Verde

I just read that Verde is closing tonight, I hope to hell that is just bad info.
I LOVE this place, it is SOOOOO good.
If great food could marry great service, then have a child called great location– this would be it.
Simple, tasty food, with AMAZING tortillas and they have the BEST classic guacamole in town. Very large portion which doesn’t try and break the bank. Best of all, they are awesome in not loading up the guac with tomatoes and other fillers, so they can use less avocados (yes Baja Fresh, I am looking right at you)
Pair your meal with a 500ml bottle of Mexican Coke (think Santa, not Scarface) and you have a great meal.
Please let the rumors of Verde closing be terrible lies told my evil people!

Verde is pretty solid. I walked in thinking they really needed to showcase some local artists on their bare walls. Hopefully that will happen soon enough, it’s a prime downtown location and the place could use a little warming up.
I tried both the Red Chili Beef and the Green Chili Pork. The green was good, but the red really got my taste buds popping. I could make out smoked chili, cloves, cinnamon, the distinct flavor and mild heat will definitely bring me back for more. The tortillas were amazing and served piping hot. They were out of horchata the day I went so there is razone número dos en regresar.
Try it you won’t be disappointed.

Trusty pal «Mikey» and I found ourselves in a quandary a few days ago. It was a scorching hot day, we were in Downtown Phoenix and hadn’t had a thing to eat. I recalled the «Foodie faithful’ tweeting up a storm on-​line about a little Mexican restaurant with tasty food called Verde, so off we went.
In a neighborhood in which such notable eateries as Pasta Bar and Matt’s Big Breakfast (which I really don’t like) reside, you will find an unassuming, sparsely decorated building housing Verde who’s motto is «Fine Food Fast.» Upon entering you notice a simple counter and slate boards listing items available.
As there are only six reasonably priced items to choose from, each coming with fresh tortillas, rice and beans, ordering really isn’t rocket science and since I’m generally willing to put my stomach into the hands of my server when trying a new place, I ordered the recommended Green Chilaquiles, with pork of course. (the house speciality), and «Mikey» ordered the default roast chicken.
Off to the dining room with it’s bare wooden picnic style tables and benches we went to await our order. While sitting at the table enjoying an ice cold «Mexican Coke,» (no high fructose corn syrup here), I noticed an opening near the front of the room and as I had a few minutes, I arose to investigate. What I found made my stomach smile, there in a room just big enough for a table and her supplies was a friendly, smiling Mexican woman rolling out scratch made tortillas!
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that our order was ready to be picked up so I waved to the tortilla lady and beat feet to the counter to retrieve our lunch. One of my biggest complaints about Phoenix is the apparent lack of good, honest Mexican food so I’m always a little bit dubious when taking that first bit but I must say I was pleasantly surprised here. The tortillas were liberally covered in the house green tomatillo sauce, cotija cheese (which I love), and little bits of pork.
The chips had crunch and flavor (thank you tortilla lady), the green sauce was bright, tangy and most importantly had that «fresh» flavor that so many eateries try to fake. The pork was tender and flavorful but also the source of my only complaint, there was so little of it to enjoy. The beans were no better than average and the rice was just okay, a little bit overcooked for my taste and a bit of seasoning would have done it well.
Overall I would have to say that «I ate Verde and it was… well, not bad.» Mikey, enjoyed her chicken and the price was right. If I found myself in the area with a food baby in need of attention, I would probably stop in again and try something else.

We have gone here three times now and we all adore this place… which is a huge thing because my 10-​year old is very picky about what he eats, but he loves the chicken and we all like the atomosphere.
My husband loves spicy food and is a particular fan of the pork. I love the chicken and adore the side dishes of rice and beans, which are seasoned in a unique way and accompanied with the most delicious (and fattening) hand made tortillas!
We recommend ths place and hope to try more items on the menu. It was fun the first time we were there because we were able to see our torillas being made right in front of us! :-)
The only thing missing is the ability to make changes… which another diner identified as very frustrating. It’s very hard to get them to accomodate your individual needs. For the price and the fact that there isn’t tableside service, I think it’s okay to sub out more beans for no rice. Don’t you?

I’ve only been to Verde once (SO FAR!), so take this with a grain of salt. But on that visit, Verde impressed me. A lot.
Indoors is clean and decorated in a trendy, urban, utilitarian style. There was some audio equipment on shelves in a corner, and I wondered if they have a karaōke night or something.
Their menu isn’t huge, but what they do, they seem to do well. The sauces were fresh and full of a ridiculous amount of flavor. I ordered the green chile, thinking it would be excellent, since the place is named after it. So I shouldn’t have been surprised that it was the best I’ve had in recent memory, but I was. Tender pork, fresh-​tasting verde sauce with the right amount of spice.
But wait, there’s more: even the rice and beans were fantastic. How many places put much thought or effort into a side of rice?
My friend had one of the taco dishes, and we noticed that the salsa that came with hers was completely different than the one that came with mine. Both were fantastic.
If I have an experience on a future visit inferior to this one, I’ll adjust my rating and edit my review … but I don’t see that happening. This is already one of my favorite downtown restaurants.

Verde means green in Latin, Italian and Spanish and I thought there would be more greens at this restaurant. Unfortunately, the only green item is the Verde Salad Bowl.
They have a very limited menu, so I ended up getting the Chilaquiles and Watermelon Fresca.
I can’t say too much since this was my first time, but aside from beans; my dish was pretty good.
The guy behind the counter was very nice and the portions are huge.
You’ll never leave hungry that’s for sure.
Tip: This place is situated between the Phoenix Library and the Papago Freeway, so if you are coming from somewhere else you’ll hit a bunch of dead end streets. The best way is just to follow Roosevelt St. and then turn on 1^st St.
Look for an industrial looking building painted white and green.

This is what they would call new Mexican cuisine if there was not a State and hatch chili laden style that already stole that name.
The industrial themed location is situated just off central in down town phoenix. If it were not the the green strip we might have missed it. There is a small lot in rear but it was full so be prepared to park on the street or even splurge at meter.
The limited menu is written on some over head boards, you can get breakfast until 2pm which I will try on my next visit.
The menu consists of a few tacos and a dish that is like a enchilada pie.
The only veggie option were the tacos frescos $ 7. two medium tortillas wrapped around fresh jaimica and peppers, with a side of rice and beans. To my surprise the tacos were cold, no sauce, and uncooked. It was like a salad in a tortilla, it was fresh and healthy but I wanted more flavors. It is served with a small thimble of bland salsa.
It was a decent meal but for the price I can easily put a few raw veggies in a hand made tortilla.

Went to @eatverde for my first #smunch with @smunchphoenix.
Right off the bat, this is a combined review, as I’m including my experience tasting Verde’s red and green pork from the @GetYourPHX event at @CoHootsPHX.
The layout, and interior décor of Verde is simple, minimalist, but perfect for the image they seem to want to present; don’t get caught up thinking about the seats, or the tables, or the art, just enjoy the incredible food we make.
And they do.
The green chile pork is simply the best I’ve had, ever. The red chile pork is fantastic, and I would die a happy man if I never ate anything else.
Yes, it is that good.
But wait, it gets better; they make their own tortillas, by hand, from scratch ingredients.
And how are the tortillas, you ask.
Let me just say that I probably ate about 2 dozen, when Joe brought his product to Co+Hoots.
This morning, for Smunch, I opted for a chorizo and egg burrito, because morning + Mexican food = chorizo.
(I think that’s actually what it means in Spanish)
Honestly, I was slightly disappointed by the chorizo.
I know most people dislike chorizo because it is so greasy. But what they don’t understand, and I do, is that the oil is where the flavor is. The spices permeate the oil, not the meat. Sure, the meat has flavor, but when the meat is too dry, it certainly has a decreased presence.
Admittedly, I may have had too-​high expectations for all things Verde, after experiencing the bliss of their green chile pork.
Regardless, the burrito was tasty, and a sizable portion, for a really good price. There was a good amount of egg, as well.
I will likely get it again, simply because chorizo is my go-​to for breakfast.
One more thing; the coffee. I was informed that it was merely a generic coffee brand, but the flavor was considerably better than Denny’s or Carrow’s, or even the Circle K coffee. I didn’t just appreciate the coffee, I enjoyed it.
For the burrito alone, I would have only given 4 stars. But the combination of the previous pork experience, the pleasant coffee experience, and the interior that I definitely appreciate, I will give them five.
I will, without question, return to Verde, time and again.

Arrived around 11:30am for lunch and it wasn’t busy. Took about 5min to get our food– my friend & I both ordered the shredded beef tacos. The tacos were great– just shredded beef, lettuce & tomatoes on amazing and thick tortillas. Knocked it a star because the rice was kind of bland and even though their salsa was amazing they don’t give you enough of it with your meal (but were kind enough to give me more when I asked). As far as the location, its about a block and a half from a light rail station, had ample seating and I loved the inside décor! Would def go back.

The tortillas were great. It’s hard to beat Carolina’s, but Verde has the closest I’ve tasted thus far to doing just that. I got the oregano-​lime chicken and got to try the green chile. Both were very good. The chicken reminded me of El Pollo Loco (that’s not a bad thing). It was fresh and when combined with rice, beans, salsa and a tortilla, my taste buds were very pleased. The green chile was the real winner though. The pork was flaky, tender, and loaded with flavor. I would have preferred more heat in the chile, but it was tasty nonetheless.
From what I keep reading, I need to try breakfast here. The next time I head to Verde it will probably be in the early morning for that.

I’ve been to Verde a few times now, and the food is pretty good. Although, I haven’t tasted much of the menu because I’ve yet to get bored with the green chili. It’s tender and flavorful, but it could use a little more heat. My boyfriend usually gets the red chili, and I’ve tried it, but wasn’t a fan. It was a little bland and dry to me. The rice is so-​so, but the beans are pretty good. Imagine a Mexican restaurant serving beans without a mountain of cheese… who would’ve thought? The chips are crispy and delicious, and the salsa is full of flavor and the right amount of spice. The tortillas are truly amazing! Definitely my favorite thing. I do feel bad for the lady that makes them. Every time I pass by she is in the window making tortillas. I don’t know if she ever takes a break. She is like a tortilla making robot!
Anyways…
While I like the food at Verde, I can’t say the same about prices. It was about $ 25 for my boyfriend and I to each have an entrée, a soda, and share some chips/​salsa. I would have no problem paying that at a sit-​down restaurant, but at a place where you order at a counter and bus your own table, it seems like too much. But to each their own.

I got 3 strikes at Verde, hence… I’m out! Strike 1: Not very vegetarian friendly. Strike 2: They have all the necessary items to make nachos, but when asked if they would make me nachos I got a very quick and blunt «NO». Strike 3: When forced to order a meat dish and request they not include the meat (the most EXPENSIVE ingredient) not only did they make no attempt to substitute the meat with maybe beans, or guac, or extra cheese, they still charged full price! I don’t want to eat meat and I sure don’t want to pay for it.
And as far as the food, well, they got that part right, for a place that serves fine fast food, when you ask me how my meal was, my response would be «Fine».

They were out of the green chili pork, which I went to try, but that’s o.k. The chef wanted to serve the new batch, took a bite, and said it wasn’t quite ready. I respect that he wasn’t ready to serve something up to his standards.
No worries… I went with the red chili beef.
Overall the plate was good and tasty, but didn’t leave me longing for more. The beef was beautiful looking, succulent, well cooked and swimming in sauce. It simply needed another note… some more heat? Some added spices? A bit of sweet fruit or other twist? I liked it, but it was overall kinda mellow. I liked to get kicked in the teeth. Or at least find a signature.
It was served with beans, rice, tortillas and a salsa.
The beans were great. I usually skip the rice. The salsa was awesome, as were the tortillas. Which leads me to my other constructive criticism… what goes with what? I used the tortillas to sop up the beef sauce and dip in the salsa, but I didn’t quite get if they all belonged together. Was I meant to make tacos? Likewise, they were all soft foods, so a bit of crunch/​contrast would have been welcomed. Chips would have been nice to go with the salsa, for example. While all the portions were good, I simply didn’t feel the harmony nor got much of a contrasting experience.
But I’m merely nitpicking. Overall, this is a very cool place, a nice space, and worth visiting. I’ll be back to try the pork, beef tacos and other dishes.

I am thrilled. Beyond thrilled. I had veggie tacos today and my tummy is beyond happy.
They are so delicious and now I know where I am going to go to get something tasty between classes.
They also have free water now. I am such a happy girl.

The location is nice and clean on the inside, the staff is very friendly and will take time to give u some recommendations. Verde pork and red chilli chicken are yum, so is their chorizo with eggs burro :)
will come back again for sure :)

The owners of Verde have converted an old building into something modern and vibrant, a south-​of-​the-​border neighbor for the restaurant row along First Street between Pierce and Garfield in downtown Phoenix.
The food here is made from scratch, including mouth-​watering flour tortillas made by hand. You can taste the love. The only item on the menu that isn’t made in-​house is the tortilla chips, and those come from the legendary La Canasta.
It’s fresh Mexican food with one surprise — not one burrito is on the regular menu. How can this be? Simple, it’s all about down-​home plates filled with roasted chicken, red chile or their amazingly killer green chile.
Verde is a fast casual restaurant, so you order at the counter, then take a seat while the food is prepared.
First to arrive were the Chips and Salsa ($ 2.50), a large bag with perfectly crunchy chips accompanied by red and green salsas. The tang from the green salsa was bright and made my mouth water for more. While the red was good, I would have enjoyed a little more heat.
Weekends at Verde mean a handful of breakfast options, including a few coveted burritos. I couldn’t stop eating the Green Chile with Beans and Eggs ($ 5). The spicy simmered pork was so tender and delightful that it was like green chile butter as I slathered the meat onto a piping hot flour tortilla. If you order only one thing from here, make it the green chile.
After the first bite of Red Chile Beef ($ 7) I was puzzled trying to figure out the exotic flavors. It’s not your typical red chile; its flavors of clove reminded me of a cross between curry and mole, if that’s even possible. Beans came along side and, with smoky notes from the addition of chorizo, are worthy of eating alone.
If chile isn’t your thing, the roasted Oregano Lime Chicken ($ 8) is a great alternative. The meat was practically falling off the bone and right into the awaiting flour tortilla.
Beef Tacos ($ 7) were featured as a special on my last visit. Two corn tortillas are filled with tender stewed beef, then topped with shredded lettuce and chopped tomato. They are simple and satisfying, with the addition of a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness of the beef.
With outstanding green chile, this place is called Verde for a reason. They’ve got some of the best green chile I’ve had in a long time, and don’t forget the tortillas.

They gave me cold tortillas. So much for trying to have better tortillas than Carolines … I’ll give them one more try but come on guys!

I heard about this place many a times and today Tanya took me to try it out. I was happy with the thought of being Green or VERDE for lunch, little did i know how green it would be. After reading some of the reviews I had to see it for myself, and i’m glad i did. Seems there is a bigger picture behind the place. The picture is a Greener world! They utilized paper plates, plastic spoons and the like because it is better on our environment. At the moment they are waiting on a back order of forks and spoons made out of corn, much easier on the environment the owners says, and so did my green expert friend Tanya.
A quick scan of the menu and i was a little disappointed at the lack of single tacos but quickly settled on the Verde Salad with chicken. Tanya had the pulled pork served with beans and rice. Of course i also had the chips and salsa (which was a green tomatillo and a red salsa served in two tiny dishes) the chips were quite tasty and so were the salsas. However the salsas were quite mild so the need for sour cream was nil. The salad was romain lettuce, radishes (which i tossed out as i ate), tomato, shredded chicked (only problem here was the fat left on the meat-​i cannot stand the feel of skin or fat of the chicken in my mouth so i had to pull at the chicken), fried bacon and a tasty dressing-​all of it very fresh. Tanya loved her meal and didn’t leave a bit left over on her plate, just as I!
The place was decorated with all repurposed items. The table and box chairs were such a wonderful idea. The first sturdy setting i’ve seen in a restaurant around Phoenix in a long time. They also participate in the Art Walk with local art hanging for sale on the walls.
This place is crisp and clean. Very affordable = all entrees are $ 6 – 8 and come with rice and beans. The chips and salsa was $ 2.50 and the Guacamole (i will try this next time!) was only $ 3.00. As i mentioned there aren’t any tacos served a la carte, but you can get a side of rice or beans! I’ll definitely be back for the Guac!

I may revisit this at a later time, as they have only been open a week and my habit of reviewing brand new restaurants is kind of a shady practice.
I’ll make a few main points, but don’t expect a full review until a month later.
*Their music makes me want to use that bio-​degradable and fully recyclable knife to cut out my ear drums. U2, Sting, Creed, White Stripes? None of that crap is music.
*The girl at the counter stood there, like a dunce, waiting for us to order. She didn’t say «hi» «how are you» «have you been here before» «do you have any questions» «thank you» etc. She stood there, like a lump. People like you need training, and the owner of the restaurant obviously isn’t concerned with that.
*Tortillas were garbage. I wouldn’t normally bring this up, but they kept bragging that their tortillas will be the best and better than Carolinas. Arrogance is one thing, but being arrogant about something you aren’t will just get you in trouble.
*On my visit, the beans were bland as could be and the rice tasted like a butter ball. In other words, blech.
*$ 25 for two people to have an order at the counter, entrée only, one beverage meal is crazy. Especially considering you do not provide chips, bread, or any other accompaniment.
*The flavor and quality of my Green Chile Pork was overall above average, looking solely at the entrée itself and not the sides or tortillas. The pork was well cooked, and the chunks of green chiles were a nice surprise.
I’m all for this place succeeding, but it’s going to have to do it by keeping the hipsters happy, or change it’s tune (no pun intended) because what they have is an average to above average concept and execution. There is a lot of competition downtown for quick places, and there is even more competition in this city for Mexican cuisine.
good luck.

I’d probably only come here if I were in the area at lunchtime. That’s it. No dinners, or late night hanging out, dates, or anything else. The ambiance is far more meh than portrayed in the media articles I read. Yes, the tables and chairs are kind of cool, as is the bright green interior. But how that fits in with food served on paper plates with plastic knives and forks, I’m not sure.
I will say that the food ingredients themselves were very good. Everything tasted fresh, and the tortillas were warm, moist, and delicious. The dinner wasn’t as high in fat and greasy as you’d expect at a typical Mexican joint, so that’s good if you want to satisfy a Sonoran craving without screwing up your caloric intake for the day. Nor are the portions irresponsibly huge. If you eat the whole plate and you’re still hungry, you’ve probably got a problem. (p.s. I have a problem.)