Hacienda El Bar-Ril: Central Phoenix Home of Diamond Tacos de Cabeza

By Alex Rodriguez Mon., Aug. 20 2012 at 10:00 AM

Categories: Eating 16th Street

Photo by Alex Rodriguez

Four tacos of carne asada, pastor, and cabeza and a tamarind Jarito.

Hey, readers, get ready. We're putting new meaning into the term "street food." For Chow Bella's latest mission -- "Eating 16th Street" -- we've employed a young woman who's literally eaten her way around the world. Alex Rodriguez has eaten borscht in Moscow, steak in Buenos Aires and a "life-changing panna cotta" in Bra, a small town in the Piemonte region of Italy. Now we've set her palate loose on Central Phoenix's 16th Street. Rodriguez will try it all, from Jefferson Street north to Thomas Road -- and report back, place by place.

The Place: Hacienda Bar-Ril
The Food: Tacos
The Backstory: Family-owned taco shop with a carniceria next door.
The Price: $7 for 4 tacos and a Jarrito.

I struggled with Hacienda Bar-Ril for two months. Visiting a grand total of five times and seeing it open only twice, it frustrated me to drive down 16th Street every day and have to guess whether it would be open.

But finally, I lucked out on the right day at the right time and had one of the best tacos I've had on my "Eating 16th Street" adventure.

Photo by Alex Rodriguez

There used to be a sign with "Hacienda Bar-Ril" on it -- I think.

We'll start this pulgita of an open-air eatery with a little bit of background for context: It was a particularly warm Friday night. Hacienda has misters, so if you sit near them, you can't tell the difference between borderline heat exhaustion sweat and mist. I went with several friends -- all of whom were drenched.