Bite Club: Mulas, vampiros and more at Taco Viva
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A mula, vampiro and taco from Taco Viva. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
Arizonans could be forgiven for thinking they know everything about Mexican food, but a new taco shop puts a traditional twist on some of your favorites.
The big picture: Taco Viva opened in late June on Indian School Road just east of 28th Street.
- Co-owner James Greaves told Axios last year the restaurant would serve "traditional Mexican tacos."
- Greaves lived in Mexico as a teenager, and his partner, Rigo Neri, is from Sonora.
State of play: Business has been great since Taco Viva opened, Greaves told us last week.
- He said they hope to open additional locations.
Here are a couple more unconventional items on the menu that might catch your eye.
- Vampiros are basically tostadas with melted cheese on them. Greaves said the term is from southern Mexico.
- Mulas are listed on the menu as being quesadillas, but there's so much more to them. Greaves described them as a "taco sandwich" with meat between two tortillas, both covered with melted cheese.
- "It's very traditional Mexican. I ate that in Mexico City like every other day," he said of the mulas.
1 spicy condiment: They have a house-made hot sauce they call "orange sauce."
- It's made from a combination of chiles, most notably chile de árbol.
Best bites: I got an al pastor vampiro, a chicken mula and carne asada taco. And of course I had to top everything with the orange sauce.
- Is there anything that can't be made better with melted cheese? Anyone who tries the mulas and vampiros will probably agree the answer is usually "no."
- The meat was savory and delicious and met every expectation I formed when I saw a spit covered in al pastor rotating over a fire.
- The orange sauce looks incredible, and its looks aren't deceiving. It was smoky and spicy, and I'd happily buy a gallon jug of it for my house if one were available.