When two culinary icons in the Valley team up, something delicious is bound to happen. This October, a collaboration between renowned chef Rich Hinojosa and long-standing Phoenix favorite TEXAZ Grill brings a South Texas classic to the desert: San Antonio-style puffy tacos.
Hinojosa, chef-owner of CRUjiente Tacos and a native of San Antonio, has long been celebrated for elevating tacos to an art form in the Valley. Now, he’s lending his expertise to TEXAZ Grill – a Texas roadhouse-style eatery celebrating its 40th anniversary – to introduce this nostalgic dish to the restaurant’s menu. Puffy tacos, known for their airy, crispy texture and deep roots in South Texas culinary tradition, will be the centerpiece of a new Tex-Mex “pocket menu” rolling out later this month.
The new tacos will be available with a variety of fillings, including picadillo (homestyle ground beef), green chile pork, carne guisada (slow-braised Tex-Mex beef), and refried beans with cheese. They’re a tribute to the flavors of Hinojosa’s childhood, reimagined for the Phoenix dining scene.
“You start with a great shell or tortilla and let the flavors speak for themselves,” Hinojosa said. He uses nixtamalized corn dough, or masa, to create the shell – a more rustic alternative to standard corn flour. Hinojosa locks in a crispy-chewy bite by flash-frying the masa during its puffing phase.
The collaboration came together when TEXAZ Grill Managing Partner Greg Linaman, seeking a fresh twist to mark the restaurant’s milestone year, reached out to Hinojosa last summer. The two quickly found common ground in their Texas roots and mutual passion for authentic cuisine.
Founded in 1985, TEXAZ Grill has long stood as the Valley’s go-to destination for hearty, made-from-scratch Texas cuisine. Famous for its award-winning chicken-fried steak and hand-cut ribeyes, the Phoenix institution remains a favorite for its comfort food, hospitality, and Texas authenticity.
“We were already huge fans of Rich – CRUjiente was a staple for us,” Linaman said. “The puffy tacos are incredible, beyond even what we imagined. Having them on our milestone menu alongside all the TEXAZ Grill standards that our regulars have come to love over the past 40 years is pretty special.”
TEXAZ Grill will officially debut its revamped menu – including Hinojosa’s puffy tacos – on October 24. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, the restaurant will offer special promotions throughout the year. For more information, visit texazgrill.com.
