El Guero Canelo

El Guero Canelo has several locations, most of them in Tucson, Arizona. This blog post covers their lone Phoenix location on W McDowell Road. One of their Tucson locations was featured on the Tucson episode of Man v. Food.

I was planning on heading to El Guero Canelo - in Tucson. When picking my hotel, I had zero clue I was literally walking distance from their Phoenix location. It allowed me to try a couple more places in Tucson, which you will see in upcoming blog posts.

El Guero Canelo Phoenix has a huge space, basically a converted warehouse. There are two main counters to the right of the entrance, one to order and one to pick up food. The middle of the interior has a condiment bar, which includes pico de gallo and hot sauces. There are benches in the back and to the front left of the entrance.

Of course, I was getting their famous Sonoran dog ($3.50). Bacon-wrapped frank, beans, grilled and fresh onions, tomato, mayo, mustard, and jalapeno sauce in their bolillo-style hot dog bun. The bun is more like if you hollowed out a hammock-shaped loaf and stuffed everything inside.

First off, the bacon-wrapped frank is outstanding. Bacon cooked crispy dark golden, just how I like it. I usually don't get mayo on my food, but I made an exception here. All the condiments here simply work; the tomato gave the Sonoran dog a more refreshing experience, and the jalapeno sauce helped cut through the bacon-wrapped goodness. The soft bolillo roll held everything wonderfully.

You can get a "Sammy Dog" ($4) which is a Sonoran dog with two franks instead of one. It costs just 50 cents more than a regular Sonoran dog and is totally worth getting.

Huge props on their pico de gallo and their hot sauces. Some of the best pico de gallo I've had, too.

Of course, El Guero Canelo is more than Sonoran dogs. They have tacos, burros (a take on the burrito), and other dishes. They really hype their carne asada. Interestingly (to me), burro ("donkey") can be a demeaning Spanish term, much like how its English counterpart is used.

I guess there is a reason El Guero Canelo was featured on Man v. Food. The Sonoran dog is awesome, and I wish I could get more of them.

There have been food carts and other establishments in Portland that have tried to bring it here on a more regular basis, but few still exist. Don Churro (food cart) and Xico may be the only places doing it now. Other food carts that come to mind were Tony's Cucina and Papa-Pau. Tony's plans of a brick-and-mortar were quashed, and to my knowledge, both businesses have closed. MF Tasty once had it, according to Yelp reviews, but perhaps it may now return as a special.

El Guero Canelo gets a huge recommendation from me! 9/10