Staff is attentive and friendly. The food is fresh and so tasty. Love the sangria. I had their version of a chicken quesadilla and it was the perfect size. Not greasy. read more

My favorite sit down Mexican restaurant in all of Phoenix. A lot of places tend to go for the American version of Mexican food where they offer a lot of taco, enchilada, or smothered burrito options. Not this place! They keep 100% authentic and the fresh ingredients really show. They got a bunch of lovely dishes on the menu that I would encourage you to try if you feel a little intimidated. The food is delicious, the presentation is wonderful, and the service is outstanding. They really take care of you here and go out of their way to make you feel welcome and wanted. They don't take any customers for granted. The spot is really small and intimate so keep that in mind when planning dinner here, there's not a lot of tables and the few that are....they're very close to each other. I like it cause it reminds me of eating in Mexico but I can imagine some older people being made uncomfortable here if they're used to having a lot of personal space. Come here! It's cute, delicious, and wholesome! read more

I've been eating at Asi es la Vida for 20 years. I love this cute, quaint place. It has always maintained quality, consistent service and consistent menu. The quality surpasses Barrio Cafe much of the time as their quality control is lacking. This is a great date place with great ambiance. read more

We're visiting from California for Spring training. Found this place via Yelp search and so glad to see tried it! The food was authentic comida Mexicana. Ambience was wonderful, live beautiful music by guitarist. You can hear and appreciate the music but can still have a conversation. Staff was very friendly. Enjoyed everything we had. We will definitely be back! read more

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I drive by this restaurant almost every day on my way to work and finally I decided to go for lunch with coworkers. I'm so glad I did. The decor is so cute. I would go back just for the ambiance. We were greeted right away and told about the special. They have different aguas frescas. I tried the cantaloupe one and it was delicious. We shared some guacamole and chips, I'm not a big guacamole fan, but it was good. Both my coworkers ordered the special which was 3 shrimp tacos with rice and beans. They both enjoyed their food and said it was very good. I ordered the enchiladas verdes. The green sauce had a little kick, but it wasn't too spicy. I really enjoyed my food it was really good and flavorful. Our server was friendly and checked on us often. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

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Hidden gem. Don't tell anyone!! Good, service, value and ambiance just perfect. Small and intimate feel to this restaurant. read more

The Pink Building Offers A Relaxing Atmosphere Asia Es La Vida was recommended by a friend and after reading the Yelp reviews, we thought we would give this place a try. Asia is not your typical Mexican restaurant. Asia is a small cozy, elegant Mexican restaurant, that is inviting, with amazing food and service. As we entered the restaurant we were greeted quickly and led to the back room. Once seated, we were promptly given the menu and had water/drinks brought to us immediately. The menu at Asia is small but fresh and executed very well. On this visit we shared the Guacamole/Chips, Chicken Enchilada Verdes, Farolitos Al Carbon, Cesina, Rice, and Beans. The entrees were deliciously amazing and the plating and delivery were beautiful. The food was wonderfully flavored and well proportioned. If you're looking for a unique dining expeirence with delicious food, relaxing atmosphere, and superior service, give Asia Es La Vida a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

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So amazing. The food was exquisite. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Beautiful live music.

The decor is colorful and inviting. The staff is responsive and friendly.But the best things I can say about this restaurant is the food! Make sure you order a watermelon fresca and the chips and guac. Yum! The menu has so many delicious choices and ask about the specials! Our family loves this place. Try it out and see if you will call it your go to place too! read more

I'm from El Paso, Tx and this was some of the most authentic Mexican food I've had here in Phx. 10/10 service feels like you're in Mexico. I will be coming back. Ambiance super cute for date night as well! read more

Got some carryout from here and was not very impressed. While it's likely that dining in would have resulted in much better food, I still expect restaurants in this price range to have fairly good results when carrying out as well. The ceviche was done alright with a little too much acidity for me. The onion and cilantro did mix well with the avocado but all felt a bit more like distinct elements rather than one assembled dish. The Borrego Azteca had fairly tender meat but I felt like the garlic, herbs, and spices were a bit flat on the sauce. The Carne Tampiquena was almost a bit rubbery and the mole and cheese combination felt a bit underseasoned. While ingredients were fairly fresh and high quality overall, I wasn't too impressed with the execution of the cooking on the carryout. read more

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Ambiance was so warm and inviting - Frida Kahlo galore! The food was delicious and our server was so friendly. The watermelon agua fresca and horchata were mouthwatering. For lunch we all had the enmoladas. My dad, who's from Mexico, would not stop saying how it's the best mole he's had in AZ. We'll definitely return! read more

I found this restaurant while searching for a date night location and we were not disappointed. Very quaint and romantic. The gentleman who was playing live music was very good and we appreciated it not being too loud. Service was good and our waiter was very informative. Our food took a little longer to arrive than we expected, but my wife and I still like each other and have wonderful conversations. I ordered the ENROLLADO DE RES, which was good, but too saucy for my taste. The sauce overpowered the rest of the dish. My lovely wife had the special of the evening (a shrimp dish) and she really enjoyed it. She said the shrimp was delicious and cooked perfectly. A pleasant experience and we will return. read more

Delicious. I've tried the chefs special twice the past times I've came here and it's been so delicious. My husband and I had the sangria, yum! Service is great, very welcoming and just a great atmosphere we went Saturday night they had live music not loud just right. Love it here read more

Asi Es La Vida - Chefs special - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Don't let the pink exterior scare you away from this restaurant, hidden in plain sight on 24th Street as the food and ambience are spectacular. This is not your run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant but an upscale bistro designed to excite the senses with delightful aromas of spices. The waiter who served us was polite, efficient and helpful as he explained all the choices. The parking lot is small but probably adequate so long as some of the customers park on the street. This may not be the cheapest Mexican restaurant in town, and it's definitely not the most expensive, but you will definitely feel that the cost of your meal will be worth it. Go, indulge, enjoy and appreciate this local establishment. read more

Asi Es La Vida - Great Wine Rack. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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When you first pull up, Asi es la vida has got to be one of the ugliest restaurants you've ever seen. Big pink building with sloppy looking paint. You park in the back and go to the entrance, where you are presented with some unmarked doors with difficult-to-open handles. You go inside and are confused because the entrance is in the back near no host stand. It is confusing. But you won't be confused for more than a second or two before someone will offer you a seat in the very small 10 table restaurant (despite looking big from the outside). Immediately you notice the beautiful Spanish language ballads being sung by the live musician and the soft ambiance. Clean white table cloths cover every table, offering a clue to the standards of food at this restaurant. Unlike the outside, the inside is understated and beautiful. Comfortable and relaxing while still keeping a high end vibe. The server will explain specials and the menu. They are super friendly and professional. Reminiscent of a very fine dining establishment. They will mix in enough Spanish words such that you know you're getting authenticity, but they do it in a non intimidating and fun way. The menu has appetizers, soups (second course), stews and entree plates. The last time I went (yesterday with my son) I had the ropa vieja. This is a dish I normally consider Cuban or carribean, but this Mexican rendition was absolutely perfect and delicious. Instead of tostones they serve with tortillas. It was sooo good. We also had their guacamole and their "frijolada" which is a black bean and cheese dish. All perfect. My son had a filet. It was served on Mexican cheese and with a relish of chiles and onions. Perfect. I usually order the mole. Also perfect. They also have delicious jugos natarales of cantaloupe, watermelon, and pina. Very refreshing. I will be going back as long as this place stays open. I have been maybe five or six times in the past decade. One of my favorite restaurants hands down. And quite possibly the best Mexican food I've ever had in Arizona. read more

I've driven by here so often and thought "oh, interesting pink building." I'd not driven by and thought "I have to eat there." Now, I'm driving by and thinking "I want to go back and eat there again!" You just can't judge the food or interior by the exterior. The building really doesn't look like much during the day, but at night, it comes alive with great food and service, wow! Our waiter was fun and did a great job of taking care of us, including starting our group off with Mexico City sangrias. So delicious! And, to his credit, he warned us that they would go down like Kool-Aid. I have to disagree. Kool-Aid doesn't even come close to the delicious taste of these Sangrias (yes, that is plural--yep, more than one). I guess he didn't say they tasted like Kool-Aid, only that they'd go down like Kool-Aid. I guess he was right. We started by sharing a plate of guacamole. Yummy. Great flavor and the tomatillo sauce was incredible! For my entrée, I had the sea bass, which was simply wonderful (melt-in-your-mouth wonderful), and what a great ingredient, the green olives in the sauce, just the right amount of kick. Nice presentation of the food, too! We did the Yelp check-in offer of a free dessert, which we shared four ways (no guilt there). The next day, we all wondered if we hadn't had the Sangrias would the food had tasted so delicious? We all agreed the answer was YES. read more

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Terrific food, charming and fun atmosphere, great service.my favorite is the enrollado de res. Get the sampler appetizer too.

This is a super upscale Mexican restaurant and a hidden secret of Phoenix. I'm not talking cheese-filled tacos/burritos/enchiladas. Expect Chilean sea bass, perfectly-cooked tampequena, and delicious mole sauces. Service was amazing; we received personal attention that you'd find at high-end restaurants around the Valley with twice the price tags. We also were serenaded through our dinner, with live guitar right near our table. 100% recommend the Mexico City Sangria. Wowza, that drink packs a punch. Our table guacamole was freshly-made and served with a variety of salsas which alone were worth the cost of the guacamole. I had the tampequena, which was delicious, but also sampled multiple other meals around our table. You probably can't go wrong. Don't forget to check in on Yelp for a free dessert! read more

Asi Es La Vida - Mexico City Sangria! - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Outstanding service and food! Loved it! Definitely will go back again! Highly recommended! read more

Asi Es La Vida - Yummmm - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Authentic cuisine, amazing service and the ambiance is perfect! They also have live music on the weekend and it is such an added bonus! read more

Asi Es La Vida - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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My companion and I stopped by Asi Es La Vida during our visit to the greater Phoenix area. I actually really loved the restaurant! The restaurant's vibrant color of the building and the cozy, intimate ambiance inside was super cute. Really a good place for a casual, non stuck up date or with friends/family in a non pretentious environment for sure. I had the pork Farlolitos and my companion had a tortilla soup and a recalentado. We also shared salsa+guac and chips for appetizer. I loved my meal..very light and tasty. My companion liked his meal too...although after we left...he told me he actually preferred my dish than what he ordered (I tried his dish too and I agreed with that statement!). We also go tres leche and flan (flan was complementary from a yelp check in) and I loved both desserts. Overall, nothing much to complain about. We were there during lunch, so it wasn't so crowded. But I think if you plan to go there for dinner, it's best to make a reservation ahead of time (the restaurant isn't so big...so theres a chance you may have to wait without any reservation). Overall, I would love to come to this cute place foran authentic Mexican meal again. I'm typically not a Mexican food lover (due to the fact that I think that food at most Mexican restaurants is heavy and made me feel so sluggish post-meals). But I do make an exception for this restaurant. Food tasted light and healthy...desserts werent too sweet...and the ambiance was super cute. I would love to come here again. The only minus is that their lunch menu selection is smaller than their dinner menu. I actually was eyeing for one particular dish durung our lunch stop..but was told they only serve that during dinner. Oh well, maybe next time I'm in the area..I will get to dine here again during dinner! read more

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Beautiful restaurant inside mole was good a bit sweet the carne asada plate was really good aguas frescas were good too. Service was great!

I'm very fussy when it comes to Mexican food. This is because I lived in El Paso for about 15 months, and they surely have the best Mexican food in the country there. I've found a very few restaurants in the Phoenix area that are decent to good. This place is as good as the food in El Paso. Really superb! I've tried 4 dishes there: the Chicken Tinga is very good. The lamb and potato stew is excellent. I'm usually bored part way through eating shrimp smushes, but theirs is spectacular from first bite to last. But the best is their "filete asi es La Vida". Wow! Easily the best Mexican dish I've eaten in my 38 years since leaving El Paso. My wife doesn't eat meat but loves their fish dish, which is Chilean Sea Bass. I've tried it and it's really good. The portions aren't huge but are certainly enough food for most. I think their most expensive dish is $32, so, for what you're getting - gourmet Mexico City cuisine - it's very reasonable. You won't find a taco, burrito, or enchilada on their dinner menu. The $9 marguerita is not a happy hour special. The restaurant is very cosy inside. It's family owned, extremely friendly, and with wonderful service. The live music is very quiet - a guitar player who sometimes sings. We always tip him. So far, there has never been a loud table here, so you can have a conversation without shouting over noise. Always a wonderful experience, and thoroughly recommended! read more

Margaritas were just terrible. We got a Cadillac and a Jalapeño. The Cadillac was nothing special and the Jalapeño had way to much fresh Jalapeño. It wasn't spicy but it was overly vegetal. We ordered the largest guacamole and it was pretty small. The mole was a bit sweet for my liking but the cochinita pibil was excellent. Flan was also very good. read more

Asi Es La Vida - Chicken Mole and Cochinita Pibil - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I first discovered this spot back in 2012. I was stuck in a horrible situation, and this restaurant was a shining light in a time of seemingly endless darkness. I LOVE their margaritas and lunch menu, but last night I tried their dinner for the first time. My aunt lives in Phoenix and my college graduation was nearby, so we stopped in for a special meal. It was so amazing, as it always had been, and our server was so kind. We sat in the back room (also a first for me) and it was pleasant and intimate. I highly recommend this place. Arizona is like...my second least favorite State, but this restaurant (and my family haha) makes it worth coming to Phoenix. You will not be disappointed coming here. Also, the guac is AMAZING and made to order. We accidentally got a crepa de camaron because there was a mixup, but it was delicious! No regrets!! read more

Asi Es La Vida - Crepas de Camaron (Dinner Only) - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Accidentally found this place on yelp. Might be my new favorite mexican restaurant in AZ. The food is sooooooooo good!!!! There was live music as well, and the atmosphere is very romantic for a date night. read more

What a great restaurant! Food, service, atmosphere all great. Can't wait to go back. We were so pleased with everything from our drinks to our desserts. read more

Food was okay. Living in AZ a long time. For a local may be a go to place for neighbors, but not worth the drive across the valley. Service was satisfactory. Very nice staff. Waitress was nice. But she kept forgetting things. Bit over priced for the end result. Ambiance was ok. It's clearly been here for a long time and that's great. read more

Im Mexican and this is true authentic food. The mole is so rich in flavor and the alcoholic drinks are fire.

Good place for a date night or to just enjoy the light Mexican music in background and the food , yes the food is good ! read more

Asi Es La Vida - Not sure the names on menu - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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WOW. the staff was incredible with recommendations. The chef came out himself to tell us about the special. We split a couple of appetizers and then our meals were just incredible. My dad ordered a martini and was so impressed with the bartender's attention to detail. There was a live musician who had a soft wonderful voice even for being right next to our table. Our waitress was perfectly attentive, not over the top. What a gem of a place. Incredible meal and even better service. Will be back when I'm in Phoenix. read more

Asi Es La Vida - Carne Tampiquena (Dinner Only) - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Everything was delicious 10/10. Attention was amazing, cochinita and tampiqueña taste the same as mexico read more

Asi Es La Vida - Carne Tampiquena (Dinner Only) Cochinita Pibil (Dinner Only) - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Wow. This was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. How have I never heard of this place? The food, drinks, atmosphere and service were all spectacular. We had: Guacamole - I generally don't order guac at restaurants but this was pretty fantastic and the salsas it comes with are worth it alone. Shrimp crepe - amazing sauce and the crepe was perfect. Cilantro Soup - one of the best things I have ever eaten Garlic Shrimp - Very very good. Perfectly cooked shrimp with amazing garlic flavor and I love the toasts it comes with. Combo w cochinita pibil and chicken mole - so so good. Both stews were so complex and the mole was hands down the best I have ever had. Throw on some live Spanish guitar and this place was a true 10/10. I could easily eat here once a week. read more

The food is delicious and great ambiance! The cilantro soup was very good. Overall everything was great.

I didn't think to open Yelp before eating my dinner but let me assure you that this is a sublime experience. The food is well spiced and the flavors meld incredibly well. The experience is upscale yet comfortable. If there is a restaurant in the Valley of the Sun that has rocketed to the top of my "do it again list," this is it. Definitely planning on returning. Bravo to the entire staff, this experience has been magical. read more

THE most authentic food you will eat in the Phx metro area. Staff is friendly and very welcoming; service is prompt and the location is in a great area if you are Downtown out and about. read more

This place I have pass many times when it was different names. My BFF said meet me here for dinner ASAP and I was hungry. Loved the cozy place, service was awesome, and food was very good, tasty, and different. I loved it all. Great for an intimate date place... read more

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An absolute gem. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Asi Es La Vida is my new favorite restaurant. You feel like you're a friend in their home. They treat you like family. It's a white tablecloth restaurant but the prices are reasonable especially given the quality and generous portions. A talented guitar player sings Spanish love songs and provides a perfect background. He played my request, Besame Mucho (Kiss me a lot) which is the song you want to request if you're on a date (wink wink). The margaritas were perfect. They adjusted their specialty appetizer to accommodate our dietary needs. They specialize in meat stews and we got a combo. The portion was huge and enough to share. The meats were perfect; slow cooked and seasoned to perfection. The mole was the best I've had. We also got the sea bass filet served Vera Cruz style in an amazing caper tomato and onion sauce. The plate was colorful and I loved every bite. I didn't want the meal to end so we ordered the Carmel glazed crepe. These are family recipes and every bite of every dish was flavorful and complex. Drinks, appetizers, two entrees and dessert came to 100 bucks which was a bargain for such a special meal. I'm sick of corporate restaurants who who feel they have to hire some popular chef to impress you with what's popular in the moment. This restaurant is all about family, heritage and tradition. A true gem. PS. If you're on a date ask for, or reserve, table #2 which is were we sat next to the guitar player who plays soft enough to carry on conversation with your sweetie. We asked our table number because we want to sit there next time. read more

Asi Es La Vida - Combo stew - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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10/10 food, ambience and service! The waitress was so nice and engaging. They had live music at dinner and was the best experience. Will definitely be back again. read more

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