A hidden gem! We frequent this place at least once a week. The food is delicious with large portions. I recommend the La Olla wrap, the taco salad (even the lunch size) the tamale of the day. Just a few of the wonderful dishes. The service will not be beat. The ladies are attentive, knowledgeable and the nicest I've experienced in this area. read more

Haven't had anything bad here. We like the small atmosphere and more personal touch than the chain restaurants.

Thank you for another amazing dinner! Props to the staff. They had a huge rush of customers and were working so hard to service all of the tables! They did it all with smiles on their faces! Absolutely our favorite place to eat out. Not to mention the food was delicious as always!!! read more

Haven't been here in a long while. Good food great location helpful staff. Im very allergic to peppers and our server accommodated me with something special. She also brought me a sauce for chip dipping that was very good. We'll be back read more

Try the soup It is delicious People are friendly Services is good Atmosphere is warm and inviting read more

We love La Olla! The food is great and consistently good. My only gripe is they have short hours, we'd love longer hours for our neighborhood favorite. read more

Great food, fast service. Our favorite local sit-down and take-out place. Family owned.

Outstanding food and service. It's a bit of a drive for us, but it's worth it. Try the shrimp tacos and the jalapeño chocolate ice cream!

Excellent family place!! Great food and service. Highly recommended!!! My husband and I love to take our out of town guests to La Olla. It is a great place to enjoy the food and service. read more

The place can be a little hard to find as it's in a small commercial center with a couple of physical therapists. But please don't let that stop you from checking this place out. New to the Arizona Mexican food scene, I am always pleased to find the local nuances that truly makes Tucson a unique destination for good Mexican food. This was my first visit, and showing up for a late lunch I was surprised to see the restaurant so full. My wife and I each ordered different combo platter's and they were both amazing. Since arriving in Tucson, I have developed a taste for Carne Seca and I must tell you that this one was nothing short of AMAZING! My #1 combo also included a Chile Relleno and a Garlic Shrimp Taco that I just devoured it was so good. The Chile Relleno was large and full of good gooey cheese. The style it was prepared is different from how it's done in So Cal - which made it even more remarkable. On top of this, service was very attentive and professional. I know I'll be back...and often! read more

La Olla Mexican Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

We went early for dinner (just before 5pm) and only one other couple there although it started to fill up later. Service was great, thanks Edele(?). I had the Carne Seca and my wife the Battered Fish Tacos with the house margaritas. All very good. Will definitely come again. read more

We've been here twice, once on our way to Bisbee and we made an effort to stop on our way home as well. What was especially memorable was the calabacitas. I couldn't believe I never had that dish before! I'll be trying to duplicate that at home for sure! The rolled taco was great and my husband had the flautas which he enjoyed. The chips and salsa are excellent too. Also worth mentioning is the cleanliness of the restrooms. They were spotless so thank you for that as well! read more

Great menu selection. The food is delicious and excellent service. Definitely recommend La Olla.

This is a very good Mexican restaurant. I've eaten at a lot of Mexican places in Tucson over the years. This is in my top 3 in Tucson don't hesitate to come by. read more

So we went on a Friday night at 7 p.m. with a group of 6 and we had to wait about an hour. The restaurant is really small so if you are going with a bigger group just be prepared. If you have a group of 4 or less there shouldn't be a problem. The service was great! I have no complaints there. Our food came fairly fast. I order the Pork Carnitas. It came with calabacitas, vegetables and tortilla. My wife got the carne asada plate which came with the same thing. Everything was flavorful and didn't disappoint. I like trying new places and this was good, but it didn't blow me away so it would take me a little while to come back. Overall we had a good experience! read more

La Olla Mexican Cafe - Pork Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Done in and take out. Awesome salsa, warm tortilla chips, I also got the the cheese dip and carne asada. Amazing. Large portions. read more

La Olla Mexican Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Not taking any covid safety measures. None of the waitstaff, nor kitchen staff, were wearing masks. The tables are not distanced in any way. I felt so uncomfortable I left right after sitting down. read more

Heard about this restaurant on the radio show, Wake Up Tucson. Food was outstanding from the fresh salsa and chips to the Calabactas that accompanied our entrees. Service was outstanding, friendly and efficient. Manchego shrimp was tasty and fresh and the Carne Asada was flavorful as it was marinated to perfection. We will definitely go back. read more

Small cafe.Great carne asada plate.Tasty and generous portion. I will be back.Friendly service.

The best authentic Mexican food my wife and I have had since moving to Tucson. A real old world feel to it. We'll be regulars for sure.

What a great treasure! The chili relleno was made fresh and was crisp and flavorful. The spicy bacon steak wrap was perfect (ask for regular bacon if you don't want the extra spice). Chips and salsa were very good. House margarita was a good buy, especially during Happy Hour (3-4pm). Friendly staff. Nice, clean environment. Highly recommend. read more

This place I have heard about it and I love trying new places so I tired this place and to start off with this is not real Mexican food I promise I grew up in a Mexican household eating only pure Mexican food and I can promise this is not Mexican food I order the Sonoran hot dog and when I got it just by the look of it it is not a Sonoran hot dog at all this is not how you make it this is not how no Mexican makes it and the queso fundido as a app. No Mexicans put salsa in it so i will not be returning read more

La Olla Mexican Cafe - This was the Sonoran hot dog - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The service was good. However, the Mexican fare lacked flavor. Very bland. The salsa for chips tasted like canned crushed tomatoes. Everything had to be salted and peppered. The restaurant was very busy. The two of us thought the food was not Mexican fare, which is noted for its seasonings and flavor. Can't believe this food rates anything above a 2, the food not the service. read more

Run-of-mill Americanized Mexican food. Nothing bad about it, but nothing memorable about the menu. The friendly service is a big pro and it's one of the few restaurant options out this way. read more

Super cute place. I'm from out of town, and we decided to take our friend out for dinner. The staff is all kind and the music was great. We had a great time here. read more

Definitely without a doubt go to this place. Service is great and food is downright outstanding.

Best restaurant!!!! Absolutely awesome service from Naomi and wonderful food! My favorite hibiscus margarita in all of Az! The desserts are a must and it's always, always worth the drive! Can't wait to go back!!! read more

Food was alright. Not as great as reviews indicate. I've had better, and I've had worse. I dont think we'll order again.

Always great care in the preparation of their food. Very nice ambiance! It was not noisy and frenetic. There's a reason it has survived a tough neighborhood. read more

This is near my daughter's house in Tucson. A really nice little spot. The food is quite good, I had a combination plate that included a fried beef taco and a cheese and bean enchilada. The side of refried beans, a food I am never a huge fan of, was delicious! Good sized portions for the price, an excellent value. If you are in the area give it a try! read more

There is lots of good Mexican food in Tucson but I give La Olla the 5 star rating. I live just around the corner and its hard to drag myself anywhere but here recently. The food and the service are great every time. It's hard to pick my favorite menu item because everything is good. I have had just about everything on the menu now. But just to give you a couple recommendations. The Diablos Chicos appetizer and guacamole to start then the El Grandote taco or Manchego Shrimp for entree and of course their house margarita. You won't go wrong of be unhappy. read more

See all

We really enjoy La Olla. We come from Vail area to eat here. Great food & great service

Place was busy but service was attentive and exceedingly friendly. Salsa is very fresh and more chunky than saucy. We ordered the carnitas $15.95 - very good. The sides are very interesting and unique. Instead of the normal fair of rice and beans (also available naturally) we had the calabacitas (squash and corn succotash) and a piece of polenta pie with cheese melted on top. This complemented the carnitas (cooked with thinly sliced green bell pepper and onion) perfectly. Chicken tortilla soup was yummy. Guacamole was as expected. Waitress thanked us for being patient during the busy lunch hour rush. We will definitely be back to try more! Thanks! read more

This is the BEST Mexican restaurant in the area!!! I ordered the carnitas plate which is big enough to share and comes with calabacitas and a tamale pie! Simply delicious! read more

Chile rellenos in the Tucson Area rated according to the Homeland Security Advisory System with three word descriptors. La Olla Mexican Cafe: not fine dining. Yellow See photos. read more

La Olla Mexican Cafe - La Olla Mexican Cafe: not fine dining. Yellow - Mexican Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Mediocre Mexican food in Continental Reserve. Small dining area with small tables and a bar that lines the back area with a kitchen behind that. Definitely think the space could be better utilized. The decor was nice and consistent...warm colors, so it fit the cozy but very loud ambiance. It was packed for a Thursday evening. The table is set with salt, pepper, small candle and silverware that excludes a knife..."are knives expensive??," I wondered to my self. Then it all made sense when the food came out. I ordered a lighter play that included some strips of carne asada mixed with salsa, beans that tasted like canned beans that had been recently you warmed up or reheated and may be sprinkled with garlic salt or salt and pepper), red rice (that was clearly made earlier in the day judging by its consistency it was just reheated for the plate), and medium-sized flour tortilla; the hubby ordered the full carne asada plate which were also more strips of meat and essentially the exact same thing I got just more of it...the meat was flavored carne asada does it look more like fajita meat, salsa, calabacitas (these were of great consistency, and he ate them all without anything to say), medium-sized flour tortilla in addition to a green corn tamale pie (the tamale pie was great, it wasn't as good as the one you get at Cafe Poca Cosa but it was a great dupe, it was also perfectly crispy on the edges and nice and warm on the inside). One kid ordered from the kid's menu: a cheese quesadilla with beans on the side, the cheese quesadilla was all ready cut up in perfect triangular shapes which was great for the little one. The other one ordered a chicken flauta plate that came with two chicken flautas beautifully presented but was bland, dry and smothered in sour cream. The horchata is not traditional...best guess, they purchase it premade or maybe the mix at the store and then add some other stuff to it that makes it taste very similar to stevia. Service was slow, there appeared to be only three or for wait staff. For all 4 of us plus drinks it cost $51... next time I won't be so lazy and long do my best to make a more traditional meal at home. read more

See all

Great food and service! The servers remember our names and orders and are super friendly.

It's on a busy street in a big neighborhood, but I would still call it a hidden Gem. La Olla is clean, quick, and best of all TASTY! I have tried a few different plates on the menu and look forward to our next stop. The atmosphere is relaxing and the food has got to be some of the best in Tucson/Marana. Try the Queso Fundido, the Flan, the Fried Taco Platter, and the Chile Relleno. read more

Great food and service! They have a great menu and I haven't had anything I didn't like! My Mom loves the taco salad!

I am still in town visiting my mom & this is one of her fave places so I printed a Restaurant.com Certificate to use for May as I had used one here in April. Friend of mine drove down from Scottsdale so we went here Tues. May 5 for lunch. When we tried to order the waitress said we could not use my certificate on any of the items we ordered. This was quite annoying because in April when we used my April certificate my mom & I ordered the same exact items & my certificate was accepted & the total was deducted from the bill. Because of this my mom had to order something different & my friend had to order the exact same thing for 2X the price. I was allowed to order the same thing I had ordered in March & April. I am allergic to Dairy & have Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Syndrome! My mom ordered something with steak in it and it was dried out like shoe leather & very hard so she could not chew it. She sent it back & gadgets the same thing made with ground beef & it was fine. My friend ate her whole meal so it must gave been good? My meal was the exact same as I what I ordered in March & April but for some reason.my portion was smaller this time? It was still good as I ate the whole thing. read more