Casa Corazon Restaurant

"Housed in a former church, Javier Verdugo’s lovely Mexican restaurant — which boasts vaulted ceilings, paned windows, and corner frescos — turns out fantastic food with an emphasis on the specialties of Southern Mexico. The menu offers mainstream standbys such as burritos and enchiladas (try the latter enrobed in the restaurant’s famous beet sauce) as well as cochinita pibil, mole, and a wonderful steak Mexicano, served with nopales and onion. Order excellent tacos during Happy Hour, then hit the extensive salsa bar." - Mcconnell Quinn, Chris Malloy, Nikki Buchanan

"Casa Corazón honors traditional dishes by doing everything exactly right — from sourcing the best ingredients to plating every dish with flair. Originally hailing from Puebla and eaten on special occasions, this iconic dish consists of large poblano peppers stuffed with a sweet-savory picadillo of ground pork or shrimp, fruits like apples, pears, and prunes, and nuts. It’s then covered in a creamy walnut sauce infused with sherry and adorned with pomegranate seeds, creating a visually striking representation of the Mexican flag with its green, white, and red components. It’s essential to the Phoenix dining roster." - Mcconnell Quinn

"A popular wedding and events venue, plus a lively Mexican restaurant, Casa Corazon is a surefire hit along the 16th street corridor. The restaurant focuses on southern Mexican cuisine, serving dishes that complement its equally colorful interior. Must-haves include chicken mole poblano, cochinita pibil, and chile en nogada." - Mcconnell Quinn, Eater Staff

"Vaulted ceilings, shiny tiled floors and corner frescos lend an upscale vibe to this pretty, coral-colored restaurant, offering a range of regional specialties such as chicken tinga, cochinita pibil, Veracruz-style fish, and a dripping-in-juices flat-iron steak, served with green bean-like nopales (cactus) that are worth the splurge. Because the menu is extensive, it’s also possible to eat well for less on ceviche tostadas, burritos, enchiladas, gorditas, and the like, including fantastic tacos al vapor, dipped in red chile and lightly steamed. Don’t miss the budget-friendly happy hour or Taco Tuesday." - Nikki Buchanan

"There’s a lot to love at this classy but casual house-turned-restaurant, outfitted with brick walls, handsome tiled floors, corner frescos, and vaulted wooden ceilings. Chips and salsa with a bowl of creamy beans are a complimentary starter, and there’s an excellent salsa bar to spice up all the options on the menu, including taco classics such as carne asada, al pastor, chicharron, chicken, breaded fish, and shrimp, as well as veggie tacos and nopales tacos (grilled cactus pads). Check out the keto-friendly costra de queso — carne asada tucked into a caramelized cheese tortilla — and don’t miss incredible tacos de canasta, the street tacos of Mexico, traditionally kept together in a basket, rendering the corn tortillas soft and supple from the steam." - Nikki Buchanan