El Charro Café - The Original

This place is full of history! The internet notes it as the oldest restaurant in Tucson, established in 1922, but in chatting with our server we learned the home itself was built in 1896. Even more impressive, it began as a woman owned and operated business, a rarity at the time. It has stayed in the family for generations and is now run by Tia Monica’s grandniece. We checked in with Tiana and V, the super-friendly hostesses, and after a short wait were seated on what used to be the original porch. The way they’ve preserved the charm of the home is truly impressive. Our server, Jose, was wonderful, knowledgeable, and clearly proud of the restaurant’s heritage. He shared its history with us and even took us to the back patio to show where the carne seca is made. He brought us a sample, and while it’s not something I could eat a lot of, it was very flavorful. Their green salsa had a surprising little kick, which I loved. I ordered two tacos—one shrimp and one carnitas. Both were delicious, but the carnitas was especially scrumptious. And of course, I had to try their tres leches cake. It was very tasty, and the caramel drizzle added an interesting twist.

El Charro has good food, drinks, and a pleasant atmosphere. Lots of margarita choices, but no frozen ones. The margarita’s are very good. I had the chimichanga with brisket and my Wife had tocos, both were excellent. We were seated right away early on a Friday but they were quite busy. There are different dining areas which makes it feel like a smaller restaurant.

What a vibe. I came straight from ice skating just a 10min walk away and was met with surprise at how cozy the place was with its personality. Such cool, antique vibes downtown. Service was great and food was delicious, coming out fresh. As someone picky with desserts, the tres leches cake was amazing. Not too sweet, perfectly creamy. Can't wait to come back!

We enjoyed the lovely dog-friendly patio. Really loved the patio area, but can't speak to the various indoor seating areas as I haven't been yet. Loved the food. I have a sensitivity to tomatoes that prevents me from enjoying a lot of typical Mexican dishes, but they had a lot of really lovely dishes that were largely tomato and tomatillo free, which was a pleasant surprise for me. The tamale stuffed chicken with the roasted vegetables was truly one of the yummiest dishes I've ever enjoyed. My husband very much enjoyed the #4 combo platter. Tempted to come right back here next time we're in Tucson since we enjoyed it so much.

Plan on waiting for seating and then waiting for your food, as it is made fresh to order. Our waitress was friendly, explained the menu and gave us her recommendations. We tried the Chicken Mole and a combo dinner including a tamale, taco, and enchilada. Complementary chips with red & green salsa are served while you wait.