Calle Tepa Mexican Street Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Tucson

The mad cashier

It all started with a normal order at Calle Tepa. The usual grouchy cashier took our order.

Here is where things went south. When my wife asked if we needed a number the grouchy cashier (usually tolerable) said no it was with the table. My wife asked again for a number and again grouchy said no we know where you are at. I suspect she right of the bat lumped us with a large party next to us. My wife said okay and came and sat down.

I saw no communication with grouchy and the wait staff so this validated that she thought we were with larger group. Sure enough the server delivered our food to the wrong table. The table was already accepting the food but I cut it off. I got the food but let grouchy know to give people a number when they ask for it.

She lost it and bulled her way to our table with excuses. I calmly but with agitation told her I did not want to hear it and to please let us eat.

She said I am not talking to you but your wife. My wife told her the same thing I did and after her arguing and not backing off we asked for our money back. She tortured us 15 minutes saying she was talking to the manager, but I am not sure, she was on the phone all that time and no manager seemed to be at Calle Tepa.

Finally, she gave us a receipt and said your money will go back on card in 3 to 4 days. My wife responded, ahh we paid with cash!!!! She tried to argue and then realized she gave the refund to the large table she had confused us with all along. Finally, she gave us our money back. Had she left us alone after I said I don't want to hear excuses we would have eaten and left, but she was obstinate, rude, and not service oriented.

At least we got an out, the chicken fajitas we ordered were bland looking watery and not seared. They also looked slimy and instead of smoking fajita comal it was watery and sloppy.

Go to Calle Tepa for mediocre food (they used to be better) and staff that will argue with the customer to prove they are right. You want real Sonoran flavors then don't go here. If you want good service don't go here. If we want to be shammed and argued with plus eating slimy fajitas then this...

I have been here twice for lunch and both times it was really good. The service is friendly and on point without being overbearing. (No one will punish your senses with that crazy question HOW IS EVERYTHING TASTING??!) The food is very fresh, especially the chips and salsa bar, and arrives within a reasonable time frame. The serving sizes are generous for the price, and while I can't say that there is anything super special about the food, it's very good Sonoran style and hits the spot. (But the guacamole is pure and uncut, appropriately seasoned, and is actually totally perfect. If you've been disappointed by guacamole in the past you know exactly what I mean).

So I've had the street tacos with carne asada on one visit, which was better than most places. The meat is flavorful and tender, and piled with fresh cilantro and onions (if requested). My dad had a tamale that seemed to disappoint him, but I have no idea why. I ate what he didn't and it was an average tamale, which is to say it was good, mild comfort food. So what? I think he wanted something saucier, so if you want spicy Mexican then just ask. There's a good variety of spicy salsas to which one may help oneself. I split an order of mini chimis with a friend on another visit, and those too were just right. Crisp and crunchy on the outside, soft and spicy in the middle.

The interior is casual but nice, and customers have a choice between ordering at the register in the front, or full service in the back. It's not a fast food joint but the service is fast. I have on both visits seen families with toddlers and everyone seemed content.

I should mention the atmosphere at the back by the bar is thoughtfully decorated like a cozy rustic cantina, which always makes me want to stop by during happy hour, a screaming good deal I have not yet had the chance to try. The wide range of house infused tequilas is intriguing and I am sure I will get around to them at some point. If you are an out of towner looking for good, inexpensive Mexican food in a pleasant atmosphere you will...

Sometimes, when my brain is really angry with me for the insufficient amount of oxygen in my blood, it lets me know in no uncertain terms. There was a time not too long ago when the last shovelful of dirt had been laid back into the parched desert soil and even though the Good Earth always has room for more fools we all decided that we would go and get something to quench our thirst. And by something I mean booze. Ralph said that we shouldn't drink on an empty stomach and Gary said that he had some ayahuasca and so I said well, problem solved, let's get to it then, the sun is making my eyes shriek.

So anyway, a couple of hours later and my brain is sending me a fax on repeat and Gary is still trying to find the Crack in the Walls of the Universe and see what's goin on in the Universe Next Door (a bad idea, buddy, says I) and so we stumbled into Calle Tepa.

I say stumbled but it was more of an amble-slither, kinda? Anyway we oozed (sorta) up to the counter and since Gary was desperate to widen the Crack and Ralph could only speak in a combination of Pictish and Pre-Vedic grunts I had to slap Gary's hands and translate Ralph's orders into something approximating English and so I ordered the mini-chimis and some other stuff but the takeaway here is twofold - do NOT reach into other Universes while you're high as a kite and also the mini-chimis at Calle Tepa are just ever so delightful. Seriously, they fill me with joy, and there wasn't much room for joy after I replaced all of my blood with Mezcal and Banisteriopsis Caapi, which, as it turns out, was ill-advised. So go ahead and try those. Also had a nice prickly pear margarita to switch to light drinks after the day we'd had. And the Sonoran dogs are good too.

Gary finally stopped breaching the Boundaries after I forced a mini-chimi into his face so they may have medicinal properties too but don't...