Cocina Chiwas 2001 East Apache Boulevard, Tempe, AZ 85281

"USA Today said this was one of the best restaurants and wowzah! I can see why. A group of six of us came for a Saturday dinner and it was great. Hats off to Diane M. (go add her!) for gathering us up for such a lovely meal. We shared the Guacamole ($16 - Aguacate, EVOO, Red Onion, Lime Juice, Tomato, Cilantro, Queso Cotija & Totopos) to start. You can't go wrong with a classic guacamole. The chips were the thin cantina style which buckled under the weight of the good green stuff but these are the kind of chips I like with guacamole. For my dish, I ordered the Special of the Week, Farrotto ($24 - Batter fried Soft-Shell Crab, Farrotto [Farro based risotto] kale & mushroom cream base, Salsa Macha XO, roasted lemon, parmigiano reggiano). Seriously, it's one of my top two bites of 2024 so far. The soft shell crab was excellent and crispy and the farrotto is something I will be singing from the rooftops about. Even while typing this and eating the leftovers, my tastebuds are still happy eating this reheated version of the Farrotto. No notes! I also tried the Chicharron ($22 - Roasted Pork Belly served on Salsa Verde, White Rice & Crema). This dish is really something. While I can admit the rice isn't anything to write home about, it's all about the pork belly on salsa verde. The bite of the pickled onions helped cut through the richness of the dish. Excellent flavor combination on an eye-catching plate. I had two cocktails as well: Pina Colada ($14 - Charanda, velvet falernum, creme de coconut, fresh lime juice, fresh pineapple juice) and Un Cafecito ($16 - Espresso infused bacanora, coffee liqueur, Cafe de olla simple, coffee bitters topped with star anise zest). While my pina colada was a delightful drink, I must admit that I passed my un cafecito off to Mike D. because the smokiness of the drink wasn't to my liking. Beware, a lot of their drinks are smoky. So why not five-stars? As much as I enjoyed our charming waiter, Jordan, his manager didn't allow us to split the bill three ways. There was also a weird persistence in splitting the bill four ways that didn't make sense given that we were three couples. Note: 90-minute tables and reservations are highly recommended."

"Although it is easy to say Mexican cuisine is one of the highlights of Arizona dining, with some version on virtually every corner, it's harder to find examples of modern, elevated iterations. Cocina Chiwas fills that role perfectly with its beautifully and creatively crafted Chihuahuan cuisine presented in an industrial-chic setting with attentive, informed service. My wife and I tried the Roasted Beet Salad, Branzino fish special, Heirloom Blue Corn Empanadas, and Tres Leches Carrot Cake for dessert. The beet salad was bright and sweet, almost like starting off with a dessert but a healthy kind. The Branzino was presented as a whole, despined fish with an arugula, grape tomato, and cucumber salad. The fish was cooked perfectly, if slightly salty. The empanadas were made with juicy beef cheek barbacoa, served with spicy poblano salsa. The carrot cake was rich and dense, and even the two of us could not devour more than half. Overall, we had a great meal and hope to return soon!"

"Newer restaurant with truly excellent elevated Mexican dishes. The food was delicious and inventive, taking everyday food a few steps up. The four of us got all different meals and tried a little bit of everything, it was so fun! Our server was funny and attentive, making us feel like VIPs even though this was our first time there. The manager Juan came around just enhanced our night. The ambiance was so, so comfortable and inviting. We really enjoyed our experience overall and were talking about what we would try when we come back!! Prices were perfect for the the quality and portions you are getting, also we didn't feel overly stuffed when we were done. Give this place a try, you won't regret it!!"

"Food is awesome with great and unique flavors. The restaurant was very busy, we highly recomend making reservations prior to coming. Servers are always moving and food is always passing by with fantastic smells. Please make sure you read the reservation policy, it DOES state that there is a 90 minute service limit. Strongly suggest looking at the menu prior to arriving to be better prepared to order."

"Our service was excellent from the moment we arrived. I wish I would have gotten the name of the hostess. We had a 20 minute wait, so we ordered drinks and enjoyed them on the bar patio. Justin, the bartender, was super friendly and made amazing drinks. We started with the Chiwarita which was the best “margarita” type drink I’ve ever had! The Sotol makes the difference. We followed up with the “honey dew special” which was also an excellent drink. The Chili Con Queso was insanely good!!! I ordered the Chicharron which was SO SO good. Everything we ordered was amazing. Our server, Alandra, provided fantastic service as well!!! We sat on the patio which was nice but not quiet. There was street noise but we could converse easily. The ONLY thing we didn’t like there was the water!! We will definitely be back!!"