"his Grand Avenue nook has heart and vibe unlike any other downtown Phoenix restaurant. That’s thanks to Rene Andrade, whose Sonoran roots shape an electric menu of Sonoran Mexican specialties, many of them charred on a smoky, giant Santa Maria-style grill in the music-packed room’s corner. Bacanora is a cool spot. People drink agave spirits out of bone luges, tuck into Flinstonian steaks ringed with flour tortillas and salsas, and enjoy bracing raw seafood plates like limey shrimp aguachiles. Flavors are huge and uncompromising. The fruity heat of chiltepin pepper scorches nearly everything, even cocktails and desserts. Andrade plays by no rules but his own, and that’s what makes this young-but-now-classic Phoenix restaurant so great." - Chris Malloy
