La Chingada Cocina Mexicana — Restaurant in Tucson

My friends and I stopped by Saturday night for dinner. Before we got there, one of us called ahead to reserve a table for 6. We check in and they say no reservations. The one who made the reservations said i called and spoke to a male. The hostess says, there is no guys that work here...standing next to her is a guy just standing not saying anything. So my friend calls the number back and the hostess is holding the phone waving it around, see it's not ringing, you didn't call us, with a tone. We put our name down and they said it would be 45 mins. Meantime we see people come and go and tables empty inside and out. Almost an hour passes and one of us go back in to see how much longer. The hostess says, if you haven't received a text, then you're not ready to be seated. She asked, i see empty tables is it because you're short staffed? She said no, we just don't have a table for you. We wait another 10 mins when a hostess comes out to say she'll seat us outside, when this whole time the space was empty. The only nice person there was our waitress. We got our food in no time. We stayed awhile chatting when all of a sudden the outside air was turned one. It was 60 degrees last night and no reason for the air to be turned on. We feel it was turned on intentionally. We get up to go and the doors were locked to go back inside. We see a gate that says do not open, emergency exit only. The waitresses were walking around but no one opened the door, until someone that came outside to clean the other table said that we can go out through the emergency exit, that the alarm won't ring. Bad customer service from the start! I will never go back again! Que se vayan "A la...

Don't let the blue lighting on the food mislead you, everything looks amazing here. We ordered the table side guacamole, surf n' turf fajitas, Mexican salmon (not pictured), and chocolate flan.

The guac was good, though my guest found it a little too spicy even though we ordered mild. Mild points lost from the guest reviewer. The fajitas were good, the meat wasn't overcooked so it made for a great meal. The only comment on them was that the individual items didn't have a lot of flavor to them, but combined (as you should in a fajita) they taste great, so no points lost. The Mexican salmon was also good but the guest reviewer was upset it didn't come with a tortilla, so mild points lost. The flan was good for someone who doesn't eat flan and isn't from this region of America. That being said, the guest reviewer, who has been eating flan her whole life, found it a little too dense for her liking, and lamented a sauce. Mild points lost Finally, and this is more of a sensory issue for me and my guest, there was a birthday celebration at the table next to us and the restaurants celebration song involved VERY loud noise makers. It lasted all of maybe a minute but did essentially stun us during that time. I want to reiterate, this is only an issue if you have auditory sensitivity and might be mitigated by speaking with the person seating your party.

Final scores: Jared 7.5 Guest 5.5 Total 6.5/10 (would go again and would also use the venue to host parties but would speak with staff beforehand to try and mitigate...

La Chingada Cocina Mexicana puts a modern spin on traditional flavors, and it really works. The décor feels charming and slightly nostalgic, with details that brought back memories of my childhood. It’s a lively place with a warm atmosphere, and it was especially fun to bring family along to share the experience.

We came with a larger group, and while the service was friendly and attentive, it would have helped to have a little more support at the table — refills and orders took a bit longer than expected. Still, the staff did their best to accommodate us.

The food itself was flavorful and creative. I enjoyed the beef tamale with its traditional green olive and potato filling, while the added red chili gave it a unique kick. My mother-in-law was also able to swap out her chicken enchilada for birria in her combo, which was a thoughtful option. The chilaquiles were tasty, though on the saltier side and made with chips instead of freshly prepared tortillas, which some may find less authentic. On the sweet side, the Tres Leches Cake was a standout — easily a five-star dessert.

Drinks were also a highlight. My Paloma came in a traditional Mexican clay cup, which kept it cool and refreshing until the last sip. It was a great touch, especially on a warm evening.

Overall, La Chingada offers a great mix of tradition and modern flair. The atmosphere, food, and touches like live mariachi on Sundays make it a place worth visiting. A solid 4 stars—I’ll definitely be back, especially to try their...