Place is extremely overrated and overpriced, terrible customer service, they waited over 5 mins to even have us seated in a empty restaurant! Chips good tho Update: I got the burro and my girlfriend got carne asada tacos, burrro tasted like fish/shrimp, the tacos were flavorless and meat was squishy. Food was also cold when it came out, very disappointing read more

Tacos -- 8/10 Salsa flight -- 6/10 Service -- 1/10 They're lucky gratuity was included in the bill. read more

I never write reviews but, as somebody who is in F&B, the World and the ownership needs to read this review. This place is an embarrassment for the restaurant industry, only focused on their bottom line w/o any consideration for the quality of service, ingredients and cooking. Being on the 4th street, this is a tourist trap restaurant operation. This was my 2nd restaurant in Tucson. I was really looking forward to authentic and earthy Mexican flavors, influenced by the dessert. My first stop was La Hacienda Family. That place 100% defines what Mexican cooking should be. I have zero interest in promoting this establishment. Anybody that just parks in the front of it, will see a never ending line of people and will smell the aroma of an honest and well managed kitchen. I don't know who Maria Mazon is but, all I need to know, there is absolutely zero restaurateur investor groups from LA and NY that would fund a 'restaurant' like Boca. These are the reasons. SERVICE Hostess: I walked in solo, restaurant was half full, I was asked by the hostess to come back in 5 min. Zero greeting, zero smile, zero explanation, zero interest to even point at the empty seat at the bar. I had to do that. I come back 5 min later, the same hostess walks me over to a dirty table. Waitress: I order 6 of their signature salsas, guacamole and mole w/ poblano Waitress first brings 6 salsas and then, 5 min later, a paper bag of chips that easily feeds 6-10 people. INGREDIENTS Salsas: Salsas initially sounded interesting. Smoked chipotle as an example. There were 6 salsas total, some green and red salsas. Smoked chipotle was a version of a ketchup with a tiny chipotle flavors. Green salsa was more like a green salsa ailoi. Guacamole: I ordered their surprise guacamole which is not priced but has a 'Market Rate' instead. I've only seen that on fish before but hey, creativity! I get two small ramikens of not a fresh guac but a guac that came from a plastic packaging, one with tons of queso cheese on it and the other sprinkled with with spices. 'Market Price' $14. I've eaten at 100+ restaurants at all major cities in the World, I have never paid $14 for a pre-packaged guac. This is an example of a crime and a scam. COOKING The menu said 'stuffed' poblano in mole so, I was initially intrigued. What I got a mole soup, from a can, that looked liked a tomato soup. Then, a 3rd of cross cut poblano was floating in it, with seeds still in poblano, tossed what was suppose to be chicken and sesame seeds but had a flavor of bacon bits. Impossible to define described flavors. Price: $18. This price doesn't exist in Venice, CA, West Village NY or San Francisco. It's obvious that the kitchen is not trained nor cared to be trained and properly supervised. This is a typical business on a touristy street that only hires minimum wage staff, with a hope that it's 'marketing' will produce that profit. But, it won't. Cutting corners will lead to its end. This restaurant should never exist. read more

If I could rate this place zero stars I would. -No wait staff. -Overpriced crappy chips and salsa (which came in a to-go bag, despite being a sit down restaurant) -Instructions of "order at the bar" then asks why you don't have a number yet, proceeding to require your ENTIRE PARTY to come up and show ID from outdoor seating -Advertises 30 beers yet had only 6 written on a roll of paper on the wall -Stood at the bar 10 minutes to get beer and above chips and salsa -argued with manager about his own website showing 30 craft beers I could go on, but I didn't and walked out. Stay far away. read more

Food was good service was horrible it was a slow week night Gabe M treated us like we were inconveniencing him the whole time I asked him what beers they had he rolled his eyes and said he did not know to read the menu then proceeded to go work at the bar how do you work at the bar and cant suggest not one single beer I then asked if he had any drink recommendations he said no to look at the menu ( the menu states to ask the bartender to mix you up a drink). He then dropped the food off at the table and just walked away never asked if we needed anything. When we were done with our food we waited and waited while he stood at the bar not acknowledging us there was only 2 patrons at the bar again it was not a busy night we had to go find him to request our check. Again food was good but from reading other reviews about the service here and the experience we also had we will not be returning it ruined the whole experience for us read more

BEWARE OF JAMAICA DRINK!!! It will make you run to the restroom. Tacos had no flavor! Service was crappy. Chips & salsas was the only good thing. read more

While I was in the Tucson area with my family we decided to try BOCA because we are big Maria fans. And it did not disappoint! We loved all of the different unique salsas, the BOCA balls and the different kind of tacos they offer. We had a fun evening and enjoyed everything. The service was great and friendly and Mila our server was wonderful. Great at recommendations and warning me which salsa's were hot! I definitely would recommend BOCA while your in Tucson. read more

Excellent lunch of a macho taco and pulppo asado. They have a good selection of mezcals, I tried a bacanora for the first time, the few places I've found it on the menu rarely have any in stock. Every thing was great. read more

Flies everywhere--INSIDE. Not just big flies, but flies of all sizes. Small flies!!!!! My friend, who I had dinner with, explained why they were small flies and I just wanted to throw up. It was hot and humid in there. I think they may have a swamp cooler. The hand sanitizer as you walk out the restaurant, EMPTY. The door handle, a door knob. Empty soap dispensers in the bathroom. Disgusting bathrooms with trash overfilling. The service is terrible. I told myself I would go twice before I make my mind up about the service. The customer service is lacking, people seem to be annoyed as soon as you walk in. The hostess, he just doesn't want to be there. LMAO. The food is good, but get your food to go. The second time around the food came out cold. I got the vegan options. I wasn't impressed with the Rajas taco. The tofu was cold. read more

We had high expectations for this gourmet taco restaurant. Unfortunately we were very disappointed. The hostess yelled at us and others as we were entering into the restaurant, as she tried to manage multiple parties (i.e., three). We had made reservations and were seated right away inside at a table. A nice bottle of water on the table, which tasted filtered even though it was lukewarm. We placed order & received our drinks and finished them before the order came. Nobody seemed to be monitoring for refills, although listed in the menu for free. We had to request a drink refill once our order came. The server seemed bothered by that. The chips were served to the table in a bag, but we did not receive any serving plates. We ordered guac - one came with a heavy teaspoon of hot pepper on it, and one with cotija cheese. The onions in the guac tasted like they may have been expired. I ordered the pork taco with tomatillo sauce, with rice and beans side dishes. The pork seemed lukewarm but not hot. The server said it was the sauce that made them cold and he walked away. He then returned and asked if I wanted them remade. I declined at that point. It had already been 45 min and we were ready to leave at that point. I did not finish my meal - it just was not appetizing. Overall the foods & flavors seem to be in the right direction. Need some help perhaps with the restaurant management. One of the bathrooms was out of soap. Both bathrooms had large rolls for paper towels that were very damp from usage and oddly placed. I am one of the customers who still believes a tidy bathroom is a good sign of a well-managed restaurant. Perhaps we visited on an off-day. read more

My 3 friends and I had long anticipated our lunch here after reading about Chef Maria. The food was amazing. I had a shrimp taco that was better than ones I had in Mazatlan, which were my gold standard. The puerco verde taco was delicious, too, with a tangy tomatillo sauce. The others loved their orders, as well. The flight of salsas was so varied and everyone had a favorite; I loved them all. The chips were so crispy, hot and delicious, it was evident that they were indeed freshly fried. The presentation left a bit to be desired. Chips arrived in a brown paper bag propped up against the water pitcher. No appetizer plates, not even spare napkins. We had to place the bag on it's side on the table and rip it open, tailgate style to be passed around. One of the water glasses was obviously dirty with visible food clinging to it. 10 minutes later it was replaced. We had to pour our own water, not a big deal, since our arms were not broken. Our waitress was not familiar with the menu offerings and actually became snarky with one of us. There was no bartender at the bar, leading us to believe the margaritas we ordered came from a premixed batch, not individually crafted. And it took over 20 minutes before they arrived, AND after our food had been served. A very casual ambience which is fine for a 4th Ave. eatery, as it is not a stand-alone restaurant. The food was fantastic, but the experience was less than we were hoping for, and doubtful that Chef Maria would approve. But after reading Debbie C.'s review, maybe the owner is resting on the accolades of her creative food to get by. read more

Great tacos and drinks! The atmosphere was fun, but the service wasn't the greatest. Food is so good, especially for the price. Definitely recommend going here. It's a Tucson classic. Also, order the salsa flight! read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - Salsa Rajas Taco Veggie Taco Chips & Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Carne Asada Tacos, Mole De Pollo, Maria Margarita We love Boca and have been here many times. Today, I ordered an Asada and a Mole de Pollo taco and a Maria margarita. One of the tacos received was shrimp - I am allergic to shellfish. Its ok, mistakes happen. But the replacement tacos were nowhere as good looking as the first set, nor were they as good tasting as previous vists. The asada did not have its characteristically awesome flavor with the slight char to it. The meat was bland. The house made salsas, which we love, were all basically the same heat. The margarita did not have it's characteristically craft appearance or flavor that we have enjoyed previously The highlight was meeting Chef Maria! We will take our time before we return, but are hopeful it was just an off day . . . read more

Eight Days a Week, Why does this Beatles song pop up in my head? Oh Why? Oh Why? Oh Why? The why is because this is how many times I think of going here each week, yes and yes it's that good. I have always liked their food, even at the other location, with it's sad patio, dank interior, and the slowest service in town. I had often thought they might have had to go to the border between Mexico and Guatemala to get the food it was so slow. Now that it is on 4th Ave, complete with new roomy patio and bigger kitchen, how could I not be in love eight days a week. I'm always loving the crazy, fun, and inventive salsa's, as well as all the different specials, and of course every single of their tacos that has saturated my palate. It's worth going, just don't take my place on the patio, just kidding I'll make room for you (maybe). read more

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Hands down the worst and most insulting service I have ever received at a restaurant. We were "greeted" by an incredibly rude hostess who was so irritated by anyone's presence. I understand that a Saturday can be busy and stressful in a restaurant, but we waited forty minutes for water. When we received our chips and food it was basically thrown at us. The staff and atmosphere was horrible. They seriously need to shut down and take some classes on kindness and professionalism before they continue to run this joke of a restaurant. The food is not even that good and I will never be returning. I will make sure I never recommend this place to anyone it was such a miserable experience. read more

We were really excited to go back here. Last year we had great tacos, margaritas and service.. Gabe was such a horrible server with no personality except for the almost rude part. We tried to turn it around. The tacos were cold and bland. The overly sweet house margarita needed tequila so we ordered an extra shot My husband sent his tacos back. The other server was really friendly and offered to make it right. Too much was wrong and we decided we would just leave it. Can't blame Covid-19 for this. read more

I had the pleasure of going to Boca for a quick bite. We sat at the bar. Granted the restaurant is not fancy and the staff dressed laid back. However the best salsas I have ever experienced. I was able to meet Maria mazon which was a highlight..as top.chef Portland was the best season. We had the chicken tacos on homemade flour tortillas, just exceptional. Can't wait to eat there when I return to Tucson next year read more

the food was amazing it but i feel like they missed out on a great opportunity for a your mom joke on their sign instead of a your wife joke. read more

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

-"service was horrible" -"took so long to order" -"nobody bothered to check on us" -"servers forget things" -"poor explanations" -"long wait" -"poor service" -"decent food but service sucked" This is the consensus from numerous recent yelp reviews, and to a T, it matches my experience from yesterday. Coming in here, I did not expect to be writing a two-star review, but alas, disappointingly, here we are. For starters, the restaurant ran out of several of the items that I wanted, including the tacos al pastor and the nopales (cactus) tacos. How does this happen by 1pm???? Perhaps their food provider screwed up, or the kitchen didn't order enough. I want to clarify that NONE of my frustrations were with the work effort of the staff. Sitting at the bar, I had a clear view of the pretty small kitchen, and I could tell that they were also killing themselves to try to get their food out as quickly as possible. The bearded, beanie-wearing bartender yesterday took my order fairly quickly, but he never apologized as the 3 tacos were taking ridiculously long to get out, he never tried to make me feel warm and welcome, etc. He was extremely busy cleaning and making drinks. The restaurant would have been very wise to have had a second bartender yesterday. My potato cheese ball appetizers got out within 5 minutes, so I was quite surprised that my tacos took at least another 30 minutes to be infront of me. Never in my (extremely comfy) life have I had to wait a half hour for tacos. This is the worst thing that can happen to somebody. When the food was served, the server was apologetic for the wait time, and he provided free chips and salsa (which, given that I had my tacos at the time, I wasn't in the mood to eat). The chef knew that the food was taking too long to serve. I heard her from the kitchen telling the staff to apologize and say that they didn't expect it to be so busy that day ... despite the fact that that day was a holiday and many people would be eating out during the daytime. As far as the tacos themselves, they weren't my cup of tea: my absolute favorite food is street tacos from Mexico City (small, greasy tortillas, two tortillas, meat and almost nothing else). The tacos at Boca are quite large and overstuffed (cabbage in a taco? woof!), and I wasn't much of a fan of the tortillas; they felt too dry for me. If it weren't for the other recent Yelp reviews (which I didn't read before coming here), I would have chalked up yesterday as a bad day for the restaurant. But this seems far from an isolated incident. The restaurant is still quite popularity, but it seems like they have not figured out how to manage the busyness that comes from such popularity. Eating out should be fun. It shouldn't leave you feeling irritable by the time the food comes, just dying to get out of the joint and angry that you've wasted your money. read more

Hands down the best tacos we have ever eaten! The meat, guacamole, produce and salsas were so fresh and if you haven't been here before...RUN to this delectable delight! We tried four different tacos and all the salsas and were blown away! So much gratitude to Eddie, the cool and welcoming manager, who upon us arriving right before closing, graciously decided to give us a seat, when hearing we just had landed In Tuscon. Thank you Eddie!! Having two kids moving here in August, they will be regulars! read more

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I couldn't believe how disappointing our experience was here. I came here with my husband for dinner on a Saturday night. When we arrived a party of four was leaving because they were told the wait would be 45 minutes. We were told the same, but spotted two open spots at the bar so told the hostess that we were happy to wait for a table and would take a seat at the bar. We were promptly ignored at the bar by the two bartenders who were more interested in bs'ing with their friends and colleagues. When we finally got our drinks after ten minutes the hostess came over and told us that she had a table for us--interesting since the expected wait was originally 45 minutes. We had to wonder whether we were told the wait was so long because we're in our 50s and the crowd was mostly in their 20s. We decided to stay at the bar and eat. When we asked the bartender if we could eat at the bar, he grabbed a plastic menu stand, put it in front of us and walked away without a single word. Food was disappointing all around. I ordered the tacos--one was good--think it was shrimp or fish, the other two were bland. I was given a plate of several hot sauces--at least four or five, but the waiter didn't even bother telling me what any of them were. They were on a plate so not labeled. I love trying anything but it would have been helpful to at least know which one was the most spicy. Margaritas were nothing special either. I give two stars because the one taco was quite good and we didn't get sick but honestly this place is overrated in every level and it's very rare for me to say this. Stay away unless you're in college, in which case you'll probably at least get decent service. read more

UPDATE: their Bloody Mary is one of the best I've had in Tucson. +1 star. I've only been here a few times, but I've thoroughly enjoyed each visit. Their current location on 4th avenue has a nice layout with a decently sized bar, which is covered in pennies. There are always a large variety of beers on tap from local and non local breweries to choose from. From the few times I was there, I actually discovered a new favorite by Elysian Brewing Co. I was worried there wouldn't be many vegetarian options, but I was wrong. Boca has several vegetarian tacos including the tofu taco, the calabacitas taco, and the rajas taco. The tacos which I've had were all delicious, but what is even more notable is the plethora of tasty house made salsas provided with each meal. Upon every visit, the staff has been friendly and helpful. They are great about making suggestions, answering questions, and providing samples of whatever sounds intriguing on draft. read more

Love the decor and vibe. Sat at the bar and service was quick and great. Bar tender checked on us frequently. I got the al pastor tacos. Not what I was used to but not bad. Portions were huge! All the fixings barely fit on the tortillas. Will try another taco if I return. I remember this place from when it used to be on Speedway. I'm glad I finally got to try it. read more

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

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This place was a shit show! We checked in and never got a text for our table! Ended up going to a Greek place down the road that had excellent service! Don't waste your time at this place! We were told we could even get a drink at the bar unless we were seated!! read more

We drove down from Mesa to eat at Boca after enjoying Chef Maria's food during a chef collaboration at Tia Carmen in Phoenix. Worth the two hour drive! Loved the look and atmosphere while we devoured the amazing chips and flight of unique salsas. Shrimp & Al Pastor tacos were our favorite, but the other tacos and tostadas were all delicious as well, the delicate and perfect hand made tortillas elevate every taco! My husband enjoyed his perfectly mixed Paloma and we split the fantastic weekend special mole tamale. Best beans we've had in ages. We're pretty picky about tacos, chips, and salsa, having lived in Arizona our whole lives. Boca did not disappoint, we loved it and will be back! read more

Food was really not good. The salsas mediocre. My boyfriend but down on a chicken bone in his taco. Imagine if a child ate that chicken bone... unsafe. read more

What happened to this fantastic restaurant? We have/had been coming for years. The salsa is still magnificent and unique. The quality of the food inedible. Our last 3 visits have been disappointing to say the least. We ordered 6 kinds of tacos. The beef tacos were all gristle and fat. Most of the other choices were overly salty to say the least. The service......well just read the most recent reviews. We will watch future reviews to see if Boca has reinstated their quality and service before returning. read more

Was expecting a lot since this was a top chef restaurant but this was hugely disappointing in so many ways - food, service and ambiance. In the words of our server "we're f***ed." read more

Wow. Words cannot express the terrible service, lack of consider, amount of disorganization..... I need to stop with these descriptors because I will run out of room. Long story short.... We booked a birthday party weeks in advance, called to confirm the day before and arrived day of to meet confusion and panic as they didn't know this was happening. They were rude, wouldn't let us stand at the bar and order drinks (large party of 10 - you definitely don't want this money in your business...), kicked us out and told us they'd call us from the street when the table was ready. I said nope, this is ridiculous, we are leaving. They actually called 45 minutes later (11/2 hours after our reservation) and we shocked we didn't want the table. I called the manager the next day to let him know and he said, and I quote, oh. Don't give these people your hard earned money. You deserve it more. read more

Decent food, bad attitude. Visiting town we drove straight to the restaurant from the airport. No tables free so we sat at the bar during the tail end of lunch service. The bartender was just terrible and wrecked the experience for us. No greeting. Had to ask him to take our order. No check in once food finally arrived (took too long). No smile, humor or emotion. No thanks for coming in. read more

If you are a foodie then stay clear! This James Beard award runner up has fallen very short of the mark. The restaurant was dirty (our table sticky), the tacos were under seasoned, the carne asada was overcooked and touch, the beans tasted like "ranchitos" bbq beans as opposed to Mexican ranchero beans. The cauliflower tacos were steamed cauliflower. They needed major salt, acid and the marinated onions had little tang to them. The octopus was very tough and overcooked as well. They "ran out" of guacamole and grilled onions at 6 pm. They forgot most of our order as well, so one of our guests had only one taco. read more

Great service and I've always had amazing meals here. Had a lovely dinner with a friend last night and tried the pulled pork taco. I am addicted. read more

The tacos were good, but very spicy! Due to this, I was making constant trips to and from the self serve water station because the cups were very small. The place where you order is also right in the entry way, so if you're sitting anywhere near the front of the restaurant you will have someone constantly standing next to you. Overall, the food was good but the atmosphere wasn't great. read more

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

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Turns out, Boca had just moved into their new location less than a week before I visited. They didn't have their official sign yet, so their "Coming Soon" sign was still up - so I was utterly confused. If this still is the case, know that they are open, and waiting to serve you some excellent food. This is definitely a 5 star place - however, I spent the bulk of my time in this establishment waving flies away, so honestly, this is why it's a 4 star review. The fly situation is something that needs to be rectified: if you sit anywhere near the windows, you will be swarmed with them. Our hostess/waitress let us know that it is cooler at the bar, and also there are fewer flies. When you walk in, go to the right corner to order. It's a small area, but this is where you will order (you can keep your tab open if you like!!) and sit down. The only hard part is trying to decide WHICH tacos to get! There are so many unique options! With having previously looked over reviews, it became apparent that the chips and salsa were a necessity when stopping in. Today, the chef had made additional salsas, so we ending up with SEVEN different flavors, as opposed to the normal 5. They were salsa types you probably can't find anywhere else: Watermelon sriracha, banana habenero, honeycrisp apple... and some more common ones: Tomatillo, Cilantro-Jalapeno, Roasted Tomato, etc. It is definitely worth getting! You get a big bag of freshly made chips - that will be nice and hot. I really enjoyed the salsas, and honestly, I could see some of them being excellent drink mixers. The Watermelon Sriracha was very yummy, but honestly, too water for a salsa. This would be an excellent mixer with a drink, Boca!! I ended up just drinking the little cup of this "salsa"... sshhh.... Food took no time at all. After we received the order of chips and salsa, our two tacos came out quickly. We ordered only 2 - and decided to share them both. Both were Vegetarian tacos (their selection for that is WONDERFUL here): Rajas - Anaheim and poblano peppers with corn in a delicious sauce, and the AM - a breakfast taco with a hashbrown patty and fried egg. Tacos are served open faced, as they are topped with a ton of deliciousness. This place was great! I will plan on future stops in when in Tucson, and hopefully I can improve my rating from a 4 star to a 5 star (I kid you not, it was extremely frustrating with all the flies in there!) read more

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This was the most disappointing restaurant experience we have ever had. I felt like I must be in the wrong place given the pictures on the website. We waited 15 minutes before even being approached, the first thing we ordered was guacamole and Boca Balls, and we were told they had no guacamole due to an avacado shortage, which ended a week after it started in February. The Boca Balls were okay, they had the most spice. The wait staff was dressed so inappropriate, one gentlemen looked as if he had been in a fight with a wild animal, his clothes were in shreds. But no class for what is suppose to be restaurant worthy of awards. The food was mediocre at best, I guess i would say tasteless. Nothing had much flavor. The margarita mix was watered down. Even the tortilla chips had no flavor. Very sad. Maybe the Chef was on vacation and thought she had left the place in good hands! read more

Mixed on this one The waitress was really mice and helpful but I just wasn't a fan of the food. Had the Boca balls, macho taco and chips n salsa. If I were to ever to come back I would probably just have the chips and salsa That was neat cuz they gave you 5 totally unique salsas. read more

BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon - 5 salsas. All unique and some super hot - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Had the Carne Asada and Gibson Tacos, the service was slow and tacos were cold. They need more wait staff it looked like they had one waiter for the place. Interesting vibe, but there are a lot better places for Tacos read more

Still good but better space with more parking however too overpriced to visit regularly. This time the chicken tacos were much more flavorful and juicy or than the carne asada tacos. You come in sit yourself at the most available table, grab yourself a menu review it decide what you're going to get then you stand up and go and order your food. It's unclear as what kind of drinks they have other than the bar that it's clearly visible. They do have some water that is self-serve and super icy. As always Maria's salsas are the best especially one with raspberry and quite the kick. read more

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So I'm going to start out by saying that I would not recommend this place if you're a fan of service. The staff don't get drink refills or do any kind of table service to check on you. You get a menu order at the cashier stand and then served food on a cutting board and plastic baskets. Went here with a large group and it was just horrible if you're used to service. Went up to the bar and kindly waited each time for a drink refill. The food was pretty good but you're paying for the food and not the service or utensils (served on the table in steel cups?). Got the Boca balls with recommendation from previous reviews and they were okay but nothing to write home about. The salsa choices were interesting as I ordered salsa and chips minus the chips. Had to ask where the chips were when they started to serve our party food. The staff was nice enough to bring out hot fresh chips which are red by the way. Nice touch. I'm giving three stars based on the service as there was none. Didn't feel welcome here. read more

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

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Want tacos and vegan options? Boca is the place! I ordered the veggie taco, cauliflower taco and chips/salsa flight. A chips and salsa flight- seriously the best! I was disappointed the boca balls were not available but plan to try those next time. It was very busy on a Saturday afternoon, 45 minute wait, no silverware available, and server was obviously pulled in multiple directions. Next time I'll plan for a weekday. read more