The owners of Tacos Chiwas, the stellar Chihuahua-style Mexican eatery just west of State Route 51 on McDowell Road, have just opened a cafe: Cafe Chiwas.
Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin's Cafe Chiwas is next door to Tacos Chiwas. Previously, the two had been using the cafe's building to produce tortillas made from local flour. (The tortilla operation will move to the back of the room.)
Cafe Chiwas has flair your typical cafe doesn't.
Coffee drinkers will find a standard lineup of drinks: latte, mocha, cappuccino, macchiato, as well as standard coffee. Cafe Chiwas is also pouring Mexican coffee-based beverages, like cafe de olla, made made from black coffee, piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), cinnamon stick, and orange peel.
Cafe Chiwas also serves pastries and small Mexican dishes. These offerings include strawberries and cream, a Mexican fruit cocktail, and a "pico de gallo" that features fruit instead of tomatoes (flavored with lime juice and chile powder). Esquites are on the menu — street corn in a cup.
The cafe is currently in something of a soft opening. Holguin says that the now-limited hours will expand, and that she and Hernandez plan to keep building the smoothies and cakes.
Cafe Chiwas. 1921 East McDowell Road.
Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Monday.