Marc L.
Yelp
I found it!
If there was a "4 1/2 stars" I would choose that.
I was ready to give up after moving to Arizona 3 years ago and finding nothing but crappy Mexican food. It is one of the great mysteries of the universe raw why Arizona has such average Mexican food. But this place saved the day. I'd seen it pop up on my social media feed many times, and a former employee told me it was great food so we went.
First, expect to wait. That's a good sign. Even at lunch there was a 30-minute wait and the place was PACKED. Imagine a weekend dinnertime. Also, the place closes at 7 on weekends and 6 other days so it's not a dinner-"hangout" -until 9-eating-chips kinda place.
So this is a basic, family-style, traditional Mexican restaurant. It's not really just Sonoran food (which is the norm in Arizona), but has a sort of Baja-inspired style combined with a bit of a homemade vibe, which results in the kind of family Mexican restaurant you'd find in Southern California. That's excellent.
You'll find the traditional dishes here: chile relleno, various enchiladas, chimichangas and burritos, carne tampiquena, and menudo (certain days). So nothing high-falutin ' just great home-style, chips-and-salsa food.
Speaking of which, the salsa is excellent. It's a thin, cooked, dark red sauce (not the chunky, fresh style) that has a heckuva bite to it. It's tasty and spicy and I love it. The chips are decent, though a bit thick and served cold, but that's a minor gripe.
Mexican restaurants are made by 3 key things: their salsa, their beans, and their rice. Comedor's salsa is a standout, so the beans are next and they don't disappoint. Fresh and creamy with a lot of flavor and the perfect texture thanks to the lard they're cooked in. The flavor is perfect, and I could make a meal with just beans, chips, and salsa. And last, the rice is really good.
Standouts were the chicken enchiladas (the green sauce is to die for), and the chili relleno. Anything with beans was !fantastic, and the carne Tampiquena was notable. Great salsa.
Why not 5 stars? Well, I personally reserve 5 stars for especially noteworthy restaurants, and This place was SOOOO close with Just a few minor things- all my opinion only and almost insignificant. For example, the guacamole was tasteless and starting to brown. My rice was kind of hard and not quite done. The flautas (we call them taquitos in most places) were just bare. No sauce, no cheese, nada. Just the deep-fried rolled tacos and a side of sour cream and guacamole. All these things are minor gripes, which is why it merits 4 1/2 stars.
This place won't change your life, but it's an excellent, comforting, tasty version of all the great Mexican restaurants you've ever been to. Come here with family, or friends, or even a date who loves Mexican food. Nothing fancy and it's in a not-great part of downtown, but it's as good a Mexican restaurant as we've found in Phoenix. Also really good service. Worth it and then some. Really top-notch and I'll be back for sure.