Tacos Chiwas Makes Simple Tacos Awesome
Tacos Chiwas
Tacos are tricky. When you start getting into the world of “actually good” tacos, you’ll find that people are in two different camps: tacos with more stuff and tacos with less stuff. All over town you’ll find tacos with a pile of exotic ingredients that end up all over your face and hands, and admittedly, some of them are delicious. But to this day, the best taco I’ve ever had was in Rocky Point at one of those roadside carts, and all it had was meat and a tortilla. Tacos Chiwas is that kind of place, and almost as good. Now, to be fair, this was in college and I was probably on my fourth or fifth Sol beer, so there’s a good chance Tacos Chiwas is even better. It’s hard to compete with a memory.
Mesa - 127 W Main St
Midtown - 1028 E Indian School Rd
Awards + Accolades
AZ Central
2024: 100 essential restaurants
2023: 100 essential restaurants
2020: Dominic Armato’s 100 Essential Restaurants
2018: Dominic Armato’s Top 100 Restaurants
Eater
2024: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Phoenix
Foodist Awards
2023: Phenomenal Fast-Casual Concept - Winner
Phoenix Magazine
2023: Best Tacos
2022: Best Tacos
2019: Top 100 Restaurants
Reviews
Appearances would lead one to believe that Tacos Chiwas is just another counter-service taco stand, but the attention to detail in the food says otherwise. Though the menu is a collaborative effort, Holguin, who attended Le Cordon Bleu, holds down the kitchen, sending out tacos ($2.50) and gorditas ($3) that are full-flavored, gently spiced, warm and comforting.
- Dominic Armato, AZ Central
No matter what you order, by the time you reach your final course at Tacos Chiwas, you will have certainly detected an obsession with fresh ingredients, made-to-order preparation, and impeccably precise seasoning. It makes good sense, once you learn that the restaurant is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin. Hernandez formerly worked as a manager at chef Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco, and Holguin is a classically trained chef. Together, the duo appear to possess the depth of knowledge and passion to bring traditional Chihuahuan fare to full, vivid life.
- Patricia Escárcega, Phoenix New Times
You don't have to be an expert to see Tacos Chiwas is something special. All you have to do is take one look at the tacos.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
What to Get
Carne Asada
From humble beginnings in an old Dairy Queen to locations across the Valley, Chiwas is the go-to spot for local taco aficionados. The perfectly seasoned, tender carne asada, topped with pickled onion and cilantro, served on a tiny homemade corn tortilla, is just about the best couple of bites you’ll ever put in your mouth.
- Phoenix Magazine
Rajas Gordita
The rajas gordita at Tacos Chiwas is the holy matrimony of steam and spice, a pliable pillow of puffed dough with a creamy core of beans, cheese and chiles that warms your fingers, burns your lips and buckles your knees with its disarmingly tender texture.
- Dominic Armato, AZ Central
Taco Chiwas
The Taco Chiwas is a near-perfect creation inspired by the tacos in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the region from which the restaurant's owners hail. Each bite delivers juicy pieces of beef and ham along with melted queso asadero, a white cheese that melts and pulls as you work your way through your meal. Its mild flavor is only underscored next to the quietly fiery Hatch chiles and jalapeños hiding in the mixture of meat and cheese. And the combination of all three makes it all but impossible to put down your taco before you inevitably inhale the entire thing.
