I had kind of high expectations of this place. I had been here before, but it had been a while, and I really didn't remember much about it The decor is great--great lighting fixtures, murals, and tufted booths. There is a big iron candelabra on the floor at the entrance, and a really nice patio where you can see everyone at Cityscape. We waited quite some time for someone to come take our order. They have the brunch menu until 3:30, so unless we wanted eggs, our choices were few at 1:00 pm We placed our orders for green salsa and chips, and our entrees. They do charge for chips and salsa. When my friend asked for red sauce to use as a condiment on her carne asada fries, she asked if we would be charged for another order of salsa. The server said normally yes, but she would just go ahead and get it and not charge for it. Except they did charge my friend $6 for salsa to pour onto her meal. I kind of feel like a Mexican restaurant should not charge for hot sauce to put in your food. I ordered the shrimp and grits, which was just okay. The shrimp were nice and big, but overcooked and tough . Two people ordered the carne asada fries sans egg, and both said it was just okay. Friend said she needed the above-mentioned salsa to give it flavor. The last friend ordered avocado toast. She said it was fine, but there was something sweet on it that she wasn't sure if she liked. All in all, we left saying that we wouldn't race back. Perhaps it's another story at dinner time? read more

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Miel de Who?! Chico Malo is where it's AT! Nobody is offering you anything free for a good review. They don't have to because from the amazing service (Abraham you are amazing and we hope to cross paths with you again!), the perfect margaritas, the flavorful food, and fun atmosphere, this place has it all. We absolutely loved the ribeye chicharrone as a starter along with the guacamole. You can't go wrong with the carne asada, but my Shrimp de la Macha was phenomenal. We will definitely be back. read more

Chico Malo - Cool menu and the tres leches dessert. Get the panna cotta though, it amazing - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Went to for a work dinner, the birria was super yummy! The service was great, always were checking in on us. It was a super cute place in a great location read more

Excellent horchata and very tasty and intersting food. Menu is a bit small, but there are some very good dishes on their. The smoked birria was tender and juicy and flavorful and the pastor tacos were pretty solid. read more

Stopped for lunch while on a 2-hour lunch break for Grand Jury duty. Ordered the Baja Fish 3-taco plate with black beans and rice. Fantastic! Entire menu looks enticing, as well. Will definitely return! read more

Chico Malo - Lunch menu (7.3.2025) - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Came here for my birthday celebration with friends and it was a total vibe! Our party of 12 was lit and we all enjoyed our food, drinks, and ambiance to the max! It was such a fun time! Take our crew anywhere and we're gonna have a good time tho. The food was amazing--so full of flavor--and the service was super friendly and on point. The whole vibe of the place made it perfect for a celebration. The only thing I'd suggest is adding better lighting or a cool photo backdrop so people can grab some fun pics while they're there. It'd make the experience even better and help promote the spot too. Such a fun night! I'll definitely be back for the food, drinks, and good energy! read more

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Came for happy hour and it didn't disappoint. Price was right for all the food items on HH menu, amazing value and large portions. House marg was too cheap not to get! Ambiance and decor is inviting and cute. read more

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Decided to come and take my mom out for a happy hour before dinner today. We drove our 30 minutes to get downtown early, we got there for our reservation at 3. We got seated without a happy hour menu and I asked for one once we got our server, and was told since it was Mothers Day, there was no happy hour. I just noted we were disappointed and looking forward to it as a Mother's Day treat - he basically laughed and said we should've called ahead to ask. We got up a left.. won't be back. read more

nice place funky setting and music. Close to College and young crowd was here on New Years day. party of six. the chilaquiles had a lot of flavor but needed to simmer a little more in the sauce. chips were still very hard. Coffee was cold as They were still serving brunch breakfast menu. Had a nice time with family. again the setting is down town and many places to go. The Pozole was spicy and good. chips and salsa was tasty. Chips were fresh and hot. there is much to like about the vibe here. also the table across from us were in New Year Eve Mode. :) they were having a good time . read more

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OMG! I've never had meat fall apart like this. The taste!!! I don't know how they do it. Very friendly staff, great vibe! Definitely worth the effort to park (downtown garage). Good stuff! Do it! read more

Chico Malo - Falls apart! Unbelievable how tender this is! - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

A group of us came here for a business dinner on a weeknight... The place was packed, good thing we made reservations! The ambiance is cozy and dimly lit, they even have this cool candelabra that's in the middle of the floor when you walk in with tons of wax dripping all over the floor. Menu is interesting, not your typical Mexican food, definitely not served the typical way. Drinks were very good and so was the service. The birria was excellent, but wasn't served inside of tacos, rather it was deconstructed and you made your own. The consommé that came with it was excellent! Thei have some hot stuff here too, like their flame roasted jalapeños! Save room for dessert... they have some incredible options! read more

Chico Malo - Birria - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Good food and drinks Our Waiter Dante was awesome and attentive Place was clean . Will be coming back. read more

Food was good, but came out too fast. Service was poor as drinks took longer than apps. Waitress was no where to be seen. Ambiance is cool but no where near the service. read more

Delicious food the way the food is plated is nice and they have a really good happy hour! The ambience is nice! read more

Chico Malo - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Service was superb! This is incredibly welcoming in a world of service that has gone downhill. The food and drink were fine. The ambiance in the private room was "close." read more

I came here for a dinner reservation with friends before a stand up show upstairs. We sat on the front patio in September. Once we ordered the food came out very fast. I got the chicken enchilada which was delicious! My friend had recommended the espresso martini and it came with a delicious coffee foam on top. Overall the meal was the highlight of our evening. read more

I'm disappointed in myself for not getting photos of this place and our food and drinks. It's a total vibe, great music, food and drinks right in the heart of downtown at the Cityscape shopping area. Our server was the coolest and checked on us regularly. I'm huge on service at a restaurant or bar and they do that piece really well. The outdoor patio area is really nice and the weather that day was perfect to enjoy that to the fullest. I will definitely be making Chico Malo one of my go to brunch spots going forward. read more

Returned for a mid-week late lunch ! My hubby and I ordered the same thing, the Al Pastor tacos. We started with chips and their amazing red salad. I had a margarita and hubby had a beer. The tacos were filling and the margarita was perfect. It was quiet being mid-week. We've been on the weekend and it gets hopping. Can't wait to return. read more

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What we ordered (2 visits) *drinks: Poblano Escobar, Mojavito, the Phoenix, Mango Y Chile, Bad Birdie, Espresso Martini *appetizer: Guacamole, Queso Fundido, Trio *entrées: Ceviche Mixto, Spicy Tuna Tostada, Molcajete, Duck Breast Al Pastor, Carne Asada, Pollo Con Mole *sides: Elote *desert: Gansito Americano Good upscale Mexican food! Service: good service, attentive, and helpful Ambiance: very cute, spacious seating read more

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Sometimes, we deserve to treat ourselves. One a solo mission, and this cuisine was worth it. Centrally located downtown with ample indoor and outdoor seating options. They have a variety of options. I'm sure you'll find something you'll love. This elevated Mexican cuisine hit the spot and made my trip to the desert worthwhile. They have a dj, which creates a trendy vibe. Drink 8/10 When in the desert... prickly pear lemonade. Refreshing, tart, and sweet Food 9/10 Mar y Tierra 8oz filet with oaxacan mole chorizo mashed potatoes with mole de ajo and jumbo shrimp. The surf and turf is south of the border. Everything was cooked well and seasoned beautifully. Dessert: Churros 8/10 Decadent, crispy, soft, and sweet Waiter: Adam, he was personable and had good recommendations. Parking Cityscape garage, they validate for 2hrs read more

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Food and drinks here are amazing!!! The ambiance is chic and inviting, and the service was great. Smaller margaritas but very good, and the churros are unreal. read more

Amazing food. The Chile relleno was fantastic, mushrooms inside were a special and surprising treat. Rice was risotto texture with great flavor. Drinks were good as was the service. Highly recommend. read more

Nice upscale restaurant in downtown. I would recommend this as a nice date spot. My friend and I came around 10:30 and stayed until closing. It wasn't too busy on a Saturday night and the food came out pretty quickly. We ordered the Shrimp Macha and Duck Pastor. Food and drinks tasted great and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice too. read more

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The variety of guacamole was delicious. However, if you're used to New Mexico chili heat, this place is not for you. The meat dishes are full of flavor, but as far as chili heat, it's super mild. The Caesar salad dressing was bland. It was missing the punch in flavor. Lastly, the attack of fruit flies was annoying through our meal (note, we ate indoors). So, those little suckers are everywhere! The ambience is 4/5 (minus the flies). Overall, it was worth satisfying our curiosity but we won't be back. read more

Chico Malo - Comedic sign - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

10/10 highly recommended. 4-6 happy hour everyday and it's worth it. Really love the service and the place is an absolute vibe no matter when you go. read more

Came here for my birthday dinner and the place is so nice and cute! We made a reservation for Friday night and was able to check with the host smoothly. We got greeted right away when seated and once we ordered our drinks, they came out right away. The drinks and food were so good! They played good music and it's perfect from 7 minutes from downtown phoenix. This place is perfect for a birthday, date night, or a night out with the girls. You should definitely check this place out. read more

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We had a group of 5 and all were very satisfied with the meal, we tried the Shrimp De Macha, the Barbacoa, the Duck Empanada and the Carne Asada -- all were fantastic! The tortillas are made in house and are very worth it, too. Unfortunately the server told us chips and salsa were included and they actually weren't read more

I came here for my birthday last week with a party of 10 and we had a great time. Our server, Sam, was super friendly and attentive. All of the food and drinks for the entire party came out correctly and quickly. We were all very impressed with the level of service and I felt special on my birthday. In addition to the stellar service, the food and drinks were great as well. I really enjoyed the queso fundido and birria tacos. The margaritas are good and so is the cool beans espresso martini drink. read more

After attending a fashion show at City Scaoe we wanted to grab a bite to eat. I haven't been here in years...it was awesome! The service was exceptional, especially our server ACE. I'm torn if the Elote or the Queso were my fave, as they were both delish. The manager also stopped by our table to ensure we had a great experience. read more

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Our second time to Chico Malo wasn't great. Everything was going well with the meal after about 50 minutes. Then, a manager came up to us and said that they would be closing the area where our table was in thirty minutes. The manager said we could wrap up at our table (it was clear as day we had very empty plates/drinks) or we could move to another table. Since she gave us two options, we obviously wanted to stay sitting at our table for the next ten minutes or so that it took to finish our drinks and last bites. The manager just waited by our table before telling us they'd move us to another table. Our waiter apologized to us. He was fantastic all night. It was really strange because no one else in the area was moved. There were still three full tables in the section when we were walking out 10 minutes later. The same manager talked to them but they weren't told to move. Maybe don't sit an area you're going to close off if you're going to tell people to leave the table less than an hour later. read more

Chico Malo - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I would give this place a 3.75. First off, the ambiance of this place is amazing from the cool decor to the comfy seating! I was looking for a smaller portion so I ordered the ribeye appetizer. The meal came out nice and hot- the meat was even steaming when it arrived! The ribeye was tasty but had a strong smokey flavor (not my personal favorite). The guacamole and salsa also came out incredibly fresh. My only complaint for this dish was the tortillas. They were quite chewy and hard to eat, but a good portion based on the amount of meat. My dad and I agreed that the elote had great flavor. It was a little spicy for us, but we don't handle heat well! Our server was friendly and constantly checked in on us! Overall, this was a great place that only had a few complaints. read more

Chico Malo - Elote - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Horrible service. Came on a Saturday bar wasn't full. We pulled a chair and they had a fit. Place wasn't even full but they said they have reservations. We will not come back nor recommend. read more

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The bar wasn't busy, but the bartender moved us to a corner. He finally cleaned the original area we were told to sit at but took our order and disappeared. We had to flag him down 20 minutes later. Definitely a buzzkill. read more

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Super cute and fun ambiance. Server was so nice, genuinely the nicest server I've ever encountered. Super attentive and kind. My sister wasn't feeling well and she went above and beyond to check on her and do what she could to help, just a beautiful person! So sad I can't remember her name! Food portions were a little surprising, smaller than expected. When that happens I usually expect higher quality/taste and I don't think we got that with the exception of the corn. That was incredible and I could eat it for the rest of my life. read more

Chico Malo - Corn and birria - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Drinks where meh ... flavorless nothing fancy there only the names also food ordered chicken enchiladas the tortillas were cold and the service was hard to flag down a lot of people drinking bottled beers but nothing else I wouldn't recommend eating or drinking any cocktails here read more

Its ok. Food is decent quality but menu and dishes really didn't make sense or do it for us. They get some things right with ingredients and atmosphere / design, but wouldn't try it again. read more

Absolutely delicious. Big fan of chips and dip just in general. Had the queso fundido to munch on and it was excellent. Staff was good. Place wasn't too busy. I would like to come for a happy hour and see what that is like. read more

Excellent ambiance and stellar service from Allyianna , who pours a tasty margarita. Rib eye steak for tacos was a nice touch. read more

On a thursday went in to enjoy a lunch date at 1pm & ended up walking out. The place is beautiful but the service does not match it. I got sat down by the young man hostess outside next to a couple & there was about two other parties of 2 inside. We waited to order for 20minutes no water no order taken there was a girl serving them with red-ish/copper hair she looked at us & never appeared again after giving them there bill. We only got noticed because another party came in of 3 girls next to us and they immediately got water and asked if they needed anything. We were very patient but once we noticed how we were completely ignored we walked out & we finally got asked if we were heading out (ofc we did we had no one to ask for water outside or even order appetizers) it wasn't even busy and we were very patient. read more

On May 5 Cinco de Mayo night around 7:30 8:00 PM my friend and I arrived. We noticed there were multiple available tables. There were also people eating in those areas. There was a long availability of empty chairs at the bar. When we walked up, we asked if we can go to the bar. A lady told us there's no spaces for the bar so we waited and she advised that we have to wait or reserve there was no one else waiting. It was just us then two more waitresses and waiters came to the front making a total of three and I looked and noticed that there were more empty tables available where waitress and waiters were serving so I walked up and Ask are those tables available? they said yes it was a young Hispanic boy said yes, but someone is getting us a table mind you 20 minutes have already passed from my understanding. Whoever is standing there has to see the people and serve them. It seemed as though all three of them did not want to serve us because they were available. They served everyone else that came after us. This is ridiculous ridiculous. It's not worth going to places like this read more