Despite the massive footprint of Mexican restaurants throughout the Valley, the vast majority focus predominantly either on street food or on food from the Sonora and Chihuahua states of Mexico. Despite this, there are vast differences in Mexican cuisine. While perhaps not the variable changes as what you might find in the United States, which is mostly due to immigration over the life of the U.S., Mexican cuisine is very much impacted by the regional availability of food, which, naturally, impacts the flavors and the dishes. One local restaurant, which opened just over a week ago, is expanding the local palette by serving up food from the state of Jalisco, and more specifically, the town of Tequila.
Tequila, naturally, is most known for the mescal that comes from its city. Just about every city or state has its own mescal, However, the Tequila variation grew in popularity, and eventually became the dominant mescal. Now, in order for a spirit to be called tequila, it needs to follow specific guidelines. But beyond the short history lesson, Tequila Cocina + Cantina, a new restaurant located in Phoenix, is more than just serving drinks with its alcoholic namesake. It’s also about serving food based on the city and state.
Jalisco is on the western coast of Mexico, centrally located between the border with the United States and Guatemala. Thanks to its location, the Pacific Ocean plays a big role in the culinary influence, and as such, when ordering at Tequila Cocina + Cantina, you will find a host of seafood options, ranging from variations of ceviche to spiced shrimp. The full menu isn’t available online. In fact, the restaurant has next to no online presence. Outside of a Yelp page, there is no website or social media accounts to provide restaurant goers with additional information. So, if you are interested in visiting the restaurant, which has an interesting, rather dark decor, with minimal lighting other than the neon script signs around the restaurant, you will just need to wait and be surprised by the full menu.
Located at 4814 North 7th Street in Phoenix, the restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, from 5 PM until 12 AM, and on Friday through Sunday, from 5 PM until 1 AM. The restaurant does state it takes reservations, but based on numerous visits to the restaurant, reservations don’t do you much good, as you’re going to arrive and wait, just like everyone else.
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