AMELIAS MEXICAN KITCHEN

This place was nominated for a James Beard award in 20225. It is reasonably priced with generous portions. I always make a reservation, and even then, there is still a bit of a wait. My favorite drink is the El Carrizal. It’s the best seller and includes Casa Noble, Fresh Jalapeño, Fresh Lime Juice, Pricky Pear Puree, and Agave for $13. Their birria tacos and birria soup are yummy and will leave you feeling full. The noodles in the birria ramen are not my favorite, I stick with the soup. The combo plate is a great deal, and you also can’t go wrong with their tacos. The space is small, and it can get loud. This is a great place to bring out of town guests to show them what Tucson Mexican food is really about.

Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen had some of the BEST Mexican food my husband and I have ever had!! And we’re from Texas! From the chips and salsa, to the main dishes everything was PERFECT!! For an appetizer we ordered two quesabirria tacos with caldo and one “Lorenzo” taco, and their menu was really not lying when it said the quesabirria tacos were “the best in town”!! The Lorenzo - made with carne asada, and melted cheese on a small, crispy corn tortilla, was also phenomenal!! For our main dish, I ordered the 2 chicken enchiladas with the mole sauce- as someone who doesn’t always like mole- this was also a 10/10!! My husband got a chicken chimichanga (stuffed with refried beans, cheese, pico, and I believe rice) - and even though he doesn’t like pico - he loved the chimichanga!! We also had a side of refried beans and rice - which, again, was sooo delicious!! The service was also top-notch and the pricing is extremely reasonable- especially considering the quality of the food! We 100000/10 recommend this place and plan to visit again before we head home to Texas!

Great little Mexican restaurant! The service is friendly, fast and efficient. We ate there on a Friday evening and the place was packed, so we grabbed a couple seats at the bar. If you want a larger party or want outside seating, it's best to call ahead for reservations. The food was delicious! Portions are generous, so come hungry or take the leftovers home for lunch tomorrow. I highly recommend this place and we're planning to bring friends when they're in town. Give it a try!

High quality food. Some creativity. The beef was very tasty. Loved the sauces. Everything was perfect except that the black beans had no flavor. What a cozy find! (friendly service!)

First time visiting. Drove by many times and we were always curious. So we decided to give it a try. And we were glad we did. We were immediately greeted and seated and our orders were taken. Our waiter was Oscar and he was super friendly and attentive. He gave us his recommendations and broke down the menu for us. I went with the chilaquiles with carne asada and eggs (pictured). Amazing!! Both the green and red sauce were declious. The carne was perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned. I will say to bring an appetite when ordering this because its a lot of food. It was hard to put the fork down. Atleast I have some for later :) . Overall I am super pleased with our decision to try Amelia's out. Its definitely in our rotation of trusted restaurants we can recommend to others. Ask for Oscar too.

This place has some seriously excellent food. One thing was better than the next. The salsa is amazing. My mole enchiladas were bursting with flavor. The refried beans were the best beans I’ve ever had. Top-notch service from our server, Oscar. Strongly recommended. My favorite restaurant in Tucson

Tonight I ate at Amelia's for the second time. Both visits, it was a long wait to get a table and service was slow. I had no wait because I accepted a cramped seat at the bar. Otherwise it would have been a long wait for a table. Granted they're very busy, and they have a very small place, but they are understaffed. My first visit, the waitress apologized and gave me a dessert au gratis, to compensate for the slow service. Overall I really like the food there. They provide two small cups of very unique and tasty salsas, which I have never had anywhere else. They are on the spicy side but not terribly so. However, the black beans were so oversalted tonight I couldn't eat them. The rice was average. I ordered the pozole which was quite delicious. However I asked for the soup to be delivered first before the main course. This didn't happen, all the food arrived at the same time, same as the first time I visited. I also ordered a a variety of tacos. They were all quite tasty with the exception noted below. In the case of the chicken I ordered a grilled chicken taco and they delivered a habanero chicken taco. Breaded and fried, incredibly spicy, too much so for me personally. They offered to replace it. Instead I asked them to just take it off the bill which they did happily. The staff are cheerful and friendly and in general they have good service but everything is slow because they're understaffed. Overall, I recommend the place because the food is quite good. You just have to be careful what you order because some things are very spicy. And you have to deal with the erratic and slow service.

We love Mexican food so we decided to try this place for a very first time. We were so pleased by the the service, the staff was very helpful and friendly. The food was delicious, well presented, the flavours were unique. The ambiance of the place was very nice. We will be back whenever visiting in Tucson!!!

My second time at Amelia's. Our server Jonathon was fantastic and the food and drinks were delicious. I had the chiles rellenos with a nice cold Michelada. Also choco flan for dessert. All tasty and authentic. Will return for sure! Gracias!

Great food and service! We'll back back for sure. Server Jonathon was exceptional. We had the red chilled enchiladas and street tacos. Good pricing too.

Oscar was an amazing server and Margaritas were very good as well as the quesabirria tacos were very good but not the best consommé I have had. The salsas were great!

Everything was amazing . Chicken enchiladas . Lorenzo taco , Shrimp tacos , the shrimp chimichangas is our favorite thing Service was stellar , restaurant super cute We'll be back

After reading so many positive reviews I'd hoped for so much more than I got. My wife and I went in for brunch this morning and I ordered a carnitas burrito - which came to the table barely lukewarm. I asked them to heat it up and they gave me a new one, but it was also only lukewarm and extremely salty. My wife ordered a traditional eggs and bacon meal with corn tortillas and beans. What she got was flour tortillas and beans that were so salty that neither of us could eat them. After this experience there is no reason for us to ever go back.

I had no idea this restaurant was here, but was glad to be able to visit! I've heard a lot about Amelia's Mexican kitchen and it's been on my list to try for a while. When we got there, it was pretty busy and there was a wait. We put our name on the waitlist and were able to sit on some outside bench seating. We didn't wait more than 10 minutes before we got a table on the front patio. Seating is pretty close together out here, but even worse, is the flies. I really wish they had those windmills that restaurants have to keep flies away, especially knowing that they do have a fly issue there. I know it's outside, but I just ate on another patio the Friday prior with no flies, so it is possible. Again, I don't blame them for having flies around.... We are outside and it is some yummy food. Again, I just wish they did more to prevent it lessening the experience of their patrons. Anyway, the menu looked great and I chose tacos ordering for various tacos individually. My husband opted for a burrito. Both weren't bad, but I also ate so fast, and was so distracted constantly swatting flies that I didn't really get to savor the meal as I would have otherwise. I'm sorry but flies & spiders are my number 1 nemesis's ! I would try out again if I could eat inside .

The breakfast burritos here are absolutely amazing. I like the Wildcat Burrito, and Amelia's is known for their award winning Machaca Burrito. The interior is smaller than the other location, and unfortunately, they do not provide chips and salsa here like the other location. The music and colorful mural inside is neat. Service can be a little slow but the servers are still polite.

This was my first time to Amelia's...I've been meaning to try it for a while but end up always opting for one of our other nearby go-to Mexican food restaurants. This particular day, I dined alone. Amelia's is cute spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. There was a bit of a delay getting me seated while the host went to check on reservations. Service was ok (busser was very friendly). The beef tamale had more masa than I'm used to but was ok. The beans weren't very flavored - never had beans quite that bland (I noticed another group dining next to me didn't eat their beans either.). I've heard lots of good reviews about this place so maybe I just went on an off day.

I had been wanting to try this place for some time and took my family there mid-afternoon which was a good idea as it is really small inside. I did have a reservation. There is more seating outside with a mister but was glad to be inside. Our server was good but the person that brought the food had to be asked twice for eating utensils and napkins. Would have been nice to have them from the beginning. The margarita was okay but not fantastic. I had three street tacos-2 pastor which were very good and a carne asada which was not as flavorful but fine. One person had an enchilada and liked it. Everyone liked their meal pretty well. They have an all day breakfast option that looked tempting and the other breakfast items looked good. They had a lot of smaller items you could mix and match so could be nice for any time of day. It was a good meal with good service and would go back to try something else.

We were near Amelia's Mexican Kitchen for an appointment that ended around lunchtime, so we decided to stop by. Fortunately, the beautiful weather allowed us to enjoy our meal outside instead of the busy interior. The fresh chips and award-winning salsa were fantastic, and the attentive service made our experience even better. My wife loved her shrimp tacos, and I enjoyed the beef tamales. It was a satisfying meal, and we definitely plan to return next time we're in the area.

Food! Service! All on point. I have been wanting to try this place for a while. We drive by this place all time going to Costco on Grant. I had the 3 taco meal. I am never a fan of fried seafood but at the recommendation of our server I did the beer batter shrimp. It exceeded all expectations. My husband got the shrimp enchiladas, so good! Newbie on trying Flan. What can I say, I ate it ALL. Looking forward to taking my family from out of state when they get here.

The food was overall great, except for the adobada taco, the meat was off. I even asked my son to try it, and he immediately spit it out. Thankfully, our server was kind and replaced it with a carne asada taco, which was delicious. My son had the carne asada burrito, and it was huge! But he really enjoyed it. I also ordered a Cadillac margarita with Lalo tequila ($15), and I was disappointed to find they didn't use fresh lime juice. For that price, I expected better quality. I won't be ordering that again. Make sure to make reservations, it gets very busy!

Is Amelia's my new go-to restaurant for street style Baja fish tacos? For a close by option, I think so. Small pieces of fish in a lightly crisp batter dressed with genuinely flavorful condiments and wrapped in a corn tortilla. I had four and I could've had eight. Next time!

I recently did a catering order with Amelia's and it was a positive experience. I was able to feed ~30 people for under $12 each. We ordered two taco trays (chicken and asada) as well as mini chicken chimis, rice, beans, chips and salsa. The food was ready and packed up at my scheduled time. Next time I'll probably pay the delivery fee and make it easier on myself.

Great service and great food! I always love sitting on the patio and the music. Food presentation is always great!

This was my first time in...I will definitely be back! the machaca breakfast burrito was THE BEST I have ever had outside of Mexico! The ambience, service, drinks and portions were amazing! You definitely want to check this place out if you haven't already. it's a hidden gem.

My family and I took a day trip to Tucson from northern Arizona. So glad a local recommended Amelia's! First of all, Oscar, our waiter, is fantastic! His personality is a 10/10, suggestions on what to order also a 10/10, he made our dining experience wonderful. Thank you, Oscar! The food. WOW! Incredible. I cannot believe the flavor of the birria - so so so good. The burritos were massive, and stuffed to the brim with flavorful meat, and beans. The cheese pull that came from the bean and cheese burrito was satisfying to watch. LOL! Oh my gosh, the chips and salsa - I almost forgot to mention the delicious salsa! I had to order a 16 ounce tub to go. I had to order the flan, as this is one of my favorite desserts - & I haven't had a good once since my Mexico trip two years ago. Let me tell you! This flan was better than all the flans I stuffed myself with during that Mexico trip. I did not take many photos, sorry folks! Overall, I would literally drive back to Tucson just to have another meal here!

Pleasantly surprised. It's a little on the small side but the queobirria was delicious. Chips and salsa were good too.

After hearing great things about Amelias, we decided to stop in for a late breakfast after leaving TMC. Arriving between the breakfast and lunch rush we missed the crowd. We both ordered huevos rancheros. While waiting we had coffee which was good but was luke warm. The rancheros were attractively plated and were also good but as with the coffee, they were disappointingly luke warm. The tortilla was hard to cut. The refried beans were as good as if they had been prepared with lard, although the waitress said they had used vegetable oil. Our second cups of coffee were again luke warm. Later we noticed the beverages served to the adjoining table were served steaming hot. We also ordered chips and salsa which were likewise tasty. Two salsa styles were served. We preferred what seemed to be the red roasted chili version to the green vinegar-based version. Maribel was a good waitress and the atmosphere was pleasant.

I've ordered to-go from here, twice. This time, the carnitas taco was good, delicate, simple. The carne asada burro was neither good nor bad. Mostly it seemed overpowered by sour cream. There were no flavors that jumped at me, no bites that made me exclaim to myself, "Wow that was tasty!" While it was not a struggle to eat it, there was nothing about it that made me look forward to getting another one in the future. Perhaps the place is more about the dining in experience, or maybe I'm not ordering the right thing, but I don't get it.

Love the outdoor seating atmosphere, warm fire side on a brisk evening. Great Al Pastor tacos, some of the best I've ever had, WILL NOT DISAPPOINT! Oscar was great, and helped us with all our questions and made great recommendations! Definitely will be back again and again

Decent napkins and cold ice. That was the good part of the meal. The rest was flat flavorless, I am saddened at this experience to say the least. It was gristle and gray meat that had no flavor on the "specialty tacos". My tacos looked nothing like the photos posted here to the point I checked to make sure it was the right place. Thanks for making mine special...not in the good way. Chilaquiles were bland and soggy upon arrival. Sauces were Christmas with zero holiday spirit or flavors. This might be the saddest breakfast and tacos of 2025 for us....

Service is great No rush surrounding although they're almost at any hour they are busy due to the great food and service.

Oscar was an amazing server and took great care of us on a Friday night. We had the Choco Flan, and it was so good.

An award winning Prickly Pear Margarita. The color and presentation were enough to take my breath away but the flavor is of course the reason for the award. You are not going to be able experience this lightly sweet margarita from the heart of the Sonoran desert. Highly recommend!

This was our third time here and love it every time! Maribel was great and very attentive to our table! Definitely would recommend.

Wow wow wow My Wife and I have driven by this place probably 100 times however, never stopped in. We stopped in last night and we were so pleasantly surprised by the value and quality of the food. The place is only eight tables inside maybe five outside so it's very small so expect to wait but the wait is worth it. We got the mini Chimi platter and it was so so good. We also got a few of the street tacos a must. Go try this place.

TLDR: Nice food. Very small place for a family dinner. Polite staff. I tried the birria with ramen soup. The soup looked chilli, but tasted pretty mild. The meat was cooked to perfection, along with the ramen. Wife had the Chimichanga (vegetarian), it tasted great. Cheese cake for desserts was ok. I liked their michelada, especially the chewy candy they serve it with.

I love this place amd when I heard they were now serving breakfast I had to try it. Service was fast ans friendly like usual. Of course there are traditional breakfast menu items like omelets and pancakes, but they still have all the goodness they're known for. We had the chillequellas with birria and it was the best I've had in Tucson, crunchy and still saucy, I recommend the red sauce. We also had the Chilli relleno which was also fantastic. Come early of you want to beat the crowd.

Oscar, was really nice and helpful. He did tell us ahead of time that the kitchen was behind and it might be a bit of a wait. It was, but the food was good and hot and yummy! Maybe ceiling fans out side would be nice for some air on the warm days!

I went at an off time and had a terrible experience. It took a while to get acknowledgement from my waitress to get waters and chips/salsa. I had to go up to the podium because I thought maybe orders were placed at the register. The waitress then came and took my order. I ordered 3 tacos with no onions without realizing that they prep onion and cilantro together so I received 3 tortillas with meat on them and nothing else. I asked for a side of the cilantro/onion mix, only to receive a container of just mostly onion. They fixed my order with pico on top since they don't have enough cilantro. I'm grateful they were able to help fix my order the best they could but this will definitely be my first and last time coming here, there are way better options in the Tucson area!!

We'd heard about the chef winning the prestigious James Beard award, so we decided to come by and check the place out. Given the award, we made a reservation a couple of hours before, and am glad we did. There was an incredibly long line for dinner at 6:30! My reco: make a reservation! The place is tiny, both indoor and out, but it didn't feel cramped. Staff was courteous and fast. The three of us ordered their fresh made horchatas. So tasty and refreshing! We didn't leave the restaurant until we'd each finished the very last drops of this elixir! We ordered nachos for the table, topped with pork (al pastor). Great nachos except for the nacho cheese sauce: I prefer cheese, skip the liquid sauce! That said, the sauce was tasty and there was additional grated cheese on top. Two of us ordered a selection of their street tacos, and one of us the chili relleno. All were tasty and tasted freshly prepared. If you're going for spice, I didn't find any of the food particularly spicy, not the salsas, nor even the habanero chicken. Tasty (and fresh), but not spicy. Definitely will go again the next time I'm in town. I'd come back just for the horchata!!

Delicious, fast, and easy! We love the birria and refried beans! We also enjoyed the margaritas and cheesecake. Go see Jonathan!

Let's talk food - that's what we go out to dinner for, right? We ordered: Cadillac margaritas Quesabirria & Ramen soup Ouesabirria taco with caldo Street tacos - beer battered shrimp and Jass (asada, green chili & cheese) The food was AMAZING! Our margaritas on the rocks were perfect - with house made mix that's not too sweet or tart. I can't begin to say how good their Birria caldo & ramen soup were! I always think the Birria I'm eating is the best. Well, I was dead wrong because the Birria here is the best. My husband's Birria ramen soup was loaded with juicy beef Birria, consommé, and ramen noodles. My taco was stuffed with meat & cheese and came with a cup of consommé for dipping I also had two street tacos and the shrimp were huge! Our server was Martha and she was so friendly & attentive. We sat on the patio and it was a bit chilly outside, but we were under cover and it was pretty cozy. We come to Tucson every year and we will be back here. We were also very impressed with their breakfast menu which has a bunch of Mexican breakfast/brunch entrees that looked and sounded delicious. We'll be back!

Very very perfect brunch here today! Our server, Luis was the nicest gentleman and gave us great recommendations. The ambiance is the right dose of decor, music, table spacing, etc. Our server recommended the chilaquiles and it did not disappoint. We also ordered a vegetarian breakfast burrito with potatoes and soy chorizo. We will be back and soon!

Plan ahead, make a reservation and allow time to find parking. We found parking behind the building, accessible via the car wash. Food is very good. Service from Dina was friendly. The most beautiful item we ordered was cheese enchiladas with green sauce, which was quite mild.

Great food, great atmosphere, and Dina was great with the service!! Yum yums for the tum tums!

On our way back home from my wife's surgery and she wanted Mexican breakfast so we stopped here and glad we did. We had the green and red chilaquiles and they were delicious, added 2 eggs on top and made it even better. I had the birria tacos that were juicy, tender and very delicious. Oscar, our server talked me into trying the flan and it was the best I ever had. Oscar is a wonderful server. Very polite and attentive. Ask for him when you visit for great service. Great choice today and stuffed. The prices are quite affordable and the quality is high, which makes this family happier than a pig in mud.

Oscar was our server and was amazing! the food was fantastic as well! we will definitely be back!

Food was solid but service was just off. It's a small spot so they were hustling but we waited nearly 30 minutes before our order was taken and it was mid-week. Food coming out was not paced well so some ate while others waited another ten minutes. Birria was very good and shrimp enchiladas were tasty, especially the green sauce. Will try again another night.

We apparently chose the wrong location, as the Grant Rd location has a more limited menu than their other location. The machaca burrito was mostly tortilla and the machaca was drier than others I've had. The michelada was decent, and service was attentive.

I highly recommend Amelias Mexican Kitchen in Tucson. The food is exceptional, and the service outstanding.

Birria. Birria. 5 star Birria! The Birria is marvelous. Simply marvelous! Had their carne asada taco (Jass and Azteca). They had no flavor at all. Very disappointing. Stick to the Birria and you will be happy! Parking is terrible right now. Cute place.

Food is fresh and simply delicious. Oscar was amazing, attentive and kind! We will definitely be back!

5 stars all the way!! The food was absolutely perfect. Drinks and customer service was spot on. They take reservations which is helpful. We sat outside on patio . Will be back for sure. Presentation was great too!

This small place makes a big punch!!! Loved it!!! There was no wait when we came in, around 1:00 on a Sunday. Cozy atmosphere and a lot of people working. There is a big menu some amazing options, I always look at others peoples food and I did not see one thing come out that I would not eat. Oh yeah parking was not a problem either. The Chilequlles is a litmus test for me in a Sonoran Mexican restaurant, if that is good I figure they know what they're doing. I got the birria and it was so good. I saw these birria tacos come out and I already have plans to come back. I would full throatedley recommend Amelia's.

Went there for dinner. We were a party of 8. Oscar was our server. He was friendly, efficient and helpful with the menu. He helped make the evening fun. We all enjoyed our meals. The sauces were amazing. The beans were flavorful. Portions were great. We will definitely go back and will be thinking about it for a long time

Quick & Simple meal. Quick & friendly service. Light & fresh Mexican meal. Open ambiance.

Took my husband here today and we were satisfied. I think they have one of the best birrias in town! My hubby loved his mini chimis and I loved my 3- plate tacos. We will be back. Service is great, ambiance is quiet. 4.4 stars!