Ticoz Latin Kitchen in Central Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card

Each week we venture to a new restaurant to check out what the spot has to offer during our favorite time of day — happy hour. Whether it's affordable appetizers, delicious drinks, jaw-dropping deals, or none of the above, we'll check out the situation and report back.

The Spot: Ticoz
5114 North Seventh Street
602-200-0160

The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 to 6:30 p.m., every day. Reverse happy hour begins at 9 p.m. weekdays, and 10 p.m. on weekends.

Perfect For: Margs with your buds. Beers with your bros. Ticoz may not be the fanciest, but it’s certainly cheap and cheerful.

The Interior: Stepping through the door at Ticoz, you might think you’ve wandered onto the set of an animated film. The restaurant certainly takes liberties with the concept of “Latin Flair,” and bright colors and patterns are splashed around the room like a Jackson Pollock painting. While the crucifixes and Calaveras on the walls give a nod to the restaurant’s Latin American influences, the overwhelming theme seems to be “Neon!”

The Food: There are just a few items on the happy hour food menu, which can actually feel more liberating than limiting, don't you think? Two street tacos (choose between chicken, pork, or veggie) are only $5 instead of their usual $13, so … you know…you should definitely get those. Ours were delicious: plenty of spice, a cool chipotle crema, and some crunchy tortilla bits on top. And these were no delicate, artisan street tacos, the kind that come adorably arranged on a wire rack. These were proper tacos, filled to the brim with meat and falling apart as we ate them – just the way we like it. The menu also featured a nacho dish, lettuce wraps, and the “Ticoz Guacammus,” a charmingly-named concoction served with pita bread.

The Drinks: The drink specials at Ticoz are similarly simple: During happy hour, expect half off of margaritas, mojitos, and sangria, as well as draft beers, house wine, and well drinks. This puts most drinks at the $5-and-under mark, which makes it hard to complain if your sangria gives you a headache afterwards. Not that we would know. And if you’re doing wine, you should know (and love) that Ticoz favors an eight-ounce pour. See? There are still places where all is right with the world.

Conclusion: Ticoz is a little like the Tiki Room at Disneyland, but with more alcohol and less singing birds. Also, guacammus. If this sounds like your jam, you will love this funky little spot. The food might be a couple of steps from stellar, but the service is friendly, the vibe is unique, and the price is right. And this year, we all need a little more of that.

Don’t Miss: The street tacos.

Skip This: Getting caught in a game of chicken in the parking lot (which is one-way), or the Seventh Street suicide lanes. Keep your head on a swivel — happy hour is at stake here.

Grade: B+