Cocina Madrigal Tacos Tequila - Phoenix

Cocina Madrigal has been on my list of places to try for awhile. It was packed on a Sunday afternoon, which I thought was a good sign. We were told it was a 30 minute wait for the two of us to sit inside, despite there being 4 empty tables and no one else in line. Maybe it was because they take reservations. We opted for the outdoor seating since we were starving, but that was a mistake on our part. The flies were unbearable.Our server seemed to have forgotten us. I had to walk inside to the bar to get our waters refilled, and even then, it took awhile to even be acknowledged with my two obviously empty cups of water.You have to pay for chips and salsa, which sucks, especially when you consider the cost of the entrees here. And speaking of the entrees, while they sure do look pretty, I can’t say there was anything special to warrant coming out of our way to eat here. I will say, the mushroom enchilada was pretty fire, even though it’s far from authentic. As for the birria enchilada…. that wasn’t birria, my friends. It was dry barbacoa with none of the color or seasoning one expects with birria. If it is indeed birria as they claim, it’s some of the worst birria I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve had a lot of it, and I’ve even made it myself. To say I felt let down is an understatement, and I’d even go as far as saying they’re intentionally misleading customers.The “sides” of rice and beans come in tiny little plastic cups that are meant to hold ketchup, and were good enough for only a few bites of each.The experience as a whole was a mixed bag. The food sure does look pretty, and everyone clearly hypes this place up online; it wasn’t bad by any means, but if the food was “out of this world” good it could’ve saved the the experience as a whole. In the end, we felt forgotten and unwanted, nickel and dimed for chips, salsa, and the world’s smallest sides of rice and beans, and misled by barbacoa pretending to be birria.Word to the wise: don’t sit outside. It’s loud, it’s hot (no fans, with misters they don’t use), but at least the flies will give you attention even if the staff won’t.

Now I understand why this place is ranked #1 in the area. I 'd say it 's the best authentic Mexican we 've EVER had... yes, EVER! We 've had a fave salsa (in Missouri), but it 's been beat out by the salsa here. Perfect consistency w- just the right amount of 'kick '. Their guac is freshly made and has big chunks of avocado in it. Yummers! If you get the tacos (3), you can mix and match vs. going with all of them being one kind. Don 't be disappointed when they come out as they are on the smaller side. Here 's why I loved them so much- there wasn 't a ton of stuff on them. It was almost ALL MEAT! They know what they 're doing here. I got the pork and chicken. My fav was the chicken. Hubby got the pork and steak and he like the steak better... don 't get us wrong because the port is great, too. Ambiance-wise?... it 's pretty loud in there, but the service was attentive and it was kept nice and clean.

A real hole in the wall, but due to the good reviews on TA our family group of 12 visited before a baseball game. Wow Glad we did! The chips were warm and crunchy, the beer was cold, the margaritas were yummy, and the beef tenderloin tacos were the BEST I’ve ever had! The marinade is truly delicious. Chef and owner Leo visited with us, thanked us for coming, and shared stories of his time in Houston which is where we were all from. A very delightful meal…I just wish this Cocina was closer to home!

Yes it can be a bit loud and they may have squeezed a few too many tables into the place and it’s not in the high rent district but every time we’ve been there, we’ve had a very good meal. Definitely recommended

Everything was amazing! This honestly lived up to all of the reviews. The Chicken, Artichoke Mushroom Stack was exquisite. We can't wait to return!Food: 5/5