I ate here a few days ago. I had the Sinaloa Shrimp Culichi ($19.95), which came with rice, corn tortillas, nopalitos and calabacitas. I wasn't impressed with the side dishes (I don't care for nopalitos and I've had better calabacitas). The shrimp dish was pretty good, but it's not their best item. Service was very good. A pointer: they always start you off with a bowl of chips and red salsa. They have a green salsa, too, but you have to ask for it. It's good. read more

The best Mexican in Tucson, best margaritas and tamales!! Highly recommend!! The service was great

This is the type of place you bring out of town guests, especially those footing the bill. The Mexican food we had was good I thought but not 5 star good. My wife, Hispanic would disagree and does not care to return. She said the beans and rice were not authentic, salsa was bland and both of us have never had crunchy green chilis served on a quesadilla or anything. Food and drink Prices are high so you might try their Happy Hour to save a couple bucks per drink and/or app. We each had an adult beverage, shared a quesadilla (good) and chicken el pastor enchilada (per Yelp offer). Total $$ for 1 Straw Marg, 16oz Coors, 1 cheese crisp w tax and tip during Happy Hour was $30.00! Too pricey for 2 drinks and a meatless appetizer. On the receipt there is a line added to leave an additional $2.00 for the cooks?! What's that about?? Does that amount increase with items purchased? I thought it was w the owner who paid the cooks. Entrees avg $17.00 each. Overall, good service and tasty but overpriced. read more

Instead of driving to downtown, I loved that there was one in Oro Valley with convenient parking, more open seating and not as crowded. Highly recommend getting a reservation. We had a 5:30pm reservation on a Saturday and it was packed by the time we left. The highlight was their World Famous Carne Seca! They slice thin strips of beef and place it into a special drying cage they hoist over their restaurant to dry in the hot Tucson sun. Then they shred it and add green chile, onion and tomato. Each bite was packed with flavor and loved the texture. My favorite item was the cheese crisp with carne seca! The perfect balance of cheese and meat. We also ordered the chimichanga since they claim to have invented it?!? We ordered it "elegante style" which comes with enchilada sauce, guacamole, pico salsa and crema. I couldn't tell it was fried since it was covered in sauce but overall, delicious! The staff were readily available and even with a busy night they were always there. There was a large group having a birthday party in an area that was separated by curtains. It seems like a great place to host a large party since there was a long table to seat everyone, privacy from the restaurant and they even had a mariachi band playing! read more

See all

Ended up stopping by after taking a hike in Catalina State Park with two pups. They were very accommodating. We ended up really enjoying all of our food and the outside atmosphere. I would definitely recommend as the flavor and customer service was great! read more

See all

The food has always been good, the service is quick and attentive, the servers friendly and helpful. It's my place to go in Oro Valley.

I came in on Monday for lunch and my server was Erika. I had the most amazing experience with her. She provided me with exceptional service and was the sweetest person. I had the best time while I was there thanks to her and will definitely be recommending this place based on the interaction that I had with her! read more

This is supposed to be a world renowned restaurant. This is my second go. The first was 20 years ago. We decided to give it another try. Bad decision. First, the hostess was on the phone when we walked in and was being rude to the customer saying they can't take reservations when it is available online which she could have told them without being curt and rude. Even when I asked about the outside heater, one side had it and our side didn't and all she told me was they ran out of propane. Like, really? Hi, there are like 10 convince stores nearby! Go buy some! That is the job of someone. It is an easy fix and can be reimbursed. And if they knew about this at 6, it should have been rectified by 7. Doing that takes no time at all. As a former food service worker, when you run out of things, someone is sent to the grocery store or hardware or wherever and get it done until someone can order things from the regular supplier. Second, when we walked up, she said it would be a half hour. Not only did we have 7:15 reservations on Open Table, there were plenty of open tables on the patio. We asked of we could sit outside since it was nice and she seemed really put out by it and then proceeded to look at 3 empty tables on one side ad huffed and said I can maybe give you this one. Second, the food was so greasy. And they served bagged chips. We both had really bad indigestion from the food. They only came to refill drinks once and made the large table a priority and we got everything as an afterthought. Third, the food was not good. My "Original" tacos, each had a hamburger patty inside, I kid you not. I ripped off a small piece to make it edible and inside was RAW!! Also, peas and radishes were the taco toppings instead of lettuce and cheese or onions and cilantro. My husband got the flat enchiladas and he ate them, but was sick later. I think he may have gotten some food poisoning because he was ill by the time we got home. Overall, there may be some good dishes, but we have been burned twice now. Maybe a place to get drinks and appetizers. They have tequila and a whole section of the menu dedicated. I didn't order one, so I can't say if they are good or not, but people really seemed to enjoy them. read more

Brianna is fabulous. Very attentive, personable, and a little cutie! If you're not sitting at the bar and having your meal with Brianna you're missing out! read more

What a bummer of an experience. My father in law came here a few weeks ago and ordered ground beef tacos that were inedible. There was so much gristle he couldn't chew the meat and had to spit it out. He figured it was a fluke. Tonight we went here for dinner and he ordered some steak and a tamale. He tried chewing the steak but it was all gristle and it left it spit out on the plate. Someone else at the table tried it and couldn't chew it either. Waitress came around and noticed he wasn't able to eat his steak. She said she would let the cook know about the problem. He was still charged for the inedible entree - full price. Needless to say we won't be back. read more

Okay, time for an update because it has been more than a few years. First of all, I think this place might have managed to get even better over the time it has been since I've been back, not that there was anything really wrong with El Charro to begin with. Service? Very good. I have ordered takeout from here about twice over the last month and the food was always promptly made, and boxed. I dined-in today, and same great story. Very attentive service from the wait staff, the food came out very fast, and they kept things very neat and clean. Food? Like always, good, but historically, that is not an area in which El Charro faltered. One thing I do have to say is that their seafood options are fantastic. I've had seafood enchiladas, the pescado tropical, and today, the Sinaloa shrimp culichi, and they have all been very tasty. So much so, that I'll be thinking about it non-stop for the next week. Oh, and that prickly pear margarita was damn good. I'll be back very soon. read more

El Charro Cafe - The ruins of my bandera trio sampler. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

See all

Grew up in Tucson surrounded by Mexican food. Superstar brother came back to town and he ordered a steak chimichanga from El Charro cafe and declared it the BEST he has ever had. Impressive from the traveled chimichanga king! Me- had tortilla soup. SO fresh and flavorful, all a round a winner! read more

The food was excellent & everyone enjoyed their meal. We were 5 friends who hadn't been together for some time, celebrating birthdays. The restaurant wasn't too crowded & the wait staff let us linger. The background music could have been a bit softer, but it was a good blend of traditional sounds & more modern Latin beat. read more

El Charro Cafe broke my heart. I came here for their carne seca. Translated, this means "dried meat," and according to the lore that I had grown up with, El Charro Cafe continues to make this dish according to the traditional ways, sun-drying their beef in a cage on their rooftop in their downtown location. (Go there at night: you'll see a spotlight shining on the cage. It's wild.) But I arrived in Tucson amidst a bout of rainy weather. I'd figured the rooftop thing was a gimmick, and that they would have a perfectly good dehydrator in their kitchen making easily consumable batches of this stuff. Nope. The restaurant had run out of carne seca. Fortunately, my server Olivia was armed with a recommendation among the apologies: The QuesaBirria. She informed me that it was another unique El Charro dish and hinted that my broken heart may be mended. I gave it a try. I'm not sure if Olivia had a bet going on with the kitchen that she could sell the most QuesaBirrias in one night, or if they just happened to have made a few extra of these from a previous order, but I barely had time to bring out my phone and aimlessly scroll through social media while snarfing the free tortilla chips before my meal was delivered. The chimichanga shell was crisp and flaky. The beef inside was tender and juicy. The flavors were a fantastic blend of spice and citrus. All in all, a fantastic dish that broadened the list of things I would look to have when I visit Tucson. While I was enjoying this dish, Olivia was definitely getting her steps in. In fact, the entire restaurant staff was a model of efficiency, taking care of a full house with contagious enthusiasm. I tried the sopapilla for dessert and received something that seemed more like a flat churro than the flaky puffed pastry I'm familiar with. I'm a fan of churros, so they were OK, but definitely not a dessert on par with the meal I'd just had. Oh, well. I've driven down from Phoenix to eat at El Charro Cafe. I'll do it again. Next time, I'll likely find myself faced with a different dilemma: what else from the menu should I try? read more

Anna B was very professional. We enjoyed the service she provided to our family gathering. Thank you for your great service!

We have been going to El Charro for 25 years, and the Oracle Road location for as long as it has been open, and at least twice a month. Everyone there makes us feel welcome, special and treats us with such kindness, recognition and excellent service! The food is amazing but it is the staff who make El Charro our absolute favorite! I could write a review for all of them, but today I will focus on one of our favorites, Erika. She is so friendly, courteous, attentive and engaging! She always comes by to greet us if she isn't serving our table, which shows how great she is! She doesn't have to do that, and is very busy, so we appreciate her even more that she takes that time to go above and beyond and provide an excellent customer experience. Thank you Erika! It was so good to see you yesterday! read more

Love the menu. The tamales are my favorite. My husband prefers to try other things. All good.

We dined here on 5/11/19. I attempted to make a reservation on Yelp, but it kept saying nothing was available. I then tried calling the restaurant, but could not get through. We finally decided to drive to the restaurant to see what was going on. Upon arrival, we found the establishment to be busy, but not terrible. I was told we had a 40-minute wait, but we ended up being seated in about 15 minutes. The main dining area was very busy, and we ended up being seated back by the kitchen. Not the best seating, but we were happy to get a table, especially after the reservation/phone issue we initially had. Adrian was our server, and he was spot on with everything. Chips, salsa, and drinks were brought very fast. Our order was quickly taken, and food arrived within a few minutes. Everything was good, although I thought the portions were a little on the small side. One meal was for a child, and I thought it was a bit odd that it was served on a cafeteria-type tray. Might be "easier" for a child, but I thought it was a big tacky in a nice restaurant. All in all, a good meal. Would come back again, especially because of the service. read more

See all

After a long hike in Catalina my family opted to take out from here on our way home. Next time we will come in and sit down. We put in a big order and because we were traveling we asked to separate the meat from the tacos to prevent sogginess. The kitchen staff did a fabulous job of packaging our meal and when we got home it was still hot and tasty. Make sure you ask for deconstructed tacosnif tou need to order out. read more

Had a large group, asked the hostess to split us up to expedite the seating process. We waited over an hour to be seated and it was over an hour before we were all done. In total we were there for 3 hours for what most of the party thought was mediocre food. read more

I ordered takeout online. I waited 35 minutes past the quoted pickup time. And there were no chips given with the table-side guacamole. I love all the El Charro restaurants; however this might not be the restaurant to order takeout. read more

My flauta was a little dry, but the enchiladas, carne, and other entrees were phenomenal. The staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was casual energetic. read more

Unbelievably rude people here. Granted they were busy but the hostess had a 5 minute conversation with a DoorDash driver and then when I went to ask her about the wait once she got done with that conversation she stuck her hand in my face and walked away. Will never be back. read more

This is one of our "go to" restaurants as we could historically count on the the three following things...one, we will be getting a tasty well-made meal: two, that the service by the wait staff would be friendly and professional, and three, that although this location's large-room layout/design can get a bit loud, the ambiance and decor are pleasant. If you are new to town, visiting our fair city, or are not in the mood to cook and trying to figure out a place to get some good eats at...this is a good call. That being said I have one concern....now, before I reveal it, know that It might be covid related... or maybe it is the result of recent changes in how some workers perceive their relationships with their work responsibilities, but... I have noted a change for the worse in the area of customer service by the El Charro organization in the last 2 years or so. We still go often and hold El Charro in our hearts as one of our favorites, but I feel compelled to share... I have made it my yelp mission to only share positives about places that I share my opinion about, but will step slightly off this intended path of positivity to share that I have noted that the El Charro organization has presented itself in a number of our recent visits at this and other locations (Charro Vida, Downtown, and Del Rey) with an air of a "dispassionateness", and a bit of a, "laissez-faire" attitude towards its customers. Not always, but enough times to have me wonder what is up. Examples to support this claim include...There have been extended waits at tables once we were seated. Our presence was not even acknowledge by any of the wait staff--no menu was offered--even by the hostess, no one came by to offer of a beverage to quench throats as we looked over the menu (except we didn't get menus), no offers of complimentary chips. It's awkward as "f" to sit for that long as a guest--especially when it is not busy. Additionally, once served, we have, on a growing number of occasions, sat for 10 to 15 minutes without being checked on. This, we noted, seemed to be the norm for tables around us and can be an annoyance if something was missing from the order or if a small something like more salsa or a refill of an iced-tea was hoped for. I am a "Salt of the Earth" kind of a guy and don't expect even close to three-Michelin star service, but some service in a reasonable amount of time is the norm-- and not being made to feel welcomed and appreciated is a bit of a major faux pax. If a server finds themselves "in the weeds" that's one thing and forgivable (we usually feel a closer bond with servers that are swamped) but there have been times when we were looking for service and observed servers chit chatting or playfully horsing around with each other. One last "slightly insulting" incident that illustrates that (in my opinion) El Charro could perhaps reflect on the need for more consistency in the way its customers are treated occurred when we ate there last Saturday. When we stepped up to the hostess stand the young lady hardly made eye contact. We arrived before the dinner rush and it was not busy yet. Then, with what I perceived was a bit of a slightly unfriendly (bordering on "snarky"- tone--*It made me feel as if we were bothering her or that she didn't appreciate being trifled with ) she asked if we wanted to sit inside or on the patio. (*Keep in mind that I am quite charming and get along well with nearly everyone --and even have been known to charm dogs that normally are aggressive with strangers). Anyway, as I began to share that we preferred to be seated inside, her cell phone rang and she, without even so much as a small gesture to pardon the interruption, or a word of apology, turned her back on us to take the call. A minute or two later we were taken to our table and as I thanked her for seating us, she avoided eye contact and turned and walked away. It was kinda rude and had a bit of a "C" wordy gesture/vibe to it. I took it a bit personally until I observed her "giving other tables the business" in a similar way. This, and the aforementioned slight disregard for restaurant protocols probably should be addressed as El Charro is a standard-bearer for restaurants in the Sleepy Pueblo. There food is still wonderful. And the place is part of our shared culinary history... and by the way, our waitress (I think her name was Giavana) that night was kind and friendly, engaged, welcoming, and caring. (*And checked in on us shortly after we were served). read more

We've been here before and we'll come here again. The dishes are fresh and tasty. Delicious! We visit Tucson every couple of years, and we come back to El Charro. It's up toward Oro Valley. The space is large so they can accommodate larger parties. The waiters are good to explain the dishes, and their service is professional. Calling for a reservation we were asked to come a little later since several large parties were coming in. We were a party of seven. We were seated right away and given paper menus. Tho we waited a tad too long, once the waiter came the meal service was excellent. The drinks and food came in an appropriate time. For dessert I tried the Tres Leche cake. It is a very moist white cake using three milks. The cake is delicious. The piece was large enough to share. The group is looking forward to coming back here. read more

See all

Not inexpensive but the dining room is better than most Mexican restaurants. Full service. Food is high quality and consistent over time.

Food was quite good and nice servings but service was spotty. Hard to get the waitress attention

Strangely enough, in all my travels I've never visited Tucson, AZ before. I came out to scout some locations for a movie we are looking at making and really wanted to try Sonoran style Mexican food... Locals told us El Charro was the oldest and most well known restaurant... the birthplace of the chimichanga, which purists sort of detest, but can be delicious. I had the carne seca crispy tacos and a Chile relleno with red sauce along with some mini chimichangas birrias and a queso "crisp" with green Chile... don't worry... I DID have help eating it all! All were delicious and I'm now a confirmed fan of this style of Mexican food! read more

After hearing of the reputation of El Charro's food from Rick Bayless of all chefs, we could not wait to try many things on the menu, and we were not disappointed. We shared the Appetizer Mini Chimichanga's which are served with the freshest and tastiest pico de gallo, so good. That was followed by a cup of their very tasty Tortilla Soup and for entrees I had the traditional Chili Relleno, so light and flavorful, and my partner had the breakfast tacos, really fresh tortillas and light tasty filling. Everything was tasty and really delicious, especially the beans and rice, something different than just a warmed carb side that you get in so many Mexican restaurants. Mary was the hostess that sat us and looked after us, because as is written in some of the other reviews, the initial attention to the table was slightly slow, so Mary jumped in and suggested we try their fresh margaritas, they we the best! Also, by the time we left, the place was hopping as I guess Happy Hour is a local favorite, don't miss it! read more

See all

This was my second time at this location and both times, the food has been excellent. I got the carne seca both times and it's just so good! If I was rating on my dinner alone, I would give it 5 stars but out of all the Mexican restaurants I go to in Tucson, this one has my least favorite salsa. The service was great and our server was friendly and efficient. The decor is nice...except the table cloths. They were plastic and fastened to the table. It's an expensive place to have cheap plastic tablecloths. It doesn't really fit with the rest of the restaurant which is nicely decorated. It's a good restaurant overall, just not 5 stars. read more

El charro oro valley to reopen this tues 7-14 call first for hours & reservations ,but both inside dining & patio read more

See all

I just ordered from El Charro for the first time through DoorDash and I ordered the Ceviche tostada salad. When I got my order all of the shrimp was RAW, completely grey. I know this is not how ceviche is supposed to be served, and luckily I didn't eat it because I would've probably gotten food poisoning. When I called the restaurant to let them know, the girl at the front answered and thanked me for letting them know and that she would tell the cooks. No replacement and no apology. Luckily DoorDash has better customer service and I was able to get a refund. I would stay away. read more

El Charro Cafe - RAW SHRIMP, dish not prepared properly - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

I usually love El Charro but the service was slow today and they weren't busy. We ordered guac and it didn't come until all of our chips were gone, we were starving, and was served with the rest of our food. (Yes, guac is extra here too). I ordered my usual go-to which is the vegan tamales, which were fine, but the waiter (who was nice and knowledgeable) explained to me that they are now offering a new Chipotle version of the vegan tamales, so I said ok I'll get one of each. They came and there was zero noticeable difference so I don't know if they accidentally gave me two normal tamales or if the chipotle version actually just tastes the exact same, haha. Other than the slow service, vibes are great and I enjoy the decor of El Charro. Indoor/outdoor seating options. Grab one of the mints on the way out and guess what the flavor is. My guess was margarita read more

El Charro Cafe - Enchiladas w/ white sauce (no rice, extra refried beans) - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

See all

Great service and food. New procedures to book a reservation with a $50 deposit is silly. Deal with the problem people, don't make everyone jump through hoops because there's a few a bad apples. Management need to realize they are running a business and people can vote with their $ read more

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites. The food is definitely still different than what you find on traditional menus-and that's what I have always liked about it. But it's not spectacular anymore. Please don't list "table side guacamole" if you aren't actually making it at the table. It wasn't great either--very bland. Service was ok. Not great. My dinner was ok. I had grilled shrimp. But it was drowning in poblano sauce that should've been wonderful. My mom had grilled tamales-they were quite good. read more

Very disappointed for the second time in one year. Made a reservation for 6 for 6pm. Gave them our name and phone #. When we arrived they said we were mistaken, they had no reservation for us. I showed her my phone where I had called this number to make the reservation and told her I had spoken with a male. She finally acknowledged that he may have forgot to enter in their system and agreed to seat us. We all ordered and an hour later we were finally served. The food was okay to good, but the chicken tacos had almost no chicken and was served on corn tortillas instead of the flour tortillas which were requested. Pretty much the exact same scenario as last time we went there a year ago. So our mistake even though the staff were friendly the service was very slow and sloppy. I have written a critical review before but feel like this is necessary to hopefully cause the staff to step up their service or suffer the consequences. We will not be going back to this restaurant. read more

Their chips and salsa are fresh and homemade. So many traditional and unique choices including vegan and gluten-free. I had the tamales which was melt in your mouth delicious! My friend had the shrimp special dish which had good sized shrimp in a creamy lime sauce, along with fresh corn tortillas. We opted for regular instead of table side guacamole but it was delicious! The service was a bit spotty because they were serving some big tables but overall satisfactory. Enjoy! read more

See all

We came here for lunch on a weekday and were surprised to see there was no lunch menu. I feel like there used to be one but they took it away. The couple seated behind us were also disappointed there was no lunch menu. Otherwise, I do love coming here for dinner. They have the best fruit margaritas in town. I love the strawberry and prickly pear. The chips and salsa are good as well. I usually get the tamale stuffed chicken which is super good. I skip the fajitas because the tortillas aren't as good as the places that make it in front of you. My husband loves the chile rellenos - they're his favorite in town. We had our wedding rehearsal dinner here 6 years ago. I loved the transparency of their catering menus. They actually listed prices online! I appreciated the time saved while doing wedding research. Everything went smoothly with the booking and dinner. Kids 2 and under can get free rice and beans. We always have the best service. read more

The place seemed so fun and authentic, and I loved the nachos they brought to the table right away. But we did not enjoy the enchiladas. The meat in them was very overcooked and dry. read more

Tried something new tonight and decided on El Charro restaurant on Oracle in Oro Valley. It's a spacious restaurant with a few books for larger parties. Because of the open floor plan and high ceilings it is comfortably loud. I was first impressed with the professional first class service that persisted throughout our meal from our hostess, waiter, bus person and manager who visited with us. My wife ordered the Fajitas and I got the Chicken Mole. Portions were large, but most importantly everything was prepared and plated with pride and cooked to perfection. My Chicken Mole was phenomenal- perhaps the best I've had of one of my favorite dishes...certainly the best in the greater Tucson area. Not only will we be back, but we'll recommend it to everyone who wants to know of a good place for Mexican food. read more