Sonora Mesquite Grill

I had lunch here last Thursday. I ordered the Taco Platter (carne asada). It was not the best Mexican I ever had, but it was a very good and fast lunch. The staff was very friendly. I will definitely stop in next time I am in that area.

Save ayour Money go somewhere else :)
First, I want to start with the fact that the food was not good. The food did not taste good and it was overly priced. The service was horrible. The cashier tried to charge me for extra guacamole when I thought it came with my shrimp nachos. They gave me this little small guacamole cup and charged me 2.50 insane. I will pay that if I wen to a fancy restaurant but not this restaurant.
I went to this restaurant because of the good reviews it had. But let me tell you this people have not tasted real good mexican food. I will never go back or recommend it to anyone.

My coworker and I ate here twice during the weekend we were in Phoenix. This place looks like a little nothing hole-​in-​the-​wall, but the food is absolutely fabulous. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because the guy running the cash register refused to give Alex a receipt (which he needed to get reimbursed for work) because he paid cash. He asked twice and was told both times that IT IS THEIR POLICY NOT TO GIVE RECEIPTS TO CASH CUSTOMERS. Something hinky is definitely going on here.
Alex ordered the carne asada burrito both times and was thrilled both times. He went on and on about how good it was. I tried the barbacoa burrito, and it was really good. They gave me generous amounts of perfectly spiced tender juicy barbacoa meat, rice, beans, veggies, and salsa. We ordered chips and salsa and they gave us a generous basket full of chips and ore than one kind of salsa.
This place has SERIOUSLY good food, even if their business accounting practices are a little shady.

Found this place on Unilocal and we couldn’t have agreed more with the reviews. This is a tiny hole in the wall next to an asian massage «R&T». I could have driven by this place hundreds of times and never seen it. Ignore the tacky décor, because this place has some of the best carne asada in Phoenix. Start with the chips and salsa and you will see that this isn’t your regular taco shop.
We tried the carne asada tacos, carne asada burrito and the chips and guacamole. All delicious. The carne asada is tender and full of flavor. Guacamole and salsas are so fresh and tasty that you will run thru your chips in no time.
We have been to Sonora Grill now a few times and I am just getting around to my review. I think that says it all. Sonora Grill is a must!

Pretty good food for a decent price.
I had a @groupon for $ 16, and was able to feed two people with it.
Their salsa selection is pretty good, too.

And yet another delicious hidden gem found thanks to Unilocal!
My parents and I were vacationing in Scottsdale, and my mother had a certain suspicion that Arizona would be home to some damn good Mexican food. After a little research, I stumbled upon Sonora Mesquite Grill, and we made the trip out for a quick dinner. (Note: Not really a dinner place, def more like a quickie lunch hour ambiance) We started out with chips and salsa, but don’t knock off my credibility here – it isn’t your typical chain restaurant fare. There’s 3 different salsas (we also got guac which was phenomenal), each with a distinct flavor but all DELICIOUS.
As for entrees, it’s a bit like chipotle, formatting wise. You choose whether you want a burrito, tacos, bowl, etc., and I, of course, ended up with the carne asade burrito. It came out very hot, with the tortilla perfectly toasted and the carne asade was seasoned very well, without having an overwhelming taste. My parents got the tacos which were also very good.
I wish I could eat here more often!

I was in town to visit relatives last Saturday, and we wanted to find a great Mexican restaurant within a 4 mile radius. It is fun to do Unilocal exploration in new cities. Sonora Mesquite Grill is the one that came up with the highest ratings.
Now to the food… incredible!!! I had the carne asada taco, and my relatives had the carne asada burro and a quesadilla. The 3 hot sauces were very diverse and flavorful — not cliché hot for the sake of hot. The mother of the owners, and the person who prepares and cooks all of the food, came over to talk to us. We were so glad she did. She is a health-​conscious artisan meistro of the Sonoran kitchen.
She is originally from Nogales, and is true to the authentic Sonoran recipes. Incredibly, she hand makes all of the salsas, tortillas, chips, carne asada, etc… EVERY MORNING with only natural, non-​preservative ingredients. Everything is fresh — daily, which is an incredible amount of work. And you can taste it in the quality of the food. You don’t walk away feeling bloated. The quality of the ingredients is apparent in every bite. She is very proud of the quality and authenticity of her food.
I was born and raised in Phoenix, so I should know a bit about Mexican food. My parents are going to be bringing their friends back to this jewel of a restaurant in a city filled with unsatisfying imitations.

The BF and I went here for lunch today because we had a living social deal that was expiring next week, so we needed to eat here pronto. Anyway, I was really looking forward to the ‘amazing’ carne asada. We ordered at the counter, I got the carne asada burrito, the BF got barbacoa tacos and we got a side of guac. The guac came out with three other salsas and some seemingly home made chips. The chips were good, as was the guac. The red and green salsas were too watery and not very flavorful. The chunky salsa with onion and peppers was very tasty, so I was excited for the meal. Unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. I thought both the barbacoa and the carne was bland and too chewy. Both meals were in desperate need of salsa to make them taste like something. Pretty disappointing. The beans and rice were alright, but not enough to go back.
PS although the people who worked there were nice, the lady at the counter complained to me that they don’t make any money with LS deals… Sorry, but I thought that was unprofessional. No one forced them to participate in the deal.

One of my goals coming into Phoenix was to find a great, local Mexican or Latin-​influenced place for lunch one day. Mission accomplished.
I got a two-​taco combo with horchata. For one, I picked up the apparently legendary carne asada, and the other, barbacoa. The combo comes with a side of rice and beans. I even got guac on the side, and there was three more salsas coming with my meal. So maybe I did pay $ 12 for lunch, but… holy cow.
I knew I was in for a good time when I sampled the rice. It’s wonderful with a bit of fresh cilantro and lime will do to a side dish. I turned my attention to the beans, and they were also not overlooked; what’s the secret ingredient? Bacon fat? Salt pork? Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed the beans.
The horchata I got with my meal was excellent! They use more cinnamon than I’m used to, but it wasn’t hyper-​sweet and was just what I needed on another 100 degree day.
The tacos were fresh, served with a lime, and perfect. I liked the barbacoa since it had a nice flavor from the marinade, but the carne asada was the star of this meal; not overcooked, not bland, not rubbery, not any other slew of adjectives that come to mind when I think of bad beef. It was juicy, and bright, and meaty, and perfect.
The sauces were wonderfully complimentary and I found myself wishing that I had chips as an excuse to eat up all the sauce (including the grilled green pepper /​onion/​chile sauce that turned into a four-​alarm in my mouth).
I didn’t get a chance to do dessert since I was filled to the brim with what I had already ordered. But I find myself really hoping I go back to try it.
I can’t speak for authentic Mexican food places, since I haven’t been to many (or to Mexico). But I can speak to the food served at Mesquite; it’s a great bargain!

Aye Dios Mios! I think I have died and gone to carne asada heaven. The reviews were right, Sonora Grill is astounding! I was so impressed with everything I ordered. The carne asada, hands down is the best in the valley. The shrimp was plump and flavorful, the tortillas were fresh and the guacamole… Oh the guacamole… Mas deliciosa!
While the chips may not have been fresh they were still the perfect vehicle to scoop up the 3 salsas I devoured. I was even impressed with the rice and beans and usually these seem to be an afterthought in most Mexican meals. At Sonora they paid as much attention to the flavorful sides as the rest of the menu. Qué bueno!
The girl that helped us behind the counter was friendly and helpful and really knew her stuff. If I owned a restaurant I would try and steal her away! This is a new favorite that is now in my regular rotation.

Please eat here.
Just do it.
It’s amazing.
It’s delicious.
It’s sex in your mouth… All the sex.
If you’re a food nerd that likes food porn and taking sexy instagram pictures of your food — go here and order something. Then try not to shove it in your face hole before you remember to whip out your phone and snap a picture.
Then you can tweet your half-​eaten burrito photo to your friends who won’t understand why it’s so good because they’re looking at your teeth marks in a half-​eaten burrito.
The owner’s mom is the cook I think — sweetest lady ever. Whoever is cooking is a genius — an artist. I’m going to go back a hundred times. One of the best burritos I’ve ever had.
It’s next to a Hungry Howie’s in an invisible old tiny strip mall. It belongs somewhere posh and fancy going by the quality of the food. I’m glad it’s not somewhere posh and fancy. I don’t like getting burrito and guacamole and salsa all over my nice shirts…

One word: Raspados.
Oh. My. God.
Seriously, I didn’t even know this place existed and now I’m already craving it again. This is simple food done absolutely right. Not loaded with extra ingredients, but each bite is bright, fresh and bursting with flavor. The guacamole was creamy but chunky and perfectly salted. The tacos were amazing… but what really made the meal was dessert– Raspados. Shave ice flavored with your choice of fruits (I had strawberry with pineapple) and then topped with a scoop of ice cream. I’m salivating as I type this.
What made it even better was the cook, who is the owner’s mother, came out and visited with us for a few minutes. She was the nicest lady, and boy does she cook like a mofo.
Eat here for dinner tonight. You wont regret it.

So I’m in Phoenix, really close to Mexico and I figure there shouldn’t be a problem finding a great Mexican restaurant here. Pull out the phone and open up the Unilocal app and voila! I find this little place.
I really love Mexican food. Seriously. My dream is to find a little Mexican girl with long jet black hair from the old country and all she does every night for me is cook Mexican food. This is how much I love Mexican food.
So when I got here I decided to start with two tacos, pork and beef and I got myself some horchata. Love me some horchata! Took a little while, I was surprised as there was only one other couple in the place talking Spanish with the guy behind the counter. When my tacos came, they’re open-​faced, a good sign towards authenticity. Taste? Not bad. Not great, but not bad, about a 3. In fact, I was a little surprised as ratings in this place seem to indicate the food is really outstanding here. I check my Unilocal app again to make sure I didn’t order the wrong thing. I read lots of people love the guacamole.
So after finishing my tacos, I decide to get the big nacho plate and make sure to ask for guacamole. I notice the Spanish speaking couple ask for a free refill of horchata which I notice isn’t indicated anywhere on the menu. FREE refills? Hmm, maybe they’re not free but because the guy just gave a free refill to the other couple he’s got no choice now. I couldn’t be sure to be honest but I asked for a free refill anyways and he was pretty accommodating.
So my nacho plate comes out and? It’s terrible. I mean really, really terrible. Like a 1. Why? Because the chips are completely marketplace bought. And they’re not even good marketplace quality. They’re terrible. A Mexican place that serves a nacho plate needs to make their own chips. Seriously, if you’re not going to do this, don’t have nachos on the menu at all. I was thoroughly disgusted and disappointed at this point. But, the good news is the guacamole is pretty good.
So overall just a 3, but a 3 that I wouldn’t go back to. Sorry Phoenix but y’all don’t really know what great Mexican food is. And you live so close to the border! What’s up with that?!

Holy guacamole this place is good! Why have I not been here before? Why do I continue to frequent mediocre establishments that are more convenient? Deciding to try something new and actually use one of my usually worthless Groupons before it expired, we made the long and difficult 6-​mile trek to SMG.
I was soon greeted with chips, two full of flavor, but not too hot salsas, and a bowl of that delightful guacamole. Granted the chips were not my favored thin, crispy, and lightly greasy chip, but they sufficed for scooping salsa and scraping the last bit of guac from the sides of the bowl… restaurants tend to frown when you lick a bowl, which is why places like SMG offer take-​out thankfully.
Soon to arrive at my table would be the carne asada taco plate. Two of the most delicious tacos I have ever had. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about those wonderfully seasoned morsels of beef surrounded by the best corn tortillas this side of wherever has the best corn tortillas. Beans and rice are not just empty fillers here either. The charro beans are worthy of a meal on their own. I should also note I was somewhat envious of my husband’s carne asada burrito which was toasted. Living my childhood 30 miles from the Mexican border, I foolishly assumed everyone toasted their burritos (only we called them burros). I grew up quickly when I realized the harsh reality was that this wasn’t true in most parts of the world. It’s a sad reality, indeed. Luckily, SMG knows how things should be.
We had wonderful service from the owner who reminded us that everything is made fresh. As if you wouldn’t know after one bite.

Well, I’m in love. So happy this place is near my office. My coworkers favor Chipotle down the street for burritos and such, but since I discovered Sonora, I haven’t been back to Chipotle.
The biggest difference for me is the tender, flavorful chicken SMG uses in their burritos and tacos. Seriously good! And no matter what I order I get a side of their fresh guacamole. Stop eating at the chains and go here.

CARNE ASADA. that’s what you should get here. So good.
the husband ordered the carne asada burrito (~$ 7.50) and was in heaven. i had the carne asada taco combo (~$ 7.50 — you can get them with flour or corn tortillas) — and loved it. the rice and beans to me were kinda meh, but those tacos!!! we got the horchata ($ 2.00) and it was also pretty good. at the end of our meal, we sprung for a mango-​strawberry raspado. The large size (~$ 4.75) comes with lechera (condensed milk) AND a scoop of ice cream! Perfecto!!! I recommend eating some of the overflowing cup of raspado and then mixing the rest all together. mmmm.
Now, let me talk to you about the salsas. They bring out a roasted tomato/​green chile/​onion salsa that is SO GOOD. we practically licked that little bowl clean. they also give you a bowl of salsa verde, which has amazing flavor and the perfect amount of heat to it. mmm. We didn’t spring for it, but chips are ~$ 1.50 and guac is the same.
they offer nachos, quesadillas, and a few veggie options. but really. if you don’t try the carne asada, you are just cheating yourself out of amazing.
the service is incredible and super friendly. the older lady, who i assume is the owner and possibly a chef? came out of the kitchen to check on us, told us how they make the salsa, and then made our raspado for us. she’s so sweet.
in my husband’s words: we are definitely eating here again.

Chicken tortilla soup here=heaven
Seriously, this is the best soup I’ve ever had, & I’ve had a lot of soup. I am a soup lover. I dream of the Soup Nazi opening up a location in Old Town.
It’s been soo cold outside, & then I got sick. All I wanted for my poor throat was soup, so I went to Sonora Mesquite Grill to try the soup. It was so delicious, just spicy enough to have a little heat, but not overwhelm you with a mouth fire. You know what I mean. It was a perfect combination of ingredients, & they even give you lime & tortilla strips to put in it.
I also got a side of the charro beans because they are so good, & I need my protein to get better faster. I didn’t go for the carne asada with my sore throat, but I went back again the next day & got the soup again. mmmm

We all have our bad days. Whether we wake up on the wrong side of the bed or some event turns our mood, we have them. Now how you choose to react to them that is what makes the difference. You can have a bad day but make a conscious choice to minimize it, force a smile and make it work. After a while and maybe a few cups of coffee, the day can smooth over if you let it.
I know this sounds so trivial, what could this possibly have to do with food? Well in life and the restaurant biz, you really have to make an impression. When the person taking your order is grumpy maybe a little bitchy even, no matter how good the food is, it may never live up to it’s full potential.
Unfortunately this is what happened on a recent visit to Sonora Mesquite Grill when the guy at the counter couldn’t even muster up a hello, but simply, «yes». Now I would have blown this off if he hadn’t been joking around with the people in front of me in line. It’s just this sort of thing that just chaps my behind. Really, how hard would it have been to crack a smile and save me from having to share this? I persevere, taking the high road, and get my ordered started because I’ve been hearing some really god things about this place.
The buzz surrounding Sonora is it’s self proclaimed «best carne asada this side of the border», which is a pretty tall order when it comes to carne asada. Think about it, we have so many places that serve good carne asada around town, even the ‘berto’s drive thrus don’t really suck that bad. If you’ve never heard of carne asada, it’s thin sliced beef that has been marinated or heavily salted then grilled or roasted to a caramelized perfection. Then, wrap all that up into a hot flour tortilla with pico de gallo (chopped onion, cilantro and tomato) and fresh guacamole, trust me on this, you’ll love it.
Green Chile Rajas with Cheese ($ 6.25) was an excellent way to make up for the lack of friendliness. A juxtaposition of roasted chiles, onions and peppers served with either corn or flour tortillas popped with flavor and texture. I would strongly recommend the flour tortillas, so light and flaky, characteristics not common with the usual bready type.
Okay so getting to the Carne Asada Burrito ($ 7.49) you’ll first notice the price tag a bit high considering that the burrito while large is also stuffed with rice. For me if I’m going to pay that much for a burrito, it needs to be more meat and less filler. Now with that being said the meat inside the burrito was not only perfectly cooked, it was amazing. The first bite fills your mouth with a certain salty beefy mesquite smokiness that’s both flavorful and satisfying. The only thing that made the meat better was the addition of Sonora’s killer house made Guacamole ($ 1.50), green salsa and red salsa. Both salsas were delicious though neither offered any sort of heat.
I loved eating the food from SMG. I can only imagine how much better it would have been if the service came with a smile.

I needed a quick place for some good grub for lunch and found this place on Unilocal.They have a sign that says best carne asada, but I don’t eat beef, so I ended up getting the chicken taco combo. I also ordered a fish taco, but I think the guy forgot to ring it up. I didn’t see it inside the bag when I got home which was sad. :-(They also ran out of corn!
In addition, I got to try the Pineapple/​Coconut Raspado which is a shaved ice cone dessert with ice cream. (It was too sweet for me, but it was tasty)
I like this place. It’s a small, independent restaurant with good food and nice people.

All right guys, I’m getting a little concerned. I see the reviews and that’s all well and good, but every time I go into Sonora, it’s empty! After the loss of Karey’s Kitchen, I feel I have to take a more proactive approach. I went to Karey’s Kitchen when I was hungover all the time, but apparently a restaurant cannot live on Georgeann G.‘s hangovers alone (I know, it shocked me too).
Next time you think about going to Chipotle, come here instead! They can share the massive line Chipotle has from open to close every day! Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Chipotle, but I don’t want to lose Sonora, so I want to share the wealth a bit.
That’s enough of my plea. Still 5 stars. If you look at the picture of the to-​go order that I just inhaled while watching a Hills marathon in my living room, you’ll see why. Delicious!