The Oldest Restaurant in Tucson, Arizona Since 1922

1. Soon after you arrive, maybe there's still about a week before school starts or just shortly after the semester begins. You've made some new friends and want to get together, but you're not sure where to go. 😊👫🤝 Well, I've got a great place to recommend to you. And don't worry, I'm not trying to compete with others on Xiaohongshu for content. 😃📱👍 2. This restaurant is called El Charro Café. It's the oldest restaurant in Tucson, a Mexican restaurant that has been run by the same family since 1922. 😎🌮🏠 As shown in Figure 6, it has several branches. You should go to the first one as it's the most authentic. 😊📍🌟 It offers Mexican cuisine. There aren't too many people during lunchtime, and it's okay in the evening as well. Inside the restaurant, it doesn't have an overly strong Mexican atmosphere. I mean, it's not like some Mexican restaurants where people come to sing and dance. 😃🎶🍴 3. The food here is quite good among Mexican dishes. I've provided pictures of the menu for you. 😎📜🍽️ If you can't understand the menu, just order what I ordered in Figure 1. 😊📷💡 Order a cup of Horchata, which is a cinnamon rice milk drink, a specialty of Mexico. It's cold, sweet, and pronounced /ɔːrˈtʃɑːtə/. It's a bit thin and would be better if it were a bit thicker. But then again, a stronger cinnamon flavor might not suit most people's taste. You could ask for an extra cup, pour out some of the ice, and when they come to refill, ask for the last bit at the bottom. 😃🥤🍬 4. When you've decided, you can order the century-old Original Beef Tacos on the third page. When it's served, it's not just an individual taco but a big plate of food for one person. 😎🌮🥘 I ordered the QuesaBirria. You'd better show her the picture and say "I want this, this one". 😊📷🙋 5. How to describe this dish: The outer layer of QuesaBirria is a beautiful golden color. The edges of the tortilla are fried until slightly curled, giving off a faint aroma of being charred. When you look at the cut surface, the cheese and the stewed beef are intertwined, shining with the luster of the meat juice. Beside it, there are brightly colored Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. The rice grains are rather soft. The taste of tomatoes and spices forms a gentle base without overpowering the main flavors. The Mexican refried beans are smooth and creamy, dotted with shredded cheese. It's paired with the Birria dipping sauce made from beef broth. The best way to eat it is to gently mix the sour cream with the guacamole and the refried beans, then scoop a spoonful and spread it on the Spanish rice. The freshness and slight sourness of the sour cream perfectly reduce the thickness of the refried beans and at the same time bring out the smoothness and nutty flavor of the avocado, making the originally dry and loose rice grains instantly become moist and layered. 😃🍛🥑 6. When your taste buds feel a bit dull and dry from something too light, start eating the QuesaBirria. Cut it open and taste the original flavor first. Then, when the cut surface where the fibers of the stewed beef and the cheese are intertwined is fully exposed, pour the Birria dipping sauce along the edge and let the sauce seep into the spaces between the shredded beef and the tortilla. Immediately, the aroma of the saucy beef is awakened. 😎🍖🌯 The best part is that the cheese isn't too overpowering or greasy. It's just like the thin fried milk curd in Inner Mongolia, truly wonderful. 😊🧀🎉 #TucsonFood #ArizonaEats #RestaurantRecommendation