People often ask me, “Jim, which is the best Mexican restaurant in Tucson?” I’ve eaten at so many, but could I give them a fairly objective appraisal?
Over the 2011 holidays, I invited my visiting family to help me determine the Best Mexican Restaurant in all of Tucson. After several years of experimenting, I had already discounted several contenders and settled on Three Finalists:
- El Charro Cafe’ – Downtown on Court Street near the Historic Block.
- Theresa’s Mosaic Cafe‘ hidden behind the McDonald’s just west of Silverbell & Grant.
- Cafe’ Poca Cosa downtown on Pennington.
These reviews are about the Three Best. But which will be chosen Numero Uno: the Very Best Mexican Restaurant in Tucson? Stay Tuned.
A couple of years ago, our dear Tucson friends, Dan & Wanda, moved to Austin, TX. On a rare visit back to the Old Pueblo, they stayed with Ms. Karen & me for several days recently. We had a lovely time together, as always. That was expected. What wasn’t expected was their “must go to” [...]
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Just about every time I have gone to Bisbee over the past year I have tried to dine at Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant. However, something always managed to spoil my plans…until last week.I had heard a lot of positive comments about Santiago’s as I wandered Old Bisbee taking photographs and talking with the natives. Now I know why. Just walking in the front door will put a smile on your face. The interior is light and colorful, even playful. Very Mexican in the best possible sense. Santiago’s is a happy place.
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As noted several days ago with the Vivace Restaurant review, I occasionally post reviews by others I know well and trust their judgment in such matters. Scott Reed and his wife Sheryl are friends who visit us from Wisconsin in the fall or spring. This past April, they resided in our casita and enjoyed our [...]
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Last week (April 2012) I had a most pleasant business lunch. My dining companion was Paul Hopman, a local artist whose specialty is scratchboard. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing Paul’s work, go to his website. He suggested the Tucson Tamale Company on Broadway. That worked for me ‘cause (1) I had [...]
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On the third and final day of our Southeastern Arizona adventure, we started early. Deborah Mendelsohn, our Simpson Hotel B&B innkeeper in Duncan, had prepared a delicious take-along breakfast for us the night before. Normally, we would have slept in and enjoyed breakfast with her and the other guests, but we had a lot of [...]
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Tucson has a lot of Mexican restaurants and not all are worthy of a second visit. Knowing which ones are best is most important when you have visitors from out-of-town. After all, you don’t want to be embarrassed by taking them to one that they aren’t going to rave about.
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Theresa’s Mosaic Café A few days passed since we had dined at El Charro. Now it was off to Theresa’s Mosaic Café (Silverbell & Grant) with the remnants of our extended family: middle daughter Paige, her husband Tim, and their teenage boyz, Jon & Morgan. Dree and boyfriend Todd, and Julie and kids, Jessie & [...]
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Café Poca Cosa Poca Cosa was where we first had a night out with two people who would become dear friends, Dan & Wanda. That was six or seven years ago and I thought then that Café Poca Cosa was very special. I can’t tell you how may friends and family I have recommended Poca [...]
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October, 2011 A good friend, who has lived in Tucson for over 40 years, recommended Mi Nidito. Moreover, TripAdvisor.com ranks it #28 out of 652 Tucson restaurants reviewed. High praise indeed. I just had to check it out. By the name, you can reasonably assume that Mi Nidito serves Mexican food. It is located south of the freeway, which is to say in the heavily Hispanic neighborhoods of South Tucson. That alone suggests authentic Mexican fare. This was a dining experience I was looking forward to. My dining companion and I arrived at 11:30 AM to avoid the lunch crowd. Mi Nidito was already crowded. Shortly, we were seated. The chips & salsa were already on our table. Sure enough. Chips cold, not fresh. A bad sign and we hadn’t even ordered our drinks yet. … Continue reading
Elvira’s is a restaurant name with which I am familiar. Since 1927, Elvira’s was located just across the border in Nogales, Sonora. And was justly famous for excellent Mexican cuisine and fine dining.
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September, 2011 BLANCO Tacos + Tequila says they offer “modern Mexican fare in a casual-chic setting. Updated classics like tacos, enchiladas, and queso crisps are reinterpreted with fresh, flavorful, and unique ingredients.” That they do and they said it better than I could. Blanco is not ‘authentic’ Tucson. It’s very new and in theory could be anywhere USA. But you can sit on the patio overlooking the city and have yourself a fine Mexican meal. Like North just around the corner, it’s on the upper level of La Encantada. 2905 E Skyline Drive; Tucson AZ 85718 520-232-1007 Hours: Sun – Thu 11am to 10pm; Fri – Sat 11am to 11pm; Happy Hour Daily 4pm to 6pm. … Continue reading
Located on the frontage road just north of Mission Tumacácori, Wisdom’s cafe has been a family affair since 1944. Wisdom’s is justly famous for its fine Mexican food and margaritas.
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