Long-standing Mexican cafe with a colorful vibe offering a menu of Sonoran-style fare. Based on 5 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Curbside pickup ✔️ Delivery
Address:
311 N Court Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 622-1922
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11 AM–8:30 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Order and Reservations
Reservations: elcharrocafe.com
Reviews
Michael Lloyd III
Sometimes when the restaurant says they’ve been around for a long time, you hope it’s because the food is just so good that people just keep coming in there for Generations. This is that type of restaurant. Customer service was honestly some of the best I’ve seen in my life. Even when super busy our server always found time to make sure we were taken care of. Our food was Unreal and Portion sizes were awesome. Everything was reasonably priced for what we got and can I say enough good things about just how great the food was. All local flavors to the area that will fit almost any pallet. Price is mid range or just be aware but honestly a great hangout spot for a date business occasion or just want to sit out and eat a good meal. Street parking and paid lot parking nearby if need. Overall one of my favorite restaurants I had the opportunity to go to while visiting the Tucson area. All the food was good, you honestly can’t go wrong with a single meal choice.
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Lindsey Mann
After a day sightseeing at Old Tucson and the Desert Museum we needed food fuel! Googled best food near me. El Charro came up!! So happy with our choice to stop and eat there with our family! My husband and I loved everything about the food and atmosphere! Our kids stepped out of their comfort zones and tried new foods and were happy too. My in laws enjoyed their meals as well. Definitely recommend
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Stew Cohen
A line of customers for El Charro in Tucson from the entrance at 311 N. Court Ave. and down the block was no surprise on a late Saturday afternoon. As a customer of fine restaurants, I’ve found that people don’t mind waiting when they know the meal they’re waiting for will take them on a culinary taste journey. The restaurant known as El Charro is a place of such food wonders as Charlotte’s Chicken Mole and Sinaloa Shrimp Culichi. My little group of three arrived fairly early in the afternoon and before the line started forming. There were a few open tables available. Martha, a very good knowledgeable server greeted us. We felt really good because you can tell when service will make your experience all that much better and you can also tell early on when bad or unprofessional service will make your experience less than ideal. She answered our questions about food and drinks and did so in a pleasing way where you believed she enjoyed answering. Both my wife and son ordered the Prickly Pear Margarita. I sampled one of the drinks. Very good. I should have ordered one. El Charro has a menu with many food options I chose #2 Numero Dos for $16.95. This is the chicken tamale, chicken enchilada in tomatillo sauce and grilled chicken soft taco. My son ordered ALA Pork Tamale and Bandera Enchilada. Two plates were set before him and a bowl with rice. He let me have a taste of the enchilada and I enjoyed it. He wouldn’t give me a taste of his tamale though. The chicken tamale I ordered wasn’t going to be shared either. My wife ordered steak tacos and she gave me a small piece of the meat and I found it soft and flavorful. I would return to El Charro on a future visit to Tucson.
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R H
We ate there one day when it was really crowded. We (5) were seated in the courtyard, the servers were running like crazy taking care of everyone, the food was great, and the event was wonderful. I liked it. Would go there again.
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Joshua Luke
This is among the most over-hyped restaurants I’ve ever been to. We arrived-admittedly without a reservation-and were told it would be a 45 minute wait. While we waited, I eventually found a bar where I could get a drink while I waited. I only found out about this from other reviews, as there were no signs explaining this. We waited over 45 minutes, and then were told it’d be 20 more. It was an hour longer. The host stand staff were terrible. Very rude, unapologetic, and refused to take responsibility for lying to us.
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Teresa Paurich
I have been to the Oro Valley location but this was my first time at the Downtown location. Absolutely loved it and would recommend for a quick snack or a full meal! They were busy but there wasn’t a wait and we received our drinks and guacamole quickly.
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Derrick Grant
My experience at this restaurant was okay. My party of 4 sat at the bar until our table was ready. The bartenders were friendly and made amazing cocktails. After getting a table, I ordered the queso fundido appetizer for myself and 3 guests. We were not given any tortillas with this appetizer, which is customary at every Mexican Restaurant I have eaten at across the country. When I requested tortillas, we were given 2 tortillas for a party of 4. Our waitress came over when she wasn’t busy and remedied the issue.
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Chris Lee
Outstanding Mexican cuisine in a beautifully decorated restaurant. It is a favorite of Tucson locals and had a 45 minute wat but was worth it. The manager was great and visits most guests. The staff were very professional and courteous. Menu recommendations were perfect. Would definitely visit this place again.
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Recee
By far this place is absolutely amazing. Fantastic service and our server, caleb went above and beyond for us. Beautiful patio,
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Kelly Biastre (KellyBee)
El Charro downtown Tucson is a touted as the home of the original chimmichanga. It is a lively restaurant that looks like an old house. The place was jam packed with people inside and a line waiting outside. I highly recommend reservations. The menu is large and should satisfy everyone. They bring chips and salsa immediately to the table. Wow! Fantastic salsa, spiced to perfection and the chips were fresh. We asked for more, but never got more. I loved the great selection of margaritas! We would have ordered a second drink if the service had been better. Our server was over worked and trying hard, but didn’t cut it. We ordered the Carne Seca Platter. It was a huge platter that was perfect for two people. The Carne Seca definitely lived up to all the hype. It was a unique flavor, fresh, and delicious. The platter came with 2 fresh tortillas, we asked for more, never got them. Overall the quality and taste of the food was excellent, the service, I would rank as poor. It’s unfortunate that the service brought down my view about the restaurant especially since so many people have had positive experiences. I would give them a second chance, maybe it was an off night.
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