If you know Apache Blvd, you would not think such a nice restaurant would exist here. I'm that old lady that says "wow this used to be where King Tuts hookah was" lol Anyway, the place is super cute and i immediately smelled the food when I parked. You do have to park in a lot that requires payment but first two hours are free. We were a party of 5 and were sat by the open kitchen. Really cool concept and layout. Drinks were amazing. I had the TNMP. It's a unique flavor that I can't put into words but it's delicious. We started with guac and chips. It was tasty but did need a little salt. I ordered the Chile rellano. The plating was gorgeous. But unfortunately it was a little bland. Lacked spice and salt again. But wasn't terrible. I paired it with a side of arroz rojo. That was super yummy. After our meal I had the cafecito which was delicious. Our server was very attentive, knowledgeable about food and drinks, and very friendly. I definitely recommend for a night out. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Chile rellano - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

We had the Cafecita and Mask of Zorro for drinks to start. Followed up with the Chicharrones and Empanadas. Ended with the peach cheesecake and tres leches carrot cake. The drinks were good, but the food was fantastic. We had to stop ourselves from finishing our entrees because we wanted leftovers. The tres leches carrot cake was probably my favorite part of the meal. Maybe try getting the berry crumble on the side because it almost overcomplicated it. But still great! Service was great and was surprisingly slow for a Saturday night. read more

Waitress said it's a Chihuahua Mex inspired menu. My wife and family are from Chihuahua mex. I am so getting screwed. The family are good cooks I must say, but this place is amazing. Where the heck are the real family recipes. Not even sure where to begin with the review. My Words won't do this place justice. The food is so dam flavorful. Everything was fresh. From menu (Costilla de Res* Korean Style Beef Short Ribs served w / Rice, Whole Beans, Sweet Salsa Macha, Cebollitas & a Flour Tortilla). Short rubs had a touch of sweetness and were very tender. It took everything in me to not pick up the bones and tear the meat off of them. if I was eating this at home, I promise you I would've done it.. the beans and rice had absorbed some of the flavor from the meat. My wife kept eating off my plate. My wife is from Mexico and I've been eating family beans for 20 years. I hope my wife doesn't see this, but this place is got them beat. From the menu: (Chicharron* Roasted Pork Belly served on Salsa Verde, White Rice & Crema ). The pork belly was so tender Smokey and the fat had rendered down. The salsa Verde was smoky and just so good.. the Birria quesadilla was on point too. The cheese reminded my wife of whacshe grew up on in Chihuahua. The birria was tender not mushy and so flavorful. We sat at the bar, and the bartender was so friendly. She was nice to talk to She explained the menu and gave us some great recommendations.. as you see from the pictures, we ordered two entrées and an appetizer and dessert. We were close to ordering three entrées just to try more. I had a late lunch and my wife wanted a date night and picked this place. I could not stop eating. I was beyond gluttonous as the food was just so damn good. The tres leches carrot cake. This thing almost brought a tear to my eye. The first bite releases those endorphins that just make your eyes roll to the back of your head and that calm that comes over your body. It's like an orgasm in your mouth. I know that sounds bad but damn this thing was good. the place is not large and had an open floor plan. It wasn't too loud which allowed for great conversation. We are already planning our next two visits with friends and family. read more

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Food is awesome with great and unique flavors. The restaurant was very busy, we highly recomend making reservations prior to coming. Servers are always moving and food is always passing by with fantastic smells. Please make sure you read the reservation policy, it DOES state that there is a 90 minute service limit. Strongly suggest looking at the menu prior to arriving to be better prepared to order. read more

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We had a party of 7 and ordered for the table. One dish we ordered clearly had some sort of nuts on it when the menu clearly did not list this ingredient. Someone in our party had a nut allergy and the customer service was horrible. The server was rude when we asked if the dish could be replaced. He said it wasn't possible because other people started eating it. The food was alright. Tacos Chiwas is much better. read more

Awesome new restaurant in Tempe. Make sure you make a reservation, otherwise you'll likely have a wait. The decoration/theme throughout the restaurant was very cool and cute. The food was really great - especially any of the meat dishes as they smoke/grill their meat over an open fire/stone. We were seated right next to the kitchen, so the smoke from the open fire was a little overwhelming, would sit outside next time. Definitely recommend checking out this place! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Birra quesadilla; Korean short ribs - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Been wanting to take my GF out to this place for a while. Food is 5/5. Started with appetizer matcha fundido . Basically melted cheese with crunchy tortillas but I give it 5/5. I got the carne asada plate , comes with beans and rice with a seasoned nopal pad and cheese. All the cocktails we got were great! My gf got the chile nogada plate. It's was really good! Service was awesome ! We had originally ordered the carne Apache appetizer but they came back and apologized because they were out and offered a secondary choice on the house. All the waiters and management were attentive checking up on us. Ambiance was relaxing with great music. Nice artsy paintings on the walls and super clean and organized place. We went there in a Saturday night around 8pm and we didn't need a reservation. Plenty of seating. I highly recommend. read more

We went to Cocina Chiwas in Tempe yesterday, and it was PHUCKN PHENOMENAL!! Jason & Jason @ the bar were rock stars.. The food is fresh and delicious. The ambiance was very comfortable. Most importantly, the service was incredible! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Definitely my new spot! What can I say, this place BLEW me away. Great food, great vibes, the drinks are ridiculously yummy and all the staff were welcoming and warm. Their outside tables are comfortable and with a great urban view . 2-hour free parking or just hop off the rail and walk across the street I cannot wait to be a regular read more

Cocina Chiwas - Elote , Korean ribs, - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Cocina Chiwas is the newest concept from the chef behind Bacanora; knowing that I went in with high expectations and Cocina did not disappoint! Located in a quiet area of Tempe, I drove past it the first time as it's tucked away next to an apartment complex. The inside was gorgeous and I loved the outside patio. Our service was great and everything was brought out quickly. I really enjoyed all the food we tried but the shrimp ceviche was my favorite. It was refreshingly light and not too bitter. Definitely book a reservation in advance because this place fills up fast. read more

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This review pains me because the food was excellent, and everything about you guys is impressive/desirable, from travel distance to theme to the creativity of dishes. Let's not forget that you guys offer daily specials on top of your menu! I'll start with my review of the food and overall experience. And then explain why I'm giving you guys a 3.5 instead of a 4 or 4.5 (pains me) Found this spot initially from a review by tastesofAZ, and then when I visited the Cocina Chiwas IG, your collab with eatswithevey sealed the deal for me to reserve a table to try all the tasty food. First, the reservation system on the website is easy to navigate. I was quickly able to book a spot, add in notes, and then got a friendly reminder the day of. A fantastic aroma of scrumptious meat hit my senses when we entered. Our hostess was extremely attentive. The place was at 60-70% capacity, which was a good sign. When we arrived at our table, she noticed it was wobbly. She then proceeded to fix the table immediately without anyone needing to ask. Sensational Atmosphere - Fun Latin music playing. The volume is not too loud, which allows for great conversations. Mist stations are set up for patio seating which is perfect for AZ weather We were then sat, and then our waiter appeared. All was well initially, and then after bringing our waters, she disappeared. We waited patiently while she chatted with staff at the bar and the kitchen. The table next to us got served before us when they were seated after us (they had a different waiter). It reached the point that I took out my clock and ran the stopwatch (at the 5-minute mark, I would have gotten up to find someone). Luckily only a minute or two passed, and she arrived to take our order. Once the order was placed, the food arrived promptly. I'll talk in a separate section about each dish. We ordered Tuna Ceviche, Wood Fire Roasted Elote, and Parrillada. Fantastic food; the flavors had such depth and hit all the right spots. The house sauce was terrific, and we asked for some to take with our leftovers. Sadly the refried beans did not arrive with our meal. I had to ask for them as we were leaving. Such a shame because my wife loved them, and she never says good things about refried beans. It would have added another layer to our overall meal experience. To make matters worse, our waiter packed the wrong sauce. Also, $3 for a single tortilla seems a bit much and the ceviche needs be balanced (multiple reviews have critiqued the ceviche fish portions. Maybe you guys need to retool the balance) As I said, it pains me to write this critical review. Our service fell flat, and it impacted the experience. What is bringing us back is the food, and we hope that the service will improve for our next visit. Cocktail Playa Hermosa 2/5 - My wife ordered this and was not a fan. Said the taste was that of an "old sock." We sent it back Pina Colada 4/5 - My wife loved the second drink. Rum forward in a good way. Beer - I chose a SanTan Hefeweizen. Plenty of Mexican beer options too! (if you guys could get Wow beer on tap from Four Peaks that would be epic!) Ceviche - evenly balanced citrus flavors. Fish taste elevated by the marinade. Red Onions are aggressively long. Thinness is okay, but cut in half so it doesn't feel like they are taking over the plate. I could use more fish meat for a $22 dish (I counted six small pieces). Veggie to protein lacked balance, although the flavor was phenomenal 3.5/5 Elote Unique but familiar flavors. The presentation was clever and exciting. 4/5 Parrillada The Grilled nopales were terrific and had a sweet taste to them. The protein was perfectly seasoned and cooked. One of the best skirt steaks I've tasted. My wife loved the refried beans, and that is a rarity for her. We asked for a specific salsa on the way out, and we were given two of the wrong ones. 5/5 and then brought down to 3.5/4 after we found out the refried beans didn't arrive with our order. Unfortunately, the service fell flat the night we went. I was initially aiming to give a 4 or 4.5 score, and it was brought down to a 3.5. read more

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Make sure you dont fill up on appetizers before getting your food! The elote was delicious! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the area. I was visiting from out of town and heard great reviews about this place. The service was great and our waiter was very knowledgeable. read more

This place was a bust. Queso was good. Chicharron and the empanadas were dry af. I don't leave bad reviews but the food was not worth the price. Service was great, but I would not recommend going here. The whole restaurant was extremely warm. It's summer in az, so you would expect a cooler environment but this too warm and uncomfortable. read more

Incredible food, bartender was a little stuffy but made great cocktails and the ambiance we pleasant.

Our server Maria was amazing! The food was so good. Highly recommend the elote and the oysters . The chile rellano was delicious as well. The vibes inside were great, very intimate dining experience and a beautiful open kitchen . read more

I was so excited to try their sit down restaurant, and it did not disappoint! The service was prompt, food was excellent, and inside was nicely decorated with great music playing. We sat by the kitchen area so we could see all the plates being prepared and coming out which was nice. The Paloma and Red Wine Sangria cocktails were fresh and refreshing. Our table started with ceviche and a barria quesadilla, both were tasty! For the main meal we had the Whole Fish, Chicharron, off menu Ribs, and daily special Parrillada. All of the dishes were delicious but the Chicharron stole the show and was something to go back for. The rice was perfectly fluffy and the crispy pork skin was melt in your mouth!!! For dessert we all shared the Sweet Corn Panna Cotta, which was the perfect ending. Two hours free parking then a small charge per hour. read more

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We just had a meal at Cocina Chiwas that I was not prepared for! I was expecting tacos (which they do have) but they have an amazingly expanded menu here with many features. We started with ceviche. It was abundant and so flavorful. I wished that the fish was cut slightly smaller so that it fit better on a chip but loved it. Next we ordered the broccolini caesar - what a great idea. I licked the plate. Then I had a chile relleno while my dh ordered the small waygu offering. Both were really delicious. We had so much food! The steak came with beans and tortillas and grilled peppers and a big baked potato. Cocktails were nice too! This place is easy to get to as it was on light rail and they had live music the night we were there!!! read more

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Unfortunately this place was extremely underwhelming and overpriced. We ordered the chile con queso and it was better described as peppers in soup. When we asked the waiter he said the kitchen said it comes like that but it was so liquidy that it made no sense to serve with chips. The Chicarron was crunchy but very underseasoned, and the birria quesadilla was good but it didn't taste like birria. It was pretty dead when we went but the atmosphere looks nice. I just wouldn't go back or spend money there when there are so many other great options for that kind of money. read more

Jess B was a FABULOUS server!! Seriously! The food was great! I'm not food adventurous usually but we were a big group and ordered a ton of food. I had to try almost all of it and my tummy is so full - I couldn't wait to get home and unbutton my jeans. Portions were huge. I highly recommend!! read more

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The first 2 hours are free! (Parking) That's it. That's the one data I wanna read and know right away as soon as I get off the car. You have to scan the code and pick the option for the 2 hours free. Now we can get into the restaurant.... It Is nice. Very quaint. Beautiful smiles. Great people. Good service. Great ambiance. Not a big place, but spacious enough if that makes sense. I sat at the bar. The music is not loud but enough to enjoy. I ordered the chorizo quesadilla. Enough to make you happy. Only one thing left to say. I already wanna be back! read more

Cocina Chiwas - Outside bar area - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Bartenders are terrible, not consistent with drinks, sucks cause it definitely has potential

5 star food and atmosphere 4 star service 3.5 star value We're going out for food though so I'll go 5 stars. And the food really is great. We ordered 4 different dishes and a couple of cocktails and everything was excellent. I highly recommend the beet salad and Chile con queso to start. The nice part about these dishes is not only are they great but they are pretty big. You can easily share the salad with 4 people for instance. The surrounding area is under heavy construction so I expect this to be the go to spot in the area a year or two from now. read more

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Wow. Not in a good way. I've waited to post this review I think because I really wanted to be fair in my review. Let me start off with the positive, there was some good dishes. But I have never in my extensive dining experience ever experienced such terrible customer service. It was so comical it was hard to believe. I was excited to try this place and I decided to take foodie friends from out of town to try it. It was off to a pretty bad start, with the lack of parking. There was a street fair and not one parking spot was available. Not the restaurants fault obviously. We finally found one after driving around almost 25 minutes and made it to our 7pm reservation on time. We sat down and a carafe of "water" was delivered to our table. I wouldn't water my plants or wash my car with what was in that carafe. It tasted like what I imagine a cup of public pool water during spring break would taste like. I gently told our server that we would definitely need to order bottled water because it was not drinkable in any way. Little did we know...that the overpriced little bottles of water would be the only thing delivered to our table an hour after we sat down. Having worked in the restaurant business, I understand there are things that happen and I always have grace for that. But this was next level. We had a round of 2 cocktails and 1 beer delivered after the 1st hour and a sad apology for the "slow bartender." Sitting in the patio near the kitchen, I could see dishes after dishes coming out and tables all around us getting their food. After another server saw the disappointment on my face after walking by me so many times, he said he would check out our order for us. He returned to say "it should be coming out soon." Almost 80 minutes after being seated, with nothing but bottled water and waiting for our 2nd round of cocktails our server said our entrees take a little while to cook. I informed him that we had not received one of the 4 appetizers we ordered. He said "you ordered apps?" And I said "yes, remember you said we should also order the eloté?" At that point our entrees came out and he said "that should be enough food for all of you." Now, I'm not sure what he meant by that, but there was 4 of us...3 entrees, and a plate of veggies. A manager came out and explained they had a "technical glitch" and sadly our app orders got lost. Apparently, he didn't know our server had already alluded he forgot to even put it in. He asked if we would still like the apps and my friends and I agreed that we were looking forward to trying out the menu. The real kicker of all this...is that not one thing was comped. Not a dessert, or even a drink, an app. Nothing. We weren't looking for a free meal, but never have I experienced poorer customer service. Apparently, they are not worried about repeat customers. Our server laid down the bill and said "hey next time you're here, first round of drinks on me." Comical. read more

First, the friendly staff welcomed us as if we were guests in their home. Everyone was happy and helpful, very attentive and they accommodated some special requests with ease. The ambiance is perfect for parties that want to hear the conversations at the table (rare these days!). Lovely interior design, open kitchen, everyone in harmony. Finally, the FOOD!! I'm a Mexican food snob and this was pretty incredible. Fantastic flavors, generous servings, excellent recommendations from our wait staff. Top quality food, beautifully presented, a delicious experience overall. Honestly, I expected the bill to be much higher but we were pleasantly surprised at the price ($25pp). Loved: carnitas tacos, birria quesadilla, elote, guacamole. Can't wait to go again. read more

Ive been going to Cocina Chiwas since it opened. It is simply delicious. Last night was stunning rub eye steak (bone in), crunchy papas discos, super tasty beans, and a perfectly grilled quesadilla, with a made in pistachio cheesecake. That food was so good that I bought the chefs a shot of tequila for their end of shift. As usual, the service was good and seamless. I really the overall ambiance. They have an inside/outside bar, a big patio with heaters, booths for large groups and a smaller intimate dining room. read more

Everything was fine, but that was part of the problem - I was expecting better than fine from a Beard nominated restauranteurs concept. We had an indoor reservation and arrived extremely early; no big deal. We were pointed towards the outdoor standing room only bar which was cute (and also confirmed that indoor is the place to sit - the patio tables are coffee table height and extremely awkward looking to eat at). The bartenders pretty much ignored us after our first drink and we were standing there about an hour. The drinks themselves were cute in concept but only OK in execution (the Cafecito and the milk punch). Honestly, the bartenders kind of gave off an off-putting vibe and I'm not sure I can even articulate it other than they felt bro-y and loud and like they were doing us a favor by giving us menus. Again, not something I would expect in terms of service at an upscale place. We went back to the host stand at our reservation time and were told to wait an additional 10 minutes. Fine, but annoying. We were seated and informed of the drink specials (which we were not told at the bar and both us and the staff member were surprised that the bartenders didn't let us know there were specials). Our server was great and it was clear she was working really hard and it was a busy night. The food was good but nothing to write home about. We had: -beet salad -elote -costillas de res The beet salad was totally fine (and a massive portion). The elote had too much mayo on it. The costillas were good. The thing that shined was, oddly, the rice and beans. It's a cute place for sure, but I wouldn't be clamoring to go back anytime soon. read more

This place is really good. Very good food and vibe + patio. Everything we got was great. Service was great. We will be back! read more

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The service was excellent and very friendly. The menu and food was also very good. The air conditioner was way too cold. It was freezing in the dining room and made it uncomfortable. read more

food was good and it was very pretty but our server Jess was terrible. she never came up and checked up on us. the manager checked on us more than she did. she brought us the wrong food and gave us attitude and it wasn't even busy. i definitely recommend the food but if you get Jess REQUEST A NEW SERVER. i ordered "wet pussy" shots which is vodka, schnapps, lime and cranberry juice and she brought us pins colada shots. i asked her if she could ask the bartenders to remake them because we didn't order those but she gave me attitude and said no she didn't want to and that we get what we get. VERY rude and disrespectful. she is not made for the customer service industry. my whole party works in the industry and are all leaving reviewed for her because that was unacceptable. read more

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

I liked the flavors of the food we ordered and I ordered a cocktail that had flavors I've not experienced before. About the cocktail, I would say it was on the sweet side and I feel I was shorted on the glass! It was under-poured in my opinion so we didn't order another. I didn't complain about it as I'm sure the bartender was aware of his pour. Being seated right behind the greeting station is not ideal as it's not much room between the station and the table. read more

Walked into the restaurant wanting to enjoy a nice meal. Walked in immediately I could see the place was empty it was about 5 tables that had people sitting to dine, and one table was actually finishing up. The server comes over asks if we had reservations I said no but they weren't busy at all. He then said well all the tables here are reserved. Then he proceeded to check the tablet which made absolutely no sense because of all the brakes were reserved what were you checking for. I know most people would say possible checking for a cancellation, nope! If it was fully booked for the night his next statement should have been sorry we couldn't service you we would be more than happy to have you another time but he didn't. Go figure I walk out to go check restaurants and what did we find the they had availability, but I knew they already, that's exactly why my family and I walked out. Lesson is never eat or spend money where you're not wanted there's hundreds of restaurants out there that would be happy to take my money. And funny thing is people never know who you really are so never judge a book by its cover I'll be making so phone calls first time in the morning. It cost nothing to just be honest and respectful. read more

Ambiance is good, they play great Mexican music and the restaurant decor is nice. Our waiter was in a sour mood from the moment we walked in, despite us repeatedly being nice to him. The food choices for Sunday brunch are literally only like 6-7 options (of which only 3-4 items are Mexican food). I ordered the "pork chops" which apparently are salty pieces of breakfast ham. Really odd that they wouldn't just call it ham chops instead. Enchiladas were good, hence the 1 star. There's plenty of better brunch options in Tempe, there's no need to go here for moody service or a deceiving menu. read more

Restaurants is super cool and definitely has a nice vibe. Host was accommodating and we got a nice table outside. This might be the prettiest Mexican food I've ever seen however it's like looking at a Ferrari with a Kia engine. Food was not hot and lacking flavor. It's also a bit pricey for what you get And if you can believe it, they do not offer iced tea. All in all a lot of potential, but I definitely won't repeat until the restaurant can make significant changes in the quality of the food and the performance of the staff. read more

I use to love this place. The service was terrible on Mother's Day. We had a reservation but they made us sit outside in the heat. An hour to get our food!!! We had two small kids with us so the wait was difficult. I asked to buy chips and salsa or guacamole and they said they took it off the menu for the day. Food was cold when it arrived so obviously sat around the kitchen for a long time. read more

there food is great! except they change the menu alot ....? on web they don't update changes ......so you get there to order your favorite item , and its not avaiable ? plus no ice tea? why? read more

Ooooooo i was a fan girl trying out the upscale Taco Chiwas - Cocina Chiwas! I was able to obtain same day reservation at the bar, and I mean same day like within four hours thanks to the AMAZING front staff! Loved the food vibe! Presentation was everything and flavors were Mexicano! If you know, you know. We ordered Paloma cocktails, Costillas de Res ( beef ribs) small plates of chili rellano, potato tacos, and beet salad with carne asada. I took in every bite with just the rice not topping my favor, so that was the only thing left on my plate. No to go boxes for us! read more

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So glad we visited to celebrate my birthday! This place was amazing- the food, the service and the atmosphere. With two vegetarians and two carnivores in our party, we needed to make sure there were options for all- we decided to try Cocina Chiwas and it did not disappoint. Our reservations were all set for us and we were seated immediately. Our server was so kind and accommodating. She recommended some amazing cocktails for us. We started with the elote and it was DELICIOUS. The corn was perfect and the sauce was perfect. We also ordered chips and salsa and literally licked the elote sauce off of the plate haha. My main dish was the vegetable quesadilla. It was very good and the wood fired taste and fresh vegetables set it apart from the "quesadillas" I make my toddler daily. But the other vegetarian dish at our table was the winner: the Chile relleno. My friend got it with a side of rice and beans which made the small plate a perfect meal. The two carnivores got the Costilla de res (short ribs) and the chicharron and the latter was the winner! Both were devoured and praised. Along with the cocktails, the company and the service, the food was outstanding. I would be back in a heartbeat and would encourage Phoenicians to check this place out. Can't wait until it is cool enough to sit on the patio! read more

Best authentic Mexican food in Tempe. This is not another Mexican restaurant. This places makes you feel like you're eating a nice Sonoran style dinner in Mexico City. From the beet salad with jocoque to the coffee martini made with cafe de olla, the flavors are authentic, with high quality ingredients in a great atmosphere. read more

This place had been on my must try list since it opened its doors. Made reservations for a Friday night and was surprised it wasn't as packed as I thought it'd be. The restaurant is decently sized and has a vibey ambiance. There's tables where you can see part of the kitchen and prep area which is kinda cool if you're into that as well as patio seating. The menu isn't too large but the choices are abundant. We started with the tuna ceviche and followed it up with the amazing birria quesadilla (a must try). We also ordered the costillas de res (beef short ribs), they were flavorful but weren't too fond of the texture and didn't come out of the kitchen very hot. The service wasn't very attentive as our waitress seemed more interested in hanging out with im assuming friends or relatives at another table as she kept sitting with them and hugging instead of seeing if my table needed anything. Overall I'd recommend going because the food was very tasty. I'm looking forward to my next visit to try the chicharrón (roasted pork belly)! It looked delicious as we saw another table close by get it delivered. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Birria Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Yum! Great place! Great Service! Favorites are the Birria quesadilla and Costra de Queso w/ Pastor. Exceptional flavors in all the food. Make reservations read more

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