Chisco is a town of just about 500 people located in the central Mexican state of Morelos. It's far from major tourist destinations and not particularly well known, but it appears not only in the name of the restaurant Tacos Chisco, but also on a map of Mexico painted on one of the dining room walls. While Chisco is a tiny place, and Tacos Chisco is a small taqueria, the kitchen within its walls dares to think big in terms of flavors. The result is a compact, focused menu that emphasizes tacos and a few other specialties, including a few distinctive dishes unique here.
cochinita pibil tacos and whole black beans
This is a second branch for Tacos Chisco, building upon an original location in Glendale. The newer Phoenix location is found inside the historic building that once housed the Good Shepherd Home for Wayward Girls and is now part of a shopping center anchored by an Albertson's supermarket. The two-story white structure with arched doorways and ornate details stands out amid the suburban strip malls that surround the 19th Avenue / Northern light rail station. A bike rack is found inside the fenced patio in front of the old school building.
al pastor tacos and elote
A separate patio is designated for Tacos Chisco, a necessity in light of its liquor license. Inside, there's a compact bar and dining room, decorated not only with the Mexican map, but also colorful images of geckos, flowers, leaves, birds, and cacti. Exposed ducts, expansive windows, and high ceilings create a sense of open space that offsets the modest dimensions of the restaurant's interior. Tacos Chisco is full service, creating a slightly more upscale atmosphere than a typical taqueria, yet the restaurant retains an approachable menu and prices.
quesadilla
Chisco offers a basket of fresh chips with two salsas, a medium green or a fiery red, for a charge. Otherwise, customers usually proceed directly to entrees. As expected, tacos are the main attraction here. They're offered in trios with the same filling inside each tortilla with the option to mix-and-match available only as part of taco flight sometimes offered as a special. Filling begin with carne asada. Chisco's version is exceedingly tender and flavorful, although it comes across as something closer to barbacoa in terms of both its taste and texture.
burrito and esquites
Where the restaurant excels is in its preparation of pork fillings for tacos. The cochinita pibil is marinated and braised pork shoulder. The meat is seriously spicy and also tangy from the garnish of pickled onions. The carnitas, described as marinated in citrus and Coca-Cola, are equally impressive. The meat has a bit of crisp bark but still yields at first bite. Like the chicken, it has enough intrinsic flavor that it needs only simple toppings of diced white onion and minced cilantro as toppings. The squeeze bottles of salsa add the possibility of additional heat, though.
tilapia tacos and mashed black beans
A third pork option, al pastor, foregoes the traditional trompo, or vertical spit, but is cooked with fresh pineapple and a guajillo sauce. Two seafood options, both incorporating flour tortillas rather than the usual corn, are grilled tilapia and shrimp. Both are topped with a cabbage slaw and chipotle aioli. Nopal, bits of tangy cactus pads, is a vegetarian taco option. One final choice is quesabirria, made with goat meat and just a bit of cheese, yielding a pair of tacos that stay in more traditional territory without the gooyiness that has become part of the current birria blitz.
quesabirria tacos and consomme
Other formats for the taco fillings include burritos and quesadillas, each incorporating larger flour tortillas. In the burritos, the interior is coated with mashed black beans and cheese before the entire assemblage spends a little time on the griddle. The result is a slightly crisp handheld meal with the ingredients inside melding seamlessly with another another. The quesadilla produces a similar effect but skips the beans and places more emphasis on cheese. Of course, black beans, either whole or mashed, are always available as a side dish with any entree.
fajita bowl with chicken
Corn, served either on the cob as elote or in a cup as esquites, is another worthwhile side. It's seasoned with butter, mayonnaise, lime, cotija cheese, and a dusting of Tajin seasoning. A side of grilled vegetables is not the afterthought it might sound like. It combines squash, peppers, and onions in a generous serving that seems like fajitas meets calabacitas.The same ingredients, along with a layer of mashed beans and a drizzle of crema, can be combined with any taco filling to create a fajita bowl, a light entree for customers who wish to omit tortillas.
flan
A Caesar salad, a dish often forgotten as one of Mexican origin, is another choice for smaller appetites or carbohydrate avoidance. Of course, ordering either the bowl or the salad just leaves more room for dessert. At Chisco, that can take the form of a small puck of airy flan topped with cajeta, a serving of mixed fresh fruit, or a unique signature sweet in the form of a slice of the restaurant's nopal cheesecake. The bits of cactus pads found throughout the creamy cake base are surprisingly successful in complementing the sweet flavor and smooth texture.
horchata
The small bar serves a variety of beer and wine, as well as sangria and margaritas. The restaurant also offers a daily selection of aquas frescas, including popular choices like sandia (watermelon), jamaica (hibiscus), pina (pineapple), cucumber lime, and horchata. While most are served in standard glasses, the last comes in a big vessel full of ice, making it the perfect fire extinguisher after some cochinita pibil. Chisco may be a small town, and the restaurant that bears its name may be a small space, but Tacos Chisco is creating big flavors in a big city.
1820 W. Northern Ave. #140, Phoenix AZ 85021
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