Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva

Very intimate and beautiful restaurant. We had the tasting menu(very reasonably priced) and it did not disappoint. Each dish that came out was elegantly displayed and wonderfully tasteful. I love Chefs Silvana Salcido Esparza twist on food. Absolutely love Barrio Cafe and will definitely recommend Barrio Café Gran Reserva. Of course the lively art work on the walls tell a story and is a must see.

Outstanding! This is a tiny restaurant, eight tables or so, but the food was wonderful with big flavors. We had the tasting menu with wine pairings, perfect. The service was spot on. Our server was attentive and explained each course and wine pairing.

Most of our food was good, my pozole had waaaay too much oregano in it I couldnt eat it. The elote was very good! Service was only ok our server would like run from the table without letting us finish asking questions or requesting items. Minus one star for lack of server attention & one for price, $165 for 4 for lunch w/a few drinks.

The mole here is amazing. On anything you get it. The red, green or black. my favorite is the table side guacamole and the tree moles steak with vegetables. Always intense authentic flavors. Great for any special occasion or when you want something really authentic.

Phenomenal. Fresh ingredients combined in unique ways. Staff are passionate about their craft. Art decor locally sourced. (One of the artists was dining the same night as us. ) Personally not a margarita fan, however their mixoligy I enjoyed. If great food, music, in a small historical building full of BIG flavor and energy is what you like then this is your place. Note, go now, they're only open in the winter months.

We recently had my sister's wedding reception here and it was absolutely wonderful! The food was exquisite with each course better than the last. The staff and the cooks were amazing to all of the guests. The service was superlative. The friendliness and warmth of the people made a great experience even better! We can't wait to go back and visit!

With out a doubt, one of the best dining experiences I've had in Phoenix. The tasting menu was fantastic and the fresh made guacamole (table side) was top notch. As with her other restaurant, make sure you check out the art in the bathrooms.

Ahhhhh mazing food!😇 Tiny place, but great service and wonderful complex dishes that will have your palate doing the happy dance. Had the chefs tasting menu, wonderful variety of flavors! Try it......

Look, I've seen plenty of one-man shows in my day, but this might be the first time I've witnessed a one-man, one-grill performance art piece that made me want to give a standing ovation with a tortilla in each hand. Chef Rene Andrade is basically the Grill Whisperer of Phoenix, turning his mesquite-fired stage into a symphony of sizzles. This isn't just cooking - it's like watching a man conduct an orchestra where every instrument is made of fire and beef. And let me tell you, this conductor knows his way around a meat movement. Speaking of beef, the carne asada here is so good it should come with a warning label: "May cause spontaneous happy dances and inappropriate food noises." The steaks? They're not just thick; they're the kind of thick that makes other steaks feel like they need to hit the gym. The menu changes more often than my excuses for ordering dessert, but that's part of the charm. One day you might find grilled octopus (yes, even the sea creatures can't resist coming to this landlocked grill paradise), and another day you'll discover shrimp aguachiles that taste like Andrade bottled his youth and served it on a plate. The beans - oh, the beans! They're so flavorful they'll make you question everything you thought you knew about legumes. These aren't your average "I guess I should eat something healthy" beans. These are "where have you bean all my life?" beans. But the caramelo? Sweet mother of all things grilled! Imagine if a regular taco went to finishing school, got a PhD in deliciousness, and then decided to show off. The flour tortilla is so perfectly crisp it probably has its own Instagram following. The cheese melts with the kind of precision that would make a Swiss watchmaker jealous. And the beef? It's the kind of rich that doesn't need to show you its bank account - you just know. Fair warning: after eating here, you might find yourself in the middle of the night, staring at your ceiling, thinking about that radish-and-cucumber salad. Yes, I'm telling you you'll be dreaming about salad. That's how good this place is - it makes you hallucinate about vegetables. One man. One grill. Infinite reasons to loosen your belt. Bacanora isn't just a restaurant; it's a love letter to Sonoran cuisine written in smoke signals and sealed with a mesquite kiss. Just remember to make reservations, because apparently, I'm not the only one who's figured out that this is where food dreams come true. P.S. If you see someone in the corner having an emotional moment with their caramelo, don't judge. We've all been there.

"Hardest reservation to get in Phoenix" based on other Instagram posts, so I jumped when I saw an open reservation. The restaurant itself is quite small on the inside, probably 6-8 tables, which is probably why it's so hard to get a resy. We were early for our reservation time and easily got seats at the bar for drinks beforehand. You can also order and eat at the bar. Street parking around was easy as well. The drinks were honestly great. Probably the best margarita I've had, the "bacanorita" that's rimmed with sugar. The seasonal cocktails were also very smooth and delicious. We had four people and ordered three appetizers and two entrees and that was more than enough. The embered elote is a must when going. The scallop ceviche was tasty and had a kick at the end. The cucumber salad was just okay. For entrees we got the snapper all pastor which was my favorite of the night. So tender, flavorful, and juicy. If you like fish tacos then definitely order. We got the chicken since it was limited availability and there was only one left. It was moist and the beans that came with were good. Everyone says to get the tomahawk but for $300, we were happy with everything else that we got and it ended up being a little over $300 for everything, including drinks. Overall I think it's really great food, wouldn't wait hours for a table though. If you happen to get a resy then do go.

My wife was able to grab a 5pm reservation and we were so excited. It had been about a year since or first Bacanora experience and we have been dying to get back. Food was just as amazing as the first time we visited. The cucumber salad was amazing. The ceviche was to die for. So many delicious flavors. Can't wait to come back again someday.

This restaurant has a lot of hype and I think it is overrated. It was very difficult to get a reservation here, so I was really excited to come try it out. The restaurant is very small and beautifully decorated. The waitress was awesome - very kind and helpful. The food is good, but not great. It is extremely overpriced. I liked the cocktails. They were my favorite part along with the cucumber salad included with the short ribs. We also ordered the elote and chicken. I can't believe they are charging $64 for grilled chicken (which was dry) and $11 for an ear of corn. We thought there would at least be 2 ears included. I would give 2 stars for the food - very underwhelming, but the service and drinks made our experience a little better.

We've been to Bacanora a few times -- our server was excellent this visit. We enjoyed the ceviche, chuleta, and snapper. The ceviche was our favorite by far. I forgot to take a picture of the Snapper (we were well into enjoying our meal when it arrived). In addition to our food, we enjoyed a Paloma and the Bacanorita -- both delicious. If you've never been, the restaurant is quite small, and almost always busy. It's quite loud, but a fun vibe with charming decor if you're ready for it. Expect to be seated close to others and a loud atmosphere. The food is undeniably delicious, but it does come with a hefty price tag for what I would not consider a fine dining experience.

I was amazed by the flavor in the bone marrow esquites. It was so full of rich flavor from the bone marrow but also not overwhelming. I would definitely get it again. This time 3 of us shared the pollo asado and I couldn't get enough. It came out with a quesadilla, tortillas, vegetables potatoes and more. It was plenty of food for the three of us and every bite was delicious. For dessert we all seemed to like the banana ice cream over the flan, but I liked the little kick of spice that was in the flan

If you can get in, GO. One of the best meals we've had in Phoenix. After months of trying to get a reservation, I finally secured one for a Saturday night. The restaurant is very small, quaint, and cozy. The small space really makes for a special dining experience. After being seated, we were immediately greeted with champagne (it was my birthday). Our server thoroughly explained the menu and we felt confident with our order: the ribeye, Elote, and aguachile. Everything was fantastic! The aguachile was my favorite. My only complaint was that the steak came out way rarer than what we had asked for (medium rare). Food & drinks came out quickly, we were probably there for only an hour. Plenty of parking in the area, there's a lot behind the restaurant as well. bacanora lived up to the hype. Can't wait to go back and try more!

Such great fresh food that is prepared with care and the service was amazing. Definitely going back.

I have been trying to get a reservation for over a year, and I'm so glad I stuck it out. Such an incredible experience. The place has such a cozy, intimate feel, and the food and drinks were amazing. We ordered the Tomahawk to share (feeds up to 4 ppl) and we got the papas and Aguacate. For drinks everything we ordered tasted fresh and perfectly (dangerously) balanced. We ordered a Paloma, margarita, cantarito, and an horchata with rum. If I had to choose one thing I would say always order the beans, if it doesn't come with your meal, order a side of it. A friend of mine had a ratatouille moment when he tried them. He said they tasted exactly like his grandmothers and no one in his family has been able to replicate them. She had passed 30 years ago so for him it was an out of body experience. Don't take our word for it though, try it for yourself! You won't regret it.

Wanted to come here to try the steak, but the only option was a 4 person full ribeye steak and another short rib option. Thus we elected for the pollo asado, elote, and broccolini. The elote wasn't all cut up, but that's my only gripe. It was delicious and nothing fancy was added and instead just seemed like it was "if it's not broken don't fix it". The broccolini was appreciated because there wasn't that many veggies, but the taste itself wasn't that special. The dish that absolutely stole the show was the beans that came with the chicken dish. Overall the chicken dish feels like it would feed 3 people or 2 people if you ordered nothing else. It also came with quesadillas, peppers, and potatoes, and grilled chicken. Back to the beans. It tasted so refreshing and normally I don't like beans. It felt more like a bean stew that was stewing in the chickens juices. I couldn't get enough of it and imo, you HAVE TO ASK FOR THE BEANS, no matter what you order. The chicken I was a bit disappointed by since it tasted a bit dry and I would've like more flavor but I get that the flavor comes from dipping it with the beans. Our waitress also felt out of place and didn't give us the best service and did the bare minimum with not healthy attitude imo. We finished off with a Neapolitan flan and I did enjoy it and really enjoyed the salty pieces (but felt like they didn't add enough salt). Overall still enjoyable experience though.

Thanks to our friend, we were able to get a reservation and try this awesome place! We were seated promptly on arrival. The place is small and cozy. The staff was very helpful in helping us pick the food. The cocktails were delicious and paired well with the food! Everything was honestly very tasty and flavorful. The oysters, the pork and the short ribs were a few of my favorite. We definitely ordered the oysters twice! And then we got one of each of the desserts. The flan was just .

A hard-to-get reservation worth waiting for! I've tried many times to snag reservation when they are released each month. Luckily, we have amazing foodie friends who go often and have an in on cancelations. Bacanora is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Phoenix. It's an eclectic area with lots of interesting small businesses, murals on the walls, and stuffed animals hanging from the trees along the sidewalks. The restaurant itself is very intimate with only a few tables and some seats at the bar. The Sonoran inspired dishes come from the amazing creativity of Chef Rene Andrade...who won Best Chef - Southwest at the James Beard awards this year (doesn't make getting reservations any easier). Everything is cooked over an open flame of a wood-fired grill. We let our friends, and foodie hosts, Brandon and Dana lead us through their favorite dishes... and we were not disappointed! We started with elite on the cob, guacamole, ceviche, and crude. With each dish we raved about how we couldn't believe each one could be better than the last. Everything was mouthwatering. The cocktails were unique and perfect as well. The kicker was our entree. The four of us shared the huge platter (not plate) of bone-in ribeye. It was cooked to perfection and accompanied by tortillas, quesadillas, beans, and blistered green chiles.Chiles. We walked out stuffed and high on good conversation and amazing food.

Everything we had here are delicious! We felt like seafood that day and they are not disappointed. The shrimps are fresh and perfectly grilled. The red snapper fish is tasty and we could not stop enjoying it with all delicious saucy beans. The desserts must not be missed. The flan is creamy heaven. The watermelon sorbet is refreshing and we need more.

Man it is competitive to get a reservation here! There was so much hype surrounding this restaurant. The chef got the James Beard award for best chef southwest, so the expectations were high. Everything we ate was delicious. The cocktails were some of the best I've had. Service was wonderful. This is a very casual, intimate place with bright colors and an artsy feel. However... I just don't know if the prices can be justified in my opinion. $65 for half a chicken, beans, poblano peppers, and tortillas. I mean yes, the food was elevated and so flavorful, but at the end of the day it's still $65 for a chicken plate. I'll probably only go again if someone invites me there for dinner and says they're paying.

Bacanora is an absolute gem! I don't have anything bad to say about my experience here. It's amazing how carefully crafted all the dishes were and how they honored the flavors of each and every ingredient. We had the mushroom tacos - they were lovely, the Caramelo which is a tostada with beans and carne asada - it was to die for, as was the bone marrow, one of my favorite things of all time. We also got a couple specials, one was some cut short ribs and the other was octopus. Both were utterly amazing! I took some of the short ribs home because we ordered wayyy too much food, and they were even better later. The accompaniments with both dishes were so perfect and refreshing. The food was ultimately such a celebration of smoke and fire and how it transforms each dish. Just delicious and so thoughtful. The drinks were great as well - the Oaxaca Old Fashioned was my favorite. I wish we had room for desert but we sadly did not, definitely will be back to try it next time. Book a reservation if you want to ensure you'll get a table! It's a small space. You can also order the full menu at the bar, I believe, so if you're lucky you might stop in and snag some barstools without booking in advance.

If I had friends come from out of town with an appetite for Authentic Mexican food in Arizona, Bacanora is what I want them to experience. Chef Rene is truly a master of his craft. The menu changes depending on season and availability of ingredients. Chances are the menu will not match what you see online. Reservations are done online and only once a month. I'm going to share a little pro tip with you all. Whenever you're headed to downtown Phoenix always check in for walk in seating. Sometimes people don't show up for their reservation & you win! Mind you Space is limited! They won't sit parties larger than 4. That being said the food is delicious authentic with a unique twist. You can taste the quality of ingredients and the freshness of each dish. I've never seen or tried scalloped ceviche, wow it melts in your mouth. The aguacate is smooth & creamy. The chicken or Pollo asado was our main comes with quesadillas, side of beans and rajas and more flour tortillas with grilled onions, potatoes & fresh radishes. It will feed a party of three easy! The cantarito drink was my favorite. However the bacanorita with a sugar rim was good but it needed a little more kick with more bacanora. The Paloma also was light on the alcohol portion, still good tho. All in all I can't recommend this small space, it really packs a punch of home cooked Mexican food like grandma made. Thank you and enjoy.

We came here for brunch a few weeks ago when we failed to get a reservation for dinner (I am all about reservations and I know my way around technology, but if I give that system ZERO stars, not because we didn't secure a reservation that time, but because it doesn't even bother to hold your spot while you fill out the online form and someone else can swipe it while your entering your contact information!) My brunch food was great, including the horchata. It may be a bit expensive for horchata, but I'm worth it ... on special occasions. My short ribs had good flavor and the tortillas were fresh. The eggs had a beautiful orange color (not the sad yellow that we see a lot these days), and the pickled onions had a nice crunch with just a little bite. We secured a reservation for an early dinner the next month, though it took two of us racing the clock. For dinner, we started with a frijol dip and corn crisps that tasted very fresh and were not greasy at all. The beans were a bit spicy and were a great start. For the main, we split the pollo platter (a carnival of choose-your-own-adventure fun) that could feed four people, I think. It is half a grilled chicken, tortillas, beans, papas, rajas, and we even had some quesadilla triangles, grilled onions and jalapeños and radishes. We had leftovers that I made into a chicken-potato-bean-chile stew the next day for lunch with some of the leftover tortillas. (So I got another whole meal out of the platter!) To drink, I had a citrus+ginger juice on ice that was really refreshing, and we had a chocolate, cherry flan for dessert. I like my flan a bit more set than theirs, and I felt that the chocolate topping overpowered the flan a bit, but I understand it's a personal preference. The staff were busy and friendly. The place is tiny and it can get loud. Note that your reservation is for 90 minutes. The service is pretty fast, so we didn't feel rushed within that time. Plan ahead to snag a reservation (a month in advance!) -- TIP: create your account before the day that reservations open or you'll just be wasting your time. We parked on the street and walked both times. I don't know if there are lots nearby, but we did not have trouble finding street parking (both times, though, we arrived when they opened).

Well friends, the hype is REAL. It may take you a real long time to get a lucky reservation, but when you do, get excited because your tastebuds will be dancing. The restaurant itself has about 6 tables and a few seats at the bar, hence the tough-to-get res because it is so small, and well, very tasty. You only have 90 mins to dine here, so they take your order pretty quickly. We started with cocktails and they were phenomenal, and the shrimp ceviche. Their main margarita is made with Mezcal but I swapped for regular tequila and it was fresh and delicious. The shrimp ceviche was to die for - I wanted to drink the sauce! Next, we got the warm cabbage salad. YUM! It definitely had a spicy kick but again, the flavors were out of this world. For entrees, we split the carne asada tostada and the pollo platter (a MUSTTTT). The platter was absolutely incredible. It came with moist/flavorful chicken, warm tortillas, beans, quesadillas, potatoes, peppers, onions, green chilis in broth - wow, wow. I am salivating just typing this! We definitely had leftovers and made burritos at home a few days later. We will absolutely be back if we can get a lucky res again! Thank you for the awesome experience.

Everything we had was great! We were welcomed and sat right away. (Reservations) It's a cozy place with a few tables and some seats at the bar. We started off with guacamole and i got the tamarind agua fresca. It was very flavorful and not too sweet, which I prefer. The server explained the menu and portion size and we chose the short ribs and the pollo asado. The short ribs were delicious and served with a little side of cucumbers, radishes, grilled green onion and tortillas. I liked the chicken and felt it was perfectly seasoned and crispy. The chicken came with potatoes, beans, quesadillas, a salsa and tortillas. It's a generous family style portions and we had a lot of leftovers. The dessert was also delicious! There was some confusion about what was available and we ended up getting both the chocolate ice cream with chile peanuts and a Neapolitan flan. They were both good but I like the savory and sweet chocolate ice cream. All in all, everything was superb. I would definitely go back to try the steak with bigger party.

We were so excited to try Bacanora, and thanks to our friends, we were finally able to secure a reservation! The restaurant is colorful, vibrant, and cozy. The service was the highlight of our dinner. Our server was very friendly, and the service was prompt. Unfortunately, the dishes we tried, the Pollo Asado and broccolini, fell short of expectations, especially for the price. Although the portion was huge, the chicken was dry and lacked flavor. The broccolini was nicely charred but had pieces that were undercooked. On the bright side, the cocktails we tried were deliciously crafted and well-balanced. I personally wouldn't go back, but I'm glad we were able to finally try this restaurant!

Ambiance just felt so fun! The service was great, the music was perfect & the staff really seemed to like their jobs! No alcohol for us this visit. We split the chilaquiles with a side of beans. I will say that I understand how this place has had such an impact on the Phoenix food scene. Very interesting take on Mexican cuisine. Both the chilaquiles & the beans had such a power pact flavor combo! Having said that, I was not expecting so much of a citrus for the chilaquiles. My hub loved it...I prefer less citrus. On the beans... they would be a fantastic dip. Full of flavor. I usually enjoy a less spicey starchy side with my main Mex dish. There was not a balance for me here. I should have looked closer at the menu, and would return to try something else. The bar reminded me of the "Rocking Sushi," experiences from days gone by. Fun!

This place is very hard to get a reservation at. I had to get online at 9 am on the 1st day of the month and within 3 minutes the entire month was sold out. The food here is family style. We ordered the ceviche to start and the guacamole. The ceviche was really delicious, maybe the best I've ever had. We followed it up with the pork and chicken plate. The pork was delicious and had pozole underneath. The potatoes were delicious and I enjoyed the beans. I think this place is pretty pricey though. It ended up being $65 per person which felt like a lot for what we got.

Finally got a spot at the bar, thanks to my credit card. Place lived up to the hype from the start. The owner, Rene, was working the pass the night we were there. We went for a couple of their signature cocktails and then right into the big dog tomahawk steak! Crazy the two of us tried to tackle it, but had to do it and it was amazing. Took the rest home and finished it off the next day. People will whine about the price, but honestly for 3-4 people it's fairly priced and more than enough food. Can wait to go back!

Bacanora is the hot ticket in Phoenix now, getting a James Beard nomination and write-ups in all the big publications. Since we couldn't score a reservation we decided to try coming on a Saturday morning at ten a.m. The good news is we walked right in. The sad news for me is that the two dishes I had my heart set on trying (pollo asado and caramelo) were not available at this time. You will see brunch-type items that aren't on the website (like waffles) so I gave one of these a try. My Baca Waffle No. 1 was delicious. It had roasted pineapple and a luxardo cherry sauce with a bit of powdered sugar. I should have asked what leche quemada nieve was, as having a scoop of ice cream on my waffle in the morning is really too decadent for me. More of a dessert thing. The restaurant has such a great energy. Everyone who works here is friendly and welcoming. I love how they've decorated the trees out front with yarn and random items. My waffle was overpriced but executed well. I'd like to come back and try the Mexican food I'd hoped to sample - if I can possibly luck into a nighttime reservation.

Came here twice once on a whim where I secured last minute rezo's after flying in to town. And the second 2 days later because it was just that damn good. The service was amazing the host's and wait staff are great and engaging gave great rec's. The ambiance was also a vibe who's ever playlist was Playing share it! In addition it just felt like a kick back spot at a family party with great music throwback and all and a taste that is familiar and feels like home but also different none the less this place was hands down fireeee. Honestly the cooks deserve a hawkk.... Nvm. Definitely recommend this place to anyone. The branzino was the highlight and the deserts i cannot forget best food eats in 2024 by far

After a lot of waiting, I had the opportunity to try Bacanora last week. If you're wanting to make a reservation yourself, they open up the first of the month at 9am for the following month. Reservations go quick and are booked up within minutes so be quick and flexible on times! The ceviche is a delicious and unique starter that is made with Hiramisa, a type of yellowtail fish that is very tender and not overly fishy. The sauce was to die for and I could have eaten it over and over again. The Caramelo was both of our favorite and had a tender, delicious carne asada with fresh toppings on it. I also liked the marinade on the Costilla Asado (Short ribs), and thought the meat held the juicy flavor really well. The staff were helpful and kind and made this experience very easy and enjoyable.

I've had Bacanora on my must-try list of restaurants for months (and months & months & months). I wasn't able to snag a reservation until just a few weeks ago, and perfect timing as it worked out for a special celebration. We arrived there about 15 minutes prior to our reserved time and were seated immediately. It is a very small restaurant with a countable number of tables, but it definitely makes the atmosphere intimate and comfortable. Since this was our first time, we asked for a quick run-down of the menu, which our server was happy to provide. She let us know that some items have been on their menu since they opened and they're added some newer items, more recently too. We wanted to try out a few things, so we ordered the Cucumber salad, Pollo Asado, and the Mar y Tierra. Our cucumber salad came out first. It was a unique dish, one I've never thought of before but definitely light and refreshing; it had cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, cheese with a salsa & dressing. Our other two dishes came out later and were quite impressive-looking. The Pollo Asado was a half chicken (4 pieces) served with a side of beans and tortillas. Our sever said the Mar y Tierra was one of their smaller dishes, but it too was a decent size with pieces of hanger steak & scallops a top a combination of beans, salsa, and cheese, served with tortillas. We enjoyed both dishes. The chicken was flavorful and tender (a couple pieces were charred a little bit more than I'd prefer but it was fine after taking the skin off). My husband said the hanger steak was cooked perfectly and tasted really good when put together with the beans, salsa, etc in the tortillas. Overall, I'm glad that we had the opportunity to finally try out this restaurant. Given how difficult it is to secure a reservation and for me personally (since I don't eat much beef), the number of options I could order on the menu, it's not somewhere I'd return to over and over. However, if you're looking for good food with more unique options, I would recommend this restaurant!

After much hype around a james beard award restaurant, we were excited once acquiring a reservation OVER a month in advance. The staff was warm and welcoming and offered recommendations though I believe we eventually ordered one of everything. The food was as good as you'd expect from basic ingredients but not to the degree of which each entree cost. For that matter, I believe this was grossly overpriced. $300 for a 40ounce rib eye cost $120/lb?! Get out of here. The restaurant ambiance was more bodega than high-end, exclusive Mexican restaurant your come to expect at their prices. Cheers for creating hype but I can't see myself returning unless something changes, pricing or ambiance to lend to an experience.

The food was good but all four people at our table were very badly food poisoned (2 of whom live in a different state and the only time we saw one another was for dinner at Bacanora on Wednesday night) . I am still feeling awful and this is the worst food poisoning I have even had. We got the chicken main dish and two shared appetizers. I doubt that our table was the only one to be poisoned that night and we have felt sick for days. Be careful. Also, we tried to call the restaurant to tell them about our food poisoning and there is no working number. We emailed and have received no response. For such a highly regarded restaurant they clearly do not care much about poisoning their patrons.

love this place！I brought my dog here，the staffs are awesome！Not only brought water to my dog，but also gave her some grilled asada too（unseasoned）！ The food is absolutely amazing! 120% Recommend this restaurant to everyone!

I don't even know where to begin because my experience was absolutely fantastic! From start to finish, everything exceeded my expectations. First, the staff was incredibly attentive and welcoming. Kassandra greeted us warmly and got us seated right away, setting the tone for an amazing evening. Our server was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic, guiding us through the menu and offering excellent drink recommendations. And then, CJ behind the bar took things to another level with expertly crafted cocktails. The shots of bacanora con fuego! Pure magic--such a fun and unique experience! Once the food started arriving, it was as if we'd stepped into a whole new realm of dining. Every single dish was nothing short of extraordinary. It might sound dramatic, but it truly felt like a spiritual experience. Rene and the entire team are true artists, creating not just food, but masterpieces. I've eaten at a lot of places in Phoenix, but nothing compares to this. If you're looking for something unforgettable, this is it!

I've never made a reservation a month in advance for a restaurant, let alone have it booked up in the 5 minutes while trying to find a suitable time to go once in the Resy app at 9am on the first of September. There's a first for everything though, and this was it. Bam! 9:45 pm on a Thursday night. Typically a time when I'm winding down after work, but instead, my husband and I were driving to Grand and 13th Avenue of all places on a Thursday night. On the upside, the whole evening was chill, driving with barely any traffic and parking was a breeze! This restaurant may be little in size but packs a punch with super power flavors. Beyond salty and sweet flavors, they seem to expand with acidic and vinegary flavors and unique textures while eating. It's refreshing. I'm not talking about the artistic foams that we've encountered in other places. It's fun eating crunchy, savory, and flavor packed bites every time. We shared everything but ordered a decent amount since we tend to eat a lot and wanted to try a lot since we weren't sure how soon we'd be willing to wait in line or make a month long early commitment. The pollo asado was out by that late in the evening, but they recommended the Papas Sucia bone marrow dish which was really good. Our favorite was the AguaChile. To no surprise, it cooked perfectly. I mean, just look at my photo of it! That is the art I'm talking about! I enjoyed the halibut ceviche very much. It was an entree but we ordered as one of the appetizers. The burnt chayote was super unique. I failed to take photos of the cocktails but they were simple and unassuming but the taste was excellent. I ordered a fruity drink that should have looked like a tiki drink but instead appeared like a bourbon drink on ice and I asked the waitress to confirm it was what it was supposed to be- some sort of horchata colada take- and she looked at me funny and said, yes it was my fruity drink (I forgot the name..). I am sorry I even doubted her because it was indeed what I ordered. I could have had three because it was so good, but I didn't. I was being good hehe. You guys, I loved the food and cocktails so much. The restaurant itself had a party type atmosphere and was a little difficult to talk and hear each other but we didn't mind much because we were eating. It just made us laugh a bit. Thank you bunches for a wonderful evening! We will definitely return so we can try more creations. I appreciate all the details - the staff, food, and music. It kicked butt!

This last weekend my wife and I stopped by Bacanora for brunch. We've got dinner coming up soon, so there will likely be an addition to this review. --BRUNCH-- We stopped by on a Saturday morning, about an hour after they opened and were seated immediately. Both my wife and I are from Sonora and were excited to taste the Sonoran sazón here in Phoenix. The space is small but I didn't feel clustered at all. Being a downtown restaurant, everything is very expensive, but we went ahead and tried the Elote, Papa burrito, and Pork Belly Brekki. Elote - 9/10: Super expensive, and I thought it was going to be white corn as that's what's traditionally used, but overall the flavors were great and the corn was grilled to perfection. Papa burrito - 8/10: Good sized burrito, I'm not much of a salt guy, but both my wife and I thought it lacked salt. Salsa was good, I tasted more tomatillo than anything else - but the chiltepin undertones definitely change it up from a standard tomatillo salsa. Pork Belly Brekki - 10/10: this was the highlight of our brunch. All the ingredients blended nicely, the beans, the roasted garlic, the egg, and the perfectly cooked pork. It was fantastic.

I was so excited to have landed reservations on my partner's birthday, who had been wanting to try Bacanora for months. While the food was great and drinks were good, the rest of the experience was not so great. The service was not good, it was extremely loud (to the point where I could barely hear the employees we communicated with as well as not being able to hear my partner), we felt consistently dismissed and looked down on by our server, and we were rushed out before our reservation time ended at 8 PM... despite having to wait for our reserved seating upon arrival and not being sat until 6:40 PM (reservation time was 6:30 and we arrived a few minutes early). I'm hoping it was just an off night for them, but it put a big damper on our evening & is not how we wanted to end my partner's birthday.

Worth the wait! Make sure to make your reservation months ahead of time because the food was incredible! Even better than we could've anticipated. Service was super nice. Even though the restaurant was a bit small, it was the most ideal place for a cozy meal.

So, so good just very, very small but my friend got us a spot when I came down to Phoenix! Honestly I have really low opinions of most Arizona places but this one is HIGH! Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious

I really loved this place and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get a taste of Sonoran cuisine! My friend and I arrived at 8pm on a Friday night, and we got seated right away since we didn't mind sitting outside. We weren't drinking, so we were happy that we didn't have to wait the 45 minutes. Many people wait to sit inside since you can watch them grill, and you are not allowed to drink outside. However, the ambiance outside is so cute, and it's fun to people watch. Also, the staff were super friendly, very efficient, and attentive, and it made the experience that more special. We ordered the papas sucia and the steak aguachile. Both dishes delicious! For the papas sucia, the bone marrow and birria were so tender and complimented the potatos beautifully. And the salsa and queso fresco.... basically everything delicious! My favorite though was the steak. It was just grilled so nicely, and the only issue with the dish was that I ran out too fast, haha! I'm glad I got to check this place out and would come here again.

The food was exceptional! Went as a group of 4 and tried 2 apps and 4 entrees and split everything family style. The tables are small so they purposely spaced our food out perfectly. The cocktails were delish, too! We loved the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant, and every staff member was friendly and attentive. Cara (Kara?) was our waiter and she was fantastic. We can't wait to come back!

One of the hardest places to get a reservation to. But it's worth it. Cutest little place on Grand Ave. The only downside was the music was a little loud so it was somewhat hard to hear the people you are with. But the food....oh my gosh....the food was amazing. The charred cabbage was delicious and the meal got better from there. Every dish was unique and delicious. This place is definitely with all the trouble trying to get a reservation.

The menu at Bacanora is concise and changes frequently, offering a variety of dishes that showcase the rich flavors of Sonora, Mexico. Highlights include the carne asada, which is considered some of the best in Phoenix. The tequila and Mezcal cocktails were so innovative and inventive, the best I've ever had! Service was amazing! Make a reservation now!

I'm giving this restaurant a 3 star review, because I was disappointed and expected better. The cocktails tasted fine, but they came out warm. Not just "not cold," but literally warm like they had been set out in the sun. The bean dip was tasty, but the toppings for the flan were burnt. They had some vegetarian dishes, but they seemed too simple for the price. One was just "burnt carrots," which appeared to be exactly that- burnt carrots on top of beans. The AC was also broken, and we were sweating. The restaurant is in an up and coming area of downtown Phoenix, but as of now it's still sketchy. If a restaurant is charging over $40 for a plate, you don't expect it to have homeless people washing clothes right out front. Everything was way overpriced. Overall, I would recommend going to El Charro next door if you're looking for a pleasant, hipster Mexican dinner.

What is there to say, I was invited to dinner here, and it set the bar for determining 5 and to spend my time telling others about it. This place will not disappoint. Service, from the hostess, to the service and server assistant, I cannot think of how they could have made it better. Quality of the food, yes, this moved the bar of quality higher than my old scale of quality. Nailed it Ambiance- felt like I was at home in my backyard with a personal chef.

I got to spend a lot of time in AZ in the summer and had been trying to score a table to see what the hype here was all about. No luck in the summer but am back in the winter and was looking for a place to catch up with a friend. I remembered Bacanora the morning of our date and tried checking to see if any reservations were available. No luck there but I had a hunch and I invited my friend to just show up to see if the foodie gods were on our side. We showed up on a Saturday night around 6 pm and the restaurant was full. They told us tables were only available with a reservation, the bar had about a 45 minute wait, but they had a table open outside immediately. We could get full dinner service outside but alcohol was not allowed. My friend doesn't drink alcohol so we agreed to sit outside. Service was friendly and fast. We ordered the cucumber salad, papas al horno, tostada caramelo, carne asada burrito, and champurrado flan. Cucumber salad was reminiscent of Asian smashed cucumber salad. With smashed and refreshing cucumbers but topped with Mexican queso fresco and a delicious salsa. Caramelo was plated in a tostada raspada (not your traditional tostada de maíz. This is a lot lighter and airy) it was topped with frijoles de la olla, perfectly seasoned and charred carne asada, a delicious salsa that had a certain bullion flavor coming through (in a delicious way), onions, cilantro and queso fresco. When I first saw this tostada I thought I would need a second one and truthfully was a title shocked with how regular size it was for the price but it was delicious, and perfectly filling. If you order this make sure you eat fast because the tostada can get soggy. Burrito de carne asada was perfect according to my friend. Papas asadas were ordinarily delicious and the flan was simply flan topped with some sort of chocolate powder. Would probably not order the flan again. I'm looking forward to coming back to experience the indoor vibes, a delicious cocktail, hopefully, and more of their food.

I visited this restaurant due to the current hype. Despite being fully booked for the next month, we showed up right at opening and snagged a table. The server mentioned that main dishes like carne asada and pollo asada feed about 4 people. We ordered papas sucias, ceviche, and carne asada. While they weren't bad, the price and portion size left much to be desired. The server was polite but spoke too softly and rarely checked on us. However, the cocktails and overall ambiance were fantastic. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't be returning.

I never leave reviews, however, Bacanora is truly that outstanding!! Unbelievable food and service every single time.

This place is and has continued to be my favorite restaurant in town. We recently did brunch and it was nothing short of amazing. The food always taste so fresh and delicious and we were treated with great hospitality. The staff has always been amazing and super helpful even if we don't have a reservation. Always a go to if we can get in.! The atmosphere is always a plus!

A long awaited expertise that's was both disappointing and sad. Please read photos below

Baconara never disappoints! I've been here multiple times and every single time I get better service, drinks and I don't know how but the food tastes better and better each time. This is the most authentic Sonoran-style food in Phoenix... if you have not experienced an amazing night here, you are missing out! Put this place on your list of places to dine out and come enjoy some amazing Sonoran-style cuisine that's perfectly presented for you to post on TikTok and IG!!!

Bacanora is one of if not the best restaurant here in the Valley! The menu is carefully curated to show appreciation for their Mexican roots while also switching it up to be a pleasant experience for any one who dines. Their staff took care of my partner and I on our anniversary and made us feel welcomed and celebrated us! I will always recommend them to any of my family and friends as a must try ! If you're on the fence about trying out Bacanora, don't be ! You need to go !