Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the U.S.usually represent Mexico about as well as Tony Soprano gorging on Chef Boyardee while playing Super Mario Bros. represents Italy.
Thankfully, cultural cross-pollination isn’t always such a caricature-laden affair, and though undeniably Americanized, Arizona’s beloved chimichanga is a bit of culinary fusion with hazy origins that are deeply intertwined with the region’s complex history.
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So I skipped the booze and went straight for the chimis, sampling two dozen (yes, two dozen) from around the Valley.
Chimichanga conundrum
Chimichangas invariably fall into two basic categories: dry and wet. The former is crisply fried, topped with sour cream and guacamole and perhaps a little cheese. The latter is smothered with a sauce or salsa.
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Sauce can add a lot of flavor, but even a good wet chimi is a Pyrrhic victory, ruining the delectable, crispy shell that is the chimichanga’s most glorious and quintessential attribute. At the risk of overstepping my mandate as critic, I’d like to make a humble request:
Will somebody please put the chimichanga on top of the sauce?
The sauce will still soak into the chimi’s underbelly, and you can dip and dab as you eat. But with little more than the cool contrast of sour cream and guac on top, that beautiful, crispy shell will remain fully intact, preserving the best aspects of both wet and dry styles in one dish.
Until I find the wet/dry chimichanga hybrid of my dreams, these will have to do. Thankfully, some of them are awfully good.
(Chimichangas were ordered in the restaurant’s signature format, whether that be wet or dry. To provide a little consistency, I chose shredded beef or machaca for the filling whenever possible.)
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DOMINIC ARMATO'SFAVORITE
Carolina’s
It’s been my favorite for a while, and 23 others couldn’t unseat it. Wet chimi fans may disagree, butCarolina’s has the good sense not to ruin itskiller fresh tortillas. They'refried to a deep golden color and shattering crisp texture, wrapped around a simple, beefy filling and topped with good, chunky guac. Thisplacedoes the best job of capturing the chimichanga’s best feature.
Details:$5.50 ($6.95 with guacamole and sour cream). 2126 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix.602-275-8231. Also,9030 W. Peoria Ave., Peoria.623-487-1400, carolinasmexicanfood.com.
OTHER TOP PICKS
The Original Blue Adobe Grille
Los Dos Molinos seems to be the crowd favorite, but the best New Mexican chimi I tasted was at Blue Adobe Grill. Aspicy, cumin-scented green salsa and deep, smoky red salsa were almost good enough to make me forgive thekitchenfor killing the crispy shell.
Details: $11.99.144 N. Country Club Drive, Mesa. 480-962-1000, originalblueadobe.com.
Comedor Guadalajara
A great no-nonsense chimi, with a killer crispy shell, good guac and unusually flavorful machaca filling spiked with sauteed onions, tomatoes and jalapeños.
Details:$11.95. 1830 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-253-8299, comedorguadalajara.com.
Macayo’s
As a Phoenix institution that lays claim to the chimichanga’s creation, Macayo’s delivers on itssignature dish. It has a simple, peppery beef filling and good guac (add a dollar), and a splash of red salsa even spares a little bit of the chimi’s crunch.
Details:$10.99 ($11.99 with guacamole). 4001 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.602-264-6141. Other locations atmacayo.com.
Rosita’s Place
An otherwise solid dry chimiis elevated by an unusually good machaca filling which, unlike most, actually has a nice, assertive texture.
Details:$7.50. 2310 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix.602-244-9779.
LEADINGTHE PACK
El Bravo
Amediocre guacamole keptanice, light crisp shell and flavorful beef filling with a bit of melted cheese out of the higher categories.
Details:$9.45. 8338 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-943-9753, elbravoaz.wordpress.com.
La Piñata
Good guac (with upcharge), a simple, tasty beef filling and a zippy enchilada sauce that kills any texture the shell once had. Put that sauce under the chimiand this one is a big winner.
Details:$10.95 ($14.90 with rice and beans).5521 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-279-1763, lapinatarestaurantaz.com.
Rito’s Mexican Food
This carryout joint with a few picnic tables out front slings a light, crispy shell and only offers red and green chile for meat fillings, which, to be fair, may have given Rito'sa slight leg up on the competition.
Details:$8.75. 907 N. 14th St., Phoenix. 602-262-9842, ritosmexicanfood14st.com.
THE PACK
Aunt Chilada’s
Still slightly crisp on the edges despite a standard enchilada sauce, with a tough but reasonably flavorful filling. Skip the guac.
Details:$14.95 ($16.95 with guacamole). 7330 N. Dreamy Draw Drive, Phoenix. 602-944-1286, auntchiladas.com.
El Molino Mexican Cafe
I'm not sure what purpose the mountain of cold, shredded cheese serves, but it's easily brushed aside.Unusually good guac for a corner taco shop, and a dry beef filling heavy on cumin and chili powder needed more crisp on the shell.
Details:$8. 3554 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 480-946-4494, elmolinocafe.com.
El Norteño Mexican Food
In defiance of the Law of Wet Chimis, El Norteño’s shell remained mostly crispy despite being drenched in a thin bean sauce. Machaca filling, sweet with onions, had nice flavor — better than the thin, watery guac.
Details: $8.25.1002 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-254-4629, elnortenoaz.com.
Los Compadres
A shell with a nice, light crispiness and simple but flavorful beef filling were torpedoed by a giant knot of tortilla that fills nearly half of the chimi’s cavity. Also, get some salt and lime juice in that guac.
Details:$6.75. 4414 N. Seventh Ave. Phoenix.602-265-1162. Also,2350 W. Northern Ave., Phoenix.602-864-0043, loscompadresaz.com.
Los Dos Molinos
A spicy, chunky green chile salsa and cumin-scented red were the high points of a chimi with passable beef filling and zero crisp.
Details:$11.95 ($13.95 with beans and rice). 1044 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602-528-3535. Otherlocations atlosdosmolinosphoenix.com.
Mangos Mexican Cafe
A light, crisp shell from end to end holds an oily but flavorful red chile-spiked beef filling. Guac needs work, and it could do without the mushy, flavorless pickled jalapeños.
Details:$10.50. 44 W. Main St., Mesa. 480-464-5700, mangosmexicancafe.com.
Ricardo’s Mexican Food
An interesting shell — an exceptionally light and crisp outer surface with a few layers of tortilla underneath give it a texture almost like fry bread. Unbalanced, tomatoey beef filling is the weak point.
Details:$8.49. 20020 N. 59th Ave., Glendale.623-825-1116.
Salazar Bros Mexican Food
A straight-up, taco-stand variety that has a killer shell, but a flat, salty beef filling and a weak, thin taco-shop guac.
Details:$5.50($6.80with rice and beans).926 E. Guadalupe Road, Tempe.480-839-4474.
TRAILING THE PACK
Garcia’s Las Avenidas
Shredded beef filling with little flavor and a tough, almost chewy shell leave little to enjoy.
Details:$10.25. 2212 N. 35th Ave., Phoenix. 602-272-5584, garciasaz.com.
Los Olivos Mexican Patio
Flavorless beef filling and a crispless shell buriedunderan oozingmound of melted cheese.
Details:$9.75. 7328 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-946-2256, losolivosrestaurants.com.
Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
Flat flavor and a fryer desperately in need of an oil change tanked this one.
Details: $12.75.2350 E. Southern Ave., Tempe.480-897-0025. Other locations atmanuelsstore.com.
Mi Patio
Decent flavor, but a very wet filling and tomatillo salsa mean that Mi Patio’s can best be described as soggy— anathema to a great chimi.
Details: $9.99.3347 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-277-4831, mipatioaz.com.
Popo’s Fiesta del Sol
No major issues, but the flavors of this chimi with very little crispness were wan across the board.
Details: $8.69 ($11.34 with rice and beans). Also, 542 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix.623-846-2636. And17037 N. 59th Ave., Glendale.602-354-7738, poposmexicanfood.com.
Rio Mirage Cafe
Though served dry, it wasn’t at all crisp, leaving it with the worst of both styles.
Details: $12.75.12245 Santa Fe Drive, El Mirage.623-583-7708. Also,13863 W. Bell Road, Surprise.623-975-1527, riomiragecafe.com.
Tee Pee Mexican Food
Tough machaca filling had a little flavor, but this heavily sauced chimi was otherwise just messy and textureless.
Details: $10.50. 4414 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-956-0178, teepeemexicanfood.com.
Valle Luna
Flat sauce and filling that’s short on flavor did little to help a shell that was more tough than crisp.
Details: $12.95. 3336 W. Bell Road, Phoenix. 602-993-3108. Other locations atvalleluna.com.
Do you have a restaurantyou think our dining critic should try?Reach Armato atdominic.armato@arizonarepublic.com; call at602-444-8533 or interact with him onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.
