Cocina Adamex Pairs Old-School Recipes With Super-Sized Conchas

It’s tradition mixed with contemporary takes on the classics. Cocina Adamex pairs old-school recipes, like tamales and enchiladas, with a super-sized take on a fan favorite: conchas bigger than your head.

Cocina Adamex, located near 7th Avenue and Fillmore Street in Phoenix, has been serving the community for two years. The restaurant, which opened after an unexpected ownership change, offers a menu that combines old-school recipes, like tamales and enchiladas, with contemporary takes on fan favorites, like conchas bigger than your head.

Adriana Zapata, owner of Cocina Adamex, says that her husband's construction company was hired to remodel the restaurant, which had been in operation for 40 years, in 2019. However, due to the pandemic, the previous owner was unable to find a buyer who would keep her dedicated employees.

As a result, Zapata and her family decided to take over the restaurant themselves. She credits the hard work and dedication of the staff as being key to their success.

"If they wouldn't have stayed with us, I don't know if we would have made it this far, but absolutely with their help, it's what's been successful," Zapata said.

Now, the longtime staff and seasoned recipes make Cocina Adamex feel like a part of the community.

"From our Mexican traditions, it's so important to welcome people and to feed them. Nobody leaves your house if you did not feed them. So that's the idea that we want to incorporate here and make sure that, that every customer feels this way," Zapata said.

While they kept many old recipes, they added a few new ones, including plates named after their regulars. Those dishes range from huevos rancheros and chilaquiles to birria.

"When you walk into a business in Mexico, you might know the panadero, you might know the cook. So that's what we want here. We want you to come in, feel warm, feel welcomed," Zapata said.

From the bright sign out front to decorations, live music on the weekends, and constant chatter of customers, that welcoming atmosphere is apparent before you even take a bite.

All the recipes are made from scratch daily. Zapata says they're precise and detailed to ensure each forkful bursts with flavor.

She says green chili is one of the most popular: "We use the chili from Hatch and then you pair, make that a burrito enchilada style. That's it. You'll be set for the rest of the day."

The other item gaining popularity in Arizona and across the country is the XL Concha.

Zapata says she, like many other Mexican families, have a lot of memories sitting around the table with loved ones, sharing coffee and eating conchas and other pastries.

She decided to test out a super-sized version as a kind of birthday cake. But it wasn't until she started paring it with coffee that the XL Concha really took off.

The sweet bread comes in vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. It's soft on the inside with a delicious, crumbly top on the outside.

The XL Concha is now served alongside a giant cup filled with two pots of coffee. Both are great for sharing.

Zapata credits the idea to a social media influencer who helped teach her how to promote the restaurant and showcase their food. The conchas are so popular that the restaurant now ships them out of state.

Cocina Adamex also experiments with the sweet bread, offering an extra-large concha French toast.

Zapata insists it's something you're missing, even if you don't know it yet.

Cocina Adamex also serves other regular-sized traditional sweets like marranitos, empanadas, galletas, and wedding cookies. You can order them for dine in or to go.

It's recommended to order the XL Conchas a day in advance to make sure they make enough each morning.

If you can't get enough, the restaurant also offers catering services through a mobile food truck.

Cocina Adamex is located at 416 N 7th Ave in Phoenix. For more information, visit their website or follow them on social media.

Concina Adamex

Location: 416 N 7th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85007

Hours:

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