La Santisima – What I liked
- Freshly prepared recipes from Mexico, not your typical chimichangas and refried beans
- Salsa bar (how do I carry more than four types at a time?)
- Reasonable prices
- Atmosphere, mexican art
La Santisima – Be careful
- This place is small, be prepared to wait. Do you have a large group? Good luck with that.
- The chairs are not exactly comfortable, they need a new padding.
- The service is pleasant but slow and spotty.
- Don’t be in a hurry.
- The online menu does not appear to be current.
- This restaurant used to be called La Condesa Cafe.
What I thought of La Santisima
La Santisima is a casual restaurant that serves a different kind of Mexican food, using fresh local produce combined with Mexican spices, peppers, and cheeses that you will find in Mexico (as opposed to the type that you will find in local chain restaurants). I visited the place in Phoenix on 16th Street. The atmosphere is colorful and cramped, but nice. You don’t think you’re going to eat something special here. There is a small bar where you can also order food.
We started with the homemade guacamole ($ 5). It was very fruity, so much so that I found myself looking to pick up avocado chunks. It was more of a fruit / avocado than an appetizer, in my opinion. The menu consists mainly of tacos, burros, and quesadillas. I ordered the Oaxaca Black Molé Chicken Shark Taco (they had me on the word molecule). This was the first time I had eaten a taco with a fork and knife. The focus here is more on the mole than the chicken, but very tasty. It’s not enough for a meal, but again, it’s just a taco ($ 5).
I also ordered the Pastor Queso ($ 10). That is pig. Don’t expect the kind of quesadilla you would get at Macayo’s or Garcia’s. Think more calzone! It was huge, suitable for sharing; I took half home. Although I expected it to be spicy, I did not find it that way. It was served with more fruity guacamole, as shown in the photo above, so ask about that first if you are going to order the guacamole as an appetizer. The Guacho Burro ($ 9) had an adequate amount of meat along with fresh greens and greens.
The horchata with strawberries and walnuts was a popular item in the room, so I ordered one. I never received it. We were looking forward to ordering the flan for dessert, but they were out.
While my experience was not perfect, I would go back to La Santísima and experiment until I find those two or three items that I will order every time I go. The prices are certainly reasonable and the food is fresh. It’s a welcome change from the ordinary.
La Santisima is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Free parking available.
La Santisima Address:
1919 N. 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85006
Y
5932 W. Glendale Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85301
Find La Santisima on a map.
Telephone:
602-254-6330 (Phoenix)
623-939-3292 (Glendale)
Visit their website
All dates, times, prices and offers are subject to change without prior notice. May 2015.
