The following is not AI. It is AuDHDer. Maria, I have seen the promised land, and apparently it is a crispy corn tortilla wrapped in seaweed. The spam Musubi Taco arrives like a Linda Ronstadt Tucson love song with a Hawaiian detour with the ginger cilantro marinated Spam, cucumber and cilantro salsa, and puffed rice all piled together with the confidence of a man wearing boots to Lanikai beach. It should not work this well. It really should not work. Why did it work? The salty, savory spam gets brightened by the cucumber, the salsa wakes everything up, and the puffed rice adds a loveable little crunch texture like like a Nestle Chocolate Crunch bar after a long-haul international flight. Chef Maria has made a taco that is part late-night snack, part island vacation, and part beautiful culinary bad decision that turns out to be the best decision you made all week. I paired it with the Sonoran Hot Dog Taco to keep it consistent with the processed salted savory meat. Maria, you had me at Spam. Maria, please add it to your menu. At the very least, allow those of us odd Spammers who are local and remember you fondly from TC Portland the ability to order it off menu. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I went here recently for the first time and was unimpressed . Maybe I'm more used to a traditional Sonoran Mexican flavor palette but the salsas and nopal taco were odd and surprising. I'm not usually picky with food but I was hoping there would be some other kind of toppings on the taco but it was straight cooked nopal with very little seasoning, I also found it mushy and more bitter than usual. The salsas had very unconventional flavor palettes but I sadly wasn't crazy about any of them even though I love salsa. Maybe someone else will like it but I don't think I'm coming back. read more

Got just the veggie tacos- mushroom based. Delicious. Also recommend getting the guac salsa flight. They have wonderful chips. Service was meh. I'm sure they were just having a bad/off day. Not super friendly or attentive. Sat inside. The lighting is nice and bright. read more

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Really wanted some tacos so I come here to experience what I was told is a great taco....and they really were! Of the 3 I ordered the vampire one (can't remember the exact name) was my favorite. All 3 tacos were loaded up with meat, much more than a normal street taco. The entire staff was friendly and the food came out very fast. I would absolutely come back here! My only complaint is the street tacos are $6 each, a little much if you ask me. read more

Our friends found this place and I was excited about the prospect of tacos. We happened to get here while happy hour was still happening, so we ordered a carafe of margaritas. Off to a solid start! Next, we got chips and salsa with the guacamole and bean dip. There were six varieties of salsa (from mild to spicy), all of which were flavor packed! The bean dip and guacamole were both fantastic as well. For tacos, I went with the Dan Gibson, Al Pastor, Camaron, and Cauliflower. The Dan Gibson was like a birria taco and my favorite of the bunch. You could taste the cauliflower in the Cauliflower taco. One of our friends ordered the Taco Dog and I tried that. Yes, it's a very gringo combination of flavors, but it works so well. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

No need to write a bunch! This place blew me away! Best shrimp taco I have ever had. Chips in a paper bag!!!! That is the exclamation. The 6 salsas! Beans, Guacamole and the Boca Balls. Whoa!!! Service was ok and that fine in a dicey place. The spot is killa!! Yelp, here ya go with a review. Been a long time since I gave a review. You stiff armed me from being Elite and missed out on all the reviews and check ins for years. Enjoy!!!! Yelp will always be about the Yelpers! read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Better than the first time! The first 3-star review was service related. This time the service was better. I ordered grilled shrimp tacos with corn tortillas and a couple PINEAPPLE EXPRESSes (House infused pineapple Mezcal, citrus juices, pineapple-cranberry- cherry mix juice, Tajin rim drinks). Loved this drink even though it breaks the Mezcal purist's rule of mixing it....I'm sorry!!!! I like the salsa assortment. The varied temps hit different but the Thai peanut one is still the odd man out. Doesn't really belong. Why only 4 stars this time? Dude, it's 2026. There were 11 of us and we did not have the ability to have our check split. There really isn't a good excuse nowadays not to allow customers this convenience. You're really assuming that at least one person will have their credit card limit unlocked for dinner. Other than that, worth a try. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

It's been a while since I've been to Boca and I missed it. The house fried chips, fresh salsas, inspired tacos, rajas, mole...... literally everything on the menu is delicious and a difficult choice. But go with a group and share..... try a bit of everything. The price point is reasonable and you can always take home the leftovers if there are any. Seating is inside or patio... service is quick, people are friendly. Everyone can bring the kids, the dogs, grandma.... A happy place located in the middle of 4th Avenue so people watching is great. You'll probably run into people you know who are there to support Chef Maria, the local food celebrity who helped Tucson receive the first US awarded City of Gastronomy, and rightly so. Here a taco isn't just a taco, it's a bite of heaven. Buen provecho read more

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This is a hard one to review. We used to love Boca when it was previously located on university. As Tucson natives, we have come 3-4 times over a long span of time. We came to Boca this evening to celebrate my mom's birthday. For drinks we ordered margaritas and Jamaica. Both were quite good, though the margaritas seemed to have barely any alcohol. We all got varying tacos and a quesadilla. We also got chips and salsa to share, and one pastel de elote. Things were a bit hit or miss. I personally got 1 fish taco, 1 vampira and 1 chorizo y papas. I loved the chorizo y papas taco, but I could take or leave the other two. My family felt similarly about their tacos. We loved the salsas, some of our tacos, the quesadilla and the cake. The ambiance is beautiful, especially outside. The service was okay... not excellent, not bad. The main reason I'm giving Boca 3 stars is because I would rather go to another restaurant. I don't think I would return. Seis Tacos, not too far away, is much more consistent. I personally don't like spending $6 for a street taco that's just "ok." I don't mind spending that for good local food, I just have higher expectations. read more

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Boca Taco is always a great time. Cute little place on 4th Ave. The staff are always very attentive and the food by Maria is amazing. It's always fun to have her come out and chat. read more

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Friendly servers, the best salsas I have ever had, amazing margaritas, and even better tacos. I love that they have an outdoor patio that is dog friendly! Such a great spot. And if you're lucky, you get to meet a Chef Maria herself! Always loved her on Top Chef. I may be a bit biased because my husband proposed to me here. Chef Maria cheered for us and brought out drinks to celebrate. He even surprised me with a pug baby, who is now named Chef Maria. Boca will always have a special place in our hearts!! read more

A nice place to grab a drink some a meal for happy hour. Casual vibes with a nice partially covered patio. My server was very friendly and helped me feel welcome as I dined alone. The salsa flight was fun and had some very new and unique salsa. Tacos were good, just missing a little something but appreciated that they were different than other places I've been. read more

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On hip 4th street this place is SO delicious! I will be back! Amazing service and chill vibe. Definitely get the salsa flight-so many delicious flavors-I don't think you will find one you don't like. Try to rank them with your table mates. (Very tricky-pineapple one was so good!!) I tried the Asada, mar y Tierra and the carnitas tacos. All delicious- very torn what my favorite here would be.. I also shared the tostada w/ table mates. They were out of Sweet Potato though- so we had it subbed with Avocado. We will be back to try w/ sweet potatoes. I think my favorite taco spot in Town so far! This a definite Go To Taco spot- refined yet casual dining. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Camerones & Carne Asada tacos. So good!! - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Visiting my dad from New York and this is the first place he said we had to go to. We got to try six different types of salsas and they were all incredible and varied. Tried two different types of tacos and everything was amazing. Couldn't recommend this place more. The patio is also very spacious probably super cool at night. Cool staff! Dogs welcome! read more

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I was excited to try BOCA as I've been craving a good quality taco in the Tucson area. We arrived to dinner at around 6:30pm on a Saturday night and went straight to the seating hostess. No one was there and we had to track down a staff member to help us-which took almost 4-5 minutes. They then seated us without giving us menus or utensils. Our waiter came by and asked what we wanted before us getting menus so we were a bit delayed in ordering. These were small annoyances, they we shook off on hopes that out experience would be better once we got our drinks and food. We ordered house margaritas and were immediately bummed as they were wayyyy too sour and not enjoyable to drink. For food, I order the mar and tierra taco, the salmon taco and a side of rice. The mar and tierra taco was super tasty and had great flavor. The salmon taco had so much potential, but when it was served to me if was almost fully raw which wasn't a great experience, if you order this make sure you check on how it's being cooked. The rice was very tasty and was cooked with garlic and green chili which I liked very much. Pricing was very reasonable and there was lots of seating which was a plus. Overall, we had an ok experience, but don't know if I would recommend this place to a friend. read more

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Went on a Saturday night in August, busy but not crowded. Tacos were delicious, especially the barbacoa. Also had the chicken mole it was good, the pescado (battered fish) taco was good, it needed a little more aioli. Were ordered the salsa and chips, variety of salsas, but would like just a normal salsa. I appreciate the chefs creative salsas (peanut, mango, berry, etc), but should include a normal medium heat salsa. Was also a little warm inside, but is an older building. Overall plan to go back again. read more

Boca gets a lot of heat for not being Tex-Mex enough for the casuals, and not authentic enough for the traditionalists. But I'll go up to bat for Boca--it's good and downtown Tucson is lucky to have these tacos! What I love: Salsa, salsa, salsa! You HAVE to order the chips and salsa flight on every single visit--you will have your mind blown more often than not. Here are some of countless examples of what I've been served: -Chiptole Carrot -Charred Habanero -Blueberry Kimchi (it works) -Tomato Chipotle -Pickled Jalapeno Curry -Peanut Red Bell Pepper -Jalapeno Cucumber I could go on all day, as I think I've had over 40 varieties here. Even when the salsas don't quite work (Why do they love banana habanero so much?), you'll appreciate the experimentation. The star of the menu is the wide array of tacos to choose from. My favorites include the macho (melted cheese and carne asada inside a grilled Anaheim pepper), Mar y Tierra (Carne asada and fried shrimp), and the pescado. There are taco salads, burritos, and other items on the menu as well, but you don't want to stray away from the tacos themselves. I do wish they put a little more effort into what's going on behind the bar. Margaritas are decent, but that's about all there is of interest in terms of cocktails. The beer selection is limited, and every other visit they're out of something. And the service? A bit scatterbrained--hosts look bewildered, servers look lost, and there's been more than a handful of times I feel like I'm forgotten about completely. Front of House is simply disorganized. I would not let minor hindrances deter you from giving this cuisine a try. There's clearly a reason it's been critically acclaimed, and it's undeniable that Boca has more than earned its seat amongst fierce competition in Mexican food. read more

I ate at BOCA twice during my trip to Tucson because there were so many things I wanted to try. And yes, I tried it all--Don Ignacio, elote, boca balls, tacos, flautas de papa, tostadas, salsas. All I can say is that Chef Maria and her team know what they're doing, and they're doing it so well. read more

Oh Boca and Chef Maria, how I love you so. I used to frequent Boca back when it was closer to the UA campus. Just as delicious as I remember! Plenty of amazing tacos to choose from and they bring 3 different salsas to accompany your meal. We were happy to sit at the bar and enjoy some drinks on a busy Saturday night. The restaurant is dimly lit with comfortable seating. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Taco rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I am going to have to give this a 2 star rating. As much as I want to support Chef Maria. I think she is an amazing Chef, however the service was absolutely horrible. I took some customers from out of town promising them this amazing place to drink tequila and eat tacos. They were out of Al Pastor a signature taco I feel. Our server guy with glasses and headband, had no interest in being our server and you could tell. Attitude was horrible, felt like we were inconvenience to him. Didn't bother to come back and check on us, one go the drink someone in our party didn't like it. Didn't offer to get them anything else. We had to pay for it and leave it there. You are supposed to get salsa's with the tacos we didn't get them until half way through the food. The service was just horrid. I don't understand how you choose to work in the food service industry and just be a horrible server. If you don't like your job or what you do I would choose another career path. This was disappointing more because I brought people from another county here and this what they experienced. read more

According to my Spanish dictionary, Boca can mean "mouth, talk, kiss, or gag." I'm not sure what they had in mind when they named this restaurant but I'm going to translate it as "effing good tacos!" Stopped by with my pal and started with the "Boca Balls" which are made by deep frying scoops of mashed potato. I can honestly say those were the best balls that I've ever put in my mouth (I know what you're thinking and you're naughty...to steal a line from The Departed, you should see someone). They were delicious! Great flavor with not too much chipotle and a blend of crema sauces on top of that crispy and soft combination of potato flavors. Would definitely order again. Then it was on to taco time! We had three tacos each and shared all the different flavors. Remember, folks, sharing is caring! The "Dan Gibson" is a barbacoa, which is typically a go to for me, but I'd skip it and get the Al Pastor instead next time. I'd also skip the chorizo con papas entirely, especially if you've already stuffed those balls down your throat (can't over do the potatoes, yanno?) The Asada was a winner and so was the Puerco Verde. But the highlight was the Mar Y Tierra, a surf and turf filling of breaded shrimp and beef. Perfect texture and flavor. Complex, savory, and as good as any taco South of the Border (that means Mexico, not what you're thinking from the Ed Sheeran song...seriously, what's wrong with you?). Funky casual vibe inside, looked like a decent patio, good service, generous portions, and quiet enough for conversation. Right off the Slink and worth the stop. Bring your mouth (and the rest of you) to Boca next time you're in the area. And call your therapist. Really. read more

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Just by chance, I happened to watch a video on Youtube from one of my favorite food people - Patti and she was in Tucson and was doing an inteview with Chef Maria at Boca and Maria made her the Macho taco, which looked very good and I wanted to try it, and never having dined at this location, I took my wife and daughter there this past Friday and we each ordered 3 different types of tacos (the Macho of course which is great) and each was piled high with meat and toppings, several different types of salsas and the place is comfy, roomy, nice staff and prices are very reasonable. All three tacos were very good and we will be coming back again and I would suggest you give this local place a try and support real people making a postive impact in Tucson. read more

Shady, chill, nice inside and on the patio. Good menu, great food and drinks and service. Just a great place

It's been a minute since I've written a review for BOCA. While I've dined at the 4th avenue spot, which I hadn't reviewed yet either, this review is primarily for an order we placed for a small catering. Maria was kind to take our order and prepare it for us while the business was closed for summer break. We ordered carne asada and pastor for proteins, two salsas, rice, beans, and garnishes. The order also came with flour and corn tortillas. We estimated four tacos per person and there was plenty of food. It was so easy to keep warm and serve to our group of ten. I've always been a fan of the carne asada tacos for their simplicity. And who doesn't love Marias salsas? They're inventive, flavorful and always pack a punch. read more

Nachos are delicious and tacos are loaded full of meat and flavor! So delicious I highly recommend this place when you want some Mexican food. read more

Macho taco was delicious! Chips and salsas are always fun to try out all the different flavors. Got a carne asada doggie bowl for my pooch, which of course he loved ...nice to have an option like that. Everything was ready to go upon my pick up. read more

I'm not gonna lie. I was pretty underwhelmed by my experience at Boca. As a fan of Top Chef I was looking forward to sampling Maria's cuisine, but the entire experience fell flat. Serve was okay, not super attentive, just mediocre. He asked if we wanted chips and salsa and we said sure, and even though it was Happy Hour, he brought us and charged us for the full price chips and salsa instead of the smaller portion and better priced happy hour version (for only 2 of us dining). Nor did he ask us. This felt a bit shady and disappointing. The food didn't blow me away. Some of the salsas in the assortment were really unique and delicious and others were unique but missed the mark, just meh. I ordered 3 tacos and they were stuffed full of filling which was nice! So portions are pretty good and hefty. That being said, the flavors were just basic. I've had much more flavorful tacos in Rhode Island where I'm from, and we aren't famous for our Mexican food. I also had much tastier Mexican food at other spots in Tucson so for what it's worth, I can't imagine I would return here. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I had been wanting to eat here since I first starting planning our trip back to Tucson (I am originally from there) and made a reservation. We arrived and were seated on the patio. Beautiful large patio with a good location on 4th Ave. The service was great and the server was helpful with some recommendations. The food came out fairly quickly especially for a pretty busy afternoon. We got some Boca balls to start with and they were pretty good. I liked the flavor. The chips and salsa were okay. I also didn't realize that they charge over $8 for it and we got 2 for the table. Realized late that was needed but oh well. I got an al pastor taco and chicken quesadilla. I honestly thought they were both okay. I expected a lot more flavor in the taco specifically. I will come back because I want to try other tacos and see how they compare. read more

Definitely some of the best tacos I've had in my life. Can't wait to come back! Tried the Vampiro and Asada tacos, couldn't decide which one I liked better. read more

It was terrible. Service was good but The heaters didn't work because they had no propane. I order a Sonoran dog and they were out of hotdogs. The food didn't come out all at once, so I got my elote then 20 min later my taco. The drinks were okay but it's like if you order a drink with food, then the liquor is not strong but order a house drink and it's strong. read more

We went on Mother's Day because Lindy's was closed. The dining room was half empty. So it seems we should have had good service. The greeter seated us at one of their high tables where you have to sit on a stool and my mother is a senior citizen plus the table was very sticky so we asked to sit at a table and the greeter acted cold. Then they didn't take our order for half an hour (walking by us multiple times and taking orders from people who came after us) and only because we asked them. Then our food took another 30 minutes. While we were waiting a cockroach crawled up the wall and fell on our table. The only reason this isn't one star is because the food was good and presentation ok, except that since the food is on flat cutting boards, it falls off the edge onto the table. read more

I was craving tacos while staying with my very picky better half. He suggested this place for lunch. He got a few carne asada tacos and a steak and cheese quesadilla and I tried the Al pastor, carne and mole as well as a salsa flight with chips. I thought the carne that day was a little underwhelming (he did too), the mole was a bit too bitter for my taste and the Al pastor was delicious! All in all had a good experience, our server was also nice, atmosphere was cute and clean. hostess was super friendly and helpful. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Salsa was good but everything else was average. The server was very rude and not good at his job. Barely came around, missed items we asked for and talked in a rude and condescending manner to us. The food is definitely not worth the bad service read more

We need to have a chat Maria! It all started back a few years ago while watching a little show called Top Chef. From the moment the words " I was gonna be that Mexican! Tortilla please! !!" I was in love. How did you repay my love after I finally had a chance to visit your restaurant? You place a flight of sauces in front of me and then make me wait for chips. All could do is sit, stare, dream and dip a pinky into each sauce and have a taste. Which just made the wait seem soooooo much longer than it was. The meal may have been 4 stars but those chips and that Mary T taco were a 5 all day long ! I am glad I finished my meal with the Mary. To have all those flavors just lingering around as I drove away and for miles down the road was everything I ever hoped eating here would be. I must return to eat everything else on the menu . Last but not least I have to say the staff was very good. I enjoyed watching them hustling about taking great care of all the customers. read more

Ok guys you 100000 have to try out Boca in Tucson! The tacos are off the charts. I'm gluten free and they have a cabbage taco option! It's fire! I enjoyed the chicken pole and steak taco. I also had a two brothers beer and prickly pear mezcal. It's a tiny spot. Expect a bit of a wait. Such incredible food, set or and ambiance. Gabe was the real MVP slammed and crushing it! read more

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Everything I had was delicious. From the hot fresh chips to the 6 salsas with guac and beans. To the amazing variety of tacos. Can't wait to go back! read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Dip duo - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The Boca balls were my favorite, delightfully crispy! The food was a little pricey for the small portion size you received however. Service was not super attentive and came across as rushed a little snippy. That might have just been because they were busy though. read more

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Even though my friends and I live in Phoenix, we regularly make the trip down to Tucson just to eat at Boca by Chef Maria Mazon -- it's seriously that good. We've been fans of Chef Maria since seeing her on Top Chef and Tournament of Champions, and it's so cool to see her in action at her own restaurant. She's always out on the floor serving food, bussing tables, greeting guests ... making sure everyone's having an amazing time. You can feel how much she cares. The vibe at Boca is relaxed and casual, with plenty of seating inside and a big patio that's perfect on nice days. It's the kind of place you can swing by after a hike or dress cute for a little for a night out. Either way, it feels right. And the food? Out of this world. I'm obsessed with the salsa flight -- if Chef Maria ever released a salsa cookbook, I'd be first in line. The salsas are different every time and always incredible. I've even bought jars to take home because I can't get enough. The tacos are next-level. Such a great variety and served à la carte, so you can mix and match depending on how hungry you are. Every single taco I've tried has been outstanding. Service is always spot-on too. The staff knows the menu inside and out and always has great suggestions when we can't narrow down our options. Boca is easily one of my favorite restaurants, anywhere. Already counting down the days until we can come back! read more

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Great food, cocktails, service and ambience. Large outdoor seating to enjoy the not hot times of year! Salsa flight is a must! read more

Here's an unusual opening line - I had an ex-gf from about 7-8 years ago reach out to say she was visiting Tucson for work and wanted to grab lunch. That's it for the drama Lol (I knew she'd moved to the east coast and had since become happily engaged) but I thought it was so adult of her. She'd read about Chef Mazon via OpenTable/James Beard and wanted to give it a try. I had a challenging experience my first/only time during the tough reopening of restaurants during the pandemic and was all to happy to say yes... and glad I did. We tried five different tacos - including al pastor, salmon, Dan Gibson, Macho, and camaron - and all were deeeelicious but the Gibson and salmon were our faves. At about $6+ each they are on the high side but each 5" street-style taco was overflowing with their specified proteins and fixins. At 1pm on a weekday the establishment was barely 1/4 occupied and service was commensurately attentive by the double-duty bartender/waiter. Parking was easy at this hour too, with several open meters within feet of the restaurant. Ambiance is somewhat bohemian/industrial and pleasant. Tip: avoid the large windows, especially right next to the main entrance, as the half-dozen flies were relentless during the summer (staff was aware but not much can be done). I will definitely not wait another 3 years before returning! read more

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