South Phoenix restaurant Cocina Madrigal closed following kitchen fire

A fire broke out in the popular restaurant's kitchen on Sunday afternoon.

March 18, 2024

Cocina Madrigal, a restaurant known for its scratch-made Mexican food, is closed following a fire. Tirion Boan

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Cocina Madrigal, a beloved South Phoenix Mexican restaurant, suffered a kitchen fire on Sunday afternoon. The restaurant, which is located on 16th Street just north of Broadway Road, is indefinitely closed.

Phoenix Fire Department firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at around 4:15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon following reports of smoke inside the building. When they arrived, the crew found an active kitchen fire, according to the department. Firefighters were able to evacuate the restaurant and extinguish the flames with the aid of a ladder company used for vertical ventilation through the roof. There were no injuries reported.

The casual, neighborhood restaurant is known for its scratch cooking and large plates of enchiladas — including the unique and best-selling Wild Mushroom version — burritos and tacos. Chef, owner and namesake Leo Madrigal opened the restaurant after cooking and developing recipes with Z’tejas Grill, Taco Guild, Hopdaddy Burger Bar and Salty Sow.

It's a popular spot with Yelp users, and was named Yelp's top restaurant nationwide in 2022. This year, it was one of three Phoenix restaurants that made the Yelp Top 100 list.

The restaurant, which is typically open daily, is currently closed. It posted to social media on Sunday night thanking the Phoenix Fire Department, and sharing that the restaurant is "closed until further notice."

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Tirion Boan is the food editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

Contact: Tirion Boan

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