• Cuisines: American, Mexican
    • User Rating  

  • NileGuide Expert Says:

    There are a couple branch locations of this legendary restaurant. While they serve the same excellent food, their look is generic. Stick to the original downtown location if possible.

  • View Nearby Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife and Hotels

    • Description:

    • El Charro Cafe has opened several locations throughout the Tucson area, but the downtown location on Court Avenue remains a favorite for locals and visitors seeking an authentic Tucson dining experience. Established in 1922, El Charro famously bills itself as the oldest family-run Mexican restaurant in continuous operation in the United States. It's not hard to see why the restaurant has survived for so many decades: the menu blends classic, never-out-of-style Sonoran-style cooking with Tucson-style Mexican creations. A local favorite, and perhaps the unofficial dish of Tucson, is the Carne Seca plate (literally "dried meat"), marinated lean Angus beef that is dried beneath the Sonoran sun, and then shredded & flash-grilled with green chile, tomato & onions. Served with guacamole, Pico de Charro salsa, beans or rice, and handmade flour or corn tortillas. If this sounds like your kind of dish, eat up while you're here. You'll be hard-pressed to find Carne Seca on any menu outside of Tucson.
    • © NileGuide User2013

    User Reviews for El Charro Cafe

    •  

      I'd eat here every week if I lived in Tucson

    • I try to eat at El Charro every time I am in Tucson. This visit we ordered the tamale platter (chicken was the best), carne seca burro (no sauces), and the mole chicken (healthier...

    • Read full review on TripAdvisor
    •  

      Don't bother~relying on history to get you there

    • This is clearly a case of a restaurant that had a long history and a god reputation that now believes that they can rely on that to draw people in and then serve them inferior food. ...

    • Read full review on TripAdvisor
    •  

      Carne seca definitely worth trying!

    • Having enjoyed the El Charro on Broadway, we tried the downtown location for lunch when the restaurant we originally planned to visit was closed. The historic setting is more interesting...

    • Read full review on TripAdvisor

    Awards:

    Frommer's
    Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
    •  says Culinary Award Winner 2008
    •  says Culinary Award Winner 2009
    Frommer's
    •  Recommended 2010
    • Details

      • Contact:

      • visit website
      • tel: 520 622 1922

      • Address:

      • 311 North Court Avenue
      • Tucson, AZ 85701

      • Neighborhood:

        • Downtown

      • Payments:

      • amex mastercard visa discover diners

      • Hours:

      • Mon-Sun, 10am-9pm

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