Barrio Cafe Awards
This hip but friendly café presents complex and sophisticated Mexican food from chef Silvana Salcido Esparza.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner Tues.-Sun.
Features
- Parking lot
- Dress code: Casual
- Full bar
- Outdoor dining
- Take-out available
Barrio Cafe Restaurant Review:
About the restaurant: When chef Silvana Salcido Esparza established Barrio Cafe with business partner Wendy Gruber in 2002, she showed Phoenix that Mexican food is much, much more than tacos and burritos (though her tacos are dynamite). The dining room, decorated with edgy art, black and white photos of Latin Americans and kitschy Mexican votive candles, has turned into an inner-city sanctum that is cool and quirky, but make no mistake: the kitchen is rooted in traditional Mexican cuisine.
Food & Drinks: The menu, filled with specialties from all over Mexico, includes cheese fondue from Oaxaca, Mexico City-style enchiladas and a cochinita pibil (dry-rubbed and slow-roasted pig) from the Yucatan. Chunky guacamole often includes something colorful and seasonal such as pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries, and is not to be missed. Meanwhile, desserts --- particularly cinnamon and sugar-dusted churros rellenos, filled with goat's milk caramel --- are worth every extra calorie. Complement your meal with house-made aguas frescas, Mexican beers or a margarita.
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