I've been waffling on what rating to give Penca -- 3 stars or 4 -- since I ate dinner there, because my experience was largely positive, with just one glaring fault. Let me explain: Penca is a very urban-chic restaurant, with decor that manages to be both industrial and welcoming. I love the huge windows and natural light, and the atmosphere was fun. We began our dinner with the mole tasting, which consists of six different mole sauces served with steaming hot corn tortillas. The moles were exceptionally good, and it was really fun to taste each of them and discuss the different flavor profiles. They run the range from sweet to savory, mild to spicy; we had a couple of standout favorites, but they were all delicious. The moles come with a bowl of queso fresco -- I recommend using it as a palate cleanser between each sauce! For our entrees, we each got tacos. I got the Arrachera tacos (steak, guajillo salsa, avocado crema, cilantro, and onion), and my friend got the Guajolote tacos (turkey, chipotle sauce, cabbage, scallions, and avocado). The tacos were great: bright, bold flavors, well-cooked protein, and a strong tortilla base. The rice and beans on the side, though? A bland, mushy mess. The rice and beans had literally no seasoning and thus no flavor at all. No salt. No spice. No citrus. It was literally tasteless, and quite frankly, very jarring when compared to everything else we ate that night. I squeezed lime on mine, then scraped out the remnants of the mole into it to give it a little zest. My tactics helped, but not quite enough. It was such a disappointing counter to the tacos. I'd get the tacos again in a heartbeat if I could get them by themselves, but I'm unwilling to pay their prices for a platter on which bland sides take up most of the plate. I'll give Penca another shot, since I really did enjoy it overall, but those flavorless sides really left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

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I ate here with a Meetup group a few nights ago. The ceviche was terrific. Service was good. The space is attractive. It is more expensive than most Mexican restaurants in town, but it's nice for a splurge. read more

I wanted to love it. Visited a year or so ago with friends and it was solid. So I tried it again with my husband for a special date night on our last night in Tucson. It's been 75+ minutes and we have not been served any food.....no apps. No entrees... no nothing. Trying to be patient so ordered Two margaritas...first one was served with so much ice it might have been a thimble of a cocktail. When we sat down waitress warned us "they were out of a lot of things..." On the second I asked for "somewhat less ice." Better but not great. Ok.. 90 minutes no food. Asked hostess...she says "it's a small kitchen..." Hello?? Are you a restaurant? No one at any of the tables near us (seated before us) have any food either.... Will not return. read more

I love this restaurant! The service is impeccable! It is a trendy little spot downtown with a soft light ambiance. Sit on the patio for people watching! This place is not inexpensive, but their food is well worth the cost! They have a rotating menu with delicious options. They do not have a run of the mill menu! Perfect spot for date night! Make a reservation, though. This place is hopping, and you will need a reservation to secure a table. I had Chili en nogado. Perfection! Husband had the Carne asada tacos. Meat was tender and there was not excessive blubber on it.Highly recommended this place! read more

Great food fresh ceviche, best restaurant I've eaten at in Tucson and by far the best Mexican food. Parking is a bit of a pain but well worth enduring downtown. read more

for the price and service and quality of my meal it was very disappointing. atmosphere was the only plus. read more

The food was amazing! Our waitress was super nice and gave us great recommendations! My friends and I couldn't decide what to order so we ended up ordering a little of everything Looking forward to going back and try more delicious foods! read more

We went to Penca for my birthday, and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is cozy and clean! We had a table by the window, and it felt like we were sitting in our little part of Mexico. We were greeted warmly, and champagne waited at our table. Our server was excellent and provided explanations and some recommendations. We tried the guacamole, salsaas, and esquites. All were delicious! The esquites were creamy with a bit of spice. The guacamole was flavorful, and each salsa was savory with a unique spice blend. We loved each one! I had the chili relleno; my husband had the pescado, costilla, and carnitas tacos. He loved each one! My chili relleno was delicious! We had the churros for dessert, and they were served warm with a delicious chocolate and caramel sauce. Divine!! We will definitely be back!! read more

My wife and I had an excellent experience at Penca. The atmosphere is comfortable and rustic, with a modern flair! Hats off to our waitress who referred us to the Stillwell House down the street (we ended up getting married there!). We also adore the plates and bowls, which were from HF Coors, if anyone is looking! Appetizers are amazing, especially the guacamole! The Salsas are an adventure of flavor. The first time I went here, I got the tacos, and they were sublime. We opted to get the pricier entrees, most recently, and were not blown away. I'd say, this is a phenomenal place to get dinner, but stick to the tacos and appetizers! The cocktails are also a must! read more

Sadly, they accepted a reservation for two at 7:15 pm on Christmas day! We are visiting from out of town after a looooong drive hoping for a special night... we showed up and they were closed. We never received a phone call letting us know the reservation could not be maintained. A major disappointment. So hungry. So sad. So not merry christmas. read more

Penca - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Amazing food and great service. This was our first time here and we were not disappointed. Looking forward to going back read more

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We braved a hail storm to meet friends at Penca and it was worth it. The food was spectacular, original and atmosphere was cool. Service was good too. It was quieter than you'd expect but without a storm I bet it's busy so get reservations. I tried a vegan chili rellano dish just because it sounded so yummy . Was great. Sauce was subtle but flavorful, mushrooms, nuts, I think-- the texture was right and it was a winner. I am not a vegan but like interesting food. Friends had The short ribs and it was fabulous. Drinks are pricey of course. Food felt fairly priced because of quality. Go. read more

Came here for a drink and decided to eat dinner. The drinks were good and well prepared, but for the price I paid for an entrée ($25) it was anorexic on the amount of carnitas pork in the dish. There may have been literally 2 tablespoons of pork in the entire dish, although the sauce was very good, as were the chips and salsa. Bottom line, it was too expensive for what you get. I would come here for a drink and chips and salsa or guacamole, but definitely not dinner again. read more

The food is not delicious and price is elevated and the portions are small.The service is slow even when there is not a lot of customers.The ambience is pretty good. read more

Penca is the perfect spot for a romantic date night or a fancy dinner with friends. They have a great wine selection and the atmosphere is very cozy with a brick interior. The restaurant itself has no signs, so you might walk up at first unsure if you've got the right place. They do have a small patio area if you're interested in sitting outside. I highly recommend the ceviche and the guacamole! They have a bunch of appetizers to choose from but their main course menu is more limited and curated the way more elevated menus tend to be. I didn't get a chance to try their tacos but everything I did have was wonderful! read more

My sister and I came on a Sunday afternoon. They had great ambience - you can sit inside or on their patio set up. It has a mixture of exposed brick, tall window walls, and modern lighting. We ordered 3 appetizers: the salsa platter, pizole, and elote. They were PERFECT. 10/10. Then we had two entrees - the tacos and the pork with grilled peaches. We had Mexican cokes with our meals. Everything was just so so good. Our server was great and many other servers checked in with us. The bartender was near us and she was knowledgeable of drinks and had friendly conversation with her guests. It was a great experience and I know we're excited to come back! read more

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Did the tacos here get WAY smaller? Paid $8 for a fish taco with a (maybe?) 3" tortilla and a thin strip of fish. $6 for a tiny cup of bland and slightly undercooked calabacitas. This is the kind of place where you'd need to spend a lot of money to piece together a full meal, unless you have a very small appetite. Maybe it would be better for a happy hour type situation? Service was friendly and the carnitas had great flavor but again, teeny tiny portion. read more

Penca came highly recommended but was sadly disappointing. Sunday early evening, no reservation, no crowd. We were offered a table outside or seats at the bar. We chose the latter to avoid street noise and supremely uncomfortable chairs. We started with chips and salsa (arrived complimentary) and a couple drinks which were unique and tasty. The Diablo (beet-infused blanco tequila, fresh ginger, lime, seltzer) was perfectly refreshing on a hot day. Not a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, but they were happy to hold the chorizo on the queso fundido (with hibiscus pickled onions, charred chile, and served with flour tortillas). Difficult to eat, but we managed to scrape most of the burnt cheese from the cast iron skillet. Also grateful for the chips because the tortillas were insufficient for the task at hand. While it was still quite early when we arrived, the restaurant filled up rather quickly, and they were also hosting some event in a back room, so service was on the slow side. We weren't in a hurry, so speedy service was not a requirement for us, but even so our meals took a long time to arrive after ordering them, and when they did we still had to flag someone down to bring us utensils. We ordered a couple of the smallest $8 tacos you can imagine (one grilled fish and the others were rajas con hongos) and the chile relleno (roasted poblano chile, sautéed spinach, mushroom, squash, amaranth on a creamy cashew tomato salsa). The chile relleno looked positively sad and lonely with nothing really to accompany it on its plate. Charred was also the predominant flavor. And I don't know about you, but "creamy cashew tomato salsa" does not to me conjure images of whole cashews thrown atop a stuffed chile. I had two bites and abandoned it. I think J. ate it out of a sense of obligation or maybe just pure necessity of nourishment. This was our most expensive meal in Tucson and was also our least favorite. With so many nearby options to choose from, I wouldn't go back. read more

This place used to be so good but it's gone downhill. The tuetano and costillas was completely inedible and the bar had no idea about drink ingredients. Waitstaff used to be caring and knowledgeable but now they don't know anything about Sonoran food. The owner Patricia is extremely rude to her staff in front of customers. I've witnessed her belittling waitstaff on multiple occasions. Dessert used to be good but now it's lackluster. Always seems to be a new waitstaff and manager because no one can stand working there. The restaurant is pretty but thats the only appealing thing. read more

We thought the food was delicious, but the service detracted greatly from the overall experience. We waited for a long, long time to even get water delivered - we had to ask for it- and then we had three separate people bring water and chips/salsa, leaving the table crowded. When a server finally arrived, she had to be prompted to provide details about the menu. She was too quiet and barely looked up from her handheld device. We had to ask her if she'd bring us drinks, too, after we placed our food orders. After she left, a different server came to take our order. The food was delivered fairly promptly. But again, we had to ask for to go boxes from more than one person. No one ever apologized for any of the neglect or disorder. It seemed like everyone was new and thrust into roles they weren't trained for. Pretty pricey menu for shoddy service. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. read more

A la carte tacos were fantastic, tres leches dessert amazing with a cup of French pressed coffee from Chiapas Mexico. Ambiance is rustic and elegant at the same time. Service, excellent. This is a great place for a romantic date! read more

Penca - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Feels and tastes like you are fine dining in Mexico City! Service is excellent! The Ambience makes you feel like you traveled to Mexico City! read more

Excellent upscale Mexican cuisine- and delicious Margaritas! Service also was top notch. We found parking nearby.

I don't know the whiners here are talking about... This place is great! The food is very good--an enlightened take on Mexican cuisine--very creative but rooted in authenticity. We were told by our server, who was great, BTW, that a lot of the recipes are inspired by the woman owner's grandmother. This not your typical Sonoran or TexMex Mexican food. I love that stuff, but this is a notch or two or three above! I had eaten here once or twice before and each time was impressed by the food and the cocktails. We are visiting from Sacramento, and if we had a restaurant like this in Sacramento, I would be going there once a week! We had a late lunch, and decided to share the esquite, or elote starter, a roasted vegetable salad (we were trying to figure out what the delicious little red-skinned roasted morsels were in the salad along with squash and carrots were, and they turned out to be radishes!) and shared a mushroom-stuffed chile relleno. We are not vegans, but the meal was perfect! I thought the prices were very reasonable considering how expensive a lot of restaurants are these days. A bonus was we had a $40 off voucher from TucsonFoodie.com! My iphone was running low on juice so I explained to the server that I was concerned my phone would die before I could show him the online voucher and he was very cool and helped me authorize it. We will definitely be back next year (with another $40 voucher!) read more

We did not like the drink selection nor the drinks we ordered and our waitress was not very good. She was also bartending and not giving us good service.The tacos were ok, although very salty. The ambiance was very nice. Too bad the food and drinks didn't stand up to our standards. read more

We have been here several times I am in my humble opinion, the food is just not up to my expectations. First off, it is quite crowded and the seating is not the most comfortable as it is cushions thrown on two wooden benches. Secondly, if it's just two of you and it's on a Saturday night, and good luck getting personalized service. We found that all the groups of four or more got a lot better attention than we did as we seem to get lost in the crowd. Also, I have had sangria here several times too and it just is not that good. Since it isn't made from scratch ahead of time, it just doesn't have the flavors melded together. The food is pretty decent - - when it arrives. I'm just not sure if I'll be back due to the lack of service and the lack of comfort in the seating arrangement. read more

Food delicious, Service. Excellent. We sat at the bar. Lovely atmosphere. No signage out front. Great selection of wine. Had the tacos. Pork one was a bit greasy but good read more

Penca - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Service was great. Food was blah and over priced. Portion sizes were super tiny. Drinks were very yummy tho. Fine for happy hours. read more

I can't fairly give 5 stars because I didnt try any food, however my husband and I stopped here both nights during our weekend in Tucson. We loved the ambience, as it transported us back to Mexico city with their huge array of mescal and inventive cocktails. Staff was super friendly and knowledgeable about their booze. We even got some delicious free churros! I wish we had this in our neighborhood. read more

Penca - Luz de Luna - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Service was prompt and pleasant. Chips were not tasty, tortillas cold, empañadas cold and tasteless. Tepache was also bland. What happened to the Penca we enjoyed so many times before? read more

The best food and service! Very authentic Mexican Food! They play the best music all the time! read more

Penca - Manchamanteles - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Spectacular. As always. The best spot to chill and watch the rain downtown. The food is impressive and the service is attentive. We will always come back for more. We really miss weekend brunch, tho. Hope that returns at some point. Love you guys!!! read more

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I have mixed feelings about Penca. Given the amazing Mexican restaurants around downtown and in close proximity to the city's center, I find it quite difficult to justify spending $16 for chile relleno, $18 for mole and $6 for a glorified elote. But I very much enjoy the space. It has a fresh feel. High ceilings and exposed steel beams and brick work, along with the contemporary accents, marry the old and new in a lovely, balanced way. It feels like the perfect place for long-time friends and lovers -- more so than business partners, it seems. It lends a feeling of light romance. And it's easy to forget that the restaurant is pushed right up against a relatively busy street. I went for the mole and a simple glass of wine. While I found that the space is gorgeous and the service reliable, I do not get the excitement over the food. It was a heaping serving of mole. The dish was moist, rich and deep in flavor. And the spring greens served as an accompaniment proved to be the perfect addition. I asked the chef to hold the plantains (I do not like bananas of any kind), and received a luscious slice of zucchini instead. The dish also came with a small tortilla serving. Yes, the food is tasty. Yes, the food is beautifully presented. Gorgeous, in fact. You have the clear sense that the chef actually cares about this food. But it was woefully underwhelming. What was I expecting? A more elaborate serving, I suppose. For instance, the plate would have been better balanced with less mole and more greens, or at least the offering of a citrus-flavored mound of rice or black beans or something. Mole is hearty, and leaves the mouth heavy if it does not have a strong complement. I imagine that Penca is the type of place I would take friends who have fancy tastes and high demands when it comes to aesthetics, but do not actually like regional Mexican food. Though -- *Note: Penca takes its cues from Mexico City, not the border region. But, in retrospect, I think I made the wrong choices. Food & Wine named it among the Best Bars in America. It seems more fitting to go for the mixed drinks, which are held in high regard, and the tacos. read more

Penca - Mole - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The tacos were okay Everything else was not good I do not recommend the Chile relleno The churros were undercooked read more

My wife and I visited this restaurant 1/22 and sat at the bar since there weren't any reservations available. We were blown away at the atmosphere as soon as we walked in! What a gem! When we sat down, we were immediately asked what we wanted to drink so that was nice. Then it went downhill. We ordered our food and got the potato and meat empanadas. We really liked the dough and how crispy some bites were, but it was bland. Our other dish was a salad in which we added meat. We had to order more vinaigrette because it to was also bland. They never checked on us to see if we needed anything, how the food was or if we needed anything more to drink. The bartender was more into cleaning the glasses than to ask if we were ok and she had NO personality. We never felt welcomed. Maybe sitting at a table would have been better but nothing was available. There are way too many options out there to try this restaurant again. read more

The service was good although it was a bit difficult to understand our server. He spoke quickly and with a thick accent. The margaritas were just ok. My gin cocktail was delicious and I had two. The tacos were tasty and a nice variety. The appetizer salad was way too big and enough for 2-3 people. Wish our server would have told us. The Chili Rellanos was okay but not fabulous. Ceviche was tasty and enough to share. We sat in the back room which we we had to ask for. A pleasant evening but not noteworthy. read more

Yummy cocktails. Ambiance is super fun. Got for happy hour, the prices are better and not as busy.

YOU MUST TRY PENCA!!!!!! Nothing like it!!!! Ok. Let me start with this is like NO OTHER place in Tucson !!!!!! The best drinks that you will not find anywhere. The best Molé that has ever graced my mouth. We went on a Thursday night and it was busy and everyone around us was saying how great everything is. I had the braised beef tacos and they were nothing short of amazing! read more

Penca - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I ordered the mole verde fish, the fish tasted sweet. If it is from sea of Cortez like they advertised it should not taste sweet. They need to double check their vendor. The empanadas dough taste blend, the filling was just ok. read more

Staff seemed genuinely miserable and clearly disliked working here. Service was incredibly slow from start to finish and it felt as though we were unwelcome to be there. This attitude directly impacted the quality of the food. read more