What is the least popular food business in Arizona?

Spanish food was named the least competitive food business in the state, according to OnDeck analysis.

This international cuisine, featuring beloved dishes like paella, gazpacho and tortilla española, has been named the most popular in several East Coast states, including Florida and New Jersey.

The best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix

The Arizona Republic dining team has gathered The 100 Best Restaurants in Metro Phoenix. Dozens of them have been singled out for their Mexican food and Mexican-inspired dishes.

Here are a few of them, but you can find more in the full list:

• Crispy Tacos: “This modern taqueria is the brainchild of chef Richard Hinojosa and oenophile and sommelier Jason Morris, who is the former co-founder of Quench Wines. CRUjiente offers chef-driven crispy (crujiente) and street tacos and some of the best margaritas in the Valley. ”, wrote dining reporter Bahar Anooshahr. “Both the taco and drink programs were mentioned in Forbesthanks to the inventive ways Hinojosa uses tortillas as blank canvases. Don’t skip the Korean fried chicken tacos.”
• Chiwas Tacos: “I trust the judgment of the mayor of Flavortown. A bite of the barbacoa tacos and gorditas from Tacos Chiwas – both sample of Guy Fieri during his 2017 trip there for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — and we knew there was something special about this place,” reporter Michael Salerno wrote. “Readers agree: They recently named Tacos Chiwas’ carne asada and calabacitas tacos among the best tacos in metro Phoenix.”
• Asadero Norte de Sonora: “Asadero Norte de Sonora is a stand-by on 16th Street known for dishes that come off the mesquite grill, from chicken to mixed platters of carne asada, cabeza and barbacoa, all served with fresh tortillas and salsa de house. It’s simple and it’s perfect,” wrote editor Felicia Campbell.
• Grocery shop: “Bacanora burst onto the dining scene in 2021 and nobody has been quiet about it since. Including me. The Republic gave it a five-star reviewCampbell wrote. “Chef Rene Andrade presents Sonoran foods cooked exclusively on his mesquite grill. He elevates the classics with what some might call technical skill honed over the years, but what I call utter wizardry. A cucumber salad has no business being as delicious and memorable as he makes it, with nutty sesame seeds, heat from chiltepin peppers and a splash of salsa negra or soy if he feels like adding it that night . Brunch, which is walk-in only, is equally memorable with dishes like oxtail chilaquiles and a fierce michelada.”
• Gallo Blanco: “Gallo margaritas forever — plus elotes, cortados, tacos and chilaquiles. Well, and salsas, obviously. Doug Robson’s downtown Mexican spot remains a standby,” wrote Becky Bartkowski, director of audience at The Republic.
• Rito’s Mexican Food: “Family-owned Mexican eatery Rito’s was voted the best burrito in Phoenix by readers, and for good reason,” wrote dining reporter Endia Fontanez. “While green chili burritos are their specialty, they also offer great chimichangas, tacos and tostadas at their four Valley locations.”
• Spirit: “Once you’re within a block of Espiritu on Main Street in Mesa, you’ll smell mesquite burning. Follow your nose and head inside the gothic Mexican cocktail bar, grab a bar stool and order a La Toxica — mezcal, amaro pineapple, Xila agave liqueur, spiced chai and egg whites,” Campbell wrote. “If you’re just there for a nibble, go for the smoked whitefish, which comes with garlic and cauliflower deep-dough bread slices, carrots and house-pickled cucumbers. It sounds simple, it tastes revolutionary. And that’s just the introduction. Find out what the special is, if it’s half a grilled chicken served with tortillas and smoked beans or whatever they’re grilling, and you probably won’t go wrong.”
• EL Super Taco: “The pile of mesquite wood in front of this little restaurant is the first sign that you’re in a good place. The second is the smell of slow-cooked res birria that hits you when you open the door,” Campbell wrote. “Order the quesa birria combo, a perfect plate of three crispy, cheese-filled birria tacos and a hearty bowl of consomé, along with access to the condiment bar, filled with essentials like shredded cabbage, cilantro, chopped onions, radishes and salsa that varies. from tingling to oh-my-give-me-cabbage levels of heat.