Carolina's Mexican Food, Phoenix

Founded in 1968 by Carolina Valenzuela, Carolina’s is a Phoenix institution. If you’re hankering for an authentic Mexican meal at a neighborhood dive, this is your place. You order from a large menu board above a walk-up counter. During peak lunch hours, expect a line. The $3.40 Oaxaca burrito—with chorizo, beans, potatoes and cheese—will test the structural integrity of your paper plate and require two hands to eat. Breakfast is served till 10:30AM. and features classics like machaca with eggs ($3.30). Many Phoenicians swear Carolina’s has the best tortillas in town; they’re made on site and can be purchased by the dozen. Accentuate your lunch with an old school Coca Cola from Mexico—where they still use real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Carolina’s closes at 7:30PM. Monday through Friday, at 6PM. on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays.

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