Long overdue review! I'll keep this one super simple.. it's really your average restaurant. The server I had was great, but the food was basic. Nothing against this place, just that you won't catch me here twice. read more

This place has been bookmarked for well over a year. I finally got to try them out recently, and on Taco Tuesday, no less! I love that they allow you to mix and match different tacos to create your own taco plate. I ordered the following 3 tacos: Tlaloc (grilled cactus, caramelized onion, garlic, jalapeños; I omitted the additional options for this taco -tomato, mushrooms, and queso fresco) Guisado Tenoch (Grilled Cactus, Potato, Guajillo & red salsa; I omitted the mushrooms and queso fresco) Mexica Ahuacatl (Beer Battered Avocado, cabbage, salsa jicama; I omitted the pico de gallo and the salsa cilantro, the latter of which contains dairy) The Guisado Tenoch & Mexica Ahuacatl were by far my favorites. The Guisado is terrifically tantalizing to the tastebuds and needed no extra salsas. The Ahuacatl was equally delicious once I added some Strawberry Salsa. (It's delicious alone, just a little dry w/o the salsa.) I wasn't a fan of the flavors in the Tlaloc, which were too tart and robust to my liking. Just a personal preference. I ordered my plate with rice and black beans, and I mixed them together. The flavor of the beans was delightful; they were seasoned perfectly, and not too salty. (It's my understanding that the refried beans contain dairy, so vegans should stick to the black beans.) Another shining star here is the unlimited salsa bar, which features about a dozen different salsas. The salsa ingredients are not listed, but after spotting a particularly milky looking one, I inquired and discovered that there are a few salsas which do contain dairy, including the pecan salsa and cilantro salsa. I have since been informed that the following salsas are all vegan: salsa 7 chiles, árbol, cabo, chipotle, sesame, peanut, strawberry, pico de gallo, jicama, cruda, tomatillo, rábano, and the Mexicana. The guacamole is also confirmed as vegan. The strawberry salsa became an unexpected favorite, winning me over with its refreshingly sweet and spicy flavors. The service was great and I absolutely adore the wall art. The only thing I do not like is that the bathroom is in the dining area and several people kept leaving the door open... The salsa bar is right outside that door. As an OCD germaphobe, I was terribly bothered by this. Aside from that, I love this taqueria and cannot wait to return and try the rest of their vegan menu. read more

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Fantastic Mexican with a lovely atmosphere - mix of great art, community, yummy food and serve your own salsa bar. Loved our waitress - she was so helpful and personable. The guacamole with pomegranates is sooo good! We've been +4 times and have tried a bunch of tacos - all have been exceptional. Secret: save room for flan- omg!!! The best I've ever had- but it sells out!! Those are the sad days- LOL ( no flan). But seriously get this on your list. Food is great! read more

Met up with Aileen mid week. A really cute place! I loved the artwork. I had this place bookmarked for the longest time. I ordered the fish tacos and they were a-ok nothing stood out for me. We both ordered house margaritas and mine was a little too strong but tasty to Aileen. If I am ever in the area I might try different menu items. read more

La Santisima - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Came here on Guy Fieri's recommendation. Loved this place. Amazing food. The salsa bar should be at every Mexican place. The server said I will be back. read more

La Santisima - Great food. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Places like this make me happy I live in AZ...to have that much selection and to be that good is amazing...I go right at 11 as I assume they have quite the lunch rush...can't go wrong read more

Wonderful! Stopped in before heading to the airport to go home and it was fantastic! Jesus gave us an amazing overview of the restaurant as well as the decor. Must put on your list to go! read more

Super cool vibe and style. The tables, pictures, and decorations all fit so well and the food is as good and authentic as it gets. The mixed taco plate is the way to go and try as many as possible. read more

La Santisima - Interior. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Was in Phoenix for a few hours only and decided to give La Santisma a try, solely based on review count. Left a little underwhelmed. This place was covered by Guy Fieri and that raised my expectations a few notch. The gourmet tacos were nothing special. My group had the fish, shark and chicken tacos. And none of the 3 stood out. The salsa bar had over a dozen salsa variations and most of them were good. However, the disposable cups were too small. Ended up making several annoying trips to the salsa bar. Recommend the peanut salsa. I had the La Condesa Shrimp burro. It was good. The guac was also pretty good. read more

La Santisima - La Condesa Shrimp Burro - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Who's hungry? ‍ Y'all have to check out the mind blowing vegan options at La Santisima (between McDowell and Thomas on 16th St in Phoenix). OMG Everything that hit my mouth and stomach was full of fresh delicious flavors. I ordered the Coliflor Al Pastor Burro, Gandhi Vegan Taco, Mexica Ahuacatl Taco, and the Coliflor Taco. Add this place on your list for places to eat. Be sure to ask them for the vegan house made salsas when they bring out the chips. Go get you some! read more

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Flavorful! Mole is top notch. Shrimp were small, had the poop line in them and were gritty, but the beef, pork and chicken were all good. read more

La Santisima - Street tacos - choose from a tasty slection. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Queza, queso fundido with poblanos and the tamarindo margaritas are scrumptious but that salsa bar is just heaven! The service is always good, Elvira is the best server ever!! read more

I'll defend this location just as much as Glendale's. But with over 2,000 reviews, I'll keep it short. This is a top 10 spot in Arizona for Mexican food (in its price range, at least) and anyone who disagrees has terrible taste and should go back to Illinois or something. Savor every salsa because while each individual salsa may not be the *best* out there, they are all above average, and there's like 15 to choose from. That being said, you could easily chow down on like 3 baskets of chips in the time it takes to actually get your order. It is great, but goodness gracious does this location also take longer than expected. 20 minutes into your wait, you'll think "OK it's good stuff so it should take longer than average tacos do". And then you'll be like me and reach that point where you're just hangry and seriously ready to berate someone because no other place in the valley would be this consistently SLOW. In that moment of frustration and despair that will happen LITERALLY EVERY TIME YOU VISIT, your food will appear and it will be glorious. You will devour it in half the time it took to prepare. I mean seriously it was just some mole tacos with shrimp (in lieu of other proteins)--don't you guys prep before you open? They'll act like everything is OK and they didn't just break you with the wait time, you'll tip generously, and be ready to do the same song and dance the next time you want good Mexican food. I guess that like the wait times, this review didn't end up being so short after all. But if you've got a free hour and a half, your taste buds wont' regret it! read more

Food and waitstaff and ambience. That's why anyone goes anywhere. They do all three well. Glad to have a larger space now to accommodate everyone who wants to go! read more

La Santisima - Outside restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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we've been big fans of la santisima for 10 years. my partner worked with them when they first opened and has been a loyal customer ever since. He introduced me to their food about 5 years ago and it's easily my favorite authentic Mexican place in Phoenix (we are Mexican). They have my favorite horchata on the planet and their menu has something that will appeal to everyone. Their ambiance makes it easy to have a fancy evening or a quick bite. This place should be on everyone's list! read more

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The tacos are amazing its our regular spot we come here at least twice a month the full tacos are my favorite read more

La Santisima - Campechano tacos and seasoned French fries with a ice cold coke - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

All of these years I've been living downtown just down the street from here and I haven't been until today. Everything here is amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Except the service. In their defense, the restaurant does warn you that the dining area has recently expanded and they are relying on a small kitchen. Too bad our food and drinks were out right on time. Our server was hard to find and not very friendly. That's a shame. Now that we've gotten that bad stuff out of the way let's talk about the fun stuff. First, the salsa bar. Oooo girl. There's something like 15 salsas and sauces here. They're all amazing but I'd recommend the pecan salsa. You do get a free bowl of chips, but it is 2.70 for another one. A little disappointed about that since there's so much salsa to try but that's okay. Second, dranks! We ordered the blue devil margarita, which was full of fruit and sweetness almost like an amazing marg-sangria hybrid. My table also got a huge michelada and some other regular margaritas. All were absolutely delish. Last, but not least, those tacos tho!!! There are just too many to list here but out table ordered some of the best looking ones, mahi al pastor, baby shark, tiger shrimp, battered and fried avocado, cauliflower, and Barbacoa. The Barbacoa was certainly the least exotic but my favorite. The tortilla was softly fried and just tooooo good. The vegetarian and vegan choices were numerous if that's your kind of thing. Much appreciated to see a restaurant that serves lots of options for those with dietary restrictions other than just another damn salad! Get here now because you are missing one of Phoenix's greatest hits! read more

La Santisima - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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If I could leave zero stars I would. We came in and sat down and not one staff member came over to us. A guy walked by and I said "excuse me" three times and he just looked at me and left. We decided after 20 minutes to get up and leave. As we walked out I said to the guy "wow, ridiculous service". He rolled his eyes. Will never be back. There are too many other places to spend our $$$$ read more

I absolutely love this place. Food was so good. I didn't even take pictures I just devoured it. This is my first time at the new location. It is just as good if not better because it is way closer to my home now. The service was great our server was extremely friendly and proficient. I went with my usual Carne Asada tacos and also tried the fundito cheese dip and as always the salsa bar is phenomenal read more

I thought I reviewed this spot already, but I obviously didn't. I came here about 4 years ago when it had a different name (la Condesa) and it was my first time coming back since. I came here a month ago with some friends and we drove separately. Some of them got there first which was good because they were able to snag us a table for 6 in this small restaurant. Since it was a Friday night, it was busier than usual and several parties had to wait or go elsewhere. Their menu has a lot of options even for vegetarians, which is nice. I ordered a taco plate with three different kinds: aguacate, la santísima veggie, and the cactus one. I did like them, but I would've enjoyed them better if they were served in flour tortillas rather than corn. I'm not a corn tortilla fan. The salsa bar is fun to try, I got the strawberry one to balance out the spicier ones like chipotle. The beans were tasty too. Service was good and we got our food in a timely manner. I just wish they had more space and alternate choices for tortillas. read more

La Santisima - Mixing salsas and chips - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I never thought I would see a time where anyone would rate this less than 5 stars but the food has been dreadfully subpar the past couple times I have been there. it breaks my heart as this has been my all time favorite restaurant for so long. I hope the owners can resolve whatever issues are causing the food quality to be so poor. read more

When they call La Santisima a gourmet taco cafe, they're not kidding- there are so many different types of tacos on the menu, it's overwhelming and difficult to decide what to order! Add in the massive salsa bar and I was a fan before I even tried a bite. This place is tiny, so go off normal dining hours or expect a wait. We lucked out and got seats at the bar, and ended up getting to try an extra margarita that was accidentally made for a large party. While you wait for your order, cozy up to the salsa bar, where they have ten different options ranging from mild to mouth-on-fire. The strawberry one was my favorite, but the tomatillo was really good too. We ended up trying five different tacos, and they were all good in their own ways- this is a place to skip the generic fried fish tacos and go for the stuff that's really out there, like chicken mole and things you have difficulty pronouncing correctly. Will be coming back next time I'm in town to try more! read more

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I decided to come to AZ to visit family and this was my only night here, so I decided to try some Mexican food. I spent about 45min trying to find a great place to eat and this restaurant had amazing reviews on yelp which I for the most part trust, so I was super excited to try it out. We'll start with the good bc I think that's most fair. The refried beans were pretty good and they have a salsa bar with all different kinds of salsa which I found to be pretty unique. Other than that, I was extremely disappointed in my visit. It cost $45 for 2 quesos and two sets of tacos. Fair warning, you CANNOT mix the street taco mix and match plate with any of the specialty tacos even thought the menu clearly states "add any tacos from below to the mix and match plate for an extra charge", and next to each specialty taco is the charges of 50 cents-$2. We had a take out order and specifically asked how much two street tacos and one of the specialty tacos were and they said an extra .50. Turns out we get there and they charged me for the "gourmet taco" plate which was an extra $5 (in addition to the specialty taco fee) than the street tacos because I had ordered ONE specialty taco. They first tried to tell me I had ordered gourmet tacos. Thinking this was my mistake I apologized then read them off my order I had on my phone and when I realized they were in fact on the street taco plate, they then said "oh you can't add on gourmet tacos to the street tacos" and I said ok that's fine. I guess I'll pay an extra $5 thinking they had spiced up my street tacos bc I was now paying for a gourmet plate. Unfortunately, these tacos were the same as the other set of just street tacos we had ordered. I could have gotten ALL gourmet tacos for the same price. My tacos were bland and even the salsas didn't do much which made paying extra even worse. The rice on the side was also mushy and overcooked. Lastly, I was thinking oh well it's hard to make a bad queso, so it's good we had ordered that. I was expecting some great queso with it being $9. This again was not the case. The queso was completely solidified and we had to reheat it twice while eating to make it even dip-able with chips. I have ordered fantastic take out queso, so I didn't see that as an excuse for bad queso. Again, super bland and not sure goat cheese was even in it because that has a particular taste that I love. I am definitely NOT coming back here again. Perhaps it was just my own particular experience with this food and yours could be great but if you want a great food experience with the abundance of options here in Phoenix, I wouldn't even risk coming here. read more

Food was amazing, service mediocre at best. THEY COMPLETELY GOUGED ON PRICING. Went in on a Monday afternoon at 3p... Was Charged 28$ for a single margarita because I requested a different, but price comparable, tequila (per their price list). When I disputed and tried to reason with the "manager" she claimed that I should "learn how to order a margarita" and "it was an up charge and she doesn't make the prices so she can't help me". They charged me like I ordered a double or even an extra shot on the side but I never received. She even admitted that she wasn't sure there was even the correct ingredients to the margarita that I ordered (Grand Marnier in a Cadillac margarita) but never offered to make it right. Unbelievable, especially because they advertise happy hour online and refuse it in person. Just for peace of mind, we ordered three margaritas TOTAL, one guacamole appetizer and a kids cheese quesadilla and the bill was 105!! We walked into a completely empty restaurant and it's really no surprise.. Will never be back again! read more

Amazing food. Great salsa bar! And now they have a liquor license. So many choices. I recommend enchilada style. And kudos to the bartender Tim on his first night. It was a busy one. read more

First off, absolutely excellent tacos. More choices than you could sample in a single visit. Creative combinations of flavors and the ones I tried were well executed and I would want to have them again. But I won't. Why? A number of reasons. 1. Price. Three tacos, a small scoop of rice and 1/3 of a plate of refried beans (both were very good, well above average) and just water to drink with a 20% tip was $25.92 for one person. Ouch. The flavors were great, but not $50+ for two people for 6 tacos and no drinks. 2. Stupid tiny plastic salsa cups. They have a salsa bar. Beautiful too. So many choices! But then they have those stupid tiny little plastic cups that hold less than an ounce of salsa. Absolutely ridiculous. They give you this large bowl of chips and expect you to get up and go get a few dozen of these tiny little plastic cups of salsa with no way to carry the amount you will need back to your table. 3. The corn tortillas for the tacos are not made fresh in house. For the price I paid for the tacos, those corn tortillas should be freshly made inhouse. Not premade purchased from a food distributor. So that sums it up. I'd love to go back and try more of their amazing food but the inconvenience of the salsa bar with the stupid tiny plastic cups and the cost prohibitive pricing prevent it. I hope they fix what needs fixing and don't end up putting themselves out of business. Their food was great and the service friendly and attentive. read more

Place is solid - food was really good and service was great too. Would recommend to anyone

Came in on a semi-busy Saturday night for dinner. From the start, the staff seemed ill-equipped to handle the medium-sized crowd. Lines and wait times were long. We placed an order and expected to wait...no problem. A half hour passes and I ask for an update on my order. "It should be coming next", is the response I get. Ok. 20 more minutes pass and no food. No worries, I'm a patient man. 10 minutes later (an HOUR after I placed my order), a staff approaches me and tells me they are actually out of one of the items I ordered... WHAT?! It took the staff an hour to let me know they would be unable to fulfill my order?! La Santisima salvages a couple of stars because they attempted to rectify the situation by allowing us to order additional food at no charge (in addition to what we paid already). Poor customer service is a cardinal sin. Will not be returning. Update: downgraded to 1 star because (1) the order was STILL incorrect when I got home and (2) given the cost, the taste of the food was not up to snuff. BOO! read more

Ordered Queso Fundito, it was set up and cold like it had been sitting awhile. I wanted chips instead of the tortilla it comes with but they wanted to charge me 3.99 for the chips. No Splenda for my ice tea. read more

Food was great, but way overpriced ($70 for 2 people at lunch)... will not ever be going back.

Good food at a good price. Would give 5 stars if service was better. It took too long to put in order and too long to get food

If you're looking for Mexican with a sugar twist - this is your groove! From salsa bar (lacking spice) to (fresh, crisp, and tangy) guacamole to dried cranberry poblano pepper dish, flavors driven by sweetness ruled the menu! Lots of mango and jicama tones weaved through every dish. What a burst of flavors in every bite! I even had to request my skinny margarita be replaced because there was overpowering agave sweetness! Fun meal, nonetheless, especially if you enjoy sweet twists. read more

Quesas and La Santísima Specialty were delicious. Also enjoyed the Mamacita Margarita. My quest continues for the best cochinita pibil in the city, I would not order it again from here. Enjoyed the salsa bar, the swings and the bean dip appetizer. Our waitress was great, Mariama. read more

The food is always great and they have the best salsa bar in town. Free chips to start is always appreciated. Their quesas are so uniquely delicious and huge. If you haven't been, I recommend splitting one with someone else and ordering a taco or something else for yourself on the side. Otherwise the quesa will become your whole meal. Unfortunately, a group of us ordered margaritas the other night and we're still debating whether the bartender actually made them virgins. After a few sips I asked the table next to us whether their's were the same and the three of them said they all ordered tequila shots to put in them. They didn't know if they'd be charged for them. In La Santisma's defense, our waitress was very understanding and helpful in the matter and I returned mine while the rest of my group got shots which they eventually weren't charged for. Still, it would take more than a shot to make it a decent marg. We'll keep going but we'll wash the delicious food down with something else in the future. read more

La Santisima - I wouldn't risk ordering a margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

La Santisima has got to be one of the quirkiest restaurants and bars I've ever visited. The place is decorated with colorful paintings and figurines reminiscent of Día de los Muertos, and the menu featured both traditional and inventive Mexican-inspired fare you'll find nowhere else! We were started with a basket of warm, crunchy tortilla chips with salsa roja and salsa verde, but the main feature of the meal was definitely the tacos! I tried the Baja Sur Baby Shark, made of a beer-battered wild baby shark filet, topped with shredded cabbage, a refreshing cilantro salsa, and mayo, which added a nice acidic flavor and creamy mouthfeel to every bite! The Mazatlan Marlin taco was made with smoked marlin topped with toasted cheese--the marlin had a nice meatiness and a slightly dry tuna-like texture. Both of these tacos were definitely unique, but my favorite tacos were the La Santísima Specialty and the Oaxacan Black Mole. The former was made with chewy toasted Oaxaca cheese, mushrooms, poblano pepper, and steak grilled together to form an umami filling, held together by the crispy caramelized cheese! I was also a fan of the Oaxacan Black Mole, which came with a jet-black sweet and savory chocalatey mole served with shrimp and topped with more toasted cheese (seeing a theme here?)! Overall, the tacos here were definitely on the small side for the menu prices, but the quirky atmosphere and friendly service made this a really memorable dining experience! read more

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La Santisima advertises itself as a "Gourmet Taco Shop", and it lives up to the billing. The non-alcoholic drinks are delicious, from the Horchata to the Jamaica to (my personal favorite) the Yerbabuena Mint. Be warned, the drinks are both very sugary and VERY LARGE. Be sure to have a glass of water to water down the drinks. The chips themselves are special - thick and freshly fried. They can be easily used to mop up any leftovers from main dishes, and I suggest you do so. Their salsa bar comes with just about any flavor you can think of. I personally like the spicy strawberry and peanut butter sauce, but the more classic habanero and hot sauces are there, as well. I highly suggest that at least one taco must be eaten "protein style" (toasted cheese shell) and one "enmolada style" (smothered in spicy chocolate sauce). Any of their fillings can be made in any of their styles, so there'll be options for any palette or food limitations. I've ate at this restaurant at two different locations, and both were great experiences. Highly recommended. read more

Amazing menu. Vegetarian options. Slow service, but nice people and I would definitely go back.

A friend of ours recommended La Santisima and our group of five dined there with him on a Saturday evening in early December. I ordered three tacos, which feature street taco size flour tortillas, but with a much larger portion of the selected filling. (They are known for their tacos, but their numerous offerings can be ordered as a burrito or a bowl instead.) All three of my tacos were excellent. My favorite was the Oaxacan Black Mole Chicken, which had layered flavors and it was not overly sweet. It is an excellent choice. The La Santisima specialty chicken was also very good and flavorful as well, but more direct and less subtle than the mole. Finally, the Cochinita Pibil was very solid and I was glad that I ordered it too. Two members of our party ordered the baby shark tacos and the marlin tacos. They both loved both tacos and one of them stated that it was the best Mexican food he had ever eaten (and he has eaten a lot of Mexican food in 65+ years. My wife ordered the green chili burro, which was enormous, but wasn't really to her liking. In terms of appetizers, the queso fundido with chorizo was quite good and i could be quite happy just ordering it with some warm tortillas and a few beers. The venue itself is quite pleasant with a large open main dining area and lots of interesting artwork on the walls. Unlike many restaurants who are seeking to maximize their space, La Santisima had comfortable,oversized tables and chairs that were separated enough from the other tables to keep conversations private. Our waitperson was friendly, attentive (without being intrusive) and very helpful with recommendations and insights about the menu. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Love the atmosphere! So many vegan options and the food is amazing. Always have the best service too!

Yummy!!! This place is delicious and they have very unique quesadillas! I ordered two different shrimp tacos and the roasted squash and was completely satisfied with my choices. My friend ordered one of the quesadillas and took half of it home to enjoy later since they are quite large! She's been here before and knew what she was getting into so she planned to eat half for lunch and have half for dinner. The chips are super fresh and delicious with the right amount of salt and the salsa/condiments bar is AMAZING! My favorite is the salsa verde. I think i had four servings of that because it's so darn good! Additionally, their service is amazing! The guy up front could tell I hadn't been in before so he made some recommendations and checked on us shortly after we received our delicious meal! Definitely recommend and will be back! read more

La Santisima - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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