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

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Beautiful restaurant, amazing food, great service! We decided to sit at the bar, and the bartender was so wonderful to talk to! She gave us wonderful recommendations and I got a "choose your own adventure" drink that was to die for! Will definitely be returning. Thank you Maggie! read more

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

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

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Ok so this is a really simple review: good, but expensive. The food is very good and so are the drinks. The service is great- they will literally make the guacamole fresh, right in front of you. The ambiance is ideal for a small neighborhood spot- it's like a fine dining experience built into the neighborhood... The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is the bill. It's very tasty, authentic Mexican cuisine, but be prepared to sell a kidney for a dinner for two. read more

We found Cocina Chiwas by accident while at the Wildermuth outdoor market. Our server, Magdelena, was so sweet and attentive. It was a beautiful day and we got to sit outside. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. There was a gentle breeze that sent the yummy kitchen smells our way. Our order arrived in a timely manner and the food was delicious. We are going back for sure. What a great little find nestled in Tempe. A great spot to unwind, get some very tasty food and drinks, and meet some wonderful people. Thanks Magdelena and Cocina Chiwas for a wonderful afternoon and valentine's day date. read more

Just moved across the street, so naturally my partner and I decided to check out Cocina Chiwas for a drink! All I can say is WOW. The bartender Tony, is so amazing- he's very personable and knowledgeable! He made our experience 10/10! Drinks were fabulous. We will be back soon to try the food! read more

Great atmosphere as this is located in Culdesac. Parking can be iffy depending on the day so there's some street parking. The interior of this place is really open and very colorful. Love the outdoor seating too. Reservations are encouraged unless you come at 5pm when they open. I just went for a light meal and orders the elote and birria quesadilla. Great flavor on both dishes and would order them again. Even ate both together with mixing them. read more

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

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Only been here once, and they exceeded my expectations, food was delicious, drinks were great and with a personalized touch, the ambiance is also good, music isn't too loud so it allows you to hold a conversation, customer service also with high standards. read more

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

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

Didn't realize they did a menu change last week, where my fav dishes listed prior were no longer there. Pork Belly- Chicharron was dry and hard to cut. Burrata was good. Beef Birria Quesadilla was okay, wasn't as good as I remembered. One of the host kept coming to our table at the very end, every 5 min, telling us she's not rushing us, but other reservations were due soon and we had 15 min. Even though the next reservation came and got stated elsewhere, the host kept coming to our table telling us that there's another reservation an hour late and that she wasn't rushing us. However , we felt rushed and unwelcome and decided to leave. Probably won't be coming back here for a while. Missed the other menu. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Josh was great! Food phenomenal and coffee shop next store was beyond good too !great outdoor space . Great music too read more

Cocina Chiwas - Amazing chilaquiles, Burris was gas and bean and cheese burrito great classic taste ! - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Good experience. Good style of upscale Mexican. Pricier than other options but very worth it. Bartenders are welcoming and friendly. Parking is a little tricky because it's in the culdesac community but it's also a good location to walk around. The margaritas are a big hit! Highly recommend. read more

Cocina Chiwas - Cadillac margarita - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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

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

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

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

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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

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

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

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

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

Cocina Chiwas - Mexican Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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

Creative, excellent food. I love food cooked on a wood grill. Highly recommend. Prices were very reasonable for the quality of food.

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

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

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

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Went on a Saturday at lunch. Sat at the bar initially. Was greeted by a guy with a beard, baseball cap and his sunglasses on his neck, backwards. One of the most unfriendly bartender experiences in years. Not a welcoming, warm experience in the least. Seemed we interrupted his day. Eventually asked to sit at a table. The table he attempted to sit us at was completely dirty. The table and bench seats were covered in food/debris (same as the empty table next to it). We refused to sit until the table and seats were clean. With attitude he made a minimal attempt to clean the mess. We had to ask for additional napkins to clean our own table. We should have left at this point, but we stayed. Ordered the ribeye beef tacos and the ​Chilaquiles. The tacos were not good. The Chilaquiles was mediocre at best. Saw this place on check please and was excited to try. So darn disappointing!! Obviously, would not recommend or return. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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