El Charro Café Downtown

Love this place! I think I heard it is one of the oldest places in Tucson..full of beauty and tradition.. I ordered a Chimichanga, it was the best I had in years! Portions were generous and tasty. Often there is a wait, reservation is a good idea. Worth waiting for.

Very good food in an extremely busy restaurant. We went on a Tuesday night at 6pm. Waited an hour for a seat. We waited another hour for food. The food was excellent.

Very average food. I had a combo plate and my wife a burro and none had much flavor. Tables are very crowded and had to listen to conversation of group next to us the whole visit.

Food allergies? Stay away. Dietary restrictions: I made my allergies, corn and dairy, clear to our very nice waiter. My dish, a salad, arrived covered with cheese. I sent it back. It came back looking OK, but after eating a few bites I discovered a corn tostada underneath. I asked to send it back again, and the waiter asked if I really wanted it. Um, yeah? I'm trying to eat dinner? But since I'd had some of it, I suggested making it a half size and leaving out the allergens this time. I got to eat 40 minutes after my companion. When the check arrived, the waiter had discounted my dish by 20%. So, unless you want to be charged 80% for half as much food, and also be exposed to your allergens, I suggest the allergic might want to avoid this place. We liked our waiter very much in spite of all this, so I hate to leave a bad review. Also, my companion says if you like your chimichanga crispy, don't get sauce on it.

Felt forgotten about

Absolutely LOVED El Charro! What delicious food, fun service, and great atmosphere! I will say the wait is insane, so make sure to get your name on the list early! We got the table side guac, queso, and then I got some carnitas tacos!

I visited here on Saturday afternoon for the lunch, and got seated after around 50 min wait. The Chimichengha woth sun dried beef was great, and the salsa was good too. But the chip was stale, and the margaritas was very light. The worst part was the steel chair they provided in the front area of the restaurant. The chair was very bad, thus my back hurt, and the seat cover was very dirty. I may take out the food to the hotel or to the car next time. Is it worth the visit and the hassle? Yes, but only one time. I would not visit again for my next trip to Tucson.

You come here for the food, not the atmosphere. We were seated at the table right next to the kitchen doors. I think they had a door to the outside open, because it felt like a hurricane coming out of those kitchen doors. That said, the amazing food made it worth it. We literally ate there every night of our vacation – luckily, not at that same table.