An Old Town fixture since 2007, Cien Agaves skips the tableside theater and the Instagram wall and competes on cooking and inventory instead. The tortillas and salsas are made in house, the fillings taste cooked rather than assembled, and the back bar holds more than a hundred agave spirits.
It’s the taco room for people who care more about the food than the photo. Upgrade the margarita to a specific bottle — the markup is gentler than you’d expect.
When to go: weeknights, when seating is easy and the bar staff have time to talk. March and Phoenix Open weekends fill every chair in the neighborhood, this one included.