There's a new boss in town, located on Saddlebag Trail in Scottsdale near Axis/Radius and Suede. El Hefe, a play on the Spanish word for boss, opened its massive garage doors to the public on March 23, though the official grand opening wasn't until yesterday.
The "super macho taqueria," run by restaurant veterans Jon Wright of The Lodge and Ryan Hibbert and Mike Troyan of American Junkie, dishes up Mexican-style street food including duck carnitas, braised beef cheek and pork al pastor mini-tacos ($3-4 apiece), tortas, salads, and appetizers such as queso fundido ($8) and pork belly empanadas ($5). "We wanted to do something that combined the vibe of American Junkie with great food like at The Lodge," says Wright.
Though there's no Sasquatch Burger on the menu, hungry diners can feast on the aptly named Hefe Dog, a massive Kobe-style beef hot dog wrapped in crisp bacon and smothered with charro beans, avocado, green chile salsa and mustard.
Peep more pics after the jump...
Leather bar stools and wood-paneled walls bring in a little of the old-school gentlemen's club feel, and the hot pink neon elements make things a little more welcoming to the ladies. A cardboard cutout of Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" greets patrons at the front door in lieu of an actual host.
The restaurant slash bar boasts one of the first tabletop beer systems in Arizona, at which guests can serve up their own Coors or Dos Equis. The system is smart and easy-to-use; just grab a large booth and help yourself to one of the beers on tap.
The system automatically shuts off at 32 ounces, so servers can check to see if you're totally wasted before queuing up another glass. Pound a few of their tacos to soak up the alcohol and you just might make it to round three.
