Okay Maguey serves Mexico City eats and craft cocktails in Phoenix

When a new spot opens in town, we're eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened — an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours).

At Okay Maguey (pronounced so that it rhymes), a new restaurant that opened on May 23 in Scottsdale, chef Jose Rodriguez serves flavor-packed Mexico City cuisine.

The restaurant's name comes from a term used to describe plants in the Agave genus used to make tequila. At the bar, tequila is the center point and the cocktail menu is expansive.

We tried the red Maguey Sangria for $12. The medium-sized drink sings with pineapple. Other fruit flavors are subtle and overall, the sip fell on the right side of sweet.

Another enticing option is the boozy horchata with Bruxo Mezcal, Dewar's Carribean rum, Liquor 43, agave and cinnamon. The bar also serves draft beers, wines by the glass and 10 different margarita flavors. There is also a rotating marg of the month, with cucumber basil up next.

The tastes and flavors of the food are strong, but the portions felt small for the price point. We tried several barely bite-sized tacos, a quesadilla and a burrito to enjoy with our cocktail.

What to order at Okay Maguey

The carnitas tacos feature Michoacan-style pork with cilantro and onion. The Del Mojo De Ajo taco was our favorite and is comprised of sauteed shrimp and slices of garlic. The Chuleta al Tocino was recommended by the waiter and has a mix of pork chop and bacon on a flour tortilla.

The tacos have a delicate balance of sauces and seasoning. Nothing was dry or soggy and the flavors complemented each other. The food came out fast and was presented artfully. An order of three tacos would be a snack for most diners. For an adult-sized dinner portion, we would recommend five or six or getting some appetizers such as queso ($10) or guacamole ($12).

The quesadillas are offered per piece, which allows customers to mix and match cheese, chorizo with potato and chicken tinga flavors. We tried the tinga ($3) which was perfectly crispy on the outside and melty on the inside with lettuce and cheese on top of the fried corn tortilla. It looked similar to the tacos but with more heft.

The salad and bowl offerings are appealing, especially in the Arizona summer when hot food feels harder to eat. But expect to pay over $20 for a non-vegetarian version. The chicken is $8 extra, the shrimp is $10 extra and the prime filet is $12. The only bowl with meat included is the Pastor Bowl which has sliced pork, grilled pineapple, street corn and guacamole for $13.

Small tacos are a trademark of Mexico City as are smaller burritos. The burrito we ordered looks more like a deli wrap than the forearm-sized heavy-hitting burritos served around town.

The Okay Maguey Burrito has prime filet, refried beans, chipotle mayo and lettuce in a flour tortilla ($14). It makes a difference not having rice or grilled veggies. It was a nice burrito — the flavors were tasty, the meat was present and it wasn't overly stuffed with lettuce — but we were still hungry after polishing it off.

Okay Maguey is a great place to go for tapas or a snack with a cocktail. Come here for a light fare and margarita before seeing a movie or going to a show.  They have a lot of parking, a dog-friendly outdoor patio and a well-lit and decorative indoor space.

The delicious flavors, but also the small portions, left us hungry for more.

Okay Maguey

12005 N. Tatum Blvd.