Vecina

This restaurant blew me away; the food here was exceptionally cooked, with quality ingredients. I ordered the limited edition chefs tasting course, and the food was exquisite! You can tell the chef/cook cares about flavor profiles, and incorporates different notes for a well balanced plate. The photos don’t do it justice!! The only thing I’d improve is the seating… felt like casual seating with a high price tag.

Just order everything and share. White bean puree - yes! Salsa Trio - Absolutely, the habanero is delicious. Karaage - YUM! Papas Verde - please! Haramasa Ceviche - when done, pick up the dish and drink the Leche de Tigre. Ask for the Gluten Free menu is you need it!

Overall, the food was pretty good. The empanada was just okay, but the other dishes were quite flavorful and interesting. The short ribs in the white bean puree was particularly noteworthy (the puree was basically hummus, but the meat was delicious). The spicy margarita was mediocre - too much straight up SWEET which overshadowed the subtleties of the other flavors. They have some interesting and unusual red wines which we really liked. The chairs are not particularly comfortable, and our waitress (shoulder length blonde hair) was unsettlingly bubbly. Not in a "wow she sure is cheerful" sorta way, but like "wow, this is a complete charade, she's not actually attempting to connect with me, and I wonder what her actual speaking voice sounds like" sorta way. A very disconcerting social interaction.

It is honestly a toss up of what we enjoyed more…the delicious/creative food or our experience with Blake and friends. From the moment we arrived and were welcomed at the bar (by Blake’s roommate no less!) and introduced to the food experience, it was a delight! Blake made great suggestions off the menu and paced the shared plates at a leisurely pace so that we could relax and thoroughly enjoy the delicious flavors! Certainly the fried banana bread and peanut butter mousse is not to be skipped! Thank you for a fabulous night…until next time!! ❤️

My husband and I are foodies! We like to travel to places, check out places with great reviews and eat amazing food. We traveled to Scottsdale last weekend for our Anniversary and fell in love with Vecina. If I’m being honest, it was our last night in Scottsdale and we had come to expect top notch places with great ambiance and when we pulled in we almost left because of the strip mall feel on the outside. Don’t leave! You walk inside and you can see how much work they have put into this place! We sat outside which we loved. We had the best server who served us amazing food per her recommendations. She was so passionate about the food which in turn made us so excited to dine there. Hurry over to this place before it becomes impossible to get reservations at. We thought less than 300 reviews meant not enough people had tried it yet. Not true. Run to Vecina, it’s fantastic!!

We had a wonderful dinner at Vecina. Everything was fresh and delicious and the service was fast, helpful and so friendly. We had the romaine salad and Elote to start and skirt steak tacos and spicy shrimp with toasted Nobel bread for our main courses. As if that wasn’t enough, we then went on to have their banana bread dessert. So great…. Can’t wait to go back!

On the positive side, the service was very good. Food-wise, I fell for the hype of other reviewers. Food is interesting but was a little disappointing. I should have listened to one review that described it as neither Latin nor American cuisine. As an example. there is a "ceviche" dish that would be better described as "safe-viche" or "not-viche". If you like a loud and pretentious scene...

Wow! Food, outstanding Cocktails, amazing flavor!,; bartenders shake, medle, stir like no other!; definitely makes a difference for flavor! * don't stand around & down talk the other places you have worked! I was impressed with the ( rather young assuming) bartenders & their service until I heard them! Atmosphere simple, which I appreciated! High end area, but not pretentious patrons! Which definitely is inviting !!! Was here for happy hour & definitely will return when in the area!!

One of my go-to recommendations for people who want to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or just being really hungry. The food is tasty, creative, and top notch. The service has never been anything less than stellar. It's a small(ish) place which just makes it all the more cozy in my book. Reservations are recommended.

We live very close and have driven past 100's of times and always have said 'we need to go there'. Well tonight we finally did. Turned up with no reservation and it was pretty full, however they had an outside table that was just being cleaned up so we only had to wait less than 5mins. Host was nice and friendly, as were the wait staff. We were sat at our table and offered the menus and a the drinks list. It was a cool evening so my wife asked if we could have the outside heater beside our table in which was no trouble for them. Several other tables had their heaters going as well. Ordered several items - the empanadas, the Brussel sprout salad, white bean and short rib and the mussels. All were delicious and of good size to share - tapas style certainly helps you not overeat! We went with a beer each tonight instead of wine and it was just right. They have several beer options on draught/tap and several can/bottle choices as well. Wine list varies in price and offered a per glass or by the bottle option. All in all, this place is very popular, as it was packed by 6pm - obviously is a local Arcadia favourite with the locals. And rightly so - it was great. Was finally nice to get and try it as we had wanted to for a long time. If you like mModern American with a South American flair, then I would definitely give Vecina a try!

Very good overall. Salsa trio-meh, have had better. My husband ordered a cocktail and it was just sweet on sweet. The good: we also had the Brussels sprout salad, it was excellent, the little bits of crunch and sweetness from the corn things and the dates made it great! The papas fritas dish was excellent! The green chorizo was delicious and not spicy at all. They were crispy and delicious . The carnitas empanada was my favorite! It was super crispy and fresh and the pickled red onions went great with it. I was in love with the freshness of the orange sauce! Service-we sat at the bar so it was quick and polite. They had 3 bartenders and a pretty large interior space that could hold a lot. The only big downside was a huge group came in that didn't have reservations and were all dressed in costumes. More and more people kept showing up and they got very loud. That however is not in the venues control, so no points off for that. We will definitely be coming again!!

Vecina has been on my list for SO LONG and we finally made it last night to celebrate our anniversary. I tried to make a reservation mid afternoon (last minute I know!), but they do not accept them within two hours. I was beyond that window, but I know they opened at four, so figured that may be part of why. Regardless, we thought we would go for it, as it was just the two of us and we were feeling lucky on this weekday night! They do have a less than ideal parking situation, as they share a very small lot with their neighbor, but do also permit parking across the street, which we were able to take advantage of. I always appreciate when businesses list additional options for limited parking, and as they are in the Arcadia area, this was definitely to be expected. I am not sure exactly what the wait was, but we were able to snag two bar seats, which worked out perfectly! The space itself is beautiful. They have an amazing, colorful floral mural on the wall with lots of wood accents and pops of blue. The bar itself was also comfortable enough even though every seat was taken! The bartender promptly got our beverage order and we opted for two of their specialty house cocktails: Eat a Peach & Peruvian Pan Flute. The Eat a Peach was a whiskey forward with beer float and the Pan Flute was more floral with pisco. Both were very good, but neither were stand out or repeats for us. I definitely look forward to trying some of their other cocktail offerings, or if you prefer wine, they had an extensive wine list being a Latin influence tapas bar. Now to the food. Every single dish we had was phenomenal, truly. We opted to share the: White bean puree with short rib, Spanish chorizo mussels, hiramasa ceviche and their pork belly tacos. The quality of ingredients, the flavors, the presentation, all of it was 5/5. We equally loved everything and would order it all again. Honestly, everything from the flour tortillas to the jalapeno lime broth in the mussels to the crunchy bread from Noble, the peanut crusted pork belly, it was all insane. I do not think I have any other words to describe it. I did not think it could get any better, but then we got the banana bread for dessert. I did not know banana bread could be SO GOOD. It had a mezcal caramel with a pistachio coconut cookie crumble paired with a peanut butter mousse. It was so buttery and delicious, I will be dreaming of it. In addition, the Vecina team perfectly timed everything so we were not overstuffed with plates and we were able to indulge and enjoy each dish. They were so friendly and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. This will definitely be on our rotation for date night moving forward.

I have been wanting to try this spot and we were finally able to get a reservation! The parking lot is small so if you can Uber, I'd recommend that. Very cozy, intimate environment. Our server was incredible - I think his name was Brian (not positive). He gave us recommendations on food and drink, stirred us away from anything that he didn't feel like fit with the other items, and coursed our food perfectly. There is a full bar and cocktail menu but the wine list needs to be highlighted! I was in awe with how many wines, the regions, and types they had by the bottle and the glass. Our favorite items were the mussels and the empanada! The mussels were so fresh, large in size, and came in a sauce that was a bit spicy. The empanada was perfectly cooked and the meat inside was so tender. The only item we didn't like were the wagyu tacos that were on special. The meat was way overcooked and slightly burnt. But other than that, we had a great experience. Highly recommend! Would definitely go again.

Pretty tasty but the egg whites were not all the way cooked and there was very little pork (and some of the pieces of meat were tough). For 19 dollars I expected more from this dish, Pork chiliquiles. Expensive for what I was served. Service was good. Clean restaurant. Lively bar scene.

My niece was visiting from Boston, and I wanted to treat her to real Latin-inspired food, the kind only found in the Southwest. After asking a reliable source, a local chef, I made reservations. The space is small, the vibe is modern, and the noise level is my only complaint: it is too loud! The food, however, delivered all the flavor! My niece enjoyed the stellar steak tacos, I loved the Elote. The hesitation I might have in returning is the noise level and crowded space. Not sure yet if it is worth a return trip, I feel like it is so pessimism aside, for sure will go again.

So good! Sat at the bar and even though they were busy, the bartenders were very attentive. Whoever had the aux cord, 10000% fire. The ceviche was my fav. Perfect for date night

I had to update my review for Vecina to 5 stars after this past visit. I went to celebrate a new job and the staff were above and beyond amazing! They brought us some champagne to toast without us even asking - they had just overheard us chatting about it. I also tried the ceviche, which was fabulous, the gambas al ajillo, also stellar, and the adobo pork chop which was the best cooked pork I've had in forever. The pork belly tacos are still soooo fantastic I literally crave them. This is such a great spot for a special occasion. The food is truly a step above and the staff make you feel like they genuinely care. It is a tight fit, so I recommend this place for parties of 6 or less unless you make a special reservation. It also gets pretty loud as well because it is a small space, but it's super intimate and I love the lighting. The drinks were also better than I remember this time around so def don't skip a marg. Thank you, Vecina! I can't wait to come back for more pork belly tacos.

Absolutely a wonderful experience! Great food, great service, great relaxed environment, I will be back!

Came here on a rec from a doctor buddy of mine and actually brought her to dinner here before I flew back to Houston. It's a great, quaint, little latin American joint. They have a great specialty drink menu with lots of interesting flavors. Shame I don't drink, they looked just amazing. It's small plate share style, at least what we had was. But the flavors? Man the flavors are amazing. They also have this little dessert they end up doing rotations on. It's sorta fried ice cream on a Mexican pastry. This occasion it was strawberry. Thankfully it was the end of the month so I was able to splurge and try it! I don't get to Phoenix often, but I will make sure to come back should I be in town.

Vecina - A Gluten-Free Gem with Layered Flavors and Classy Ambiance After hearing rave reviews about Vecina, I decided to see what all the buzz was about, particularly their renowned salmon tacos. Specifically, I tried the *Faroe Island Salmon Tacos* with Yuzu Kosho Aioli, Seasonal Citrus, Toasted Peanut, and Corn Tortilla. The combination of flavors was nothing short of spectacular, with the rich and fresh taste of the salmon perfectly complemented by the bright citrus and subtle heat from the Yuzu Kosho Aioli. The texture of the toasted peanut added a delightful crunch that made every bite interesting. In addition to the tacos, I also tried the *Karaage*, which, despite the menu not explicitly stating it, is a Japanese-style fried chicken. As someone who follows a gluten-free diet, finding fried chicken that I can enjoy is a rare treat, making this dish an absolute delight. It was crispy on the outside, yet tender and juicy on the inside, with a balanced flavor that had just the right amount of seasoning without being overwhelming. What truly sets Vecina apart is its impressive gluten-free menu. As someone who appreciates gluten-free options, I was thrilled to see such a wide array of dishes to choose from without compromising on flavor or quality. The thoughtfulness in crafting these dishes is evident, and the result is food that is not only accommodating but also incredibly flavorful and satisfying. Beyond the food, the ambiance of Vecina adds to the overall experience. The restaurant has a classy and inviting atmosphere, making it a perfect spot for a nice dinner out. Whether you're gluten-free or just a lover of good food, Vecina is definitely worth a visit.

We started with drinks- some peach drink with an IPA, and a Paloma. Both great. Appetizer was the Karaage- a stacked chicken tender type food with amazing sauce. awesome, I almost licked the plate, until I remembered where I was Main course, Adobo Duroc Pork Chop, I gnawed on the bone like a dog. I'm gonna lick the plate, I don't care... Dessert is a banana bread Carmel Peanut butter Mousse. The banana bread was better than my wife's. She's gonna kill me for saying that, but it's true. The peanut butter mousse was so smooth and yummy, so dessert was a peanut butter and banana. If you know, you know. We ate on the patio. A very relaxing, chill place to eat. It was chilly outside, but their heaters made our dinner most comfortable. The restaurant was clean, modern, and inviting. Our tour guide was Sarah. She had great recommendations, and her happy, bubbly personality made the experience that much more enjoyable. Long story short, highly recommended.

No salt and pepper is needed on the table when all of the food you order is seasoned beautifully. The dishes are gorgeous and taste even better than they look. The server was attentive but not overbearing, the ambiance was enjoyable, music not too loud. The patio provided one of the best views in the valley. The salsas in the trio appetizer, I could eat those on a flip flop. The broccoli dish is a must! I can't wait to come back and try the other menu items.

Location: 4.5 STARS The location is great! The restaurant has multiple tables. We didn't need a reservation on a Wednesday night but it did start getting busy after 7:30. Parking is kinda limited up front. Not sure if you're able to park on the other side. Ambiance is kinda romantic with dark lightning. The music was top tier. They had on all the Latin bangers. Service: 5 STARS Our waitress was really nice, friendly and attentive. She checked on us multiple times and made suggestions to the menu and was very helpful with drinks. Food: 4 STARS the food was tasty but not everything we tried was worth coming back for. Elote: 4.5 STARS - great! Creamy, roasted! I really like the green sauce on the plate. Brussel sprouts: 3 STARS - we were warned that this was in salad form. It was a bit hard to eat because it was basically like shredded cabbage. It was also dry. Just felt like it needed more dressing Ceviche: 4 STARS - I liked this plate but I felt like it was missing some spice or more fish. Empanada: 5 STARS - this one was a fave of the night. It comes with one empanada but it's large enough to share Pork belly tacos: 5 STARS - these were delicious. The pork belly was very tender.

Great food and good sized portions. Service was excellent and cocktails were solid. I would definitely recommend this place for a date night. I highly recommend the karaage for an appetizer!

Great food and ambience. I felt like I was in a Cancun resort, to be specific Xcaret (iykyk). Service was excellent as well. I definitely recommend

Vecina was great! With tapas and ordering many plates, I feel like you're bound to come across something you don't like very much, but we really enjoyed all our dishes. The pork chop was fantastic. It was cooked well, with a good crisp/char on the outside and I liked the sauce with it (though the pork chop itself was delicious so not needed). I'm not normally one for salmon in tacos but the dish looked popular online, so I had to try, and I'm glad I did! The salmon was SO tender and oily, which I like. As for the ceviche, I understand people's comments about the sauce being more curry like than ceviche. For me, I really like coconut and am not a huge fan of traditional ceviche, so I loved this dish! I actually dipped the chicken karaage in the ceviche sauce too. I'm a big fan of Japanese food so I was skeptical about seeing chicken karaage on this menu. This also did not disappoint! Very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Liked the sauce on this dish a lot too. The service was pretty standard. Our waitress was friendly and they were very apologetic when our reservation was slightly delayed (the people before us stayed longer than anticipated). Dishes coming out were paced well and it was nice that they frequently refreshed plates and silverware due to the variety of foods we had. The restaurant itself was small but cute - a little intimate and dim lit spot for a date night. Only commentary on the location would be that the parking lot is small, so we had to wait a bit to squeeze into a spot.

We came here last night for dinner as a party of four. The food and service were great. I loved the empanada and pork belly tacos the most. The broccoli appetizer was also quite good. They tell you when you sit down that it's a tapas style restaurant. Tapas happen to be my husband and I favorite cuisine, but after moving to Phoenix, we haven't found very many restaurants that have real tapas. These dishes were definitely not tapas as the way they were served, made them nearly impossible to share. Definitely great, but just keep in mind that it really isn't a true tapas style restaurant if that's what you're looking for.

We had a large group for a bachelorette & Vecina was the perfect choice! The service was impeccable & so helpful in guiding us through the menu. They are primarily a tapas style restaurant, and we loved getting to share dishes while exploring a good portion of the menu!

This is a spot we often bring out of town guests too. The thing is - I like the appetizers not the entrees. We get the karaage, short rib, salsa trio, shrimp dish and guacamole. And always end with both the concha and banana bread We've had the elote, Brussels, tacos, empanadas, ceviche dishes and never enjoyed them. The drinks are good but they had a really refreshing one that came in a jarritos clay cup and it was fabulous. It had pineapple in it. So refreshing.

Spectacular! We went to Vecina for our anniversary dinner... and felt the love from start to finish from the Vecina team! So much delicious food and drink - we arrived hungry... and we left with full bellies and big smiles! I love that they offer a gluten-free menu... and can make many items on the menu in a gluten-free way! Some recommendations: Karaage - excellent! Papas Verde - extremely excellent! Paloma - liquid excellence! Note that parking can be a bit tough during the typical busy times... so plan to arrive a little early if you have reservations. Gluten-free rating: *****FIVE STARS***** Overall rating: *****FIVE STARS*****

Service : 5 stars . Our sever is amazing , giving us recommendations and checking on us all the time. Very pleasant lady. Ambiance; 5 stars , love the modern design and it's not loud at all. Feels cozy Price : 4 stars - reasonable Food : what stood out : Ceviche. My favorite is ceviche! That I can truly recommend Salmon is a little too fishy for my taste. It's okay but won't order again Elote - there is a sour taste to it which my palate doesn't agree with it. The dressing avocado lime is great. Will not order this again Concha - not good. Tastes weird. And too expensive for what it is. Will I go back? Maybe. But next time I'll try other food items. Ceviche is a must order again . P.s I hope you have more vegetarian options . I brought a guest from out of town , he is vegetarian, not a lot of option sadly.

The place has a delicious smell from down the road. Cocktails were tasty and very imaginative. The karaage was delicious. The mussels with shaved jalapeños and chorizo were excellent. The steak tacos were a very nice treat with a good dose of spice. Service was top notch. Questions were answered and suggestions were made. Waitress was absolutely sweet. There's nice seating both inside and out. Can't wait to get back soon.

Cute spot and energy. Food is delicious. Drinks are yummy. Service is great! Definitely check it out.

Everything was spot on from the minute we walked in! Sweet hostess, our waitress was friendly and gave us a couple of great recommendations. The pork belly tacos were amazing as well as the salmon tacos. Our strawberry ice cream sandwich was delicious too! Very cute inside and the patio was nice as well. Located in a strip mall but once you walk in you would never know!

Great ambiance! Great intimate & cozy setting! Chips and salsa were solid with 3 different spice levels. My favorite had to be the Cruda; had a hint of sweetness and didn't burn my palates! It's the green one in case you're looking at the pictures haha! I didn't care for the HIramasa Ceviche since I felt the coconut flavors were over-powering. Almost like I was eating curry instead of ceviche. My entree was the Carnitas Empanada, which was cooked to perfection! It had crispy shell wrapped and within was warm and moist carnitas! The manchego brought a cream bite while the salsa gave it an extra pop with two different options served with the entree.

I can't say enough good things about Vecina! It's the first time I had been there. The food and drinks were delicious! The vibe was excellent, very comfortable and laid back. Our waitress was outstanding! We followed all of her recommendations and loved everything. She was so knowledgeable about the food, drinks, and tequila. The manager was very kind. She introduced herself and shook our hands which I appreciated and doesn't happen enough these days. Everyone there was very attentive. My guests were equally as impressed. I will definitely be going back. Highly recommend!

Vecina is definitely a spot I'd return to with friends or for date night! It's an elevated, modern, Latin American inspired dining experience. We dined in on a Friday night, and thankfully we're seated right away. The vibe was intimate and perfect for date night, yet there were also some families enjoying their meal there, too. We ordered the white bean purée, ceviche (MP was about $28), skirt steak tacos, and the carnitas empanada. All were delicious! My partner loved the white bean purée and tacos, while my favorites were the ceviche and empanada. I especially loved the the coconut leche de tigre and grilled pineapples that came with the ceviche. The plate had a balanced mix of fresh, herbaceous, subtly sweet, and tart. I also really loved the texture on the empanada - crispy on the edges, with super tender pork in the middle. Each bite was slightly sweet with mild and spicy salsas that complemented the flavor very well. Way to elevate a comfort food classic. I would order this as takeout if I wanted to treat myself in a weeknight after work. (Yes I know it's like 20-something dollars, but I don't care!!) Our server Blake was a delight, very knowledgeable about how menu items paired, and very friendly and attentive. He rounded out this dining experience well. Hope to return soon!

Where can I start, first of all we were greeted by Samantha super nice and had a huge smile. The food was really good we all enjoyed the meal and they have Happy Hour every day from 4-6. Our waitress Ana was very good with recommendations. The ambiance is great no loud music we were all able to have a civil conversation it like other restaurants that you can't. Definitely will be back.

If you live in Arcadia Vecina is a must. The ambience is amazing, the service is great the food is incredible. I highly recommend the white bean purée with short rib is the real deal. They always have a wonderful happy hour house red and they make a heck of a Paloma. I have been here several times and it has been excellent every time.

Valley Supper club meeting #5! I don't even know where to start. Everything was so perfect. So remarkably perfect that I'm practically at a loss for words. Our monthly dinner club booked the 14 top table for an evening of great food, drinks and fun. Sarah was AMAZING. She called the week before and we set up a menu together. She's just the best. We arrived and were promptly seated. And who took care of us ? You guessed it! Sarah. She did have help and everyone at Vecina is just stellar. Folks, this is how a restaurant should run! I cannot say enough good things. Amazing. Wow. Phenomenal!!!

What an amazing restaurant. To start, the service was 12/10. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were knowledgeable on the menu, made our drinks quickly, and engaged in conversation. The food was really out of this world. We had a few different items including the skirt steak tacos, carnitas empanada, elote, and more. The real show stopper was the ceviche seen in the photo attached paired with a Pisco cocktail (must have). The simple yet modern ambiance provided a laid back experience. Although the restaurant was PACKED, I could still hear my own voice and hold a conversation without needing to yell. Highly recommend if you are even questioning the prospect of coming here.

I've been here multiple times and the food and service is great! I recently went for my birthday with a group of 5 and everyone loved their meals. I did the online reservation which was additionally confirmed the day before by text. I always get the Karaage appetizer which is delicious! We split it between 3 of us, along with other items and it was a good portion size. They have an additional allergy menu that is very detailed and easy to navigate

The service was perfect. The food was so flavorful and presented like a masterpiece. When my son and I arrive at 8:30 on a Thursday night, everything was laid back and easy. We walked in and sat right down. The Salmon tacos were out there for this world. They had a perfect combo of flavor, texture and presentation.

The food was very tasty. The service was very great! The music was great This desert was delicious

Cute, trendy spot with some good eats. We got the white bean purée and papas verdes from the HH menu and the papas were my favorite. While all of the items on the white bean dish were delicious on their own, I didn't care too much for it all together and the tortilla felt more like a pita bread than a flour tortilla. We then ordered the brussels salad which was tasty but dry, and then the ceviche which was different but good. The coconut milk really gave it a beautiful flavor and the fish was fresh. I can't remember the name of my drink but it was also pretty tasty. To end things, we were offered a key lime pie for dessert but sadly when we ordered it we were late told it wouldn't be ready for another few hours so we left craving dessert. Would come back again to try something different:

Great food variety , Ribeye was exceptional. Small dessert selection but good. Employees were very friendly and helpful on wine and food selections. Sloane was very helpful and nice, she made our dinner even better. Would highly recommend. Parking lot small but you can park east of location at design shops that are closed.

Eager! This restaurant really knows how to serve. They are very on top of every little detail. Your water glass must never have to dip lower than an inch. I prefer maybe a little more space as I was trying to catch up with friends from out of town. But more service is definitely better than less. We got there just in time for HH (goes til 6). And they have both drink and dinner specials available on HH. My 3 person party shared few items. The Brussel sprouts were recommended from a friend. It was kind of like a big, vinegar based, coleslaw salad (it's large and was easy to split between 3 people). The rib tacos came with 2 but they have the option to add a 3rd with an upcharge. I think I was most pleasantly surprised by the bean purée. It included some really fragrant herbs that were delicious. I would have never thought to order that. Also, I had never experienced karaage (Japanese fried chicken). So delicious, some really interesting flavor profiles. We also got the dip trio and chips but I would probably skip those next time and order something new and exciting. I am eager to try this place again!

High end latin fusion. We had a lot of different things and everything was good. Drinks are on point.

The draw here was the inventive gluten free/vegan menu options in addition to a standard menu, including dessert. GF dessert! We found very little compromise in what we wanted to order. Our server, Alaina, was EXCEPTIONAL. Witty and attentitive with great recommendations and substitutes, she helped us make a birthday celebration special and was a great part of the overall experience. The restaurant made space for us indoors when our patio reservation became unavailable due to a storm. The dining space is modern and beautiful but quite loud. If you're looking for a place to have a conversation over dinner, maybe stay outdoors.

Been here twice now. It's almost impossible to love everything we ordered. From the appetizers, to the small plates and the entrees, evert one of them was delicious. Great service and ambiance as well. Its truly a hidden gem and one of my favorite restaurants in town!

Came to dinner here last week and had a mostly great experience! Tried the salsa trio, papas Verde, elote, skirt steak tacos and the carnitas empanada. (Stress on empanada, and not empanadaS...this is an $18, single empanada!!) The food was great, but we thought the prices for the portions was a bit high, which we found to be an issue across a half-dozen meals in PHX and Scottsdale over a four-day weekend. We also noted that at Vecina, like other restaurants in this area, no amount of pleading with servers got businesses to attend to us *less*. In other words, a server was standing at our table every few minutes asking for our order or if we needed more drinks, etc. I would have been fine with less attention, but that just wasn't in the cards for us during this meal!! Would definitely go back; drinks were great, too.

This is the second time I have been here and Vecina truly is an excellent restaurant. Both times we have sat outside but since the weather has been perfect, it felt great - especially when the heaters kick on when the cool desert nights hit. The service is exceptionally strong and the food orders came out right away. I recommend ordering a bunch of small plates to share as you get to taste through the menu. Our first round consisted of Guacamole and the salsa trio, the White Bean Puree, and finally, the Karaage. I absolutely loved the White Bean Puree and the Karaage (lightly fried chicken strips) were the hit of the night. We debated making a second order of the Karaage. The second round was the Hiramasa Ceviche, the Gambas al Ajillo, and the Faroe Island Salmon tacos. OMG! The perfectly cut center loin of the salmon is amazing. These tacos are killer and I highly recommend getting one taco per person. We finished with their signature dessert, the Concha. This was easily split 5 ways. I will be back soon!

This place is right down the street from me and I finally got to try it last night.. definitely a new go to for me! The menu style is more tapas and meant for sharing, so we went with that concept and shared a bunch of food. White bean puree w/crispy short rib which was served with a warm tortilla - loved everything about this dish. It was light and not heavy at all which was a nice surprise for short rib. Romaine - our sever explained this as a spicy Mexican Caesar and that's exactly what it tasted like.. definitely my new favorite salad. Elote - great flavor and had a tiny kick. Always love me some elote! Gambas al Ajillo - sauteed shrimp served with noble bread. This had a decent kick to it (I can't handle too much spice but still love it) and was delicious with the bread. Duroc pork belly tacos - maybe my favorite dish of the night. Their homemade tortillas make it feel a little lighter.. so much flavor in the pork belly and definitely a must! Carnitas empanada - this was quite tasty but I wish it had more crunch on the outside. Adobo duroc pork chop - SO much flavor here.. sadly I was getting full so only had a little but but the pork was cooked to perfection and is a great dish for sharing. After all that, we ended with the banana bread for dessert and while it seems a little random, it was incredibly delicious. It came nice and warm and served with peanut butter mousse - how can you go wrong here!? I've been dreaming about it since and I'm already planning my next visit specifically for this dish!

In a word: Underwhelming. I was quite looking forward to Vecina based upon the reviews but unfortunately it didn't even come close to hitting the mark for me. There were some good things so I'll start with those. The Good Service: The server was attentive, helpful, and friendly. The food was paced well. Barbacoa Short Rib: This dish was very flavorful and was my favorite of the evening by a long shot. The beer list is fantastic: if you love craft beer you'll appreciate the list. Several options from local giants AZ Wilderness and Wren House too. Ambiance: It's a really good looking restaurant. The Not-So-Good: The rest of the food: I'll list these one by one. Karaage (recommended by the server): These were good chicken tenders. That's it. For $17, you get a 4 piece from Chick-Fil-A essentially. I assumed there'd be something special about the chicken based upon the recommendation but nope. Just chicken tenders which is not my idea of something to order at a nice restaurant. Salmon tacos (recommended by the server): I really didn't like these. I want to use the H word. For $22 you get two tacos, each topped with about 1 oz of salmon and what tasted like 1 lb. of citrus. It was all pineapple, grapefruit, and heavy seasoning which i thought was a curry due to it's punch. Apparently it's a blackening seasoning. I tasted the salmon on it's own as well and it was not enjoyable. It tasted like Keta salmon but I have no way of knowing the type. Sonoran Pasta Gemelli (recommended by the server): For $28 you get a couple of forkfuls of really below average pasta. See my picture for the serving size. This was half of it. There was nothing good about this dish. There were chunks of onion the same size as the pasta in the dish so you never knew if you were about to take pasta or straight onion. I guess the surprise is part of the experience. Value: You might be able to tell by my previous comments, I was very unimpressed by the value. $16 cocktails, $10 beers, $22 tacos, $30 pastas, and $20 tapas plates. It'd be one thing if the food knocked my socks off but you can see it did not. A lot of people seem to enjoy the food here. Maybe I caught a bad night but I don't see why I'd go back to find out.

Officially my favorite restaurant in Phoenix. I have NEVER tasted food so good in my life. This is speaking from a couple that goes out to eat multiple times a week. The Papas Verdes were an explosion of flavor , the ceviche was sooo fresh and delightful and the Shrimp was AMAZING. The staff was extremely attentive and the vibes we immacualte. The music was soooo good. I was here to celebrate my birthday and my favorite song on all time from Bad Bunny came out. It was sign that this restaurant will be come a regular for us. Cannot wait till the next time we go !!!

What's a hidden gem. Great service, good foods, great ambiance. I love how their foods are different than places out here

This place cannot be beat-it's the best and a hidden local gem. They make some of the best margaritas in town. Food and service are always on point. Elena takes the best care of us. We have a baby, so we go for happy hour typically, and we go there often. Karaage chicken Short rib with white bean Salsa trio- love the spicy habanero one Salmon tacos- I won't come here without eating the salmon tacos Short rib tacos - husband loves them, never tried Ribeye- rivals if not better than Bacaranora. 10/10- we love this place and are regulars and so is our one year old.