Decided to try this place based on the number of great reviews! It is a 40-minute drive from where I came from, and overall...I wish I hadn't. On a Thursday night it was a total wait of almost half an hour. The dining room was understaffed, and many people coming in waiting were patient, but did not look happy. No dedicated host or hostess, and this was an issue from the start...very unorganized. I could go on about other issues but kept telling myself the food will make up for it. The rice and beans were very tasty, and the guacamole was the best I have had in a long time, however the shredded beef in my flautas was not tender and tough. My dining companions also noted the same thing. Chips and salsa were late to the table, as we had sat there for 10 minutes before a server even came to take our order. Waiter did not even check back with us after he delivered the meal to make sure things were satisfactory. Now that I have experienced Karichimaka, I will not be returning. Very sad as I had such high hopes... read more

Karichimaka has been around my entire life. I can remember going as far back as 5 years old with my grandmother. That was 49 years ago. Now I go with my wife and we love it. Went on Saturday 8/7/21. We ordered chimichangas. She gets bean & cheese and I got the chicken. Always perfect. Hot, made fresh, and very filling. The server has been there for many years and he seems to know us both. He is great! This was the first time we went, since the plandemic started. After all the years I've been going here, the place still looks the same and always brings back memories of my childhood. read more

Love love love this place. Many traditional plates with authentic flavors. My family and I have been visiting Karichimaka for over 20 years. Staple in the old Pueblo and a must. read more

I have been going here off and on for the last 45 years; same woman greets you at the door! Best cheese crisp in town hands down! Great food off the menu, authentic Sonoran Mexican food. read more

I've been eating here since 1972. Now that should explain, in so little words How great the Food and Service really is. Sandra K and all of my family. read more

Authentic recipes , excellent depth of flavor, spacious dining room. Ample parking spaces, newly updated and responsive servers.

This was our first time to eat at this here and the food was really good. I ordered the enchiladas with rice and beans with a side of fideo and it was so good. My hubby ordered a green chile burrito and the meat was so tender and good. We are giving this restaurant 5 stars + We will be definitely be going back.. read more

Absolutely one of the best meals we have ever had! The cheese crisp is as good as it was 50 years ago which is the last time I was here. The taco salad is on point and the red menudo was sublime!!! The service is great and the prices are VERY reasonable! Run run run to this wonderful restaurant and try the crisp!! read more

Best Mexican food in town and it aint even close. No disrespect to any other Mexican restaurants (there are many that I frequent) but as a lifelong Tucsonan, I know REAL and Karichimaka is it! read more

When the menu proudly proclaims it's been open since 1949,that gives you an indication of the type of place you're entering. Particularly when you consider how far it was from the core population of Tucson then. Adorned with wood paneling, sited on a gravel lot and sporting an outdoor patio that appears no more than decoration, this place is clearly a relic. If you're looking for a modern spot with a sports bar in back, this is not the place. But if you like the feel of an old, family-owned spot where the customers have been coming for generations, this is it. The food and service were solid but not spectacular. We found the mole enchiladas to have a sauce that's was too sweet for its flavor and the Carne asada tacos were average. Salsa was more pureed than I like but very tasty, with wam chips. The bar has an ok selection of domestics and standard Mexican beers but no full liquor. read more

The foods offered in the lunch specials are great. We have been going here for decades, this business has us hooked on the wonderful food. We are always pleased and stuffed. Very clean and gets top notch inspections scores. Our families grew up on this place and know you can always count on them. FYI, they do close for the month of July for their vacations/rest. read more

Chile rellenos in the Tucson Area rated according to the Homeland Security Advisory System with three word descriptors. Karichimaka: they were puffy. Blue See photos. read more

Karichimaka Restaurant - Karichimaka: they were puffy. Blue - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My mom has taken me here since I was a child and it never disappoints. With the restaurant having a culturally strong appearance, it's food matches the authenticity. I have always enjoyed the food and no matter who is my server, they always have a wonderful attitude and make me feel welcomed. Thank you for being part of tradition! Can't wait to take my future kids here read more

We went here with a couple other winter visitors and everyone enjoyed the taste of the food - and the portions made sure we did not leave hungry! Only problem we had was that given covid is still going strong the tables in area we were in were too close. Would have been less of a problem but for persons at both tables sitting behind us hacking thier lungs out. Building looks large from outside but dining area small in comparison. read more

Chips and salsa, Yum! Carne Asada chimichanga enchilada style, super Yum! Cucurucho, nom nom! Portions were huge. Only complaint would be that they only serve beer and wine. Would've loved to have had an authentic margarita, but settled for margarita flavored wine cocktail. Can't wait to go back again! read more

Karichimaka Restaurant - HUGE! Carne asada chimichanga enchilada style. - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Old family favorite. Good food. Good service. Family owned. A Tucson landmark you don't want to miss.

Stopped here for dinner as they didn't have a wait and so many restaurants had an hour or more wait....that being said we weren't sure what to expect. We are SO glad we did! Beautiful outdoor patio, friendly service, and great food. The tortillas were soft, pipping hot and homemade, the salad was huge, and the fajitas were awesome with a freshly grilled taste. Hot and delicious sopa pillas for desert topped off the night. Thank you so much and we can't wait to come here again in our next visit to Tucson! read more

This was my to go restaurant when I lived here since it is authentic as it can get. Now granted, it had been at least 11 years since I last ate here, didn't know if the owners were the same much less if the cooks were great as I last remembered. Now I was greeted and I as my eyes glanced at the walls and memorabilia, it right away brought vivid memories of my childhood with my grandmother coming here. I opened the menu and was happy to see that the cheese crisp is there along with "comfort food" I grew up on. The waitress Isamar was friendly and even added a few ice cubes without me mentioning it for my two small children sopita de fideo. The food came out fresh and I sink my teeth into it and indulged to the fullest. Great atmosphere and overall the food was superb. read more

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Love this place Best Mexican food in this town. The food the service everything is Delicious. I eat here at least once a week. Even in a pandemic they never have skimped on food or quality like a lot of other places have went down hill. This place gets it right everyone. read more

Two words: refried beans. It's worth the drive to south tucson to come here for this incredible craftwork of refried bean joy. I was brought into the karichimaka family by my best friend, whose family has been eating here for 4 generations. Is there even a better endorsement? My go to order is a bean burrito enchilada style with a side of beans. Surprised? Sometimes I'll leave with an extra pint to go for good measure. They reheat really well. The green chili cheese crisp is also super good. Comes out in a pizza pan and tastes amazing dipped in their housemade salsa. Bottom line, These beans are legendary. You really can't go wrong as long as they are on your plate. read more

Loved the Albondigas once I added some pico to it. The service was quick and the food fresh. If i were to make a suggestion to the restaurant it would be to turn on some music. It was way too quiet in there. Talk about an uncomfortable silence. Also, dont be afraid of salt. Food was a little on the bland side, but nothing that couldnt be fixed. Id definitely go back! read more

We had not been in forever and decided to pick up while we are in the neighborhood. We delighted in the old school flavors as we ate on our deck. Thank you for packing the food with care. I had guacamole tacos and my husband had carne asada. Your salsa reminds me of my grandmother's salsa. Thank you! read more

Solid 3 1/2 Stars. I wasn't crazy about my chicken enchilada but everyone else liked their food. The fountain coke was awesome (fizzy and "biting"). Service was great! Liked the cheese quesadilla m kids had and chicken tenders. Fries good too. read more

Love Karichimaka. Favorite restaurant for 40+ years! Great food. Family setting. Loyal staff.

We tried this place for the first time. Small and quaint which was nice. Service was very slow due to not enough staff. Our waiter was also the bartender and I even asked him if he was cooking too! Hard to get drink refills or chip refills. I got the combo plate with cheese enchilada and taco with beans and rice. It was average. Honestly, I probably would not come back. read more

We visit this family restaurant a few times a week. My favorites are the steak burger with French fries enchilada style (pictured) and top sirloin steak mexican style potatoes with beans. The refríed beans are the best and I order them to go weekly. Sopapillas with honey are delicious! read more

Karichimaka Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Pleasantly surprised. The cheese crisp was awesome, not greasy and very crisp. The tacos were made the way my family made them withthe ground beef cooked inside the taco shell. They were crisp, not soggy and very flavorable. Can't wait for my friends from Temecula to come for a visit, so I can show them what real Mexican food tastes like. The reason I only gave 4 stars is because the place looks run down on the patio, which is the entrance to the restaurant. I can just imagine what it used to look like. But, I could see that there could be a beautiful retreat outside for people to sit and enjoy the desert as they're waiting to be seated. Possibly with a margarita in hand. read more

Party of three and everything was excellent...including the service. All three entrees were delicious.

We have been going here off an on for 30yrs. Last time we went (about 3mos ago) I swore it was the last time I would go (similar issues as I will describe shortly here) but my dad loves the green chili cheese crisp and so wanted to give it a try. Even he is done at this point and we won't be back. There was a large private party in the back room when we arrived but there were only a few seated tables in the main dining room. It was obvious from the start though that everyone was centered on assisting the party and the diners would not be accommodated easily. We wait over 15 minutes for drinks and chips/salsa and placed an order for the green chili cheese crisp. It came out about 15 minutes later and was cold. Placed our food order and asked for more napkins, drink refills and a side of sour cream (my daughter likes to dip tortilla chips in sour cream). We waited 20 minutes for our food to come and again reminded the waiter of the drinks, napkins and sour cream. During this time, I started to observe that our waiter (the only one for the dining room) was also serving as bartender for the private party and refilling all drinks and chips/salsa. Two teenage girls were standing at the hostess stand and not assisting in any other tasks. The owner came out from the back several times and walked back in the kitchen area, never offering assistance either. It wasn't until I went to the bar area with empty cups and grabbed napkins that we got assistance (BTW) sour cream never made it to the table either. We waited over 10 minutes for boxes to box our entrees and had the waiter and hostess each come to us asking if we wanted dessert. We told them that we just wanted to the check and to leave at that point and it was another 15 minutes before we got the check. Whether it was inappropriate staffing or not, it just is the final straw. The quality and quantity of food has declined rapidly over the years and with all the high quality competition it is said to see this relic quietly fading. read more

The staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating. The food was scrumptious. The beef on the Gordita was very tender. Highly recommend this restaurant read more

So yummy! Worth the drive....a perfect stop after a trip to the Sonora desert museum The perfect place to try a signature Tucson cheese crisp read more

No more than fair. Both of us ordered one of their specialties: Chiles rellenos for my DH, Gorditas for me. Mine had green Chile con carne on top; it had no discernible Chile flavor. It was good and tender, just not very Chile-like. Rice average. Beans better than average. Salsa had a very strong oregano flavor which I find old fashioned since most salsas these days are full of cilantro . That being said, the salsa was good and the chips were fresh and warm. The tea was great. Service meh. I had a hard time getting my tea refilled. All in all, it was good but not worth the drive. Tucson is full of good Mexican restaurants and chances are you'll drive right by a lot of them in order to get to this place. read more

I love their chicken taco platter as well as their gorditas. The service is always great!

The BEST Mexican food in town! Our family's come here regularly for parties and delicious food! The service is always fantastic! I have been coming here my entire life! My favorite is shredded beef or chicken chimmi with enchilada sauce. My husbands favorite is #10, chili relleno, taco, rice, and beans. They have been in business since 1949! read more

Super fun place. Authentic and family owned and operated makes it a really enjoyable dinner. Chicken moles is splendid. Prices are right and selections are covering the whole gambit. Go for it! read more

This actually was my second time to visit Karichimaka and apparently it's a dining spot that's been around for a while. Our server was polite, friendly, and attentive. The decor reminded me of an old western restaurant. In fact, if you step outside and take a look at the large empty tiled floors and ramadas, you think this must have been a very popular place years ago with lots of dancing and outdoor dining. Maybe someone knows its history and can comment? My enchiladas with rojo sauce were OK and came with a side of salad. The salsa was good and the chips were OK. I thought the prices were a tad on the high side. Like several other reviewers, nothing extraordinary here to draw me back since there are so many other wonderful choices that are not so far away. I certainly wouldn't mind eating here again...it would just be low on my list. read more

Been coming here since I was a kid and still drop by regularly to get the best salsa covered cheese crisp I have ever had. Always welcoming and friendly service and at this point they know the order before I even place it so you can't beat that. If you are ever in Tucson this place is worth a drop for some good good in the great southwest. read more

This is Chicano food and not real Mexican food. Should have none that when the place was dead on a Friday night. Also just retired people seem to frequent the place because it was quiet in there. Good service though. Wouldn't return. Not good enough. read more

Delicious!! Checked this place out for lunch. They have affordable and tasty lunch specials. For $8.50 I had a shredded beef chimi. w/rice and beans. It was packed with beef and was fried perfectly. The décor is out dated, but the place was perfectly clean, and I felt had lots of history. I will go back on my next trip to Tucson. read more

If you don't know about this place, you're missing out! This is easily one of the best Mexican Food places in town. Everything they do is pretty fantastic, but my favorite is the Red Chili Chimichanga, with a side of rice and the best beans I've ever had. That's why I keep coming back! Try not to go crazy on the chips and salsa like I usually do, and its really hard to say no to a cheese crisp with green chiles for the table. I just made myself hungry and I wanna go eat there right now! read more