Fuego Tacos, Phoenix

Flavors from Oaxaca, Cuba, and Yucatan add depth to Fuego Tacos' menu of gourmet Mexican fare, including croquettes, seafood dishes, and the eponymous tacos. Tasty fillings such as Dr. Pepper–braised short ribs and tilapia encrusted with panko breadcrumbs can be stuffed into two tacos or one burrito at customers' discretion, and entrees of roast-pork sandwiches, seafood, and pasta blend Caribbean and South American culinary sensibilities on singular platters. From stools beneath a brick archway, diners select their meals, their eyes drinking in the chocolate-hued wooden counter that reflects the glow of orange pendant lights and patrons covered in phosphorescent body paint.

At Fuego Cityscape—Fuego Tacos sassy sister restaurant—guests dine alfresco, shaded from the sun by the cloth umbrellas that tower over the front patio. They clink glasses of blackberry mojitos and jalapeno-infused margaritas over plates of inventive dishes from a Mexican and southwest-inspired menu, such as chipotle cream pasta and green-chile beef sliders.