{"id":62362,"date":"2022-12-23T19:32:22","date_gmt":"2022-12-24T01:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:22:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:22:44","slug":"cocina-madrigal-phoenix-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362","title":{"rendered":"Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix, Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Approaching Cecina Madrigal From the Crowded Parking Lot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Number one in the entire country. \u00a0Highest rated from about 90-million restaurant reviews. Topping Yelp’s 9th annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the United States for 2022<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is “Cocina Madrigal<\/span>, a\u00a0“father-and-son-owned eatery serving Oaxaca fundido and beef birria enchiladas to lucky residents of Phoenix, Arizona (who\u2019ve responded with more 5-star reviews than we can count)<\/em>.” \u00a0Cocina Madrigal wasn’t on the list of restaurants we planned on visit during our annual visit to the Valley of the Sun, but how often is the opportunity presented to dine at THE top restaurant in the entire country. \u00a0Besides, the menu promised Hatch green chile on several entrees and appetizers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yelp noted “Attracting a diverse crowd to downtown Phoenix, Chef Leo Madrigal\u2019s restaurant is comfortable and warm but not overly fancy. His menu is full of flavors from Oaxaca and his Mexico City birthplace, with favorites that include a grilled-romaine salad and fall-apart beef birria enchiladas. Make sure you leave room for dessert, and order the warm Churros with Cr\u00e8me Anglaise and caramel sauce<\/em>.” \u00a0Yelp also indicated Cocina Madrigal is known for:<\/span>\u00a0“Making everything from scratch, from tacos and enchiladas to the fresh-as-can-be salsa<\/em>.” \u00a0A lot of restaurants make everything from scratch. \u00a0We were determined to learn what the differentiator is that makes Cocina Madrigal number one in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Queso Fundido<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It certainly wasn’t the parking. \u00a0We had to circle the very crowded parking lot three times before finding a spot in which to park. \u00a0It might have been easier had other motorists been more courteous and parked within the lines. \u00a0Parking on streets adjacent to the restaurant was equally tough. \u00a0The nearest spot would have required a rather long walk. \u00a0It surprised me that Yelpers (who often slam restaurants for the slightest perceived infraction) didn’t trash Cocina Madrigal for the parking situation. \u00a0Maybe this restaurant is so good that walking to it just builds up your anticipation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally as soon as the wait staff espied The Dude, our debonair dachshund, they fawned all over him with enthusiastic oohs and aahs. \u00a0We were guided to our table directly below an outdoor heater to quell the cool evening air (it was 57-degrees). \u00a0Instead of the de rigueur wait schtick employed by chains, our interactions with the Cocina Madrigal wait staff were convivial and genuine. \u00a0Tony, our genial server had worked on the construction of the megalithic Amazon complex west of Albuquerque and was quite familiar with the Duke City dining scene. \u00a0He assured us we’d be impressed by Cocina Madrigal. \u00a0His recommendations were spot-on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Elote<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also met Chef Leo Madrigal himself. \u00a0 A man whose modesty belies an accomplished career, Chef Madrigal is still an active chef. \u00a0He doesn’t don the chef’s toque because he conceptualized the restaurant’s menu; he actually prepare meals. \u00a0Originally from Mexico, Chef Madrigal has been building kitchens and menus across the Valley of the Sun for three decades. \u00a0His curriculum vitae includes leading some of the area’s most revered Mexican restaurants. Befitting the modesty of the man is the modesty of the restaurant. \u00a0There’s no flash and panache here, no brightly illuminated signage. \u00a0The restaurant is in a converted home in a part of town that’s mostly residential.<\/span><\/p>\n

The #1 Restaurant in the United States designation by Yelp isn’t Cocina Madrigal’s sole mention on America’s leading crowd-sourced review site. \u00a0In 2020, Cocina Madrigal was number five on Yelp’s annual list. \u00a0Trip Advisor lists the restaurant among the top ten places to eat in Phoenix while Travel & Leisure lists it as one of the best places in America for tacos. \u00a0Awards and accolades are numerous. \u00a0So was the crowd on the night of our inaugural visit. \u00a0Every vehicle in the tightly packed parking lot must have ferried over four or five diners. \u00a0We were among the few couples dining at Cafe Madrigal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Enchiladas With Rice and Beans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cocina Madrigal’s menu didn’t really hold many surprises. \u00a0In fact, it listed many of the “usual suspects” at Mexican restaurants: tacos, burritos, enchiladas and the like. \u00a0The one blow-me-away surprise was in seeing several items prepared with Hatch green chile. \u00a0Burgers and sandwiches are available for diners who don’t like Mexican food. \u00a0Cocina Madrigal will prepare any dish to your specified degree of heat. \u00a0For my Kim that means no heat whatsoever. \u00a0A recent prescription change has taken away any tolerance of heat she had acquired over the years. \u00a0In that respect, we’re diametrical opposites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our inaugural appetizer was Oaxaca Fundido (Oaxaca cheese melted over longoniza, roasted jalape\u00f1os, mushrooms, caramelized onions and epazote served with fresh, housemade corn tortillas) which Tony neutered for my Kim by removing the roasted jalape\u00f1os. \u00a0It was still too piquant for my brittle bride which meant I could ask Tony to bring on the Hatch green chile. \u00a0With or without the piquant pride of New Mexico, the Oaxaca Fundido<\/strong><\/em> was superb, a perfect blend of creaminess and sweet and savory notes. \u00a0Note to self: fresh mushrooms should always be part of queso fundido. \u00a0The longoniza may have been what my Kim found “too hot” though it probably had no more heat than any chorizo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Steak Burrito<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Interestingly she didn’t find the grilled elote–available on the cob or scraped onto a bowl–especially piquant even though a chipotle aioli is one of the two primary ingredients (the other is cotija cheese). \u00a0We’ve had better grilled elote<\/strong><\/em> in the Land of Elotechantment, but this was quite good. \u00a0Having been raised on a farm in which we grew our own corn for roasting on an horn for chicos, I was weaned on elites and have rarely encountered one that didn’t make me happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony was effusive about Cocina Madrigal’s enchiladas. \u00a0Of the four enchiladas on the menu–beef birria, chicken, wild mushroom and barbacoa green chile–he recommended the wild mushroom and barbacoa green chile enchiladas with the most alacrity. \u00a0 The wild mushroom enchiladas<\/strong><\/em> (a mix of three wild mushrooms, jack cheese, ancho mole cream sauce avocado relish and sour cream sauce), he echoed would “blow you away<\/em>.” \u00a0 They definitely did that. Talk about an umami bomb. \u00a0Talk about flavors that go so well together. \u00a0The barbacoa green chile enchiladas<\/strong><\/em> (slow-roasted beef, jack cheese, New Mexico Hatch green chile sauce) were quite excellent in their own right, but if New Mexican restaurants don’t start serving wild mushroom enchiladas, we might move to Arizona. \u00a0Seriously, Cocina Madrigal may have achieved number one solely on the basis of their enchiladas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Churros<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cocina Madrigal offers a “Madrigal Burrito” constructed with “Hatch green chile sauce, rojo beans, jack cheese, salsa fresca and lettuce served with rice and beans.” \u00a0You could almost see Tony’s face deflate as my Kim asked for omission of the rojo beans, salsa fresca, lettuce and especially the Hatch green chile sauce. \u00a0Such is the scourge of a prescription change that has robbed her of the enjoyment of New Mexico’s sacrosanct official state vegetable. \u00a0Graciously Tony offered a burrito with steak (marinated in pomegranate) with jack cheese. \u00a0At first trepidatious about steak marinated in pomegranate, I reminded her that chile rellenos en nogada are made with pomegranates and she loves those. \u00a0She loved the steak burrito<\/strong><\/em>, too. \u00a0The steak was unbelievably tender and moist. \u00a0The pomegranate marinade didn’t render the steak overly sweet. \u00a0Instead it imparted a balanced savory and sweet flavor combination that was just terrific.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cocina Madrigal offers three desserts. \u00a0My choice would have been the chocolate chipotle pie, but it’s not something my Kim could enjoy. \u00a0We opted instead for the churros<\/strong><\/em> (Bavarian cream filled with Creme Anglaise and caramel sauce). \u00a0 These are top tier churros with flavor notes characteristic of most churros, but with textural contrasts that made them special. \u00a0So was the Creme Anglaise, a notable difference from the chocolate sauce normally served with churros. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I told my Kim about Cocina Madrigal having been named Yelp’s best restaurant for 2022, she reminded me it’s been quite an year for the Madrigal clan. \u00a0She clarified that in January, the movie Encanto<\/strong><\/a> introduced the world to the Madrigal family and their unique brand of enchantment. \u00a0Chef Leo Madrigal and his family are creating their own brand of enchantment in South Phoenix. \u00a0It’s not America’s best restaurant in our book, but it’s one we’ll visit again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cocina Madrigal<\/strong>
\n4044 S 16th Street
\nPhoenix, Arizona<\/strong>
\n602) 243-9000
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/a><\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 23 December 2022
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Oaxaca Fundido, Elote, Steak Burrito, Wild Mushroom Enchiladas, Barbacoa Green Chile Enchiladas, Churros
\nREVIEW #1307<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Number one in the entire country. \u00a0Highest rated from about 90-million restaurant reviews. Topping Yelp’s 9th annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the United States for 2022\u00a0is “Cocina Madrigal, a\u00a0“father-and-son-owned eatery serving Oaxaca fundido and beef birria enchiladas to lucky residents of Phoenix, Arizona (who\u2019ve responded with more 5-star reviews than we can count).” \u00a0Cocina Madrigal wasn’t on the list of restaurants we planned on visit during our annual visit to the Valley of the Sun, but how often is the opportunity presented to dine at THE top restaurant in the entire country. \u00a0Besides, the menu promised Hatch green chile on several entrees and appetizers. Yelp noted “Attracting a diverse crowd to downtown Phoenix, Chef Leo Madrigal\u2019s restaurant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,703,57,5647,727,553],"tags":[2510,896,2501,761,2502,2285,856,2503,2505,2504,1312,2506,2508,2507,2509],"class_list":["post-62362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arizona","category-dog-friendly","category-mexican","category-rating-n-r","category-tacos","category-across-america","tag-1-restaurant-in-the-united-states","tag-burritos","tag-chef-leo-madrigal","tag-churros","tag-cocina-madrigal","tag-elote","tag-enchiladas","tag-handcrafted-tacos","tag-hatch-green-chile","tag-homemade-enchiladas","tag-queso-fundido","tag-salsa-chips","tag-the-10-best-restaurants-in-phoenix","tag-top-100-places-to-eat-in-the-united-states","tag-yelps-best-tacos-in-the-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\nCocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Number one in the entire country. \u00a0Highest rated from about 90-million restaurant reviews. Topping Yelp’s 9th annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the United States for 2022\u00a0is “Cocina Madrigal, a\u00a0“father-and-son-owned eatery serving Oaxaca fundido and beef birria enchiladas to lucky residents of Phoenix, Arizona (who\u2019ve responded with more 5-star reviews than we can count).” \u00a0Cocina Madrigal wasn’t on the list of restaurants we planned on visit during our annual visit to the Valley of the Sun, but how often is the opportunity presented to dine at THE top restaurant in the entire country. \u00a0Besides, the menu promised Hatch green chile on several entrees and appetizers. Yelp noted “Attracting a diverse crowd to downtown Phoenix, Chef Leo Madrigal\u2019s restaurant…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix, Arizona\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362\"},\"wordCount\":1493,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"#1 Restaurant in the United States\",\"burritos\",\"Chef Leo Madrigal\",\"Churros\",\"Cocina Madrigal\",\"Elote\",\"Enchiladas\",\"Handcrafted Tacos\",\"Hatch Green Chile\",\"Homemade Enchiladas\",\"Queso Fundido\",\"Salsa & Chips\",\"The 10 Best Restaurants in Phoenix\",\"Top 100 Places To Eat In The United States\",\"Yelp's Best Tacos in the United States\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Arizona\",\"Dog Friendly\",\"Mexican\",\"Rating: N\\\/R (Not Rated)\",\"Tacos\",\"United States\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362\",\"name\":\"Cocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=62362#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix, Arizona\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Number one in the entire country. \u00a0Highest rated from about 90-million restaurant reviews. Topping Yelp’s 9th annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the United States for 2022\u00a0is “Cocina Madrigal, a\u00a0“father-and-son-owned eatery serving Oaxaca fundido and beef birria enchiladas to lucky residents of Phoenix, Arizona (who\u2019ve responded with more 5-star reviews than we can count).” \u00a0Cocina Madrigal wasn’t on the list of restaurants we planned on visit during our annual visit to the Valley of the Sun, but how often is the opportunity presented to dine at THE top restaurant in the entire country. \u00a0Besides, the menu promised Hatch green chile on several entrees and appetizers. Yelp noted “Attracting a diverse crowd to downtown Phoenix, Chef Leo Madrigal\u2019s restaurant…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix, Arizona","datePublished":"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362"},"wordCount":1493,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["#1 Restaurant in the United States","burritos","Chef Leo Madrigal","Churros","Cocina Madrigal","Elote","Enchiladas","Handcrafted Tacos","Hatch Green Chile","Homemade Enchiladas","Queso Fundido","Salsa & Chips","The 10 Best Restaurants in Phoenix","Top 100 Places To Eat In The United States","Yelp's Best Tacos in the United States"],"articleSection":["Arizona","Dog Friendly","Mexican","Rating: N\/R (Not Rated)","Tacos","United States"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362","name":"Cocina Madrigal - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2022-12-24T01:32:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T15:22:44+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CocinaMadrigal05-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62362#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix, Arizona"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62362"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62410,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62362\/revisions\/62410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}