We originally planned to have dinner here but as it was on the main road from Tucson to Biosphere 2, we stopped in for lunch on the way back. The restaurant is located in a moderately-sized shopping plaza and has a large shared parking lot. It is a stand-alone structure separate from the other businesses. There is a partial patio that wraps around the building, with some sort of shade installed. It was still too warm for us, so we opted to eat inside. The interior is a large open dining room with a bar on the left side. They also had a semi-separate room to the right for (I guess) large parties that wanted a bit of privacy. The menu featured a variety of dishes, but did not include a set of standard Tex-Mex combos. I'm not complaining, just noting. Everyone in our party found something they wanted. A couple of us got the 2 taco plate. This featured your choice of bean style (black / pinto / refried) and Mexican rice. The tacos were quite large, so 2 was more than adequate. I don't recall what the 3rd person ordered. The tacos tased very fresh and were overflowing with added lettuce and greens. Their signature taco (served for about a century, they said) was basically a beef patty as the taco meat. The form didn't matter - it tasted like a beef taco. I assume the patty is likely for their convenience in prep? Two of us split a tres lechee cake, which was also good. If I were a Tucson resident, I'd consider coming back to one of their 3 locations. read more

First, this is Sonoran Mexican food. It is not going to be overly spicy, and it is definitely NOT New Mexican. So, go in with realistic expectations. They hand make their tamales. I had 2 green corn for lunch. Delicious! Heard story about first location and how the owner invented the chimichanga. According to the popular story, she accidentally dropped a burrito into a deep fryer and, while trying to avoid using a curse word in front of children, exclaimed "chimichanga"! Forgot to take a food pic, but got a couple of the fabulous decor. I'm only reviewing for the service we received from Anna our lunch time waitress. She was great and we will go back again. read more

El Charro Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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The decor was a traditional Mexican restaurant. It was quiet and cool and they do have outdoor seating. Plenty of parking. I had a horny cucumber margarita and it was strong but tasty! The chips and salsa were good! The service was pretty good! We had the quesabirria mini chimis, the el platon asada and the shrimp culiche. All were very tasty and generous portions! The only stinker was the tres leches cake. It was dry and just lackluster. read more

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Very fun and elegant, yet simple restaurant. Love the lighting. Wish there were more booths. Three of us went for lunch and had Jacob who was very good even though he was busy! He offered us a spicier (and milder) salsa in addition to the two salsas we already had. We opted for just the spicier one and it was a delicious salsa verde (homemade every morning). Highly recommend it. House margaritas were good and huge. I requested a carne seca 'taster' to make sure I wanted to indulge in this more pricey dish. It was tasty but you must enjoy 'dry meat' which is dry by design! The portion was gigantic and enough for me to eat four meals. A large man could easily make two meals out of it. The quesabirria enchiladas were a stand out! So much cheese and flavor. Will get those again! Please put more consommé with that in the future! The Reynosa Chicken under Carlotta's Cocina (indicating standout chef specialties) were not good at all. Tiny portion, hardly any sauce and they came out cold. When we asked for more sauce, that came out cold. Very odd. Room for improvement- we made a reservation and requested a booth. When we got there, they said one wouldn't be available for a while. I saw people leaving and paying the bill and we had a bit of back-and-forth with the two hosts before they allowed us to wait a few minutes for that one to be cleaned. Not sure why that was a mixup. Will be back when I'm in town to visit family! read more

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What could you improve on??! Everything!! From beginning to end, our server was not good at all! I asked if I could get a chicken enchilada instead of cheese & she just simply said no. No suggestions or any solutions were offered! Then, during our meal, we had to keep flagging OTHER people down for things we needed or wanted! She was not polite at all either, it seemed like she didn't even want to be there! Once we got our food it was good, but, my husband's biggest pet peeve is when we order soup, he expects it to be brought out before our meal & have time to actually eat the soup. This did not happen! The whole experience sucked! Will not be coming back to this location at all! We'll stick to the one on Sunrise, at least they are friendly over there! As for the "ambiance" it was very just ok as well! All in all this fell way below what we were hoping for! read more

El Charro Cafe - Chicken tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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I came here for dinner with my family the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it was surprisingly empty around 7:45pm. They close at 9pm even on weekends. The decor is really cute. Three of us ordered different dishes that came with tomatillo salsa, and it was extremely spicy. We all prefer mild salsa, so we felt there should have been a warning on the menu. I had the Pescado Tropical, and while the flavors were okay, the heat was overpowering for me. read more

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Love coming here for brunch. The history , the vibes and the food is so amazing from this place. The brunch menu has an option for pan dulce or pan waffle which is delicious. They also have mariachi on Sunday. Such a history and amazing place to come to eat and experience culture, good food, and history. Service is always on point. We will definitely be back. read more

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We came on one of the busiest days of the year. But the staff handled it well. There was no long wait for our food. It was an amazing experience. As soon as we were seated, they served chips and salsa right away. I just didn't like the paper cups. But everything else went well, like our food from appetizer to entrée and dessert. And our server made me a strawberry lemonade, which was not on their menu. They also serve a buffet here. There was a large group in the private rooms section during our visit, and they had the buffet. I saw a sign indicating that they cater as well. read more

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We've been here several times when visiting my parents. Great service, huge portions, and delicious food!! read more

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We came here with a friend from out of town because we like it and have typically had decent service and great food. Today we sat in our seats for 15-20 minutes before we got to flag someone down to wait on us. Our dinners were were good. We ordered the table side guacamole and it was not made at our table side and was the worst I've had. It had absolutely no flavor. I realize the restaurant was busy and seemed understaffed. I guess I was a bit disappointed. Typically this has been a great experience for dinner. read more

I stopped by today with my family for their Brunch and we got some items not on the brunch menu as well. This was our first time here and we loved it! We were greeted when we walked in - the ambiance is awesome, I love the pictures and history behind El charro! The kids menu has a story on how the chimichangas were invented! Even the bathroom had awesome pictures and some facts about El Charro. My server was very nice and attentive she was awesome! I did forget her name however, so sorry! :( the food was absolutely amazing! I ordered the grilled Parillada with Chicken, rice and beans! This was soooo good! My husband got the Monicas plate with rice and beans, then my son got the ground beef jr taco with cheese and he also had rice and beans with a side of Apple sauce. Whenever we come back in the area we will definitely come back! read more

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Grew up in this town and couldn't wait to get back to El Charro. What a huge disappointment! Back in the day this was the best you could get. Totally has gone downhill and would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Last supper in Tucson. Staying north in the Oro Valley. First Mexican dinner since arrival and we went to El Charro who legends say invented the Chimichanga! Who are we to argue. We tried the local restaurant ( there are three) and were not disappointed. I had Chicken El Pastor. Most amazing Mexican food I have ever had. The Senorita who seated and waited on us was awesome! Dave had carnitas Rancheros(pork). Both spectacular!!! Throw in a couple of Cadillac Margaritas and the meal was one of the best we've experienced!!! read more

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I used to love coming here for the only plant-based entree they served for a long time, the Hola Hemp Tamale, which is still one of my favorite meals in Tucson. I only recently learned they significantly upped their vegan game by adding flautas, enchiladas, and burritos. Everything I tried was amazing and will keep me coming back with family and friends. read more

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I have dined here numerous times--El Charro is a must when in Tucson! It's not only historic but also delicious and this location is closest to where I live. I've taken out of town guests here, celebrated my birthday here, dined in for their 100th anniversary, and I have even participated in Yelp events at this El Charro. The food is always fantastic at this location. The mini chimis are a must as a starter. My go to entree is the carne seca platter. I love that dried savory meat. Really everything is very good! The service on the other hand...is very hit or miss. Sometimes the service is wonderful and sometimes the service is really, really bad. Lately it's been on the better side so hopefully it will stay that way. Love the ambiance of this location. Lots of pretty silver light decorations hanging from the ceiling, and the space is airy and open. They also have outdoor dining. I know I will be back, but I always keep the issue with the service in mind. Other than that though, I absolutely love El Charro and recommend that everyone try it for themselves! read more

We were excited to try this restaurant, especially since it's one of the oldest Mexican chains in the country. We came as a large group of 7-8 people, and while the service was okay, I did have to remind our waitress a couple times--though to be fair, handling a large group isn't easy. The portion sizes here are MASSIVE! I ordered the chicken fajitas, which came on three separate plates: one for the tortillas, one for the skillet, and one for the sides. The veggies in the fajita skillet items were drenched in oil and a bit to greasy for my taste so I just ate the chicken which was delicious. Unfortunately, the tres leches was disappointing--it was dry, and I've had much better versions elsewhere. Living in Texas, where Mexican food is abundant, I've definitely experienced better overall. read more

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On previous occasions, the carne asada has been great. Lean, tender, flavorful. Except for the last time 2 weeks ago and again today. Got the carne asada enchiladas with green sauce, but every mouthful of meat was fatty and had no flavor. Had to spit out lots of bites. Will not order the carne again. I have gift cards, so looks like there will be chicken and cheese in my future. Do better, El Charro. Service was excellent as always. read more

El Charro Cafe - Carne asada enchiladas with green salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

The original "charro style" beef taco was so dry and tasted like they put spaghetti marinara sauce over the tops of them. The numero cinco, El charro carne seca was so super dry, the cheese enchilada was ok, the chili relleno was the only saving grace and it was only the green sauce the outside of the relleno felt and tasted like scrambled eggs. They have really spicy salsa/ hot sauce for the guest to eat with the chips which I loved but it's too much for everyone else at the table. read more

This is our favorite El Charro to eat at. Service is always great, it has the best food of any of the El Charros. The place is decorated perfectly too. read more

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Our server brought us chips and salsa, and when he took the menus he spilt our salsa and it was really loud, you could hear the salsa bowl fall against the table, yet he walked off and pretended like nothing happened. He was very rude and the food itself was very bland and didn't taste good at all. The worst $50 I ever spent lol. I asked the Busser if the cooks were Mexican at least he said yes, then the cooks came out and it was some white lady... no offense to white people, but if you go to a Mexican restaurant, and it's not a Mexican cook most likely it's not gonna taste good. read more

El Charro Cafe - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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We love Mexican food; New Mexico style is #1, Arizona style is #2 and Tex Mex is #3. I'm not sure what this El Charro identifies with but it was the worst we've ever had...anywhere. Even Nebraska had better than this...much, much better. My husband wanted stacked cheese enchiladas with an egg on top (New Mexican style). It wasn't in the menu but the waiter said they could make it. What came out was a blob of dough with red sauce and egg on top...it didn't even have cheese! It was disgusting looking and tasting. I took a couple of bites of mine and was fine it was so bad. Never again! They are an embarrassment to New Mexico food. read more

Very disappointed. We had a large party and had a reservation. We arrived and they still had to bus the table and the hostess was unfriendly and didn't give us napkins and silverware. The server did his best. Food was mediocre (I ordered chicken mole and there was very little mole) What is annoying is that they charged an additional $12 on top of the set 20% gratuity and the additional $10 I gave the server. So I won't be returning read more

Service: Check! Atmosphere: Fun! Check! Food: We enjoyed the Chile Relleno w/ Carne secco enchilada, tamale, & taco. The carne secco was something I had not ever experienced. I probably would not order again, only because I love Mexican food & I have too many other dishes that I love more. Having said that, I was glad I tried it. It reminded me of salted, dry fish, think Bacalao. It was really good in with the Chile relleno in a soft tortilla. The margarita was excellent and strong. This place was not inexpensive, but for a sit down restaurant with great atmosphere, the quality was there. I liked it & would return. read more

I just spent $46.75 on chips and salsa. Nothing else. Just chips and salsa. Not including tip. My wife and I had a pot luck holiday party to go to and we were crunched for time. So we figured just grabbing some chips and salsa to go would be easy. So I got one bag of chips and a pint of red and a pint of green salsa to go: $46.75. Done with El Charro. read more

I placed an order and picked it up, and when I got to work, I noticed that the tortillas and utensils were missing. I called, and they asked if I could come back. After a 20-minute traffic-filled drive back, I decided to buy an extra plate, and while I was paying, they had carne seca chimi instead of carne asada. I picked up the first one at 2:20 pm and the second at 3:04 pm and not even an "I'm sorry for having you drive back." read more

This is a very cozy spot to enjoy a meal and the service was overall positive. We ordered tacos, chimis and burgers across the table - the tacos were flavorful (birria and steak), with good quality meat, ample portions and flavorful sides. The picked red onion we're a nice touch as well. The burgers were very dry and looked a little burnt. They came out wrong so it didn't seem worth sending back twice, but something to note. The chips and salsa were good and drinks were also generally good - not mind blowing but solid. Our experience here was pretty good overall and we'd come back if we're in the area. read more

Escargot was crap. Manager beyond rude to our guest accusing them eating the entire dish and then place a complaint....WOW. $48.00 for 1 Macallan and a large cube will not recommend read more

Arrived 8:50 Friday evening and was too late for dinner for 2. Closing time is 9. Need I say more?

Last Minute News Years Day dinner Find. We had not planned, and it all worked out that we could get served here. I had not been in 12 years or so since it had opened. We live far and smaller Mexican restaurants have been just fine for us. The total package here, from front to back was the best. Food was excellent for both the visitors and locals in our family group. The Steak Fajitas and Carne Seca are of the best in the Country. It was a totally great News Years Day Dinner start to 2025. read more

El Charro Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

I've been to this location a few times and it's been hit or miss on the service. The food has been fairly consistent. The carne seca is always a good choice because it's unique. They also have a prickly pear margarita that's pretty delish! read more

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We appreciate that El Charro has plant-based options, and the service was really quite good. The decor of the restaurant also is fun and colorful. Our food arrived pretty quickly after we ordered it, but my jackfruit taquito trip was just warm. Same with the beans. My partners beans also were just warm, though he enjoyed his seafood enchiladas. We enjoy other Si Charro restaurants; perhaps the kitchen was just having an off night. read more

El Charro Cafe - Seafood Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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We recently went to El Charro for a birthday celebration. The food and service were excellent! The food came very quickly and the waitress was very efficient. read more

Excellent meal great service. We had a farewell dinner party here (party of 9). Sorry, no pictures. We were just chatting and enjoying the time. we had guacamole table side, cheese, crisp, chicken, tortilla soup, Chito salad, and a variety of everything is including one kids plate of chicken nachos, which was very large. Great service and a fun evening. read more

Quite a nice dining experience. The food was excellent. Be sure and order the tableside Guacamole.

Awesome! I returned for the first time in over 32 years. It was great then. It is great now! Authentic. Fresh. Tasty. Strongly recommend making a reservation. It's well worth it. read more

El Charro Cafe - Simply amazing - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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A group of six of us just had lunch at the El Charro Cafe in Oro Valley, Az, today. It was a totally unpleasant event. Four of the guests are or have been in the food industry for a combined total of ninety to a hundred years, so we are not inexperienced diners. Of the six meals, three were incorrect. I ordered a green chili beef enchilada. It came out with chicken. My husband ordered a chimichanga but it came out a burrito. One of the other guests, who is cilliac with extreme allergies to rice and legumes so she ordered the fish tacos without beans and rice but It came out with the beans and rice touching the shrimp tacos so could not be consumed. Had to be re-cooked. Then there was an issue of dirty glasses with one glass actually had a hair in it. And the outdoor table cloth that was torn. Totally unprofessional. The service was totally lacking. When we were finished with lunch no one came around to clear the dishes and glassware. No one came to refill our water glasses. We eventually ended up stacking the dishes so we could sit and finish our conversation without all the dirty dishes in our face. We sat for at least fifteen minutes waiting for our checks, which we had find sometime to bring to us. There were not a lot of customers in the restaurant (surprising!) so there was no reason not to have a more attentive staff to pay more attention to the needs of the customer. This was not an isolated issue. The table two down from ours had their entire meal comp. I don't know the details but obviously there were issues there as well. read more

The food was outstanding, the service was professional, and the overall ambiance made the experience truly memorable

Having lived in Tucson many years ago, El Charro was always a fixture in those days. We stopped by on a trip through Tucson recently and were not disappointed. They have an extensive menu with authentic Mexican cuisine. The food was delicious and I would highly recommend it. read more

The restaurant has a very nice and cheerful vibe. There is outdoor seating available and the weather is more comfortable in the evening. The salsa is delicious and already came spicy, there is milder salsa available too. I got the charro birria verde burrito and made it chimichanga and enchiladas style. The brisket was really good and the portion was large! Service was quick and the staff got us anything we needed such as extra salsa and chips. Everything on the menu looked good, you can't go wrong! read more

El Charro Cafe - Charro Birria Burro - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

El Charro recently celebrated their 100th anniversary, which goes to show how beloved they are and the quality of the food. They've recently added a new entree to their menu, Grilled Chicken Pastor and I'm happy I tried it. The chicken was juicy, had a smoked flavor and was slightly spicy, nothing a lightweight like me couldn't handle. My body, however, is not a friend of cheese, it's a sad state of affairs, but here I am. Anyhow, the queso casero and crema de raja sauce was a little bit on the heavy side for me, but it tasted rich and savory, and too good to not clear my plate! I am the type of person that puts my salsa on everything, which means my whole entree. I love El Charro's salsa. I can't even describe it, I just love it to the point that I bought a jar of it on my way out. I had ordered table side guacamole and this also paired well with the salsa. I think my guacamole needed a little bit more jalapeno, but adding the salsa was a perfect combination. I almost made a meal out of the chips, salsa and guac - it's usually my weakness at any good Mexican restaurant. I'm a newly minted fan of El Charro Cafe, can't wait to try more. read more

El Charro Cafe - Grilled Chicken Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona