El Chino Restaurante y Cantina Now Open in Downtown Phoenix

This might be your new downtown Phoenix Michelada hookup spot.

February 16, 2018

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There's a new option for Sonoran-style Mexican cooking in downtown Phoenix.

El Chino Restaurante y Cantina, located at 711 South Central Avenue, quietly opened its doors earlier this week as part of its soft opening. The restaurant's official grand opening celebration is slated for Friday, February 16.

This is the second restaurant (and the first full-service restaurant) from owners Rafael and Lynn Ung, the folks behind Taquería El Chino, which debuted in 2014 near Van Buren Street and 19th Avenue.

Fans of Taquería El Chino's excellent rib-eye carne asada, green chile and caldo de cahuamanta (a classic northern Mexico seafood soup) have been eagerly awaiting the debut of El Chino Restaurante y Cantina, which was originally slated to open in September 2017.

Like its sister concept, El Chino Restaurante y Cantina will specialize in Sonoran-style burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and gorditas. The new restaurant will open seven days a week for lunch and dinner service.

El Chino Restaurante y Cantina is located in a roomy 5,000-square-foot space in downtown Phoenix's warehouse district, and it boasts a full bar and two patio dining areas. The bar menu includes popular Mexican cocktails like Micheladas. Happy hour specials are available daily from 3 to 7 p.m.

Even more exciting, the new restaurant will offer a limited late-night bar food menu until 2 a.m. on the weekends. The restaurant also plans to offer an all-day brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday.

With plenty of patio space and a brunch menu, it sounds like El Chino is hoping to become your new weekend Michelada hookup spot.

For more information about the restaurant and its hours of operation, check out the El Chino Restaurante y Cantina Facebook page.

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