Owner Javier Verdugo launched Casa Corazon to honor his roots and continue his family legacy.
"In Mexico, my parents used to have a taco shop. It wasn't gourmet food but it just stayed in the back of my mind," Verdugo says.
In February, the Verdugo family business took the next step with the opening of a new 16th Street eatery called Cien Fuegos. There, Verdugo's son Ulysses will take the reins.
Serving the community
About two decades prior to opening Casa Corazon, Verdugo purchased a plot of land on the west side of 16th Street, just south of McDowell Road. At that time, downtown Phoenix looked much different and 16th Street wasn't the hub it's become today. However, Verdugo believed in the area, and got involved with programs to help prevent crime and make the community safer. He built a building on the land that he leased out to a number of different businesses over the years. Most recently, it was home to the casual Mexican eatery Cocina Economica.
When that restaurant closed in June 2024, Verdugo decided to launch a restaurant with his son Ulysses.
At Cien Fuegos, the all-day menu leans on family recipes passed down through generations.
Melissa Pickering
"I just hope everybody likes it. I'm excited about the breakfast, we haven't touched the breakfast market," he says.
Customers can expect traditional offerings like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles, as well as Mexican breakfast sandwiches called molletes.
The rest of the menu encompasses "the best of every region" of Mexico, Ulysses says, with a focus on seafood.
Nearly everything at Cien Fuegos is made on-site from scratch, and many of the recipes have been passed down through the family.
"My aunt came by to give us a recipe for her caldo de queso," Ulysses says of the traditional Sonoran cheese soup. Other dishes on the menu include chiles en nogada, green chile pork and a seafood stew called mariscada.
The beverage menu at Cien Fuegos is extensive. In addition to sodas, including Mexican Coke, Orange Fanta and Topo Chico, they offer agua frescas, draft beer, wine and cocktails. Customers can order a classic cocktail, such as a paloma or margarita, or try one of the signature cocktails such as the Rio Sonora made with bacanora, prickly pear and lemon.
The design of the new restaurant was inspired by old haciendas and outfitted largely with beautiful stonework and tile from Mexico. A large mesquite bar features inlaid turquoise and was imported from Sonora.
"We've been neighbors in this community for 20 years. We wanted to make a nice place for the community, just where people can come to relax," Ulysses says.
Following in his father's footsteps, Ulysses now continues the Verdugo family legacy just down the road from his dad's restaurant.
