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Cocina Chiwas

4.1 (237 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 3 months ago

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COCINA CHIWAS ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Cocina Chiwas

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Salmon Tostada
Sarah B.

Had a large party here Friday night. The patio was a perfect spot for us. Have a good selection of drinks and the server was very friendly. The salmon tostada was very good and the rice is amazing.

Pork chop-bland and dry
Sylvia C.

Our family was in town visiting from Fort Worth, Texas. Our daughter-in-law loves Mexican food. We saw this restaurant on the show Check Please! and thought we would give it a try. Disappointment cannot begin to tell you how we felt! The appetizers started off strong, but it went all downhill after that. There were five of us and neither of us liked our entrées. I had the pork chop and I found it to be dry and somewhat flavorless. My husband had the pork belly and he sent it back because it was way too done! Our daughter-in-law had the Carnitas and she was not thrilled with them either. The grilled oysters for our appetizers were lit. The bread was fantastic. And the corn Elote was also very good. But the entrées had a lot to be desired. It was almost as though they were trying to do too much and they forgot to season their food. The presentation was nice, but it lacked flavor. When you think of Mexican food, you think of bold flavors and we did not get any of that.

Bean dip
Bailey L.

Cocina Chiwas has been on my list for AWHILE. I love some of their other concepts (Taco Chiwas is life), so it's honestly overdue for a visit here. My husband and I met some friends for an impromptu dinner date on. Friday evening. We caught an earlier time slot. My friend thought they made a last minute reservations, but alas...they did not hit the final confirm button, but upon showing up at around 5:45 they were able to fit us in. It really was not that busy yet and their patio was open, but as its heating up we were grateful to get an inside booth. The inside dining room is intimate with an open kitchen concepts. They have a lovely moody vibe with wood tones, greenery and a modern spanish touch, which I really liked. Their booths are roomy, able to fit six comfortably. I don't think they could accommodate much larger groups, perhaps outside or seperate tables, but perfect for date night or small group for sure. Ou friends had been there before and love to eat family style like us, so we really let them roll with it for the table. I started with a Trip to Chile for my cocktail, one of their house specialities - PERFECTION. I love a egg white froth, and this cocktail delivered on flavor, freshness and I understand why its a fan favorite. you also don't find pisco too much, so fun change of pace. Its really not very spicy, but just enough to scratch the itch. My husband who usually doesn't lean towards a cocktail like this, loved it and got it for his second round over his usual bourbon preferences. For the table we had: the burrata salad, wood fire elote, wood fire quesadilla, chile rellenos, their pinto bean dip & I cannot recall the name (& its not listed on the online menu) but a shrimp and jerky starter. The standouts were the burrata salad, the quesadilla and chile relleno, oh and of course the bean dip! Everything though was fabulous. So much flavor, beautifully plated, VERY generous on the cheese and the overall portions were great. I noticed on past menus they had a ceviche or aquachile, which is really what or experience missed. The shrimp dish we got was meant to be that, but honestly just did not hit the mark and personally was the only thing I would not get again. We ended the meal with their tres leches carrot cake. Still delightful, but a bit different then Taco Chiwas (unless they changed their recipe) and had more of a bread pudding consistency. It was tasty, but not a repeat for me, just a tad too dense compared to their sisters concept. Service was great. They were all on top of of water, offering drinks, clearing plates and overall a very smooth and great experience. Overall consensus, It will definitely be part of our date night rotation, they continue to bring quality and fabulous flavors in all their concepts and Cocina Chiwas is no exception. I look forward to having a few repeats and trying some new options when I visit again.

Andrea H.

Cocina Chiwa is an absolute gem and dare I say, I enjoyed more than sister restaurant, Bacanora. Every bite here is bursting with flavor and creativity. We started with the elote corn, and wow -- it was smoky, creamy, and perfectly charred. One of the best I've had. The burrata salad was a surprising standout -- the combo of velvety burrata with roasted squash and sweet potatoes was both comforting and refreshing. The carnitas tacos were Juicy, tender pork with bold seasoning, nestled in warm blue corn tortillas...3 of them.. So simple, so perfect. They hit all the right notes. Vibe? Chill, stylish, and full of good energy. Service? Friendly and fast. Cocina Chiwa has that magic mix of great food, great people, and great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.

Short rib
Ben H.

Originally tried to go to sister restaurant Espiritu on a Saturday night without a res. Unfortunately they were not able to seat us, but lucky for us, a direct shot on Main/Apache12 minutes away Cocina Chiwas. I've been to Tacos Chiwas before. In my honest opinion, I thought it was overrated, but Cocina Chiwas is on a different level. Its Bacanora collaboration is on display instantly, as only a whiff of the mesquite grill as I stepped in. Multiple menu options sounded amazing: we chose 3- the elote (which if you've been to Bacanora, you know), birria quesedilla , and burrata salad. I equally loved them all. I've never had a short rib I didn't love, but to be completely honest, this bone in, shareable dish was a little fattier and tougher vs what I like. The accompanying rissoto or farro? Was great as well. Great experience, cool area, trendy spot which look like it was built from pre- fab / sustainable materials. I'd definitely recommend

Delaney H.

Excellent service at the bar from Mike and Brennon tonight. Everything was delicious and they even made me a special birthday drink. Highly recommend dining in at a table and especially the bar!

Cocktail
Yu W.

The food is decent, but I probably wouldn't return. First off, there's ample parking behind the restaurant--just be sure to read the sign carefully to check when free parking is available. The interior is stylish and upscale, which set high expectations. However, I was taken aback by the menu prices. Don't get me wrong--I don't mind paying a premium for fresh seafood, sushi, or a high-quality steak, but $26 for a small portion (I believe it was around 8 or 10 small pieces) of pork belly felt excessive. If you pay $26 to a Korean restaurant, they will fill your stomach with a lot more pork belly that your stomach will be about to explode. Our server was friendly and nice. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, but in my experience, it doesn't feel like a Mexican spot.

Taco de papa
Damian P.

Best taco de papas in town. Delicious food, good service, and a modern yet warm ambience.

Sophie K.

This place is awesome! I love their atmosphere, it's cozy and romantic, and their food is yummy! My friends and I got to try grilled elote, fried pork belly, quesadilla and everything was so good. I especially loved elote so much, perfectly grilled and the sauce was the bomb. Fried pork was super crunchy and grains came with it was satisfying. And quesadilla, it was cheesy and the meat was soft and flavorful. Can't wait to come back and try their other food!

Great ambiance
Renata L.

I hate to give it only three stars, but as being well known for having some of the best Mexican food in town, the expectation was high. The service, ambiance, and live music were top notch, but the food was a let down. The birria quesadilla was just ok, the flavor or the meat tasted of regular "pot roast". The mole in the chicken thigh with polenta was overly salty and the polenta had a strong hard cheese aftertaste that pairs better with Italian cuisine. The chile in the mole had a nice taste to it, but the subtleties of the different notes of a mole were missing or hiding with the saltiness. The taco ribeyes were on the smaller side, and while I appreciated the handmade blue corn tortillas, the fillings didn't really wow us. We don't mind paying for higher prices, but since the food was nothing spectacular, I don't see us coming back. I wanted to love this place, maybe we can come back just for some drinks and the music.

Carnitas tacos
Meily A.

We initially wanted to go to Espíritu but the place was packed so we decided to come here. I am glad that happened because otherwise we would have missed out. Even though they have been opened for a bit and it's been on my try list I had not made it down to Tempe to try it. We had an early dinner around 6 pm and the place wasn't busy. We were seated right away. Service was good and fast. We shared a few appetizers and they were all a hit. I loved the burrata salad and the elote the most. My husband and I shared the short rib and although it was tasty it was probably my least favorite out of all the things we tried - I think it was a little too fatty for my liking.

Pork shoulder and chile relleno
Luciana V.

The birria quesadilla is a must! I tried the pork shoulder with beans and corn tortillas, my husband ordered the chile relleno - both dishes were flavorful and seasoned perfectly. I tried the piña colada - disclaimer it's not blended, but it was tasty. Very nice flavors going on with that drink. The atmosphere is modern and picturesque- I love all the desert touches throughout the establishment. Server Edgar was great, attentive yet chill. Looking forward to returning.

Bloody Maria and Avocado Toast

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1 year ago

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

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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

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Page 3 of 6

Ask the Community - Cocina Chiwas

What is the parking situation?

You can park in the lot behind the restaurant with no issues. We had zero problem with parking but lots of problems with the restaurant LOL.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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We made the reservation to celebrate a special occasion and we were looking forward to visiting…read morewhat USED TO BE one of our favorite restaurants in Scottsdale. The weather was perfect and we were seated in the beautiful patio where we can hear the music and see the live flamenco dancers. Then..... it all went downhill from there! We were ignored by multiple servers for more than 20 minutes to the point where I had to walk up to the host desk to ask for a service. Once we were assigned a server, the service was rushed and hurried. Very transactional and not welcoming at all. The food was mediocre. The octopus was tough and rubbery. The peace and quiet of our patio table was quickly destroyed by a large bachelorette party that was seated right next to us. We had Amazing experiences (yes, multiple) at this place in the past and I wanted to be fair to the restaurant so I sent them a message via Open Table to let them know how disappointed we were. They never responded! Unfortunately, this restaurant has become another Scottsdale tourist trap. All hype and no substance.

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Pa'La is a tapas style restaurant that prides themselves in wood-fired cooking and sourcing high…read morequality ingredients. My husband and I came here for lunch on Valentine's Day and it was fantastic! We were seated outside on the patio, it was lovely as the weather was perfect. They had many plants and trees including a lemon and grapefruit tree! We ordered a variety dishes to share like the beef tartare with squid ink milk bread, Japanese sweet potato, Spanish octopus, golden beets and roasted cauliflower. I was impressed with everything. You can taste the quality in each ingredient and I appreciate that. My husband and I agreed that the Spanish octopus was our favorite dish. It was the best octopus I've had in a while, the char flavor and slight crisp was amazing. We enjoyed the creamy sauce, artichokes, and other veggies that came with this dish. The cauliflower and golden beets were incredible too. The chef told us that the Japanese sweet potato was one of the popular dishes, but out of everything we ordered, it was surprisingly my least favorite. It was still good but everything else tasted better to me. Pa'La is a bit pricey but the quality makes up for it. I would recommend this place for people who are visiting or for a date night!

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Sip at the Ranch - Mamma's Mac and cheese

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Cocina Chiwas - mexican - Updated May 2026

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