James Beard Semi-Finalists Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin bring you Cocina Chiwas, a nouveau take on classic Chihuahuan cuisine. Located at the Northwest corner of Culdesac, a beautiful and passionate walkable community in Tempe, Arizona. Cocina Chiwas is a chef driven Mexican Restaurant with delicious food, cocktails and an intoxicating atmosphere. Family owned and operated we invite you to come in and enjoy our large patio and a new take on Mexican cuisine.
Cocina Chiwas reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.
Overall ratings and reviews
Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant
4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
4.8Food
4.6Service
4.5Ambience
4.4Value
Noise • Moderate
Loved For
East Valley
Best Food
East Valley
Innovative
Review summary
AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cocina Chiwas offers "exceptional food and service," with a "stellar" menu featuring inventive, flavorful dishes. Although some diners experienced seating delays, the vibrant atmosphere and open kitchen provide a lively dining experience. Guests rave about the birria quesadilla and ribeye aguachile. With imaginative cocktails and a welcoming vibe, it's a "hidden gem" worth visiting.
50 Reviews
P
Paul VIP
Phoenix25 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 9, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
We always enjoy this place, food and staff and will return!
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T
Tom VIP
New York City5 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 7, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 4
Ambience 4
Innovative and delicious modern Mexican cuisine. My favorite was the burrata salad with roasted squash in the place of tomatoes.
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d
drock4769
Denver10 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 28, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Food was Amazing. Service was Exceptional. And portions were Huge !! We will be back.
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T
Tara
Phoenix1 review
3.0
Dined on February 23, 2025
Overall 3
Food 5
Service 1
Ambience 3
Food is stellar but pricey for the amount. Drinks are average. Service depends on who is helping you. We arrived for our reservation ten minutes before. The hostess took several minutes to acknowledge us and even then did not seat us (even though the table we eventually sat at was empty this entire time). Instead she walked away to go take orders from two tables. Another employee eventually came over (now ten minutes past our reservation time) and finally seated us. This second employee was in training -they should be hired!
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C
Charles
Phoenix10 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 23, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
Absolutely outstanding food and service! Amazing! Music is a little too loud for conversation. This place is not to be missed.
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E
Evelyn
New York City12 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 21, 2025
Overall 4
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
The restaurant was full to the last seat on a Wednesday- we had a nice table and our server was very helpful. We tried a variety of vegetarian and meat dishes which were outstanding. Also took a très leches carrot cake to go which turned out great (though was a little overly moist at the bottom). The kitchen uses a smoker which at times made the dining room (kitchen open to dining area) a bit too smoky. The area lacks parking which is a developer error not the restaurants. There is an overflow parking but signs say it closes at 8pm (but did not … we took the risk) would be good to have that aligned with restaurant hours for ease of mind. Would definitely recommend Covina Chiwas and come back to try more of the amazing food
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J
Jim
Denver6 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 16, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
The chef is inventive, and new tasty dishes are added regularly , if the whole fish is available, order it!
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F
Frank VIP
Phoenix18 reviews
3.0
Dined on February 16, 2025
Overall 3
Food 4
Service 4
Ambience 3
Great food, very eclectic and up scale. Although we had reservations through Open Table for inside seating, we were seated at the bar. It was not expected, but still turned out fine. Good experience
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C
Chris
Phoenix2 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 14, 2025
Overall 4
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Food, service and ambience were very nice. Seating outside on a cold, drizzly night was less than optimal. There were open tables inside during our entire visit and I had made every effort to reserve an inside table through Open Table. Next time will call to ensure that we are at an inside table.
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C
Claude VIP
Montreal22 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 7, 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
excellent food and service. innovative approach to various plates.
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FAQs
Cocina Chiwas is rated 4.7 stars by 50 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.