Latin in Phoenix

Ofrenda

7100 E. Cave Creek Rd. #151 Cave Creek

480-488-2187

Latin, Mexican, Critics' Pick, Best Of

Ofrenda serves broadly Latin food with a Mexican focus and progressive slant in Cave Creek.

4 articles

Puerto Rico Latin Grill

2714 W. Thomas Rd. West Phoenix

602-278-9607

Latin, Latin American, Best Of

This west Phoenix restaurant featuring casual, wallet-friendly Puerto Rican cuisine offers dishes served up in the style of Créole cooking, or what the locals call cocina criolla. Start with the sweet plantains, then try the fried chicken rubbed with adobo, the classic Puerto Rican pork roast pernil, or a softball-size lump of garlic-heavy mofongo. Wash it down with a bottle of Malta, and you’ll be swaying to a Puerto Rican salsa in no time.

9 articles

Republica Empanada

204 E. First Ave. Mesa

480-969-1343

Latin, Contemporary, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

Mesa's Main Street has seen considerable growth these last few years. The Nile Theater is back, the antique shops never left, and the dining options have exploded. One of the heavier hitters is República Empanada. This hip Latin restaurant is set a block east from Mesa Arts Center in Southside Heights and specializes, as its name suggests, in empanadas. In fact, this spot claims to have Arizona's largest selection of South American-style savory empanadas. We recommend the Boricua, a Puerto Rico-inspired empanada packed with ham hock and arroz con gandules. The Cubana — slow-roasted pork and ham, mozzarella, dill pickle — is also a winner. To complete your meal, go with the Dizzy Fig, a dessert-style 'nada stuffed with Mesa-grown figs wrapped in mozzarella cheese and touched up with dulce de leche. Indoor and patio seating is available.

22 articles

Seydi’s Pupuseria & Grill

2625 E. Greenway Parkway, #107 East Phoenix

602-404-7634

Salvadoran, Latin, Best Of, Slideshow, Essentials

Fast-casual north Valley eatery Seydi's Pupuseria & Grill has Phoenix hooked on El Salvador's most famous dish: the pupusa. This mother-and-son-operated pupuseria is run by Usulutan, El Salvador-born Seydi Flores and her son Jose Flores. At the straightforward ordering counter, you can choose from 12 pupusas — some with shrimp, some with green peppers, and some with jalapeños or beans, all with melted queso and tucked inside soft, grill-kissed, handmade enclosed sandwiches the size of a compact disc. We recommend the pupusa heavy with loroco — an edible flower common in El Salvador and Central America, sourced from a Spanish market in Los Angeles. Before you envision a weed, we're here to tell you it's more like artichoke, which vibes well with the cheese, jalapeño and corn dough. Other menu items are already favorites at Seydi's, such as the fried yucca, banana-leaf tamales and coconut water.

3 articles

Tia Carmen

5350 E. Marriott Dr. North Phoenix

480-293-3636

Latin, Fine Dining, Contemporary, Best Of, Essentials

The ambiance of Tia Carmen is intentional in its efforts to honor the Southwest region and Mexico. As you walk through the large wooden doors, you’re greeted by an earthy vibe and elegance. Chef Angelo Sosa wanted to re-create a reminder of his experience with his Aunt Carmen when he first learned food was his love language. The menu is not only a homage to his roots and to indigenous people but also a festival of culinary delights. Highlights include ember-roasted purple yam, chicken guisado, Baja striped bass, yucca brulee and native grain fried rice. Ingredients are sourced locally, reflecting Sosa’s desire to support the community. The entrees are complemented by craft cocktails, including the gin-based Hibiscus Desert Balloon and a yuzu and bergamot Paloma.

5 articles

Ticoz Latin Kitchen

5114 N. 7th St. North Phoenix

602-200-0160

Latin, Menu

Tico (tee - koh) n. A person originating or living in Costa Rica and subscribing to the national slogan “Pura Vida” or literally, “Pure Life.” Pure life. It means grasping for all of the real, authentic flavors and living an undiluted life. The tangy kiss a mojito or the sultry promise of a sangria. The seductive and exotic heat of tropical curry and brightness of mango. Here’s where your journey at Ticoz begins. Inspired by the Tico’s themselves... A chill, sexy lounge like atmosphere awaits you in uptown Phoenix. Step into our unexpected space where dark woods, leather and earth toned hues mingle with the heady scents of latin tropical fusion cuisine. You will find the spirit of Central America, South America, Mexico and the islands. New twists and interpretations of old classics like enchiladas, tacos, tamales and even burgers. All this expressed in modern design. Our intimate restaurant nestles against a lively bar and sultry patio. Ticoz is perfect for couples, large groups, friends in town or a secret rendezvous. We have options for the timid and the bold. Come in and enjoy our hip, diverse, urban crowd where everyone’s welcome and nobody looks the same. For over three years we’ve always had a place for You. Come enjoy our secret all over again. Pura Vida Style.

6 articles

Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar

17020 N. Hayden Rd. North Scottsdale

480-585-4848

Latin, Sushi

2 articles

Vecina

3433 N. 56th St. East Phoenix

602-675-2000

Latin, Mexican, Contemporary, Best Of, Slideshow, Essentials

Vecina, a fiercely original restaurant that opened its heavy front door in Arcadia in 2019, is a gem from start to finish. A one-of-a-kind menu is driven by vegetables, rooted in Latin America and laced with countless dimensions of chile heat. It also drills down to molecular details like few other places in Arizona. For instance, elote, simple street corn, contains some 40 ingredients. Other dishes include unlikely elements, such as a beautifully pepper-centric habanero salsa that gains its creamy X-factor from butter. When you enter the minimal restaurant with a bar in the middle, you don't expect such a nuanced approach. What you sense when you enter is smoke — grill smoke that perfumes the restaurant from the rig in the kitchen, where mesquite burns and plays a role in almost every dish on the menu. Most of those dishes are small: potatoes with green chorizo, Peruvian-style hiramasa ceviche with an unspeakably lush coconut-based sauce, a pepper-kissed romaine salad with Mexican Sriracha. Large-format plates go big. They've included a blackened pork chop with dazzling escabeche and a carne asada ribeye with thick ribbons of mesquite-perfumed fat. The beer, wine and cocktails menus have options for every diner and every dish.

8 articles

Latin in Phoenix

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