Old Pueblo Cafe — Restaurant in Litchfield Park

I wish we could rate the food and the service separately. We stayed at The Wigwam and stopped at Old Pueblo Cafe for dinner. We'd eaten at Park Cafe for breakfast and it was REMARKABLE. After learning the 2 were like sister properties, figured the food would be just as good. Um....nope.

Positives first: good vibes, VERY pleasant and attentive wait staff, and even the outdoor seating in the middle of the summer at night was plenty comfortable with the misters. But alas....the food. Bad Mexican food IN ARIZONA?! Isn't that against a state bylaw or something. The only one that enjoyed the food was our 5yo...who had sliders & fries.

The drinks: I had an Arnold Palmer and husband had strawberry lemonade. The lemonade in both drinks was unsweet. The tea in my AP was unsweet. And the fresh muddled strawberries in his drink weren't sweet. We sent them back and had Cokes (how do you mess up drinks?!?!?!)

I had Mexican Flag Enchiladas, husband had Carne Asada burrito, daughter had shrimp tacos. I'm glad the complimentary chips & salsa was good, because no one finished the food. Overall, I think the food was NOT seasoned (and yes, I tasted everyone's).

The burrito had meat and pico inside.....and that's it. He had to ask for more pico to put on top and ended up pouring left over salsa on it. Still didn't eat it. Dry and flavorless.

Shrimp tacos: the shrimp was plenty tender, but tasted as though it was boiled in plain water. Whatever sauce was on the taco was for show because it didn't taste like anything.

Now these enchiladas....I ended up cutting open the shredded beef and the chicken ones to see if maybe the seasonings slid to one side and I had missed it. Nope. And not only that, that was the MOST pale chicken and THE driest shredded beef of ever!! Jesus be at LEAST some salt & pepper. Don't believe me? See the photos. At least the spinach enchilada was tasty.

Again, the 5yo's sliders and fries were good. Everyone's rice & beans was good. Transplant the cooks from Park Cafe to Old Pueblo!...

I recently visited this 07-06-25 Americanized Mexican restaurant in Arizona with my family of six on an extremely hot 110° day. What should have been a welcoming dining experience quickly turned into one of frustration and disappointment due to the unprofessional and, frankly, insulting service we received upon arrival.

As we approached the host stand clearly a family, with a toddler in tow we were immediately asked if we wanted to sit outside. It was 110° at the time. The question itself felt less like a genuine offer and more like a passive dismissal. Who in their right mind would want to eat outdoors with a two-year-old in that kind of heat?

What made the situation even more troubling was that the family behind us, who was not Hispanic, was promptly seated inside without being asked the same question. They were greeted with hospitality and given a table right away no mention of outdoor seating.

The double standard was glaring and disappointing. As a Mexican family walking into a restaurant that supposedly celebrates our culture (albeit through an Americanized lens), we expected at the very least equal treatment not to be subtly pushed aside or made to feel unwelcome. The implications behind that question were not only unprofessional but offensive.

A restaurant’s hospitality should never be selective. If you’re going to serve Mexican food, respect the people and culture it comes from. That includes treating Mexican families with dignity, fairness, and common sense.

I hope this review serves as a wake-up call for better training and more mindful customer service moving forward. Our experience deserves acknowledgment, and future guests...

MY GOODNESS was the food here delicious.

The chips and queso were delicious. The queso comes with meat in it, so ask for it without if you dont want it. The salsa is a medium heat, and it is fantastic.

I got the enchiladas, one of each chicken, ground beef, and shredded beef. The meat was incredibly tender and had great flavor. The rice and beans are something you would get from a hole in the wall place in mexico that serves the best tacos ever.

My husband got the trio tacos, all carne asada. The flavor was fantastic. The only complain he had was the lack of green salsa. I did not get offered it or it put in my togo bag, so I am not entirely sure if they have it or not. The tortillas did not fall apart, and the meat was tender with a ton of flavor. They come with onions and cilantro on top.

I also got the pozole. I absolutely love pozole. Theirs has really tender chunks of meat (about three), and the rest was just cabbage and radish. I had to add salt to it because it lacked any flavor, but once you added the salt, it was delicious. Just wish there was more meat and beans and less cabbage. Delicious, nonetheless.

They have a lot of outdoor seating with misters outside to keep you cool. I will say they were definitely misting, alright. I think I got a whole shower out there while I was walking inside to get the food. There isnt a ton of indoor seating from what I could see, so just be there at...