Earlier this year, Chef Payton Curry (you might know him from Old Town’s Brat Haus) opened Scottsdale’s newest hot spot for great Mexican fare, Taco Haus, with business partner, Dave Andrea. The modern Mexican-style cantina blends culinary influences from Mexico, Spain and Central and South America and the result is a delectable selection of empanadas, tortas, ceviches, half or full rotisserie chicken and, of course, tacos.
The interior of Taco Haus is fresh and hip, yet warm and welcoming. The area is filled with woods–including tabletops that might be even have a natural hole or two–as well as industrial touches, like exposed tubing in the ceiling. The restaurant is open, airy and filled with light, just right for a work lunch, a casual date or meeting up with friends for drinks.
Before digging in, order up a hand-squeezed margarita, a house horchata or a fruity agua fresca (especially tasty and refreshing as the weather starts to heat up) to jazz up those taste buds before ordering the fundido with Brat Haus-made chorizo. The fundido, rounded out with roasted peppers, onions, garlic and jack cheese, is divine. You’ll want to scrape every last bite from the iron skillet it is served in.
For something a bit lighter to balance out the cheesy, meaty fundido, the ahi tuna ceviche (pictured) is as tasty and refreshing as it is pretty (check out that lovely medley of pinks and greens). The tuna is crowned with with a sweet and tangy combo of mango, apple, sprouts, celery and pickled serrano. Two other meat-free faves are the garden torta, chock-full of roasted mushrooms, raw kale, butternut squash, oregano and goat cheese, and the fresh kale salad featuring papaya, apple, pepitas–which had a great crunch–and a sweet honey-citrus vinaigrette.
Moving onto tacos, the rotisserie chicken variety is a must, topped with green chile chicken, pickled cabbage and corn. The crispy pork belly and shrimp selections are just as tasty. Plus, Taco Haus tacos are dished up a la carte, so you can easily order one of each for $3.50 or less a pop.
To end the meal, try the flan, an authentic house-made custard with sweet milk caramel. The texture is rich and utterly velvety, perfect for sharing.
Also of note, much of the Taco Haus menu is gluten- and dairy-free, so even those with dietary restrictions can enjoy many of Chef Curry’s plates without worry. www.tacohausaz.com.
A Taste of Taco Haus
