Food great as always never disappoints. Service was excellent. Nice and helpful about getting us the right table for our group.

We were in Tucson visiting wife's family and we went to lunch here. She was last here as a 12 year with her mom. We were immediately welcomed and the owner was amazing. My wife was talking to him and he recommended some dishes right away. The food was amazing. No idea why low rating, we live in vegas and honestly the Mexican restaurants here are not good. This was authentic and flavors were amazing. The Tucson taco and cheese crisp were the best I've ever had. Our waitress was super friendly as well. We felt so welcome that we will be flying back to visit probably next week and we are coming back. We also really like the feel and ambiance of this place it just felt welcoming. read more

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Wow, I'm super surprised by the overall low star ratings! Date night on a Saturday at 5:30 PM. We arrived a couple minutes late to our reservation and were seated immediately. I had a $50 gift card that I won in a giveaway with Tucson Convention Center. It was our first time here! Any place that has complimentary chips and salsa is automatically on my good side. The salsas included were a green salsa ("hot") and a classic red salsa ("medium"). Our server, Tony, was so kind, informative, patient, and helpful. He gave us great recommendations, answered all of our questions, and even gave me green salsa to go, as they don't sell it for some reason. I got the Monica platter (a combination plate) and my husband got a carne seca chimichanga. He asked for cheese inside the chimichanga but ultimately it had none, but we didn't want to wait for a remake because we were having a date without our kiddos and didn't want to prolong our gracious sitter. We got the bacon wrapped shrimp as an appetizer and the sopapillas, churros, y chocolate for dessert. The churros were seriously SO good! Fresh and crunchy, the best! read more

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We came back on Friday after enjoying our meal in Wednesday. We were placed in the front by the windows with I think his name was Omar. Omar was NOT Martha! He was very slow and I had to ask 4 times for lemons. We were a table of 2 and received our food after a table of 4, who came after us were almost done. Umm what happened. Then we had to sit through the not so great mariachi! I think they must be someone's tios because it was not good. Do why the 4 stars!! Cuz the food is amazing! I took the 1 star away for my previous complaints. I ordered the pozole on recommendation from Omar. I had planned on tortilla soup but he was right! It was DELICIOUS!! My colleague ordered the original beef tacos and said it was very good. We finished the meal with a kids order of charros for each of us. Again... you looking for a good meal, this is the place! read more

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Excellent food and service! Came as an out-of-towner with a very large group including multiple people in wheelchairs. El Charro was so accommodating with our reservation. (Even though we had to add to it last minute during the dinner rush.) Our food was served quickly considering the size of our group and delicious. The atmosphere definitely made you feel like you had slipped away to a favorite Mexican restaurant on vacation. There's a reason this restaurant shows up on recommendation lists. Visit if you can!! read more

El Charro Cafe - Seafood Enchiladas - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Street taco platter (AMAZING) and prickly pair margaritas (DELICIOUS). The only reason I come here is for those 2 things. I Definitely recommend a reservation if coming in the evenings, FYI, they do not make reservations the day of anymore read more

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I will start out with the good: our waitress Mia was fantastic. Friendly, helpful and ensured we had a great experience. The menu has a ton of authentic options and all the food is flavorful. Great selection of drinks too. The mariachi band that played at our table was a fun touch. The not so good: we waited 20 minutes for our reservation, watching other tables get sat before us (who either didn't have reservations or had a reservation at a later time than us). The hostesses were extremely unfriendly... if we hadn't been here before and knew the food was good, we likely wouldn't have waited to even sit. They definitely need some customer service training pronto. Other guests were also shocked at their words and tone. read more

El Charro Cafe - Shrimp Ceviche, shrimp lettuce wraps - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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We enjoyed the food, especially the dried beef tacos. Unusual and excellent. The service was just OK, somewhat inattentive. It wasn't that busy, because it was only 5:30 pm, so we were a bit disappointed in how long our waiter left us alone. The ambience was superb! Just which one would expect of a Mexican restaurant in Tucson. Some mariachi singers came around and that could've been fun, but they were the worst singers on earth. I mean, truly bad. read more

El Charro Cafe - The fish dish. - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Drove all the way from Wisconsin for some authentic Mexican food. Asked a couple of locals for their recommendation and they both blurted out El Charro. Said it would be busy but worth the wait. We waited over an hour to be seated in a beautiful area by the front door. We were secluded so we could watch people come and go. In addition to chips and salsa, we started with the table side Guacamole which was huge and prepared perfectly - tomato, onions, jalapeño, chunked avocado. Enjoyed the Guac, chips and salsa while we listened to a roaming two man mariachi band. Fun ! Wifey ordered a chicken quesadilla, no frills. It was large but the chicken was sparse and the cheese hard like it had been waiting in the kitchen to come to the table. We were not impressed. I went for adventure and ordered the Monica Plate. Asked our server if that would be a good sampler, answer yes. Well, it came to the table and I was not sure what I was looking at. Three components - corn masa tamale with a tart lemon sauce, dry shredded beef burrito with red sauce and finally a hard shell taco with an unrecognizable piece of beef the size of a shoe heel and as hard covered with a red sauce. A handful of lettuce was under the taco. Beans and rice came as a side. I can't recommend Monica's platter or any of the components. It was expensive and challenged my palate. I've come to the conclusion that I errored ordering or that I do not like authentic Mexican food. Recommend with caution as noted above. The restaurant is beautiful and they have a loyal clientele, but I should have know better. read more

El Charro Cafe - Seated on waiting porch for about an hour. View of moon with planets on one of those nights everything was aligned. - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

El Charro clearly carries strong local nostalgia -- the crowd after the rodeo and UA game made that obvious. The chips and salsa were plentiful and very good, and the Chicken Cheese Crisp and shrimp ceviche appetizers were solid starts. Unfortunately, the entrees didn't live up to the reputation. It took about an hour to receive them, and some arrived hot while others were cooling off. I ordered the green chile beef chimichanga (their house specialty was already sold out by 6pm), and both the beef and red sauce lacked flavor. Others at the table had similar feedback on their dishes. The staff were attentive and working hard, but between the long wait and muted flavors, this ultimately felt like an average experience for us. With so many strong Southwest options in Tucson, it's hard to justify choosing this one beyond its historic appeal. read more

El Charro Cafe - Chimichanga - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The sauce for the Seafood Relleno del Rey, I could drink that. Yummmm I went after my shift at the Tucson Folk Festival and the food and staff were very friendly to me. The food was very good. I also had a Sangria and it was fresh and very tasty. read more

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What a great experience "NOT" 8:05 pm walked up excited and looking forward to trying this place. Go to check in (no line and plenty of open tables). First thing out of the hoist do you have a reservation? We said no and ask if possible can we sit on the patio she turned her back and said the patio is closing. Another girl came up and said do you have a reservation and we said no again. She said sorry the kitchen is closing we aren't seating anyone else tonight. Keep in mind it's 8:05 and the place closes at 9:00pm! If they actually close at 8, that should be made known. I wanted to say if we had a reservation the kitchen would still be open?? Customer service is disappointing for sure at this place! Won't bother coming back, since this is how they treat customers. read more

El Charro Cafe - worst customer service in Tucson - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Food-wise, El Charro is a five-star kind of spot. I was a huge fan of my vegan tamale (bonus: you can get them shipped home via GoldBelly). Service-wise, you could visibly see some chaos and confusion among their team. It was a little bit of a mess, which is why I'm docking a star. Here's to hoping that El Charro will be around for another hundred years. read more

The food was so delicious, you can tell they really put a lot of love and care into their recipes. Mia was our server and she was wonderful. Wish we lived closer cause I'd be here all the time read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The oldest authentic Mexican restaurant in the United States--viva Mexico! established 1922!! Came here on a rainy day in Tucson AZ and had to jump right into the Mexican hot chocolate! So yummy, warming, and with a little spice! Very very good!! I ordered the tamales bc I'm all about some tamales! The carnitas and red chile beef -- yes! A quaint spot with a beautiful facade and interior -- seems like it used to be an old house. The service was great and it was a treat on a cold, rainy Dec 24 day -- real cool spot! Oh and btw -- just know...the portions are pretty big! read more

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Tasty dinner with good sized portions! We decided to get two of the combos to try a variety of their signature dishes. The corn tamales was our favorite! We also ordered a house margarita which was quite good and the tres leches which was ok but not our favorite. read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We saw a blue Bentley park in front downtown El Charro, after seeing the license plate that said he was the boss. We went in he was on the phone and he actually yelled at us for interrupting his call although we hadn't said a word. His behavior went down from there. He was mean to all employees with whom we saw him interact. I can't say how the food was because we were feeling so badly for the employees. I can say that guy has a lot of gall. Never again. And I'd bet he'd call ice on "HIS" employees. read more

Food was good. Service was awesome. Nice cool ambiance. Like I say I'm a big history buff and I love to eat so this place has been on my radar for a while. I spkoe with one of the managers. Sorry I forgot his name but he was grwat. Definitely coming back read more

El Charro Cafe - The no. 1 - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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On a Sunday night at about 6:30, the wait was 45 minutes so plan accordingly. The food was great, but the service was not great. The waiter ended up spilling a glass of wine that was on the table. We ordered guacamole to Be prepared at the table but as soon as the guacamole was ready, they started to bring out the main courses! I told them to wait on my dish as I was just starting the guacamole. Btw, the guacamole needed some salt IMO. My dad's taco was cold he said as it came out right with the guacamole. Surprisingly, my food was very warm when it came out but I had to wait probably an extra 10 minutes for it. Eddie and Carlos of the mariachi band are always fun! Overall, the place had some rough edges but if you go during a less busy time, then it would be 5 stars IMO. read more

Best server (Martha) ever, her table side guacamole was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious...I'm already planning a return trip before heading back home! read more

El Charro Cafe - Carnitas Chimichanga with Christmas Sauce - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Very good restaurant. Long wait to get in but very tasty Mexican food. Three out of four of us had some kind of tacos. I enjoyed the combo plate: tamale, cheese enchilada and taco. All came with rice and beans. Very enjoyable experience. read more

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Local hotspot for a delicious meal in a comfortable setting. They have a full bar, kid friendly and a very versatile menu. Chips were fresh and served with 2 salsas red and a spicier green. I had the Tamale stuffer Chicken which was a tender chick breast stuffed with tamale and veggies in a cheese crema sauce over rice and veggies (absolutely delicious) Husband had pollo Arizona chimichangas and said the chicken was melt in your mouth tender and seasoned perfectly. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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Fun little spot with authentic Mexican. The chimichanga was excellent but we all enjoyed our food! The horny cucumber margarita is the best I've ever had! read more

El Charro Cafe - Chimichanga pollo Arizona. - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Touted at the older Mexican restaurant in the US we wanted to try it. Busy but not packed on a Saturday late lunchtime. Served was nice and gave good recommendations. We had two types of enchiladas. Portions were huge! Salsa was too spicy for me but good. Worth a visit read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The food was amazing starting with the mini chimis that were lightly fried and delicious. The mains were just as flavorful. The hanger steak was tender and juicy and the seafood was perfectly cooked. Both entrees were well seasoned and definitely represented the best tastes of Mexican cuisine. The staff was extremely courteous and professional starting with the hostess that we checked in with to the waiter who was efficient and helpful. This would have been a 5 star review if not for the manager (?) that greeted and seated customers. He spoke very rudely to the staff in front of customers and was rude to patrons as well. read more

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Carne seca y guacamole tacos were so good! Absolutely delicious!! All the food we tried was really good. The service could have been more attentive . But, I will definitely go back. read more

El Charro Cafe - Carne seca y guacamole tacos and a charro style beef taco. - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Charming venue. Beautiful atmosphere food was amazing service was equal to everything. Would definitely visit again. Generous portions and so fresh and delicious. Wonderful place read more

Its always exciting when a date night turns into a road trip. My boyfriend surprised me with a dinner date not local in Phoenix but in Tucson. The tableside guacamole and shrimp ceviche were delicious and definitely the way to start our meal. The tamale stuffed chicken was out of this world! The green chile, corn and avocado salsa added amazing flavor. My boyfriend ordered the Charro Burger and added a fried egg. The burger was juicy and flavorful. You cant go wrong with a classic margarita, especially at El Charro. The prickly pear and horny cucumber margaritas are also amazing! Service was impeccable. Our glasses where never empty, we were constantly checked out and the servers recommendations were spot on. read more

This place truly stands the test of time. If someone came to Tucson specifically for Mexican food, I'd point them in this direction. I get steak fajitas and they're fantastic. read more

I love the ambiance of this cafe/restaurant. The surrounding Mexican folk art and table setting at the bar section stood out to me. The food we had was alright. Generous portions of rice, beans, sauces which were pretty much similar fare would have in a Mexican restaurant in other cities in the US. But be prepared to wait even during a rainy evening. read more

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On a day trip to Tucson we stopped her for lunch. I ordered Carlotta's Chicken Mole Enchiladas. Mole sauce is one of my favorites, and this one was excellent. I would definitely like to return to try their famous Carne Seca. NOTE: Parking around the restaurant has meters, and the lot across the street is paid parking. For both, you have to use your phone and scan a barcode. Kind of a pain, especially if you haven't ever done it. read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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If you're going to El Charro, make sure you have reservations and pack your patience. Our recent experience there was exasperating due to inattentive service and a slow kitchen. We ordered a wide variety of dishes among us, and the consensus was that about half of the items were excellent and half of them were meh. The ambience is pretty nice, so while we were waiting for our server and our drinks and our appetizer and our dinners and the check and to make our payment, we waited in a pleasing space. I just wish that the food and especially the service measured up to El Charro's reputation. Will likely not return. read more

This place was a true gem. We were greeted with welcoming staff with the ambiance of a good friend's kitchen. The food was amazing everything we ordered was unique and amazingly delicious. If you are in the Tucson area it would be a crime if you didn't try this place. read more

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I expected something more authentic for Arizona. Appetizers weren't that great, food was okay. I think I would try somewhere else next time I'm out in Tucson. read more

We were excited to come try this restaurant on a recent road trip, but the overall experience was very disappointing for many reasons (listed below). We were able to be seated immediately at 1PM on a Sunday. As someone who has lived in SD and LA, the food is fine but nothing out of the ordinary, and price point is high for what it is. Service was also very slow. That being said, the patio space was decorated well. Our waiter explained that the mini chimichangas appetizer is a random assorted mix, and that there was no guarantee what you get as filling, which was strange to me. We still ordered them as the restaurant is credited for inventing them. These were just okay, we ended up getting one chicken and three vegetarian ones. There were a lot of flies in the patio space which further detracted from the experience. And the strangest part of this visit: when we first saw down, we noticed they gave us paper cups for water and all the tables around us got glass cups for water. At first, I figured that it was an inventory issue, but lo and behold the large party seated right after us also got glass cups. What's worse is that one of the paper cups started leaking mid meal. Obviously, this difficult to prove, but it felt like a racial microaggression as the other parties were Caucasian and we were the only POCs there. When we inquired, the waitress misunderstood us and said "well, we don't let people take glass cups to go" which was a bizarre answer in it of itself and nothing to do with what I said. The manager then said "I'm sorry you feel that way" which is a non-apology, and cited an inventory issue, which clearly was not the actual reason as noted by my observations. El Charro, please do better so your future customers do not feel this way. read more

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Good portions of meals. Huge menu selection. Staff was courteous and hard working. Close to the downtown area and the surrounding area currently under redevelopment in areas. This neighborhood was one of the original neighborhoods during the 40's and 50's. Ambiance was perfect for the area. read more

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We've been wanting to visit El Charro Café for a long, long time. Not just because it's the historically oldest operating Mexican Resto in Tucson, proclaimed "One of America's 21 Most Legendary Restaurants" by Gourmet Magazine in October 2008, but mostly because the reviews and the hearsay about its excellent Mexican viddles has nagged me to visit for a long, long time, especially with its ratings of 4.2 on Yelp, 4.3 on Google and 4.1 on Tripadvisor! A pretty impressive track record! El Charro Café - Downtown has been around since 1922 in a home dating back to 1896 serving a Tucson-style take on Sonoran regional Mexican Cuisine which appears to be its legacy. El Charro does an excellent job with the culinary traditions of the norteño Mexico are characterized by their bold flavors, preparation simplicity, its emphasis wheat-based products, use of grilled meats, and a unique flavor profile through strong use of Chiltepin's Heat and the emphasis on mesquite wood for cooking. All these combined makes for a unique take on an incredible cuisine. This place is humongous in size with its assorted interior rooms, bar area and a huge and traditional outdoor seating patio. The service from their enormous staff is terrific, the accommodations comfortable and the atmosphere very, very Mexican - without being cheeky! The dish selection is ginormous from aperitivos, sopas y ensaladas, to mains like enchiladas, chile rellenos, fajitas, to tamales, carne seca and tamales. It is a difficult conundrum figuring out what to get unless you've arrived with a preconceived idea. And the aromas spewing around the dining areas and wafting from the kitchen do not help in your endeavor. On with the food... We of course started out with the traditional Margaritas - perfectly made with no scrimping on the Tequila. Our mains consisted of my selection of Numero Cinco: with a wonderful rendition of Carne Asada - perfectly prep'd and seasoned, an almost perfect Anaheim Chile Relleno stuffed with delicate Queso Casero with a very tantalizing green salsa - with just the right amount of batter, not overwhelming, and excellent traditional seasoning, along with a wonderful and very flavorful Queso Casero Enchilada and of course tortillas. Across the table my Wife and Sis ordered dishes that included a voluptuous serving of a Burrito called El Charro Carne Seca - seasoned dried shredded beef, a terrific rendition of Enchiladas Sonorenses with red chile, onion and a dab of fresh cheese. I must say I was impressed with the quality, quantity and flavors put together overall for the meal. For the hype built up it was well worth the visit. Although very, very good, and worth trying out, don't expect miracles as there are many Sonoran examples to be had in Arizona. But Chef Carlotta does a great tribute to Tia Monica, the overwhelming array in their selection, as well as the tribute to Sonoran Cuisine deserve a visit. Much enjoyed! Buen provecho ya'll. read more

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I've eaten here many times and it's generally decent--not spectacular, but reliably okay. One standout: the carne seca. It's a unique dish and I really enjoy it whenever it's on my plate. I usually order the horchata, which they make well. Lately, though, the glass has been packed with ice--so full there's barely any room for the drink. The last two visits I asked for a top-off (since it's not a free-refill drink), and the staff graciously refilled it both times. I appreciate that they took care of it without hesitation. Service overall is fine: friendly enough and willing to help when asked. I also asked about a Veteran's discount and was given one right away--thank you for that. One safety caution: the swinging door to the kitchen. We sat right next to it and saw two near misses between staff coming and going. The small tinted window in the door is very dark and set too low to be useful, which makes collisions feel almost inevitable. I hope management takes a look at this--it seems like an avoidable accident waiting to happen. All in all, the restaurant is okay and has real opportunities to get even better with a few small tweaks (less ice in specialty drinks, improve kitchen door visibility, continue training the team). I'll be back, especially for the carne seca. read more

El Charro Cafe - El Grupo The Tasting Plate - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Came home for the holidays and got to enjoy all my favorites from Charro. My favorite thing about this restaurant is the service. Antonio is absolutely worth the wait. You guys, he's our favorite server. They should also pay the hostess more for the way she's treated by tourists. She was amazing at navigating difficult people. The experience is totally worth the wait time, and they even let you grab a drink and enjoy it on the patio while you wait. I love this place. It's where I send all my friends and family when they visit Tucson. read more

El Charro Cafe - Café de olla - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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We enjoyed the Chile Relleno, and Birria Chimichanga. Service was friendly. They were able to accommodate a group of 8 as a walk in on a Thursday night which we were very grateful for. read more

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