Don’t visit CRUjiente Tacos expecting it to be a traditional taqueria. Since 2016, when long-time friends Executive Chef Richard Hinojosa and Beverage Director Jason Morris opened their doors, CRUjiente has drawn crowds with its inventive take on Mexican food. It blends unexpected flavors and fine-dining techniques with a laid-back vibe, earning national and local buzz. The approach has earned appearances on the Food Network, PHOENIX Magazine Best Margarita nods, and an Arizona Restaurant Association Foodist Award for Best Tacos.
“When we created the concept, it was about sharing my thoughts and my experiences through tacos on a plate,” explains Hinojosa, whose taco credentials run deep. With Mexican heritage on both sides of his family and being raised amidst the food culture of South Texas, he’s a chef who knows his way around a tortilla. Add in his fine-dining background with tenures at luxury destinations like The Westin Maui Resort, Hotel Jerome in Aspen, and The Wigwam in Phoenix, and you’ll realize what makes this beloved spot so distinctive.
The liquid side of this culinary equation is equally inspired, including Morris’ carefully curated all-Spanish wine list. And behind a bar that could double as an artisanal spirits library, he and his talented team whip up award-winning margaritas and killer craft cocktails, such as The Sun Also Rises, a delicious blend of bourbon, blackberry, amaro, and house-hopped honey. “From the beginning, Jason and I wanted to provide the best, and most interesting, experience for our guests,” says Hinojosa.
With a kitchen led by Chef de Cuisine Nathan Arnold, CRUjiente offers a seasonal menu featuring sophisticated iterations of ceviche, pozole, and newcomer papas fritas with crispy fingerling potatoes topped with a fiery house hot sauce, guajillo aioli, and crumbles of cotija. Likewise, tacos are all about flavor, texture, and balance. Every element, from house-made tortillas to complex, multilayered sauces, reflects the chefs’ serious chops. In addition to the namesake crunchy tacos stuffed with beef, pork, lamb, or potato, their elevated tacos span the globe. Take, for example, a veggie option of garlic-roasted mushrooms complemented by local Crow’s Dairy chèvre and jalapeño lime aioli, or indulge in the New York strip steak taco that’s dressed to impress with pickled shimeji mushrooms, cilantro mojo, and Japanese mustard sauce.
The new Platos Fuertes section emerged from a back-and-forth between the chefs. “We had kicked the idea around a few times, but more recently, Nathan really pushed the idea of large format plates,” Hinojosa shares. Arnold’s motivation came from a desire to showcase their range. “I think it’s easy for us to sometimes get pigeon-holed as just tacos,” he explains, “but we also serve highly technical food that can go toe-to-toe with any other restaurant in the Valley.”
The result? Showstoppers such as duck with mole negro. “When we first opened the restaurant, we had a duck taco with mole on it, but while people enjoyed it, it wasn’t really a heavy hitter,” Hinojosa recalls. Now, the dish has evolved into something more refined, featuring duck confit and rosy slices of duck breast draped in a deep, dark mole, gilded with guajillo salsa, and garnished with shredded cabbage and radish. Served with warm flour tortillas, this dish embodies the kitchen’s collaborative spirit. “Nathan created the salsa, which is bright and vibrant and really balances the dish,” Hinojosa says, while Arnold explains that it works as “a counterbalance to the depth and complexity of the rich mole.”
Another spectacular example is the 16-ounce prime ribeye, which stands out not only for its marbled richness complemented by a chimichurri drizzle but for what sits beside it—heirloom Mexican Bayo beans. Eschewing the more familiar pinto beans, this labor of love is worth the extra effort. “Nathan found those,” Hinojosa notes with appreciation. “They taste so different and are so delicious.” Arnold shares, “They have to be soaked for about 48 hours and cooked for another four or five, but they have so much flavor and texture.”
While the printed menu offers plenty to explore, the chalkboard specials deserve equal attention. Here, you’ll find rotating drink creations, craft beer selections, seasonal dessert hand pies, and the much-anticipated taco de la semana—a weekly taco special that gives Arnold creative license to experiment. Recent crowd-pleasers include a Korean sweet potato taco paired with a crunchy housemade daikon kimchi and a pork taco featuring Spain’s prized jamón Ibérico embellished with nutty, spicy salsa matcha.
“We want people to feel like they’ve come to a place that’s really unique and special,” says Arnold, a sentiment that Hinojosa shares. “In the beginning, it took a little time for people to understand what we were doing since it was so different than what you would get at taquerias,” Hinojosa reflects. “Now I think they see and appreciate the passion that we have for what we’re doing. There are a lot of great places in Phoenix, but we’re still sticking to what we believe in, which is putting out amazing food and drinks every day.”
written by: christina barrueta | photographed by: luke irvin
3961 east camelback road, phoenix, az 85018
check out some other mexican spots!
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