Had a great dinner at Cocina Chiwas with some girlfriends! The parking is easy with a large lot towards the back and the restaurant itself is a cute trendy spot. It's the perfect location to grab a nice dinner and they also accept reservations. Overall the food/drinks were a tasty with some favorites and certain items we would've skipped. Our group started with some drinks and I thought my Paloma was perfect. The Chiwarita was a bit strong and earthy and the Pina Colada was surprisingly not blended. For appetizers, we ordered the guacamole and chile con queso. The guacamole was excellent but the chile con queso was a bit different than expected --the cheese is simply melted over onions and peppers. We probably would skip this one next time. For my entree, the shrimp and polenta was done well and tasty. However, we sat next to the open kitchen and could smell some other meats roasting over the open fire so I would definitely order one of those proteins instead next time--the smell was amazing! Overall, our group enjoyed their food. The price point is a bit on the higher side for the location but it didn't seem unreasonable. Service was also good throughout the meal. Conveniently located off the 101 in Tempe and in a cute new area, I would definitely recommend Cocina Chiwas and will be back! read more

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Had a great date night here at this cute restaurant. It's in a community that has 2 hrs of free parking which is nice. There's indoor and outdoor seating - it seems like if you are in a party of 2 they put you in the patio as I only saw tables for 4 or more inside. They do take reservations which is really helpful. We ordered a sangria, the chicharrón, and beef tacos with bone marrow under their specials (forgot the exact name). Really enjoyed the chicharron dish which came with rice. Crispy pork belly on the outside and juicy on the inside. The tacos were stuffed with meat and quite filling. Good flavor there too but borderline too salty for me. Husband enjoyed the bone marrow which was very beefy. Our drink was good and as expected. The string lights and rest of the decor really sold it for me, would return since its pretty close to where I live too! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Chicharron - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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An amazing little place to stop by, we started with the adventure drinks. You choose your liquor and give some notes on what you like and let the bar tender do the rest. Very happy with our drinks we did the elote appetizer, enmoladas and the Iberico pork. On top of the great flavor to the food we had staff checking on us all night. The best for last was the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake ten out of ten. read more

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They deserve 5 stars. If your looking to celebrate anything, I recommend reserving a table and celebrating here. Let me just start by saying I've never been to restaurant with more comfortable chairs than what they have at this restaurant. They have perfected every little detail down the the chairs! The worst is eating and a restaurant and your uncomfortable. Anyhow, this place is chic, open, and airy. Most cosy patio I've been to in a while. The food is saucy. It's not what I expected as far as Mexican food. Not quite sure what region of Mexico this food is from, but I'll find out on my next visit. Also while you may think the plates are on the pricier side, the portions are LARGE. Well worth the price for the amount of food you're getting. Anywho whatever you order you'll probably like. ENJOY! read more

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For the starter we got the beet salad and the roasted street corn. We tried the 20oz ribeye plate, talk about getting to try so many different foods, and the cicharron, that salsa verde. Then we kinda did all of the desserts. We will be back to try more. The service was amazing from waiting at the bar, a margarita, Chardonnay and the espresso martini that is not called that and is more coffee forward, to the waitress getting excited with us about what we order and making recommendations. The volume isn't too loud so we were able to talk. Great time. Jess and Bella are amazing waitresses and Brennan at the bar. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Murdered the desserts!! - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

BIG brunch'd at @cocinachiwas in Tempe NEW BRUNCH MENU did not disappoint, like look at this breakfast sandwich and patatas bravas I, also, thoroughly enjoyed their Bloody Mary read more

Cocina Chiwas - Breakfast Sandwich - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Went to dinner before a night at the Gammage. Food was spectacular. We had the birria quesadilla, elote and the burrata salad and all were great, complex dishes. Our server was in training but did a great job along with the trainer, and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere, I especially liked the bar area. Drinks were mixed. I had the house margarita and my sister had the cafecito, which was a coffee martini. Both were delicious. We had one non drinker and during the course of the evening we tried ordering her a Diet Coke, a coffee, tea and horchata. None of that was available. Sodas were out except regular Coke and Dr Pepper, they don't offer tea or coffee and the waitress told us the horchata needed to be remade, whatever that means. That was the biggest disappointment of the evening and to add insult to injury they initially put the horchata on our bill. The waitress did take it off when we pointed it out to her, but because of all that nonsense, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. read more

My husband and I came for brunch to celebrated our anniversary and the food and service was beyond amazing! Josh was very attentive! Great experience, definitely will be back. read more

May's International Supper Club was held here, and I'm glad I came and joined the fun! The restaurant is pretty new and spacious. It's a really nice dining spot as the main dining area is spacious and airy. There is also outdoor seating available. If you're wanting to impress a date, this is a good choice. We sat in a sliding booth where the 6 of us all fit in easily. When we asked for chips and salsa, that request was honored and I got to try their red and green salsa. The green salsa definitely more spicy than the red and both were good! I chose the veggie quesadilla for dinner and ordered a chiwarita but with mezcal instead of sotol. Chiwarita was delicious and wanted more! When the quesadilla came, it wasn't exactly what I expected really. It was open faced and more like a pizza. However, will say it was tasty and got in my green veggies! Fun night out and enjoyed the ambiance, drink, and food! Was a bit more pricey than I would have liked, but I guess you're paying for the location, ambience, and keeping a new business afloat. Also note that the parking lot requires paying and first two hours is free. read more

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I tried this place for a brunch hangout with friends a few months ago. The ambiance and vibe of this place were modern and cute. The service was pretty fast and friendly. I am not sure about their regular menus but their brunch menu was not huge, though there were many interesting options to choose from. My partner and I ordered two different brunch items, although they look sort of similar in the photos that I took. The food was delicious and the portion was quite generous as well. I definitely needed a to-go box and enjoyed the leftovers the next day. I also had their special spritz cocktail, which was tasty and had a beautiful presentation. To me, this place feels like an elevated Mexican dining experience, especially if you are looking for a cozy place to chat with friends or have a date night. I am very curious about their other cocktails and I see they have a nice patio seating area. I think it'd be really fun to come back here at night when the weather is nicer and have a cocktail or two on the patio. I am not sure if it is dog friendly. But this place is sort of inside the Culdsec community which is super dog friendly. They constantly have community and public events that I love to attend with my puppy. It would be really special to end the night at this restaurant with some drinks! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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The food was delicious!! (Shared the birria quesadilla, elote and Colorado dip, yum yum yum!) The service was top notch, Tony (Anthony) and Maria were very attentive! Great vibe and great music. We really enjoyed our time and the reverse happy hour right before closing. We love Tacos Chiwas so we had to stop in here and of course, it's great just like all their other restaurants!! Will be back read more

Not a shocker that a Chiwas spot is delicious. Their OG taco spot has been a long time go-to, and I can def see this becoming a regular date-night or girls night spot. Not just because the food was amazing, the cocktails that we had were delicious, but also because of the experience. We (my fiancé and I) sat at the bar and the bartender (our server) was amazing! Not only was it just really good and friendly service, but he has nailed the skill of knowing when to engage tell stories and have fun and when to gracefully pull away and allow us to be deep into our own conversation. MAJOR bonus points for the fact that when we ended up in a conversation about how I love Jen and my partner hates it... He immediately was like " give me a chance to change your mind" and picked out two amazing flavorful gins for him to try. I'm blinking on the name of the other cocktail we got, but it was essentially their version of a Mezcal Manhattan and it was DELICIOUS Food wise, everything was amazing. The one thing that I will say is that we didn't even put two and two together with the pork belly dish being called Chicharrons meaning it would be fried... in hindsight this seems obvious, but neither one of us really eat fried food and it crossed our mind when we ordered it. If you like fried food, this would probably be your favorite thing on the menu. Because even with our dislike Fried, we still thoroughly enjoyed the flavors! We just both said that we would have highly preferred pan seared pork belly, but that is totally a preference that I know not everyone shares The other dish we got to split was the blue corn empanadas, and I will have dreams about those things We were definitely tempted by dessert, and everything sounded amazing, but they're also really wasn't much that was dairy free, which is a requirement for me (and this is a note for all restaurants... A lot of dairy free people don't like sorbet) We will absolutely be back sooner rather than later! Definitely put this on your list to go to! read more

Josh and Maggie made our experience so special--they were sweet, attentive, and welcoming. The food was delicious, and the ambiance was perfect. Highly recommend and can't wait to return! read more

This place has always been an absolute hit for me!! If you are looking for elevated authentic mexican cuisine in phoenix then this is your spot. Cocina chiwas is now a James Beard finalist and it's absolutely deserved! Everything i have tried here has been plated beautifully, has a delicious flavor profile, and has been unforgettable! I have tried Cocina Chiwas multiple times for both brunch and dinner and both menus are worth checking out. The restaurant itself is very inviting and airy. Service has always been great whether you sit at a table either inside or on their large patio or at the bar!! Plus, they have an open concept kitchen, so if you get a table by there, it's awesome to watch!! High ranking spot overall for me in Phoenix, love it here! read more

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We had the best experience New Years Eve dinner at Cocina Chiwas! We reserved our table online and when we arrived they had the table all set up with the heater doing! The server was amazing and we had our dinner brought out by the chef! read more

The ambiance is one of a kind, and your immediately taken away but how beautiful it is. The service and food were too notch! read more

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Super cute restaurant with good food and drinks. Ordered Elote, the beef empanadas, and the emolada plate. The emoladas were a little too spicy for my liking. Definitely recommend it if you like spicy. Had the chiwarita drink and it was delicious and well presented. Server was very attentive and gave drink recommendations. read more

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Great ambiance, the service was amazing super attentive and helpful. The food was delicious, I got the pulpo and it was the best I've ever had. Super crispy and full of flavors. The restaurant looked beautiful inside as well. The menu had these symbols that distinguished which drink was acid driven, that's very much appreciated. Very taste hibiscus drink I got, which was also the special of the day. The elote was so so so good, highly recommend. The dessert was SO good!!! My two favs together, carrot tres leche cake read more

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My husband and I shared 3 of the small plates. Everything was so fresh and tasty! We loved the complex layers of flavor. The restaurant has a fun trendy vibe. read more

Amazing food and great service! I made a reservation online and the process was simple. Parking was a breeze too. There's a parking lot near the restaurant but I parked on the street. The papas tacos were my favorite. I could have eaten 50 of them. My least favorite was the chile rellenos. It could have been crispier, but the flavors were good. The ambiance was busy but not so loud that you couldn't hear yourself talk. Overall I'd definitely come back to try other options they have! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

If you're familiar with Bacanora and/or Espiritu then please add Cocina Chiwas to your places to dine. This place did not disappoint. The interior is welcoming with a fresh modern vibe and you can smell the mesquite & pecan wood-fired grill as you walk up to the restaurant. Fabulous thing is that they accept reservations at the bar! The kitchen is open and you can see the food being prepared and grilled. The flour and corn tortillas are phenomenal. Be sure to ask for the specials. We missed out as our bartender server didn't mention them to us. This is a great place to bring a date or a group of family/friends. The cocktails and food are not only delicious but also beautiful! read more

New favorite date night place. You can tell the people here enjoy food and curate a really lovely experience. We had incredible service and every dish we tried was fantastic, especially the Wood Fired Quesadilla. So happy to have Cocina Chiwas in Tempe! read more

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So glad we found this place! The vibes and ambiance were perfect for a warm spring night. Stylish decor, even at the bar where we sat. Bartenders/servers were attentive and friendly. Service was quick and the food was delicious. I got the tostada and my friend got empanadas. You can really tell they take time to marinate and grill the steak. It was just the right amount of food too! read more

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If you're looking for an upscale Mexican dining experience, look no further. The atmosphere was refreshing and the dining staff were very patient with first time customers. Having the elote as the appetizer was a good decision, there was an abundance of flavor and spices which set the stage for our entrees. The quesadilla was cheesy, with a light topping of beef which was elevated by the onion and salsa. Lastly, the pulpo pipian was exactly what I expected it to be, a seafood plate with an abundance of flavor. The octopus was the star of the plate with a great texture that paired perfectly with the salsa. The fire roasted flavor of the shrimp was a good addition though I wish there were more than two. Finally, the crispy potatoes ended the dish and filled my stomach to max capacity. It was a fantastic dish. read more

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Food was excellent! Service was poor. Idk if they didn't know any better or they were understaffed but you don't spend $300+ and be rushed out. Small table, not clearing plates, asking for dessert order before dinner was done, told we had to go in twenty minutes because another reservation was coming in. ??? Wtf??? Ambiance was good except for chairs a little uncomfortable and flies from the open doors. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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I want to LOVE this place but my two visits have left things to be desired. While the food is quite good, the menu lacks some essentials I expect at any Mexican food spot: a variety of tacos and high-quality salsa offerings. The potato tacos don't do it for me, but perhaps that's just my palate... they're almost like a mashed potato consistency in a deep fried taco. I think crispy taters would be better suited here! And chips and salsa are not offered on the menu, nor can you order just a side of salsa. For appetizers, I liked the birria quesadilla and elote. The guac was good but the chile con queso was lacking in cheese. I guess I was expecting more of a traditional queso dip and this was a dish of chilis and veggies covered in a thin layer of cheese. Perhaps the offerings here are *too* modern and inventive for me. For entrees, we ordered the parillada to share and that seems to be the way to go if your group is happy to do family-style dining. Lots of good flavors and a big enough portion to feed multiple adults. All in all, not a bad meal, but not my favorite Mexican spot. I had high hopes given the association with Tacos Chiwas and Bacanora, but I don't think the menu here is quite the same caliber as the other restaurants within the family. read more

Went here before an ASU basketball game. Sat at the bar. Bartenders were super friendly and talked about cocktails and the business. Trip to Chile cocktail was our favorite. Got apps of burrata and taco de are. Burrata was big portion sweet potato with it was delicious. Tacos were super crispy and good amount of spice. Will be going back read more

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We LOVE this place. We always make a point to go when we are in Phoenix. Food and drinks are delicious. Everything is delicious, but you have to get the Tomahawk steak when it's on the menu. The staff are lovely. If our kids get restless, it's easy to take them for a walk around Culdesac. They are check out the stores or play at the park in the community. Definitely a gem in the city. read more

Over priced. Food just ok. There are a lot of other places I would go before this one. Said it was family style food and each meal serves 2-3 sometimes more. Not true. Barely 2 people. read more

Great food but snotty attitude! Made a reservation for my husband and I and our foodie friends visiting from out of town, four of us. When we showed up (on time) for our reservation we were told we had been allotted 90 minutes for our evening; another group had the seating after us. No problem we thought. 85 minutes later (sincerely!) the server had taken our bill to the cashier for payment and the host came out to our table telling us we had to leave the table for the next seating. We told him politely that our server had taken our credit card and we'd leave as soon as she returned. He got very belligerent, surprising all of us, as we felt we were being very accommodating. Out server was great, but that host really soured us on an otherwise enjoyable evening. Delicious "Chiwas" food but for a casual restaurant (not fancy), disappointing service attitude. Visit was April 2024. read more

Hit Covina Chiwas on a Friday for lunch. First time coming to Cuddlesac which is a neat concept. Covina Chiwas is right off Apache which has changed so much since I went to ASU. The patio and the building is great, service was good and I appreciate their little table fans to keep the bugs away. Parking was easy as well. The menu was a brunch type menu which I honestly hate. This is my challenge with weekend lunches, brunch menus (this was a Friday). I wanted chips and bean dip but nope only on the dinner menu. Options were limited. The husband got the breakfast burrito, he enjoyed it but the salsa was way too spicy (thank god for it being on the side). Sorry but we are wimps. I got the Enmoladas, which is way out of my normal wheelhouse. I have decided I am not a mole fan. The cranberries were interesting. All in all unique and I always say Mexican food is the eye of the beholder. Take what you may from this review. I say give it a try but maybe I need to come back for a dinner menu try. Psst this is not a chips and salsa kind of place. read more

Service was very attentive and the quality of my breakfast dish was 10/10 can't wait to go back

Food is outstanding and each time we've just sat at the bar, we've had great conversations with staff + other guests - super fun overall!

Well, where to begin? There were 3 of us celebrating a birthday. We had a dinner reservation for 6pm, but our plans changed & we wanted to get in earlier. Restaurant opened at 5pm, we arrived at 5:08pm. We explained we already had a reservation, but wanted to know if we could be seated. The restaurant was empty. No other patrons. We were shown to a table right by the door. I asked if we could be seated at another table. We were told no, because they were all reserved. We had a reservation! (though early) Wasn't going to argue. We had a lovely young man explain the drink & dinner menu. We asked about specials & his recommendations. We ordered the Chile con Queso. Usually, queso is nice & smoorh. The cheese was "gloopy" huge chunks pf peppers & onions. Friend #1 asked for sour cream for her quesadilla, waiter didn't know if they has any, was brought crema. She asked for salsa, was brought hot sauce. She said it was "bland." Friend #2 ordered the Relleno, she said it was very "bready." I ordered the tacos. The mashed potatoes were bland & gluey. The taco shell itself was very thin & greasy. The cabbage slaw was okay. We had to ask several times for them to clear our plates & refill our beverages. The only thing we all enjoyed was the cake. In my opinion, overpriced, not so good food. read more

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What's up everyone!! Happy Holidays So. Went to hit up a spot in Tempe the other day, glad I did. The menu was fire and vibe was dope, music on point and the food. Smack-yo-mama delicious haha. FR. Check it out. Wood Fire Birria Quesadilla - Yoooo, must try for sure. Loaded up with Queso Menonita and Asadero, Cilantro, Onion and Red Salsa. Wood Fire Elote - Not esquite like some of these other places confuse, legit cuts of Fire Roasted Elote with Lime & Chile Mayo, Cilantro and Queso Cotija. Legit Oysters - Ummmm. Don't know where to start haha. Hibiscus & Habanero Mignonette, Roasted Lemons and Salmon Caviar. Stooooop Must try for me. Pulpo Pipián - As you know, if it's on the menu, always a must order for me. Wood Roasted Arizona Desert Shrimp, Octopus, Pipián Rojo, Potatoes and an XO Salsa Macha. Mad flavor, some explosive shit. So good. Tacos de Papa - Honesrky, some of the better Potato Tacos I've had, and I've eaten a lot!! A Potato Purée, Butter, Cabbage loaded up in a Fried Tortilla. Yooooooo haha. Smackalicious. If you're in the area and looking for a switch up, give em a go. I promise you'll enjoy. Service was great. Neat spot. Happy Holidays all!! And please. Follow me on IG @the_gifted_gazstro read more

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Really delicious food, great to catch up with some friends. Service was awesome. Outside seating was nice although along a busyish road. There was some foliage to block but Just be aware! read more

Dropped in for a late dinner on a Thurs night. The restaurant is located on the front NW end of Culdesac apartments. Ample parking available, considering this is a car-less community. There is loud music playing, the build out is beautiful and love the open concept. You can see right into the kitchen and there is a very large patio w misters. Our drinks were delicious, we had the Old Fashioned, Chiwarita and Trip to Chile. Our bartender was very knowledgeable and talked with us about the agave choices AND I learned that I like powdered egg white(used instead of actual egg white) foam. It has the same amount of foam without the weird egg smell and taste. The food, was okay. I got the potato tacos- the potatoes are a mashed consistency, mixed w butter, stuffed in a taco shell, fried and served w garnish. Unfortunately I did not taste any butter and honestly, the potatoes need some seasoning, even the right amt of salt and pepper will do. Hubby ordered the short rib which he sent back bc the ribs are not the typical short rib flanken style; think korean short rib. They are larger and more fatty like a steak. The portion size was great. Got the ribs instead though and they were so good, charred on the outside w great flavor. There was one that was very pink and undercooked but we chose not to say anything. Oh we also got the beet salad, which said that it was topped with elote, but i didnt get grilled corn, it was just yellow corn on top. Overall I do want to explore more of the menu bc i dont think id order what i had again. But there are lots of veggie options to choose from. Will definitely be back for cocktails. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Trip to Chile - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

For May's International Supper Club UYE Cocina Chiwas was the place picked, made our reservations and off we went, and reservations were easily made online. Cocina Chiwas is the newer spin off from Taco Chiwas. It was a Wednesday evening and a party of 6 and placed in a long booth. I really love the space, everything was bright and opened, loved seeing the opened kitchen and seeing the dishes being prepared. They have a brick oven so that was unique for a Mexican place. After looking the menu over I went with a birria quesadilla, this isn't your traditional quesadilla, it's wood fired and gives more of a "pizza" feel than quesadilla. The flavors were delish, it was birria beef, cilantro, white onion, asadero, very tasty! Happy to have tried Cocina Chiwas and what a great addition to the up-and-coming neighborhood. S/N you will have to do the paid parking, but you do get 2 hours free if dining. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Overall the food was good. We had an array of the menu between 7 of us so we all were able to try a little bit of everything. The standouts for me was the pork shank and the chicken mole! So much flavor in both of those dishes and sizable portions for what you pay. The mussels are also worth a try. The vibe of the restaurant was very nice, I'd describe it as classy/casual. I ordered a pina colada and didn't particularly enjoy it so I did send it back. The waitress didn't take it off the bill, & I did have to pay for it. Service was lacking unfortunately. I was definitely expecting our server to be more attentive considering the size of our party. We ordered a round of drinks that didn't hit our table until everyone had finished their dinner. Definitely come for the food just be weary of the service you may receive. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Pollo con mole - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

We went to Cocina Chiwas for happy hour. We walked in right at 5pm when they open so no one was in the restaurant but servers. There were reserved signs at the bar and we avoided and walked to open seats. We were immediately approached by the hostess and asked if we had reservations. "No"- we were just going to sit at the bar for a cocktail. Told even the bar needs reservations. Hmmmm. Thankfully she allowed us to stay, even without a reservation. At this point we are put off, but the bartender was so lovely and friendly we had to stay to try one of their amazing drinks! Each ordered the Chiwarita. It comes in a little tiny glass that elsewhere would make for a fancy shot glass. Overall the drink was fine. Being a vegan, the menu didnt have anything remotely near to what I would eat, so we had the one drink and left. I see all the excellent reviews on here and understand each place has it's niche. I would tell everyone to try themselves- but make a reservation even at happy hour! read more