

Molcaxete | Cocina Mexicana delivers vibrant, contemporary Mexican cuisine with bold flavors, handcrafted tortillas, and classic dishes like enchiladas, burritos, tacos, ceviche, and inventive seafood specials that celebrate heritage with a modern twist. Located in the heart of Phoenix, the restaurant’s warm ambiance, creative cocktails, and inviting service make it ideal for casual dinners and lively gatherings.
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–11 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 12801 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85022
Phone: (480) 319-9095
Website: https://www.molcaxetephx.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Related Web Results
Molcaxete Cocina Mexicana
Cocina Mexicana (@molcaxete.phx) • Instagram photos and videos
Molcaxete | Cocina Mexicana Restaurant – Phoenix, AZ – OpenTable
Last Updates
Reviews
Prices totally accesible, food quality that you see, taste and enjoy. None aftermath as some other restaurants.
Birria de Chivo, toma! Super good. Great entretaining options for weekends.
Stop by en enjoy a drink at their Cantina, check that happy hour schedule. No hay pierde!
Before going, we looked at their website. Honestly, if I had not done that ahead of time, I probably would have felt better about the experience. My wife had her heart set on the Beef Machaca Chimichanga, which was listed on the site at $12. I was browsing things like three tacos around $15 or the Chicken Tinga at $14. We were expecting a solid but fairly reasonable night out.
When we arrived, we mentioned it was our first visit and took our time with the menu. That is when things started to feel off. The Beef Machaca Chimichanga was nowhere to be found. No chimichangas at all. When we asked, the waitress told us they had recently changed the menu.
At that point, my wife ordered the Fajitas Don Arturo for $24, and I went with the Charro Burrito for $18. Quite a jump from what we were expecting based on the website.
Service was good but not great. My wife almost ordered the Charro Burrito but asked if it could be made without rice since she usually avoids it. The waitress sounded unsure but said the kitchen might be able to remove it. I nudged her toward the fajitas instead, but she never specifically said she did not want rice once she changed dishes. A sharper server probably would have caught that, but we also accept that part of it was on us. One small but notable thing was that my wife had to ask for a straw three separate times before getting one.
The food itself was excellent. Flavor-wise, this place really delivers. Everything we had tasted great. The portions felt a bit small for the price, though that may be influenced by the sticker shock from the unexpected menu change.
Ambiance is where Molcaxete really shines. The space is attractive, comfortable, and clearly aiming for a higher-end feel. Cloth napkins, nice decor, and a polished dining room make it feel like a date-night spot rather than a casual Mexican restaurant.
The location, however, takes away from that experience. It sits in a part of Phoenix that feels half fine, half sketchy. Across the parking lot is a Dairy Queen, and behind it appeared to be a small homeless camp in the alley. It added a subtle but noticeable negative edge to what otherwise feels like an upscale restaurant.
One last note on the chips and salsa. The chips were great. The salsa was flavorful for me, though a bit warm for my wife. It was extremely runny and served with spoons to put it on the chips. Without plates, it felt messier than it needed to be.
Overall, Molcaxete does a lot right. The food tastes great and the atmosphere is almost spot on. However, the outdated menu info online, higher than expected prices, small service misses, and the surrounding area kept it from being a clear win for us. I can see why people like it, but expectations matter here.
I would definitely consider returning, but it will be a bit before I give this place a second chance.
This place pretends to be a high end fine dining establishment, but it is anything but.
The management needs work basically. People were waiting to be seated so long that they had to come in and ask if it’s self seating or not. It also took us over 15 min just to get menus and water with only 3 other tables. Needs a lot of work
The bonus was a wonderful mariachi band on a Friday night! Dinner and a show – couldn’t beat it.