If you have visited downtown Mesa recently, chances are you may have overlooked one of the hottest new bars and restaurants in Mesa to open in the past year: Espíritu. A collaboration between Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin of Tacos Chiwas, Rene Andrade of Bacanora, and Andrade’s cousin, Roberto Centeno, Espíritu is quietly tucked into a narrow slice of Main Street between Proof Bakery and Main Harvest Market. But don’t judge Espíritu for its size, as there are big things going on inside.
While Hernandez, Holguin, and Andrade are familiar names in the Valley dining scene, Centeno is one of the latest chefs to be making his mark. A recent Food Network Chopped winner, Centeno was born and raised in Nogales, Arizona, and part of a large family where food was a central component of any celebration or gathering. Centeno explains, “I just love the joy that [cooking and food] brings to people; it is the special memories around food that I try to recreate for other people.”
After moving to Phoenix 8 years ago and working various jobs related to construction and property management, Centeno found a natural spot working in the kitchen–specifically behind an open fire grill–with Andrade at Valley favorites like Ghost Ranch and Bacanora. Searching for his own career path, he recalls, “I just felt that there was going to be a project coming soon for me to jump in and take more of a lead role.”
Such an opportunity arrived with a call from Hernandez in 2021, who asked Andrade and Centeno if they wanted to join him and Holguin in opening a bar and restaurant in Mesa next to their third Tacos Chiwas location. Without hesitation, the cousins said yes, and the partners took possession of the space on November 26, 2021, opening six weeks later on January 16, 2022.
With forty-nine seats, Espíritu’s beginnings were humble, the first 6 to 7 months operating with a skeleton crew of the four partners plus a head bartender, Adrian Galindo, who also had a hand in crafting the cocktail programs at both Ghost Ranch and Bacanora.
From the opening of the bar and restaurant in Mesa, Espíritu has garnered positive reviews, but Centeno was splitting his time between Bacanora and Espiritu. “I would get to Espíritu at 7 am and work till 2 pm, then run to Bacanora to do service all day. I realized I needed to take this project [Espíritu] and make it mine. Armando told me to go for it. And Rene said, ‘Get out of your comfort zone, and just go for it.’”
Diving full time into Espíritu, Centeno purchased new kitchen equipment and expanded the food menu while continuing to highlight Galindo’s inventive and original cocktail program. The introduction in the cocktail menu facetiously promises “a semi-decent cocktail experience” with drinks split into several chapters including Shooketh, Stirredeth, Choose Your Own Adventure, Drink What You Deserve, and Shots & Other Mistakes.
Cocktails at Espiritu in Mesa, AZ
You will be tempted by clever cocktail names like El Pirata Chingón (under the Stirredeth category) a tropical inspired rum drink with barrel aged rhum agricole, pineapple amaro, jaeger cold brew, falernum syrup, and singed orange bitters with the Espíritu fish logo etched into the ice cube. Many cocktails also feature agave spirits like mezcal, such as Los Caidos (under Shooketh) with coconut oil fat washed mezcal, Oaxacan rum, triple sec, velvet falernum, Jamaican pecan orgeat, crème de coconut, lime juice, pineapple juice, and Tiki and aromatic bitters served in a handmade clay skull mug designed by local ceramic designer Andrew “Augusta” Smith. Some lesser known agave spirits like sotol or bacanora also find their place on Espíritu’s expansive bar menu.
“The focus initially was on the cocktails,” explains Centeno, “and if you got hungry, you could have a small bite. And then we got creative and just ran away with it.” The bar snacks include a fish tostada, a shrimp taquito, and a choice of three ceviches: a green aguachile from Sonora, Holguin’s red aguachile recipe from Chihuahua, and a mixto of shrimp, fish, and octopus. The purchase of new equipment, such as a flat top, an indoor charcoal grill, and an outdoor wood fired grill, allowed Centeno to work with a range of cooking methods and start offering meat dishes.
Food at Espiritu in Mesa
The menu, however seasonal, typically offers six items Del Mar (from the sea), and another 5 items Del Rancho (from the ranch), in addition to 8-9 specials that rotate based on availability and can include rib eye, wagyu steak, lamb chops, and oysters. Espíritu supports local vendors when possible, sourcing beef from Copperstate Ranch, seafood from Chula Seafood, and vegetables from local farmer’s markets. Plus, during cooler months Espiritu holds cookouts every other Thursday on the Main Street patio. Centeno says, “People love that, to see a big ass grill in the middle of Main St. in Mesa.”
Centeno and his partners believe that operating a bar and restaurant in Mesa has many advantages. “We finally got our sign up…it is a neon sign given [to us] as a grant from the City of Mesa. They have been very supportive…they love their downtown and their community and are working hard to elevate it.”
Residents and visitors alike recognize that Espíritu is offering something unique to this community. Explains Centeno, “If you walk through Mesa, you see a lot of breweries and people bar hop a lot. We knew there was no cocktail bar like ours around. We wanted to be the pioneers and take the chances, and knew this was the perfect time to do it.”
Written by Marci Symington
Photography by Marci Symington
123 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201