You can tell this is Tucson's "tourist" restaurant by the ambiance, hard-selling wait staff and mass production taste of the margaritas.

Cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. We are out of towners who came on the recommendation of friends who lived here. We accidentally made a reservation on the wrong date. The hostess (Fernanda) still got us a table and was so gracious. The guac was made fresh at our table and was delicious. Margaritas were on point. The setting and food were very authentic. read more

Promising menu but disappointing food. The chicken in the mole enchiladas and fajitas was dry. Calabacitas were overcooked and smothered in cream sauce. Service was lacking. We waited so long just to get water and had to ask for it. Even though the dining rooms weren't more than 2/3 full, our server neglected us. We won't be back. read more

Service was excellent, food was outstanding!!!! Loved our experience at a Tucson institution for great food! Thanks for a great evening.

Food was great! Ambiance so fun! Guacamole delicious! Best of all was Ian our server- he was AMAZING! Thank you Ian (: From the Chicago ladies!! read more

When in Tucson, you do have to make a pilgrimage to the best Mexican Restaurant on the planet! They the carne seca plate and the cheese crisp with green chiles for an appetizer! read more

We had a really nice lunch service was great love the mariachi, the decor was so cute took good care of us

The food was excellent. Our server was very nice, but overworked, as we got a bit forgotten. Will go back again hoping that this was just a one time thing. read more

Our server made guacamole at our table. It was delicious and we were able to take some home. The prickly pear margaritas blew me away! They weren't sweet and felt fresh! I had the chimichanga! Also delicious and was able to eat it for a couple of meals. Very worth the visit. Great atmosphere. read more

Cold food again. No taste. So many other choices in the area. Over the last 3 years they've gone down hill fast. Must be different owners. I've had better food at Guadalajara. read more

I was excited to try this place since it is often recommended but unfortunately our experience was awful. From the moment we arrived, the service was terrible. The host was rude when adding our name to the list and even ruder when I asked for water to drink while we waited an hour outside in the 90 degree heat for our table. We were redirected to the bar to get water. When we finally got a table, the table itself was a short table in a corner that was very uncomfortable. I could not move my legs and we had to slide the table to get in/out. For reference, I am a small to average sized person. A child wouldn't have been able to get out without moving the heavy table. Once seated, we waited over 20 minutes before our server even acknowledged our presence. Had we not already waited so long to get a table, I would have left at this point. In fact, I wish we had left and just grabbed dinner at Illegal Pete's. Our waiter finally took our order, upselling us on entrees without actually mentioning that there was an extra charge to get the chimichangas "enchilada style." Our order was incorrect twice and the waiter was rude and blamed us for the mistake. The waiter actually argued with us which was baffling. I've worked as waitstaff before and it's pretty basic knowledge that if you want a decent tip, you shouldn't argue with patrons. The food itself was fine. Nothing stellar but it tasted okay. I was underwhelmed and expected it to have more flavor given that this is supposedly the oldest Mexican restaurant in the US. Thankfully the check came quickly. I will not return to this place and do not recommend it at all. If you are visiting Tucson and looking for a restaurant, try one of the many places on either Fourth Avenue or University Blvd.; the vibe in both those areas is so much better and there is plenty of good food with better waitstaffs. read more

I got the grill chicken tacos so good I am definitely coming back to taste everything els on there menu so yummy read more

El Charro Cafe - Grilled chicken tacos - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I had intended to go to another Mexican restaurant for lunch, but was closed on Mondays. I quickly looked up on Yelp and El Charro Cafe came up, so there we went. Very quaint on the outside and homey on the inside. A lot of history in this restaurant as our server explained to my dining partner and I. You can also read about the history in the menu. We opted to order a pitcher of the House Margaritas which tasted very refreshing but weak in Tequila on the 109 degree Arizona day. Chips and Salsa were immediately placed on our table. The salsa was very good, had a nice hotness to it. Entrees ordered were the Enchiladas del Rancho (pork enchiladas) and the Chicken Tortilla Soup. When the dishes were served, they looked really good, the taste was OK, though not a WOW, maybe to even say the dishes were a bit Bland. I know they are famous for their Chimichangas, though I tend to eat on the healthier not fried food side, but I would try again and share one with my dining partner. Atmosphere: very nice, Service: good, Food: OK read more

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Food- Tamales are the best anywhere. Just buy them and take them to go. This place is strange. Could be exceptional, but staff seems distracted and unfamiliar. It was Valentine's Day and our server didn't know the specials for the day. Staff seemed hidden most of the night, and there were empty tables all around us so they weren't swamped. Bar prices are ridiculous especially since the bar itself is not really a bar- simply a spot to pick up drinks. Not an enjoyable experience for us at all. Tucson is loaded with outstanding restaurants. This one, not so outstanding. 3 stars for tamales only. read more

El Charro is a standard stop when we are in town. And we love to share it with friends and relatives, too. Classic Mexican food, but also some very nice creative vegetarian options, too. Service can be a little slam bam, but kind of not out of the ordinary of many Mexican places in town. Is that the "casual" of Tucson? In any case, the food is generally consistently good and the property of the downtown location is a cool old house. The patio seating is nice, too. read more

I decided a Friday evening splurge was in order and got a to go meal ordered. We ordered the Nana Carlotta's Build Your Own Tacos, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Margaritas. I wasn't sure how everything would fare on the drive home, but they really thought this through. Any of the containers that could leak had plastic wrap over them, before the lid was put on. Not one single thing leaked. Already impressed, before we had a bite. We've eaten at El Charro many times (how is it that I'm just now writing about it??) and even the to go food was exceptional. Everything was still hot and delicious. It made an evening meal out on the patio feel quite special. Maybe even as good as going out, when the food is this good. read more

El Charro Cafe - Nana Carlotta's Build Your Own Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The classic Tucson Mexican restaurant. Amazing and flavorful and authentic food. Great servers and ambiance on the outdoor patio. Loved the combo I got. Strong margarita. Perfection. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful meal at El Charro Cafe! This is our third time eating here and the service is always outstanding! We arrived early and had a few drinks at the bar while we waited for our table. We were seated and had a great meal!!! The atmosphere here is like going back in the past. A lot of their decorations tells the story of their travels since the restaurant was built. Thanks El Charro Cafe for a great night out! read more

First timers at this restaurant. Great atmosphere and you'll have plenty of time to soak it while you sip on your margaritas because his place is S-L-O-W. Make sure you have plenty of time bc you'll need it! We went on a Saturday 4:00 hardly any customers and wait was 30-40 minutes. Hostess said short on staff. After we placed our order another 30 minutes to get it. Tables are so close together I could reach over to the other table. Thank goodness I didn't have to go the bathroom bc I was stuck with them being so close! Food was good, had the Arizona Burro and Chicken Fajitas and Steak Fajitas( lots of fat on it). read more

El Charro Cafe - Fajitas - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Top 3 Mexican joints in Tucson. Amazing food always since I was a kid and amazing service!

Very overrated cool place but I have had much better Mex food. Iconic restaurant ‍you decide

We were touring around Tucson and had to visit this historic restaurant. Making a reservation for a Saturday night was definitely a good idea. Everything was delicious! We started with table side guac and queso with carne and chorizo. My family ordered a variety of dishes, and nobody was disappointed. I had Monica's Plate, which offers a nice variety of options, including their famous carne enchilada. Our server recommended the pinto beans over the refried beans, and I was glad I went with his recommendation. If you're in Tucson, check out this restaurant with tons of character and delicious food! read more

El Charro has quite the fame to live up to - I'm not sure that it lived up to the hype though. The queso fundido was delicious, the mini chimi appetizer wasn't great - mostly tortilla/breading, and not much for filling, and the tres leches cake should be left alone - don't add the Patron XO tequila as the menu suggests. At first they were going to seat us right next to the door that goes to the kitchen, so we asked to move to another table and watched a few more couples ask to be moved when they tried to seat them at that same table. However, the ambiance is quaint and not overly loud. We started with margaritas at the bar while we waited and they were alright. The bartender suggested having the margaritas that were more 'original' with lime juice instead of a mix. I wasn't super impressed. Our server was nice, but seemed to be quite busy - I believe she was serving all 7 tables in our room. If you beg to differ, I may give it another shot. Otherwise, I'll probably try other restaurants next time we're in Tucson. read more

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The Corn tamales........Amazing!! OMG! That's was the best tamale ever! The masa wasn't thick at all. Love it when the tamale fillings you can actually taste. I also had the carne asada tacos with heir freshly made tortillas. My friend had Combo #5 which had the carne secca. It was a little salty for me but it was so still good. They dry the carne themselves above the restaurant for a couple days then shred it. If you like something unique to the restaurant the carne secca and the tamales are your best bet. The waitress, I forgot her name, was great. She was well aquatinted with the menu. She did not skip a beat when you asked her about the menu or what the restaurant is known for. Their margaritas are delicious hats off to the bartender. Thanks for satisfying my Mexican cravings. You have to have Mexican food when your in Tuscon!! read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Consistently great Mexican food! So may many menu options it's hard to choose. Give the Sangria a try, but be sure you're not driving.

We arrived at 3:30 pm on a Saturday and were told it would be a 45 minute wait. We proceeded to the bar and had excellent service and drinks. We observed at least 4 open tables, in the inner outside courtyard, as we waited in the bar for over 1 hour. We attributed the delay to possible staffing issues. After over an hour wait, we checked in with the host stand, where 4 staff were standing, to get an update on when we would be seated. They informed us it would be another 15 - 20 minutes- for a total of 1 1/2 hours. We stood waiting while the 4 staff at the stand discussed table availability. After 15 minutes of waiting we again asked for an update for a table. They asked if we would take an outside table. We responded with a yes, but with a heater, as it was a cool evening. After over 1 1/2 hours, they looked at us and said our table was ready. It was a table they had just set up next to the street, sharing a heater with another table. We said - no, we don't want to sit on the street. When we provided feedback of our disappointment with how this was handled, the manager said- that's how it is. read more

First let me start with the service. From the hostess to the waiter you could tell they were not properly trained. Our Hostess was looked as if she wanted to be somewhere else and acted accordingly. The waiter was detached and confused. We asked for water they forgot, our tortillas never came with the plates, and finally we never received our bill we had to hunt the waiter down. The Margaritas were watery and tasted like tequila and ice with very little flavor. The food however was the biggest let down. Slopped in sauce and overly salty. The basic cheese enchilada was slimy and what you would get at greasy roach coach after a night of bar hopping.. The carne seca was the worst I have had in Tucson so salty and.overly dry. The chile relleno was drowning in so much sauce that any crispiness on the egg breading turned to mush. The chile itself was not properly grilled and was still rubbery with scant filling Go see the building if you like and have a drink but don't eat here it is over priced poorly staffed, and chef and cooks need to be properly trained to keep food at a high quality that matches what you are paying. Proper Sonoran Mexican food should not be confused with this sloppy execution. read more

Best Mexican food ever! we have gone about 40 times when we are there for the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, and it is always fantastic! Great food, great service, beautiful building with so much heritage... read more

I made a commitment to only write completely positive reviews if and when I ever thought my opinion would be valued in the world of internet reviews. My intention was that would only share about places that I thought others should also enjoy . *And to be honest, I am not 100%-sure that what I (or anybody who semi-anonymously reviews a restaurant) says is really that profound or worth the time it takes to read) . But for the second time in my review-writing career... (I've shared maybe a grand total of 15 reviews--so I don't do this often)... I am going to break my vow of only sharing positives and be a little critical. The food is always very tasty, and the Downtown El Charro and it's sister restaurants that are sprinkled throughout the city are gems in the Tucson community. I am sure that, like us, many families take their visiting friends and relatives here to sample the one of amazing gastronomic stops that Tucson has to offer. And many people in the Dirty T dine here "on the regular" when they want good Mexican chow. But... My gripe comes with the service at the downtown location (we normally eat at one of the Charro locations closer to the foothills where we live--where the service is always "above and beyond"). But on Tuesday, we were in the downtown area...* and this is the crown jewel of the El Charro empire, so we decided to stop in. Anyway, It has now become somewhat of a running joke, or maybe a "known expectation" that if you eat at the downtown El Charro the service will likely be on the "notably bad" side of the service spectrum. We ate a late-ish dinner (got there at 7:50 pm) with my two friends, and after we finished, we kinda all agreed that the attitude of the people working there was, "apathetic" and "almost rude". Maybe one could describe it as "Curt". We had a bit of a laugh about it as we said our goodbyes in the parking lot, but ultimately, diner's deserve better service. The short list of service faux pas included: our sitting for 10 minutes without a visit by a server (it was not busy), the complimentary chips and salsa that normally quickly follow, once one has been seated, had to asked for 3 times before my friend got up and actually went into the kitchen to ask for them again. We waited approximately 20 minutes after the chips arrived and had to flag down a bus boy to send a server over to take our order. The server's attitude was a bit "chippy", bordering on rude. After he took our orders, it prompted me to ask my friends if we might had done something unintentionally offensive. We could not come up with anything that would warrant the attitude. The restaurant was no longer busy, but the food took a really long time to come out and the fajitas that I ordered appeared to have been sitting a while (still warm, but not wonderfully hot to the touch which is how they typically are served). Our server did not come to check on us after the food had been served, but we did need more chips and wanted to get another round of drinks (waters were empty and our margaritas were drained). When we flagged down another server to ask for our server to be called over, he responded with an almost angry and defensive tone, but said he would get the server. But he never did. We then asked a busboy to help us and there was a, "now what the "f" do you want" attitude from him. We are as laid back and easy to serve a group as possible, having worked as servers in our youth and understanding that it can be challenging--our attitude is to only ask and expect the basic minimums of hospitality and to have a good time. We still enjoyed hanging out and the food was good, but the service was kinda bad. This is now the 4th or 5th time that after eating there the people I dined with noted the lack of hospitality at this location. When we finally settled the bill (we had been long-ready to go, and had to wait for the waiter to bring us our tab). **And we still gave a 22% tip. It was about 9:15 as we made our way out. They were turning lights off (our being there after closing time was kinda not our fault, as the service was exceptionally slow --and had the bill come when we were finishing up we would have been out right at 9:00). We still felt bad that we were one of the last to scoot, so apologized to the young woman who was closing up. She made it a bit awkward as she did not respond, turning instead to continue closing up shop (one last metaphorical, "f-you" to their customers to close out the day's work. ) read more

One of our all time favorites for gatherings , quiet dinners and fun!! Means everything that my grandfather Jose Trujillo dined at this restaurant in 1930 throughout his life. Thank you El Charro our Family Loves you ! read more

Outstanding atmosphere, food and service! Highly recommended this neighborhood gem when in Tucson.

Soo disappointing! Our server was nice, but menu changes and overall quality has lowered, so goes my high rating. The previously irresistible stuffed mushrooms are weak, barely cooked. The portobellos were changed to barely warmed white button with no avocado salsa, and red chili was replaced with a very acidic tasting tomatillo sauce. The filling, a signature hemp tamal mix was mushy, bland and again barely warmed. Sad sad. My beloved jackfruit taquitos were covered in a sauce that had a much too strong oregano and overpowering taste of garlic. The beans and rice were good but not 14$ worth! Additionally, the manager is under the incorrect and dangerous assumption that El Charro can freely violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against patrons based on medical condition and/or disabilities. The hostess who harassed and threatened me as I was leaving should know that any policy that restricts my entry is violating established law and supersedes any claim to a store policy. FAFO read more

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Food was room temperature, never had a bad meal here until tonight. Not sure if I'll ever come back service was..... o well, not good read more

El Charro Cafe - Chile Relleno - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Huge fan of el charro. Every time friends or family come to Tucson to visit I always take them here. I have never had a poor experience. I have been to both the downtown location and the east side location and service at both has been amazing! I love the happy hour menu, amazing prices and discounted margaritas what could be better? If I'm not doing happy hour I usually go with combo #2 which is a chicken trio with a tamale, enchilada, and taco. The serving size is plenty and the prices are reasonable. I recently ordered To-go due to the CDCs recommendations of takeout only due to covid-19 and the service was fast and the quality was equal to what I would've ordered in restaurant. Thank you for being a constant I can always count on for good food! read more

El Charro Cafe - 2. Numero Dos - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Everything we had was fantastic. Table side guacamole n chips,, to the unique salsa. We split the chimichanga which was plenty and the margaritas were excellent. They have a cool little bar in the back with AC. read more

El Charro Cafe - Table side guacamole - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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So El Charro Cafe is the oldest Mexican restaurant in Arizona or in the US I think so I was looking forward to trying them out luckily you got there a little late it was busy but we got a table right away start off with the hatch chile cheese crisp he was okay also had their chimichanga it was pretty good I like the spices a little too much cinnamon I think or clove one of those spices overall not bad the rice what is mushy but the beans were good our server was great kept drinks field and kept on checking on us the price is pretty good I'll probably go back if I was up there read more

El Charro Cafe - Tacos Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Love this place the food is great. The service is great and sitting in the courtyard is absolutely wonderful.

Loved the pineapple paloma! The cheese crisp was a little overdone, but the other food was good. Long wait so get there early.

Do not recommend this isn't a Mexican restaurant lol well not aunthentic ! The wait was over an hour They dont have any hot salsas their birria is flavorless they're chips and salsa aren't fresh definitely tasted like it was from a jar lol they're tortilla soup was green looked/ tasted like vegetable broth and everything in it was just not what a tortilla soup has the cheese was mozerrella cheese which isn't Mexican ...They're micheladas were terrible ! They put whole black pepper it just didn't taste like a michelada ! I can keep going but I'll just say this if you want Mexican food don't come here !!! read more

El charro café, more like it's gonna give me el chorro cafe. For a restaurant thats been open for 100 years, the recipes have really died down and become Americanized from true authentic Mexican food. The meals I got were the true definition of a "Tex-mex" establishment and I honestly expected more. The only good things I had was the margaritas, 10/10. The food on the other hand left me sick for the remainder of my trip to Tucson. The service was amazing. Our waiter was very nice and very informative of the food. The ambience was also very nice. Great atmosphere, great music, and I'm sure it is a great establishment as well. read more