I'm astonished that a restaurant manager can act with such nonchalance when something as terrible as $500 dollars of personal merchandise is damaged and potentially ruined when our nice and otherwise innocent server spilled mezcal all over my party's two purses and designer jacket. Telling us you can get in touch with the owners and then proceeding to charge the harmed members of my party full price for their meal AND the mezcal that was in her purse!!! This is insane. Completely incompetent on the managers part. I would never dine here again after this. We literally pulled the mezcal glass out of her purse.... read more

we had a show at 8 so we told our server at 615 that we were in a time crunch. our drinks came late - he place a small bowl of chips at a table for 6 of us, just like the table for 2 next to us. ?? our appetizer (queso dip) was so burned, it was on giant piece of hard cheese. ceviche was ok. we never saw our guacamole and be warned that the empanadas are about the size of a chinese dumpling (so forget about sharing it). i ordered the beef short ribs for dinner and i COULD NOT cut it with a steak knife. and our dinner came at 740 and our show started at 8. we had 10 minutes to eat. it was not a pleasant evening out with friends experience. the best thing all night at penca was the fried tortilla chips. very disappointing all around, i would recommend that you skip it. read more

Really friendly staff. Good looking too. Helped me with recommendations as I am visiting Tucson for work. Bartender recommended a few cocktails. The mezcal drink wasn't so good. The 2nd drink was forgettable. I don't attest this to the bartender per se, who seemed incredibly knowledgeable. You get chips with a green salsa that's decent. Also lots of water. I came alone and hungry and this was a good portion. Got the brisket and hominy with goat cheese. The brisket was good and a huge portion size. Not a fan of the hominy. It was thick and with the goat cheese I should've known better. Note this was my first experience with hominy and I'm not a goat cheese person. Overall: I found out later in the night you can get quality craft cocktails at several other places; therefore I would skip out on drinking here. The menu though seemed good. 3/5 it is. read more

Penca - Brisket with goat cheese hominy and squash - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Food was tasty but our tortillas were not fully cooked and raw in the center. At the time the restaurant was just opened and us and another couple were greeted with if you don't have reservations then you will have to sit at the bar because tables will fill at 5. We were ok with that and sat at the bar. Meanwhile by 5:45 three tables were taken. This caused the bartender to be very busy right off the bat. This impacted our experience because we felt more like a burden and not able to enjoy our dinner experience. read more

Love the diversity of dishes at this place. The tuetano is a hit and reminds me of the rare treat of getting a bone marrow bone in my stew as a kid. Lively atmosphere and prompt attention. Love the way they rotate and add new dishes to the menu. Cocktails are always delicious and unique. A downtown gem. read more

Had the most delicious dinner tonight with friends. The guacamole and ceviche appetizers were some of the best ever. We all had delicious wine. My salad with the butter lettuce and turkey with some other salsa from the guacamole plate was over the top. Our friends loved their tacos. And my husband had a fabulous pork dish from the entrée list. The price was great for such delicious food and a place with lovely ambience. read more

The best tacos ever for this Los Angeles girl! My husband and I enjoyed this trendy spot that had food that tasted as good as it looked. Enjoyed the lengua, raja, and cabeza (spelling?) Try the fermented pineapple too... Great atmosphere and service! read more

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Dear Lord...the food here is so amazingggggg!!! Hubs and I were here over the holidays. We were just driving around downtown Tucson and decided to Yelp a place to eat. We walked in and were sadly told we had just missed lunch. However the bar was open and we were encouraged by the server to try the Happy Hour bar menu. Oh boy, great advice! We ordered a little of everything off the menu and NOM NOM NOM!!! I asked for a non-alcoholic beverage to be created by the mixologist behind the bar and he did not disappoint. A little sweet tart limey yumminess in a gimlet glass. Delish! Our service was very personable and attentive. Really overall just hit five stars on every level. Next time we're in town we will most definitely return. read more

Penca - So delicious!! - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Best atmosphere I have been to in a long time. Food is outstanding and serves was great. Jenny is an amazing server and the drinks from the bar are to die for read more

On a recent visit to Tucson, my co-workers dined here on a Friday night. Penca boasts upscale Mexico City + craft cocktails in a trendy-chic atmosphere. While it's certainly not a perfect Mexican restaurant, there's a lot to like here. Pros: - Fresh, homemade tortilla chips (you can taste the difference). Plus, they're complimentary. - Guac that rocks (and comes with a trio of delicious salsas) - An inventive bar program that boasts plenty of mezcal & tequila selections + mouthwatering craft cocktails. I pretty much gulped down my Jicaro (made with corn-infused mezcal, sap from the maguey aloe plant, lime juice, and orange bitters) in 3 minutes. And when I was done, I had to order another one. It went down that easy. - Very friendly, bordering on overly-attentive service. Our server came to our table three times before we were even ready to place our order. But it was nice that she kept checking in on us to see if we needed anything else. The Not-So-Positives: - The tacos were fine, but not exactly memorable. The carne asada could have used some more flavor, and was a bit overcooked. The carne asada was much better. - The rice was undercooked and crunchy. And the beans lacked flavor. - The Queso Fundido sounded great on paper (warm Oaxacan cheese, house made turkey achiote sausage, roasted poblano rajas, sauteed onions), but the delivered product was kind of unimpressive. Within just a few minutes, the melted cheese dip coagulated and it was difficult to dip our tortillas in it. Oh well. All in all, Penca isn't the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to in my life, but it's definitely worth checking out. I would especially recommend it for happy hour on a toasty Tucson evening. And make sure you order the Jicaro. I'm still dreaming about it. read more

Absolutely one of THE BEST MEX FOOD I have had EVER! Flat out 10 in every way!!!! Food 10. Drinks 10. Musica 11. Ambiance 10. Food Food Food 10, 10, 11!!!!!!!!!! read more

My absolute favorite place to eat in Tucson. The food is creative, fresh, and delish. Always! Their green salsa is beyond description - I dream of it and cannot wait to return to Penca every time I'm in town. Highly recommend. read more

I love a place with character and it's own unique flavor. All of the cocktails are unique and made in the traditional bartending style! They carry a great selection of liquors (not your brand name stuff), which are always very tasty. The menu is pretty diverse as well and I have yet to have a bad dish here. Very rustic decor which adds to the experience. Great place to grab a drink or a meal, even better if you combine both! read more

Great food! Awesome service! Unique menu choices. Make a reservation and enjoy a wonderful Tucson AZ restaurant.

I've pretty disappointed by Penca. When I first went here pre pandemic it was incredible. They had a mole sampler with blue corn tortillas that was so delicious and complex. We recently visited and the food was bland and like there was little care and attention given. The food sounds good on the menu but very little flavor was actually present in the dishes. My mother who is from Mexico was disappointed in the quality of the food, especially considering the prices. Hope the restaurant can improve the quality and return to their previous standards. read more

Terrible service. Food was decent, everything needed salt and pepper. Service was so slow that it kind of ruined the meal. Would not come back. Went with a group of 5 so 18% gratuity was included, I would've tipped closer to 10% if it was my choice. read more

Our slow service was the only thing holding back a perfect experience. I love the decor of this place and the old bare brick walls. 4 of us dined and each of us enjoyed our meals. The warm fresh chips and salsa was a great start to our brunch. I ordered the hash which was delicious with the perfect amount of spice. Servings are generous. read more

Penca used to have outstanding tacos until they changed their menu. They took the fish tacos off the menu and now have turkey tacos which are not only disgusting but have bones in them. When I told my waiter as he came by and asked if everything was ok right as I was pulling the bone out of my mouth - he just shrugged and says that happens. WTF? Also they seemed to have changed their tortillas and they are not as delicious as they once were. Also when our main entrees were served we had already finished our salsa with our chips and our tacos had no salsa served with them. When we requested more salsa for our main course we were told it's $4 more. When I asked why I was told about the Great Tomato Shortage by one of the wait staff. I was so excited when I first discovered Penca a few months ago and was really excited to return but with the new menu and policies I won't be back for dinner. Their cocktails are still excellent though so I may pop in for a drink before heading out to another place for dinner. read more

My wife and I ate at Penca this week while in town for a short vacation. Being from Texas, we've eaten at many high-end interior Mexican. Penca didn't disappoint. The food was, overall, very good, and the restaurant space has a nice atmosphere. 2 complaints: the vinegar used for the escabeche was overpowering, so much so that it threw off the flavor profile for the short rib dish and permeated the polenta. The sort rib itself was very nice. Also, the carne asada was perfectly cooked, but could have used a bit more of the mole negro. read more

This place is so perfect! We live out of state and visit yearly...There are a lot of great restaurants in Tucson, but I love that we now have a FAVORITE place to look forward to coming back to! Amazing food, coffee, style, ambiance, and staff! read more

Passed by Penca for years and finally decided to have dinner there. Is the food good? Yes! Was I just starving because of the very long wait for my food? Also yes. While the restaurant ambiance was great, and staff was friendly, the amount of time to even get our waters was long, and we had to ask twice. When we finally ordered our food, it took almost an hour for it to come out to the table. And the restaurant wasn't very busy. I realize things have changed post COVID, but this seemed excessive. Also, a party of 6 includes gratuity, which I was surprised by. All in all, if you have the time to wait and pay a pretty penny for smaller portions, try it-- it is tasty, if not, skip it. read more

The Sonoran Gimlet was fantastic. One of the few places in the states where they serve Bacanora. My girlfriend really enjoyed the bone marrow dish, but I was less impressed with the pozole. It just didn't seem that flavorful. One of the more bizarre shortcomings was the chips and salsa. It's nice that they give them to you, but the salsa is a weird flavor and the chips themselves seem to be of low quality. Also, our table against the window had an annoying wobble. read more

Delicious food, good service, and really nice atmosphere. It was great for a nicer date night

They specialize in central mexican tequilas, liquors, spanish wines - loved the handmade chips. I had the Rose Sangria (very refreshing and different). read more

The food here is PHENOMENAL. We had the market fish and two different kinds of tacos, beef tongue and cheek. My husband, who usually isn't a big fan of fish, said it made him change reconsider fish as a protein. Everything was so flavorful. Cocktails too were great. My only sadness was that they didn't do a birthday dessert. read more

This review is almost painful for me to write. Penca has always been one of my favorite spots in Tucson, especially to take guests from out of town, ever since they opened. I have wonderful memories of speaking with the owner and bartenders and servers about the food and the history and so much more that it always felt to me like a sacred part of Tucson that I could always count on to provide high quality food that felt like meant something. Then tonight I went there, only to have one disappointment after another. The food was bland and terribly overpriced for what we got, especially the bone marrow with almost no marrow and the fish with zero flavor, served over a bed of dry and equally flavorless lentils. It was ostentatious for sure, but it wasn't Mexican style, nor was it even good. The chile relleno lacked kick, and even the service seemed lacking compared to previous visits. The cocktails were predictably wonderful, and the churros were easily the best I've ever had, but I felt underwhelmed by the experience in general, maybe because it had been so extraordinary in the past. Many items I remember were no longer on the menu, so maybe this is a transitional period. Whatever it is, I won't give up hope, but I have to say I'm quite let down after the experience I had tonight, as were the others in my party. read more

My first time dining at Penca was definitely memorable. The food was subpar, but the service was disturbing. From the moment we sat down the waitress was absolutely rude. A half an hour after being seated, she finally took our order. She checked on us only once the entire night. Due to the poor service we did not tip her. Here's the kicker: While we were several feet from the restaurant, she stepped outside of the restaurant door yelling at us "thank you" while forcefully clapping her hands. Tips are not entitlements, they are earned. Appalled at her behavior, we turned around and talked with the manager. He did not care the least bit, and she justified her outrageous behavior on the street by saying "We like to give warm good byes." This was a horrible experience and I'll never go back after my first time dining there. read more

Amazing food, music and service. Sam was fantastic taking care of us late in the evening. The tacos and salsas were incredibly authentic and this will make us come back to Tucson for a vacation alone!! Their ambiance with outstanding music from true Mexico must set them apart from the rest!! We will be back again!!! read more

A Saturday evening with nice weather seemed to overload the restaurant. Our tacos took over 20 minutes to come and were cold on arrival. Disappointing. read more

Is it too bold to call this the Best Mexican in Tuscon? Well, in my book, that's where this place sits, right at the top of the list. I got to try this place out mid-day on a Saturday. They were still running brunch but I skipped that and went straight for the tacos. The menu has lots of Spanish on it so I was on my phone right away looking up translations. I got a glass of Horchata, which was delicious and rare for me, as It is not common in my home city. Then my friend and I shared chips and dip to start. There were a few different kinds of salsas and delicious tortilla chips. Then the tacos!!!! I went with fish and prickly pear cactus, because, again, I can't get this at home, and how can you pass up the chance to eat CACTUS on a TACO!!!!!!! I had to try it and I was sooo glad I did. The food was awesome. Two tacos was also a great amount. After the chips to start and the drink too.. I was full but not stuffed, right at that perfect level. The environment was really cool. I'll go as far as calling it a little hipster. There is no name of the resturant outside it... that screams hipster. And everyone working there was just in cute clothes that they liked, no uniformity among the crew. I thought it was cool but it was also filled with only people my age. Go here, eat tacos, love life. read more

Went there last night with a large group celebrating a friends birthday. As we walked in the restaurant the surroundings and ambiance sets a perfect dinner mood for what appears to promise a great meal. Boy we're we wrong! Food and drinks: Chips and Salsa were good but the food was over priced and mediocre at best. We had 3 people out of 21 have their drinks changed out for another drink because of the taste and 2 people had food that was uneatable and changed out for a different dish. Service: The servers were slow and non attentive throughout our dinner. We had numerous people in our party ready to have a good time and consume some adult beverages and ready to spend some good money. We were constantly asking for things like water, chips and salsa and more adult cocktails. Not just one or two times either. Like constantly. Some people just quit asking and were ready to leave. I know what your thinking we were a party of 21 they could have been really busy and just had a bad night. The restaurant was on the slow side for sure. Yes it was a Saturday night but without our group the restaurant was 30 to 40 percent full. I have lived in Tucson for 13 years and really like supporting our small business owners but when service and food are bad I feel people work hard for their money and deserve a good experience when dining out. I wish them well and hope things improve for them but if they continue down this road I feel it will be another restaurant failure in Tucson. read more

Location: Located on Broadway in Downtown Tucson The Skinny: Great Atmosphere and excellent food but service was a little slow at the beginning. Don't let that keep you from going though because the food is excellent. The Restaurant: The restaurant was situated directly off Broadway with excellent views of the road and great for people watching. Their drinks on their menu were ones that I was not familiar with but I did take a a chance and it was something I did not regret. Ended up ordering the Taco Platter and found that the Carne Asada was the best out of the two (the other was Carnitas). The next time I will be going I will try their Fish Tacos. Their Guac appetizer was on point and came with a green salsa and a Pico type in three bowls. Their chips were also very tasty Overall: Not only a great date type restaurant but one that would serve well as a great happy hour. This did not seem like a kid friendly place so I would limit it to just adults. Tip: Get the Guac appetizer. Excellent. The Kids Review: Didn't go! read more

Penca - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Interesting menu with many vegetarian options. Attentive service staff. Enjoy sitting outside on sidewalk even though Broadway traffic is noisy. Fun vintage shop next door. read more

I don't usually write a review unless a place really wows me or pisses me off, and Penca was one of those places that did neither, hence, no review. That all changed when I was introduced to Bryan, the bartender my friends said "totally makes Penca worthwhile." In the past, I feel Penca was slightly overpriced and generally pretty average. If I never came here again (I thought before), I'd be okay, but I didn't turn down invitations either. All that changed recently. Several of my friends kept raving about this auteur bartender there, some young up-and-coming guy named Bryan. Bryan exceeds all the superlatives thrown his way by my friends. This guy knows the history of every spirit in every drink he makes. Don't know what you want? Describe some things for him: flavors, spirits, profiles, or even emotions, and he will become your very own "drink whisperer," using his alchemical skills to give you whatever you really want but might not know how to describe. Case in point, he made me a special, nameless drink when I told him I had been "wrestling with the concept of the will of God." I meant it as a joke. He took it as an inspirational challenge. And he succeeded. Do yourself a favor. Forget Penca as primarily a restaurant, and start realizing it for what Bryan makes it: the best damn bar in Tucson, which also happens to serve pretty good food. And don't be afraid to talk to Bryan. He is unfathomably well versed in mixology AND local ingredients. In fact, he used to do the saguaro harvest with the Tohono O'odham Nation as a kid, and has toured tiny indigenous villages in Mexico looking for the best mescal and sotol. Um, he even has homemade tincture of creosote. Unbelievable. And he's incredibly generous with his time and expertise. So, Bryan, you've earned Penca a five star review from this previously unimpressed-yet-still-fairly-frequent patron. You deserve it more than I can say. Cheers! I'll be raising many a glass n your honor, I'm sure. read more

We came during Happy Hour. Got ceviche which was very good and the beet/goat cheese salad which was also excellent. Also tried each of the tacos a la carte. The corn tortillas are flavorful and each taco good although a bit too salty. We plan to come back. read more

Wow. Food is great. Carnitas are really good, just small street style tacos. Sangria is also great. It seems like it has a hibiscus and cinnamon flavor to it. Definitely a must try. Well we came back after 2 hours for more Sangria. The Sangria is a must when you come here. If you do t you will regret it later. read more

Really good Mexican food. The food wasn't quite as cutting-edge as I was expecting from the trendy atmosphere or the website, but it is still really good. The ceviche particularly caught my attention, with strong hits of lime, salt, and pickled onion. So too did the braised short ribs, in some kind of nice red chili sauce, served with a nice mix of hominy and goat cheese that I may try to replicate at home. It reminded me what I missed about living within an hour of Mexico. read more

Fantastic modern take on traditional Sonoran food. Absolutely try the bone marrow, sooooo good! Tortillas are amazing, they are clearly homemade. read more

Cabeza and carne asada tacos were both amazing and I usually don't like corn tortillas but these were bomb. Cabeza was actually better :) house-made tortilla chips were SO good! Prices are too high for sure though. $14 for 2 tacos, rice and black beans is insane, I wouldn't mind if you got 3 tacos. Really the only reason I refuse to give 5 stars is because of that. read more

Penca - Bottom taco is the cabeza, top is carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and I enjoyed the eclectic mix of background songs. The servers were kind. They have good tortilla chips and salsa. It took 45 minutes for us to receive our food, and I was not too impressed. To be fair, I did not order an entree; I had an appetizer. My wife enjoyed her sangria cocktail, and I've heard the place has good cocktails. I will probably eat here again and get an entree before I make final judgement, but I wasn't too impressed with my first visit. read more