or black mole — but the pozole stands out. A large clay bowl is filled to the brim with savory broth packed with hominy kernels and tender pork. Fresh radishes, onions and a squeeze of lime brighten up each bite, and you'll be sure to drink every last drop.

Best Mexican Sushi

El Tataki Sushi Fusion

Mexican sushi, that Japanese favorite filtered through the kitchens and sensibilities of our neighbors to the south, is a culinary train we think far more people should be riding on. When we want to bring our sushi-loving friends into the Mexican sushi fold, we take them to El Tataki Sushi Fusion. The local chain offers a huge selection of traditional and Mexican rolls along with sashimi, appetizers and Asian fare such as fried rice and teriyaki chicken. We tend to stick to the Mexican roll side of the menu when we visit; we love the El Japan Roll, a concoction of bacon, avocado, shrimp, cream cheese and cucumber, topped with crab, eel sauce, green onions and sesame seed. And the quintessential Mexican sushi roll, the deep-fried Cielo Mar y Tierra Roll — shrimp tempura, chicken, beef, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, orange and eel sauce — is the best version we've ever had. Add in El Tataki's swanky interior, and you've got a unique, upscale dining experience.

Best Mariscos

Mariscos Playa Hermosa

Lauren Cusimano

If you think you can't get great seafood in the Southwest, then you clearly don't know about Mariscos Playa Hermosa. Since 2002, Jose and Maria Maldonado have used the restaurant to bring the beaches of Mexico directly to central Phoenix. The restaurant has certainly nailed the vibes — there's a mariachi band weekly as well as general easygoing beach decor and whatnot — but most certainly the appeal is in the absolutely stacked seafood menu. Mexican seafood is all about taking great fish, oysters, crabs and the like, and preparing them with spices and fresh veggies to bring out the nuance and soul of these continually underrated cuts. And if that isn't enough, the restaurant has enough cocktails to get a shark woozy. But MPH isn't just a place to "play tourist" — it's very much inserted a vital bit of culture into our own hometown. The end result is a lush melding that's made MPH a proper institution and evidence of the truly engaging and adventurous local food scene.

Best Mexican Bakery

La Purisima Bakery

Jamie Peachey

There's no bad time of day to enjoy something from one of La Purisima's two Valley locations. A pillowy, sweet chocolate concha with your morning coffee? Sounds like a great idea. A lemon-flavored cookie topped with sprinkles to finish off lunch? Perfect. A slice of strawberry cake as a midnight snack? Yes, please. La Purisima makes Mexican baked goods fresh each day, and its offerings include everything from empanadas and croissants to muffins and danishes. The bakery often makes colored conchas for special occasions, such as red, white and green ones for Mexican Independence Day or orange and purple when the Suns are in the playoffs. Prices are low, and service is friendly and efficient, so there's no downside to stopping at La Purisima for a little treat whenever the mood strikes.

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