Taco Guild, a restaurant that was built in an old church, offers a Gastropub style menu that focuses on out of the box fare, excellent customer service, farm to table ingredients, local vendors, and an overall unique experience.
Whether it’s the beautiful scenery, old world charm, or the loaded tacos, Taco Guild will not let you down. We were seated right away and instantly greeted by Jenny. It was obvious that she was well trained when she immediately listed off the 4 different types of salsas they offer with descriptions of each. The Manager Garth came to greet us and gave us a brief history of Taco Guild. We learned that the beautifully stained glass windows and hand crafted pews were all original items from the Bethel Methodist Church. He also pointed us towards the back wall were a variety of church items were displayed. Garth was more of a Historian than a manager and he really set the mood for our experience. He also provided us with a short lesson in tequila. Taco Guild features over 100 different types of tequilas with one bottle in the $1600 dollar range! We should also point out that they feature nothing but Arizona Breweries for their beers on tap. Fab AZ loves any vendor who supports Arizona Businesses!
We ordered the Schneiders Chorizo Meatballs served with spicy chipotle prickly pear sauce and pickled beets. The chorizo meatballs featured Schneiders Chorizo, an AZ classic and literally across the street. The Meatballs had a little kick but the pickled beets help to soothe our pallets. Our Michelada and 1893 Margarita also helped bring down the spice. We also ordered the Street Corn grilled with habanero butter, chipotle mayonnaise, and Cotija cheese. The blend of spices and Cotija cheese were melt in your mouth delicious. Their Diablo Eggs feature longaniza sausage, serrano peppers, and truffle oil. If spice is not your thing, try a one of their Fresh Ceviche of the Day options – this day it was a Scallop Ceviche that would be a cooling treat for a hot day.
After having delicious appetizers we were excited to move onto the entrees. We ordered three different tacos. Now, when you think about tacos you usually think of the old school carne asada, chicken, and pork tacos. Taco guild on the other hand has created gourmet, gastropub, out of the box tacos that will be unlike any other tacos you’ve had. Our first choice was the Al Pastor Pork Tacos with pineapple, jalapeno bacon, and pickled red onions. Our second choice was their Chipotle Cherry Steak Tacos featuring poblano straws, chile aioli, and blue cheese. Lastly, we chose the Pork Adovada Tacos with mango jicama relish, avocado, and cilantro. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try their Peking Duck Taco with plum sauce, fire roasted poblano apricot spices compote, and brie cheese. For a meatless option dive into the Tropical Ono Tacos featuring menonita cheese, roasted-tomato salsa, coconut slaw, mango, tomato, cilantro.
It should be noted that the Taco Guild tacos are filled to the brim with toppings, so bring your appetite.
If tacos aren’t your thing, Taco Guild has lighter fare including the Kale Salad with avocado, seasonal fruit, Cotija cheese, spicy pepitas, and roasted anaheim vinaigrette. The Grilled Romaine Salad looked so delicious, I interrupted the individual who was eating it to get more information. It includes cracked black pepper oil, grape tomato-basil concasse, blue cheese, jalapeno bacon bits, creamy cilantro dressing. Little did I know that the man I interrupted was one of the owners of Taco Guild. He greeted us and had a short conversation. After speaking with him we had a greater appreciation for all that is Taco Guild.
We ended our meal with a luscious Coconut Cream Pie with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The Chef makes this and other desserts daily. Prickly Pear Sorbet, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Tres Leches are just to name a few.
Taco Guild also has an awesome brunch menu that is served on the weekends until 3pm that includes two for one Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, and Micheladas. They have brunch specialty drinks including the Bloody Agaves Cabrito Reposado, Los Amantes Joven mezcal, tomato chilies, peppers, lemon, lime, salt and pepper. Their brunch menu also includes their Grilled Steak Breakfast Burrito with scrambled eggs, grilled steak, pico de gallo, jack cheese, seasoned potatoes, and green chile sauce.
Now if that was not enough, Taco Guild also features live music including a DJ on Friday nights and live music every Saturday night. Another great Taco Guild event is the All you Can Eat Taco Sunday. Again, I could barely get through my 3 tacos, so come with realistic expectations.
With their delicious food choice and unique atmosphere, Taco Guild is a great place to grab a Hand Crafted Cocktail and a delicious meal. Whether you bring the family, have a business meeting, or are out on the town, Taco Guild will meet all of your needs.
For more information about Taco Guild, visit tacoguild.com.