The Arcadia News features restaurant reviews each month.
If you have a question or comment, please see our
contact page.

San Gabriel Mexican Café
7000 N. 16th Street, Phoenix | 602-371-0111

Thanks to JNK Concepts, the people who brought us the exotic dining experiences offered by Bombay Spice and Roka Akor, my husband and I no longer have to drive all the way to our favorite Mexican restaurant in the far West Valley when we crave good salsa.

Instead we head to the northwest corner of 16th Street and Glendale Avenue.

San Gabriel Mexican Café has replaced a Bombay Spice Grill & Wine.  The restaurant is nestled between a dry cleaner and day spa in a peach-colored strip mall and will give you a pleasant surprise with its top notch quality and innovative menu choices along with a lengthy liquor list.

More importantly, there is the salsa carbon.

\Full of fire-roasted veggies, the thick salsa is a perfect pairing with Gabriel’s thin, homemade chips that have just the right amount of sheen on them to hold a splash of salt. 

An impressive wine list covers the globe in an array of such choices as a Pinot Grigio from Venice to a full-bodies, fruity Malbec from Argentina.

Then, there is the tequila selection.  Aficionados of the agave alcohol should visit San Gabriel’s every day until they have tried them all, including a trio of interesting specialties.

And what goes better with fine Mexican cuisine than a cold beer on a summer night?  There are some great imports on the menu for $3.50 each. 

You can build your own guacamole ($7) from a list the server gives you along with a pencil to check off which ingredients you want.

And, you cannot go wrong with the Acapulco Shrimp Ceviche ($8).  The cool combination of tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro, citrus juice, jalapeno and avocado is diced into a deliciously cool dish that will help you escape the searing summer sun. 

Although listed as an appetizer the Quesadillas (vegetable or chicken $8/steak $10) stuffed with a ton of melted cheese are a meal.  We split the perfectly season steak quesadilla. 

We tested the entrée waters with Gabriel’s Tropical Bites ($19).  Gigantic grilled gulf shrimp, sea scallops and calamari in a bed of cilantro, jalapenos and chipotle cream came with delicately flavored cumin citrus rice and grilled miz of squash.

The Enchiladas (cheese or vegetable come covered in mole or green tomatillo salsa.  My choice of cheese with mole sauce was made with handmade tortillas, tipped with a magnificent mole that was an exquisite melding of flavors.

We could not resist splitting an order of Flan ($5).  The creamy, sweet concoction was made even better by a sprinkling of candied walnuts.