{"id":86751,"date":"2026-07-25T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T06:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=86751"},"modified":"2026-07-24T21:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T03:49:11","slug":"tacos-chiwa-phoenix-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=86751","title":{"rendered":"Tacos Chiwa – Phoenix, Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.\u00a0 As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.\u00a0 metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.\u00a0 So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.\u00a0 As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers.<\/p>\n

At the risk of delving (or devolving) into a potential political miasma, one term I’ve not heard used about tacos is “cultural appropriation,” the adoption of elements from a minority or marginalized culture by members of a dominant culture, often in exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical ways. Online and print critics bandy about such terms as “gringo tacos” as freely as they ascribe “authenticity” to tacos proffered by scions of Montezuma. It dawned on me when researching Tacos Chiwas just how often the term “authentic” or some derivative thereof was used. Obviously, Tacos Chiwas is several somebodies exemplar of the real thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tacos Chiwas was launched in 2016 by owners, Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin.\u00a0 While many, if not most, of Arizona’s Mexican restaurants are heavily rooted in the cuisine of the Mexican state of Sonora,\u00a0 Tacos Chiwas showcases foods from the state state of Chihuahua where both owners are from. Armando and Nadia, a charismatic married duo, focus on recreating the flavors of their childhood in their dishes, using spices and techniques learned from family and through experience working in the restaurant business. It didn’t take long for the taqueria to achieve attention across the fruited plain.<\/p>\n

Tacos Chiwas has been featured twice on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives program.\u00a0 Their inaugural appearance was in 18 February 2018\u00a0 during an episode titled “All Kinds of Comfort.”\u00a0 \u00a0The second appearance aired on December 5, 2025 on the Triple D spin-off Triple D Nation.\u00a0 Host Guy Fieri was especially effusive in his praise of the taqueria’s barbacoa tacos, but genuinely seemed to enjoy everything he sampled.\u00a0 His banter with the owners was very respectful.\u00a0 In November, 2022, Tacos Chiwas was also featured on Taco Chronicles during season three in an episode titled “Cross the Border.<\/p>\n

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Guess Who Ate Here<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fresh off national exposure and success, in February, 2023, Armando and Nadia launched Chiwas Cocina,<\/strong><\/a> a modern chef-driven Mexican restaurant specializing in a contemporary, upscale take on classic Chihuahuan cuisine. Indicative of Armando’s hands-on approach, he built of the tables, chairs, and booths. He also built the wood-fired grill which crackles with mesquite and pecan wood and fills the air with its aroma.\u00a0 Chiwas Cocina was an immediate hit.\u00a0 In 2024, Armando and Nadia were nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s (JBF’s) “Outstanding Restaurateur” award in recognition of both their restaurants.\u00a0 In 2026, they were nominated for JBF’s “Best Chef’ – Southwest” honors.\u00a0 In both cases, they were named semifinalists.<\/p>\n

Increasingly JBF Restaurant and Chef Awards nominate a diverse range of eating and drinking establishments ragign from fine-dining tasting-menu rooms and casual neighborhood bistros to regional concept eateries, barbecue joints and yes, humble taquerias.\u00a0 Most recently, Ana Liz Pulido of Ana Liz Taqueria<\/strong><\/a> in Mission, Texas, won Best Chef: Texas in 2024.\u00a0 It may only be a matter of time before Armando and Nadia walk up to the dais to receive their award.\u00a0 After my inaugural visit and having previously feasted on the fabulous fare at Chiwas Cocina, it wouldn’t surprise me.<\/p>\n

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Top: Refried Beans Bottom: Chiwas Taco, Barbacoa Taco, Lengua Taco, Camaron Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In an episode of the PBS program “Check Please Arizona<\/strong><\/a>,” one of the guest critic’s “pro tips” was “get one of every taco.”\u00a0 It’s advice I should have heeded.\u00a0 I ordered only four of the nine tacos on the menu.\u00a0 All but one were fabulous, some of the very best tacos I’ve had outside of Texas.\u00a0 Most stellar among the four was the barbacoa taco <\/strong><\/em>(shredded beef cheek, cilantro, white onion).\u00a0 When Food Network gliteratti Guy Fieri tasted this particular taco, he declared that eating them meant tasting true Mexican culture.\u00a0 The slow-cooked, melt-in-your-mouth smoked beef cheek barbacoa served inside fresh corn tortillas should be the state taco of Arizona!\u00a0 Also quite good was the eponymous Chiwas taco<\/strong><\/em> (beef, ham, jalape\u00f1o, Anaheim chiles, Asadero cheese).\u00a0 Even without visiting the salsa bar, this taco had more personality than any of the four tacos on my plate.\u00a0 The combination of beef and ham is genius.<\/p>\n

On a taco top tier, you’l also find the camaron taco<\/strong><\/em> (shrimp, cabbage slaw, mayonnaise, butter, garlic).\u00a0 The shrimp has a snap of freshness that pairs well with the crispy cabbage slaw.\u00a0 Among the many things done right with this taco is giving the shrimp an opportunity to shine.\u00a0 Far too many camaron tacos are crammed full of cabbage slaw.\u00a0 The mayonnaise is creamy and lends savory and tangy notes.\u00a0 My fourth taco is a mystery.\u00a0 I know I ordered a lengua taco<\/strong><\/em> (beef tongue, cilantro, white onion) but didn’t recognize the taco put in front of me.\u00a0 Having devoured a herd of cows for lengua taos, I know lengua is unctuous and rich with a profile similar to barbacoa.\u00a0 This “lengua” or whatever it was was crispy, salty and fried much like chicharrones.\u00a0 My server couldn’t tell me whether that is how Tacos Chiwas version of lengua is prepared.\u00a0 Aargh!<\/p>\n

One of the reasons I didn’t order more tacos is because pan-fried mashed refried beans<\/strong><\/em> are on the menu.\u00a0 These were served piping hot with Asadero cheese on top. Asadero cheese has a mild, creamy, and slightly tangy flavor, with a buttery finish. It is somewhat similar to fresh mozzarella or a young Monterey Jack.\u00a0 Characteristic of Tacos Chiwas, the beans were outstanding.\u00a0 Now, if only someone could explain that weird lengua taco.<\/p>\n

Tacos Chiwas<\/strong>
\n1028 East Indian School Road
\nPhoenix, Arizona<\/strong>
\n602) 358-8830
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 21 July 2026
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Refried Beans, Horchata, Chiwas Taco, Barbacoa Taco, Lengua Taco, Camaron Taco
\nREVIEW #1534<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.\u00a0 As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.\u00a0 metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.\u00a0 So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.\u00a0 As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or devolving) into a potential political miasma, one term I’ve not heard used about tacos is “cultural appropriation,” the adoption of elements from a minority or marginalized culture by members of a dominant culture, often in exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical ways. Online and print critics bandy about such terms as “gringo tacos” as freely as they ascribe “authenticity” to tacos proffered by scions of Montezuma. It dawned on me when researching Tacos Chiwas just how often the term “authentic” or some derivative thereof was used. Obviously, Tacos Chiwas is several somebodies exemplar of the real thing. Tacos Chiwas was launched in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5626,28,1762,57,727,553],"tags":[5864,1382,5862,3473,5863,5884,4492,1701,749,993,3142,5861,1910,5866,1506,1828,5865,857],"class_list":["post-86751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2026-james-beard-foundation-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist","category-arizona","category-diners-drive-ins-and-dives","category-mexican","category-tacos","category-across-america","tag-armando-hernandez","tag-barbacoa","tag-camaron","tag-chihuahua","tag-chiwas","tag-chiwas-cocina","tag-corn-tortillas","tag-diners-drive-ins-and-dives","tag-guy-fieri","tag-horchata","tag-james-beard-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist","tag-lengua","tag-mesa","tag-nadia-holguin","tag-phoenix","tag-refried-beans","tag-skyharbor-airport","tag-tacos"],"yoast_head":"\nTacos Chiwa - 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=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=86751\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tacos Chiwa - Phoenix, Arizona - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.\u00a0 As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.\u00a0 metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.\u00a0 So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.\u00a0 As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or devolving) into a potential political miasma, one term I’ve not heard used about tacos is “cultural appropriation,” the adoption of elements from a minority or marginalized culture by members of a dominant culture, often in exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical ways. Online and print critics bandy about such terms as “gringo tacos” as freely as they ascribe “authenticity” to tacos proffered by scions of Montezuma. It dawned on me when researching Tacos Chiwas just how often the term “authentic” or some derivative thereof was used. Obviously, Tacos Chiwas is several somebodies exemplar of the real thing. 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At the risk of delving (or devolving) into a potential political miasma, one term I’ve not heard used about tacos is “cultural appropriation,” the adoption of elements from a minority or marginalized culture by members of a dominant culture, often in exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical ways. Online and print critics bandy about such terms as “gringo tacos” as freely as they ascribe “authenticity” to tacos proffered by scions of Montezuma. It dawned on me when researching Tacos Chiwas just how often the term “authentic” or some derivative thereof was used. Obviously, Tacos Chiwas is several somebodies exemplar of the real thing. 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