El Nopalito

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2831 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008

602-522-2043

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Phoenix New Times
Recommended
Best Mexican Grilled Cheese
Award Winner 2011

Cuisine(s): Mexican

Hours: Sun 8:30am-9pm, Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 8:30am-10pm

Price: $

Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, cash
Attire: casual

Features: Takeout, Wheelchair Accessible

Serving: Dinner, Lunch

Alcohol: Beer/Wine
Reservations: Not Accepted

Parking: Lot Available

Description

From the outside, this place looks like your basic Mexican restaurant strip mall storefront. But inside, the kitchen is turning out central Mexican dishes that you won't find elsewhere in town. Check out huarache, gorditas, sopes and the alambre con queso, all variations on a corn masa theme. The more familiar items are also well-crafted, particularly the pork adobada and carnitas. The chorizo and egg torta is a sandwich gem, and the enchiladas with verde sauce will light your mouth on fire - in a good way.

2011 | Best Mexican Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches were generally reserved for greasy-spoon diners and kids' menus. Then we discovered pambazos, a Mexican take on the tired grilled cheese sandwich. At El Nopalito, order a pambazo and be treated to a huge, soft bun that is similar to the telera used for tortas. This bun is then dipped in a guajillo chile sauce that adds spice and a bright red color. Afterward, your electric-red pambazo is filled with salty queso fresco and grilled. (You can request that meat be added... More »
2009 | Best Tacos

A jaunt to Rocky Point may seem like the quickest route to an authentic Mexican street taco, but it turns out that the real thing can be had a lot closer to home. Of course, you'll still be logging a lot of miles heading to El Nopalito, but only because of the many repeat visits we're sure you'll make once you taste their fantastic tacos. Tucked into tiny, fresh corn tortillas that you can in eat a couple of bites, the homemade fillings range from spicy al pastor and rich carne asada to... More »
2008 | Best Tacos

It's probably a cliché, but it's true: Some of the best tacos we've ever had were at a ramshackle roadside stand in Mexico, cooked right up in front of us and served with halved limes the size of large gumdrops. We thought we'd have to swing a return trip to eat tacos that good again, but thankfully, we've found a delicious substitute -- and amazingly, it's in central Phoenix. Like so many local finds, El Nopalito resides in an inconspicuous strip mall and is easy to zoom past... More »

A Change of Peso

By Howard Seftel | Thu, February 11, 1999

What kind of south-of-the-border traveler are you? Do you get on an airplane and head to a fancy resort? Do you stay where the drinking water is pure, the swimming pool is heated, the flies have been banned, all major credit cards are accepted and... More »

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phoenixnewtimesbestof | Phoenix, AZ | 315 Reviews

| Wed, May 6, 2009

It's probably a clich�, but it's true: Some of the best tacos we've ever had were at a ramshackle roadside stand in Mexico, cooked right up in front of us and served with halved limes the size of large gumdrops. We thought we'd have to swing a return trip to eat tacos that good again, but thankfully, we've found a delicious substitute � and amazingly, it's in central Phoenix. Like so many local finds, El Nopalito resides in an inconspicuous strip mall and is easy to zoom past unless you're seeking it out. In other words, don't expect to stumble on this place. But hey, if you're craving tacos the way we were, you'll head straight to it. No bigger than two or three bites, El Nopalito's tiny tacos are easy to love, served on fresh corn tortillas and topped with diced onion and fresh cilantro. They even serve them with those miniature limes. You'll want to try them all, from al pastor (spicy pork) to carne asada. And considering that they're only 99 cents apiece, trying them all really isn't out of the question.

Main Menu

Mexican Classics
Served with Salad, Rice & Beans

Nachita

Chicharron

Spinach Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

Spinach Quesadilla

Combo Dinners

Combo Dinner

Mexican Dinner

Mexican Dinner Dos

El Nopalite Special

Edwin's Special

Nop Combo

Nop Grill
Served with Salad, Rice & Beans

Carno Gulsada Dinner

Beef Fajita Dinner

Chicken Fajita Dinner

Carnitas Dinner

Fajita Quesadillas

Soup & Salad

Taco Salad

Chili

Fajita Taco Salad

Caldo De Pollo

Frite Pie

Looking for another city?

El Nopalito

2831 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008

602-522-2043

Description

2011 | Best Mexican Grilled Cheese

2009 | Best Tacos

2008 | Best Tacos

A Change of Peso

By Howard Seftel | Thu, February 11, 1999

phoenixnewtimesbestof | Phoenix, AZ | 315 Reviews

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