Basqueria

You know I really wanted to like this place since it’s the first Spanish restaurant I’ve been to in Tucson, but when my partner and I went the day after Valentine’s Day, we had a couple issues with our time here. There was some kind of miscommunication between upper management and the servers and hosts with whether or not they were still serving the Valentine’s entrees the day after Valentines. The manager had said they were still serving the tenderloin and the fish dishes as well as the crawfish soup from yesterday but when we inquired about that with the hostess after waiting 20-30 minutes for our waiter, she did not know what we were talking about and my partner had to talk to three different workers to get some clue of what was available to order today. So after waiting again for another 15 minutes I went up to the front where I saw the manager again, I told him we were ready to order and then we had a waiter come and take our order at the table. We once again asked about the Valentine’s entrees and he had to ask the manager whether this was available. Again, overall just a lot of miscommunication with the staff here that didn’t really mesh well with our experience. The food was alright, it was unfortunate we had to wait so long to figure out the menu and order. Honestly the best food was the potatoes tapas that night. Everyone was nice to us as well, so no issues on our end but I do feel for the staff. I would dine here again to give it another try.

We had an amazing experience at Basqueria in Tucson, Arizona! The flavors were authentic, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the service was excellent. We tried the hot tapas—Patatas Bravas and Tortilla Española—and both were delicious. The Ropa Vieja was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. For dessert, we had the Basque cheesecake, and it was the perfect sweet ending. This was our first visit, and we’re already looking forward to coming back. Highly recommend!

We sat in their patio area and it was really enjoyable. We ordered patatas bravas, smoked salmon pintxo, lamb pintxo, bacalao al pil pil (shown in the pic), and a paella del mar. We really enjoyed our food, especially the crispness of the patatas bravas. Drinks and service were also great!!

Fantastic food and ambience. Nothing like having a good meal while being serenaded by beautiful live flamenco music. Service was also great. Freddie treated us very well!

In general food was delicious. I liked everything. People are nice there. In north italia u can get nicer board for the same price😄 Need more Spanish things around for the atmosphere and I would add a compliment bread with butter😄

I was so looking forward to this local experience. I had been manifesting a “Spanish” food restaurant like the once memorable “Casa Vicente”. Upon entering there was a beautiful panoramic open concept with glass doors & clean minimalistic decor. Metal art reminiscent of Picasso’s renderings adorn some walls. Our server was polite and welcoming. He took our order, and while we waited an older gentleman whom appeared to be the owner came into the dinning room and acknowledged each table. I noticed he made idle chat with everyone except our table. Our order finally came in, “their brunch special - steak & eggs”. I started at my plate and my first thought was where’s the rest of my meal ?(yes, that small) I decided to surrender to the experience and let the food speak for itself. However, the potatoes did not look bravas at all. I called our server and asked, “Aren’t patatas bravas supposed to come in a red sauce?” He said, “ Oh, those are it. Plain cubed frozen potatoes that had been deep fried. Uneventful in its totality. I asked him for any dipping sauces they might have - we needed something to bring moisture to the poor potatoes. Our server actually came to our table and apologized - lord and behold the red sauce that had been missing appeared in a plastic little sauce cup. Still the sauce was definitely not even close to the taste of genuine patatas bravas sauce. The steak had been staring and waiting for me …. oh, that poor steak, was completely inedible. The appalling taste still haunts me. The lingering taste of sharp beef was just too much to bear. Not even lathering it in chimichurri sauce could fix it. I gave up. I enjoyed the eggs, but honestly I could have just stayed home and make my own. My overall dissatisfaction came from the lack of trying. They didn’t even try. Total bill was $40.00

New restaurants will have growing pains. The food here is excellent, with an emphasis on the paella. Portions are on the larger side for a more tapas styled restaurant. The manager is courteous and attentive. There are some service hiccups that will get worked out with time, but overall this is a great addition to the downtown food scene.

Wow, I was blown away with my first experience at Basqueria!!! The food was phenomenal as well as the service and atmosphere. The servers were extremely attentive and helpful when it came to navigating us through the menu. The dessert is a great way to end the meal, the chocolate mousse cake was amazing! Overall my experience was excellent and I will be sure to come back, I would recommend Basqueria to anyone who is wanting to try new food downtown!!!

New concept restaurant which is so great! Great atmosphere, location, and food. I love tapas, it's so fun to hang out and try different plates. The menu is always evolving which is so great! Big fan!

Went here on a Thursday night because I thought the vibe here was the best on Congress street. Probably right about that. Ordered a combination of happy hour menu items and regular menu. All very good. Paella was freshly made and just the right size for two. It could have used some more salt/seasoning and more protein but whatever. Service was extremely attentive and knowledgeable. Ambiance was fine with options for indoor or outdoor seating, heaters, and great people watching. Parking is impacted but there is the very nice street car (station Centro Plaza) right across the street which will take you from Mercado SA or to points north on 4th Ave.

Emotionality I really wanted to love it. Actually it was OK. 2 ppl, 4 tapas.​ $~50. Smoked Salmon Pintxo - had a nice flavor not powerful but enjoyable, but nice. The portion is for 1 bite. Not a dish you can share. Patatas Bravas - this was the largest dish and can share with 2. It's just double fried potatoes and salsa brava. Nothing exciting. The aioli tasted like steaight Hellman's mayonnaise. Lamb Chops - cut thin to the thickness of the bone. 2 different cuts. One on the bone the other from between the bones in the rack. Pretty standard flavor for that cut. Chimichurri sauce was also standard. Bacalao Pil Pil- we split this into two spoonfuls. Also enjoyable, but nothing to knock your socks off. We had a late lunch and food thin we did because we would have left very hungry. The problem I always seem to find woth tapas is the value never holds and this is true here. Service was 20% level. The owner works behind the counter and checks on tables. He's a nice man and will either let you be or engage if you talk first. I applaud him and his staff. I just think the kitchen was uninspired and didn't carry the value.

Oh how I love Spanish tapas! I had been waiting for this place to open ever since someone on Reddit told me about it. Now that they are open, I am writing this review after my second visit. Service is good and I love that their chef/owner(?) come to the table to greet us and asks how everything is. I think it's such a nice touch. I've tried around 5-6 tapas and they are all delicious. The only thing I'm not a big fan of is their paella. I ordered their seafood paella the first time I went and I felt it was lacking flavor and needed some more work. I also wish they had arros negre as well! Anyways, that won't prevent me from going there. I do love their tapas! Oh and can't forget their sangria! It's so good!

Oh yeah!!!! I was in the Basque region this summer and I loved filling up on the Penchas. I had them morning noon and night. The paella was really great filled with seafood and only a 20 minute wait. The cheese board was so much we had to take some home, fresh and delicious. The side salad with artichoke was a perfect blend. The salmon perncha was just heaven. This is a great add to the downtown mix, I go down for events all the time. So I will be a frequent flyer here!

It's a good concept for light tapas and sangria with a parking garage nearby. The service was attentive. It was not too busy around 5 pm on a Saturday night. We tried the tomato spread which had a little kick and the Patatas Bravas which was my favorite. We also shared a Paella Basqueria, which is smaller but is fine if you ordered tapas.

I went to this Tucson spot as a visitor, not really setting any expectations one way or the other. When we arrived at about 5:20p on a Saturday evening, the waitstaff was hesitant to seat out 4 person party - at least 2 and probably more tables of 5/6 tops were available; I have no clue what the issue was but it was weird:-( In my opinion, the food was not authentic tapas. Not sure what to call it or how to describe it. We did enjoy a couple things including the Tomato Spread; tasty with a nice little kick. And the Bacalao was good too. The Paella was okay, nothing to return for and my Old Fashioned cocktail tasted watered down (which is 180 from what it should be!).

Legit! Just came for a second time and it was delicious once again. We love the top us. We had paella, we had shrimp. We had an amazing cheeseboard and my wife loved the wine. Great to be downtown Tucson with such a fantastic European restaurant.

Cool concept offering tapas/pintxos. The food was well prepared and the space is cool, but in the old Fired Pie location. The service was good. They seemed to all support each other so we talked to about 4 folks helping us with the meal. Definitely check them out.

Tucson needed a Spanish tapas location snd now it has one! And I am excited! Tried several tapas and each one was unique and savory. Whole these are meant to be shareable small plates... it was so good I almost didn't want to share. Diff D may get the chance to try the paella... next time for sure. The cocktails were okay. Indoor and outdoor seating and a parking garage across the street. Good service.

We had a lovely leisurely dinner at Basqueria, and were already discussing our next visit before we'd even left the table! We had a lovely spread of tapas, sangria, and two kinds of paella. The stars of the meal were definitely the tapas and the red sangria. The red sangria was sweet and light, served with orange and watermelon, and Basqueria gets extra points for making the sharable carafe of sangria an easy and ideal experience by putting the fruit in the cups (rather than the carafe) so that everyone gets the same amount of fruit and you don't have to try to cleanly pour while fruit is threatening to splash out of the pitcher at any moment. (Can you tell I've lived that struggle before? Haha!) We got three different tapas to start: the Veggie Board, the Tomato Spread, and the Patatas Bravas. All were stellar home runs! The Veggie Board was a lovely selection of pickled and marinated veggies, as well as savory and sweet spreads, and bread. I loved the contrasting bites on the board, ranging from rich umami to acidic to sweet to spicy. It's a must-get, in my opinion! The Tomato Spread is also delicious; it comes with very garlicky bread. The Patatas Bravas were perfectly-cooked, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We got the Paella Basqueria (chicken & chorizo) and the family-sized Paella del Mar (assorted seafood) as well. It was a LOT of food! Both paellas were delicious, but didn't quite live up to the excellence of the tapas. The paella is good, for sure, but it lacked socarrat -- the crispy layer of rice that caramelizes on the bottom and edges of the dish -- and the flavor felt a bit one-note. It was crowded and fairly loud in the restaurant while we were there, but we were still able to talk and we enjoyed the music. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. I would definitely recommend Basqueria for a meal of tapas and sangria!

This was our first time trying this place out. It's downtown and it was nice to get in on a Saturday night with no reservations! The restaurant itself is small, which means the tables are very close together. Not ideal when you're trying to have conversation, but manageable. The service was amazing! Several people checked on us several times. Our waitress was fine, but everyone seemed to be working as a team. The service being so great is why I gave it three stars. Now....lets get down to the food. As appetizers we had the lamb chops and a croquet. The lamb chops were probably the best I've ever had! This was the second reason why I gave it three stars. I've I would have just had like five orders of this I would have given it five stars! The croquet was fine, but I didn't realize it was just one ball on one piece of bread. For the price of it, I would have expected at least two or three. For the main course we tried the mar and chicken paella. We were really disappointed with these two dishes. The sea food was very dry and the rice was very mushy. My wife decided not to eat her chicken because it was so dry. I expected more for almost $30 per dish. I've had seafood paella many times (mostly at Contigo) and this was by far the worst one. I'm glad we tried it, but I would not go back. I don't mind paying a good amount when I feel like I'm getting value, so for almost $120 (including tip and a drink my wife had) I expected better. I will say though, the whole time we were there it was busy and people came coming in through out the night, so maybe we just picked the wrong things.

We stopped here for lunch on a Saturday. New restaurant with excellent food. We tried the lamb skewer with rice and the twice baked potatoes with sauce and the torta Española. Very tasty. We recommend this location for dinner and even for lunch on the patio. Very nice staff too.

We came here for dinner Sunday night and love all the windows and natural light. They are open really late for dinner which is awesome. Cocktails: Aperol Spritz was my favorite here. Rose Spritz was dry, not sweet at all. Red Sangria was too sweet. White kalimotxo just tastes like white wine. Not bad. Tapas: Smoked Salmon Pintxo was really good. Next time I would ask for honey sauce on the side though. Patatas Bravas were the best I've ever had. They were moist and not at all like every other one I've tried in the past at other restaurants which were too dry. Bacalao Pil Pil was delicious but cod was a little dry. Lamb Chops were too well done and the meat was plain without the sauce. The sauce was delicious though so this was still a good dish. Before I knew the Russian Salad had ham, I tried it and it was really good. Tortilla Espanola was plain. Both the sautéed chicken and shrimp pinto would have been perfect if they had less salt. Tomato spread had so much salt, we couldn't eat it.

I was so excited to try a Spanish tapas place here in Tucson and this was a bit of a disappointment. Upon arrival, we were told only bar seating available, which is a thin bar with tall metal seats and no footrest at the bar. This was fine for the two of us but not ideal for a tapas place meant to be a shared meal. And the entire time we were there, tables were open, so I'm not sure why they didn't just seat us. If they are saving tables for parties larger than 4, that's a pretty crappy practice to have. And it wasn't a weekend. The menu said the chicken paella was with chicken thighs, however it came out with breasts - and it was dry. The rice and vegetables were kind of mushy. We ordered the deviled egg to share - because, you know - tapas - and it was just one. It has a shrimp on it - which trying to cut a shrimp on top of a deviled egg isn't that easy. It actually tasted pretty good, but I'd suggest they find a way to serve this dish more shareable ready. My husband and I were both disappointed. We were ready to throw down on great tapas and both the way they handled our seating and the food just didn't add up.

Wow, I was blown away with my first experience at Basqueria!!! The food was phenomenal as well as the service and atmosphere. The servers were extremely attentive and helpful when it came to navigating us through the menu. The dessert is a great way to end the meal, the chocolate mousse cake was amazing! Overall my experience was excellent and I will be sure to come back, I would recommend Basqueria to anyone who is wanting to try new food downtown!!!

4 of us enjoyed paella ( seafood) and it was flavorful and delicious. The basque salad was delicious and our friends loved the sangria. It's so close to the Rialto we went because of proximity. It's so was a wonderful surprise, great food... friendly owner Jeff talked with us and he knows the hospitality business! I'll be back . Open late on weekends and weeknight!

The sangrias are to die for! The fruit is fresh and the blend of red wine and sprite is simply divine! #dubstahley

This is a tapas place. A small but neat sitting area and nice patio. Service is fast and pleasant. The sangria is good. But remember this is a tapas place so each dish is good for one person. And it adds up. Every thing was tasty but was hoping for more options. The paella wasn't really paella, but rice with ingredients added that lacked the cooked together taste of paella and lacked salt. Now for desert, the sampler plate isn't the best according to the owner, the best options are from what they make in-house, the basque cheesecake was good but the pistachio cake was bland. It is an interesting place that is worth a try.

Just had my 2nd experience here and loved it both times. The sangria is perfection and very reasonably priced... especially at happy hour. We had such a nice time sitting on the patio, people watching and enjoying our drinks and some tasty tapas. Our server was great and both the manager and an owner came by to make sure we were happy. We will be back soon!

This spot offers a solid introduction to Spanish cuisine, with flavors that are authentic and reminiscent of dishes you'd find in Spain. Though the paella was missing the coveted socarrat (the caramelized layer of rice at the bottom of the pan), which was a bit of a letdown, the seafood was tasty and cooked well. Given that the restaurant is still new, they may be ironing out timing in the kitchen. The staff was incredibly friendly, adding to an overall pleasant dining experience. And the white sangria and aperol spritz were delightful. I think once they get into their groove, it has the potential to become a great spot for Spanish food lovers. We will definitely be back

Willie, Freddie and Jeff provided great service! I came here in a Friday night w a friend to check it out since it just opened. We had pineapple coolers to drink and they were refreshing. I love lamb and To start we tried the lamb pintxo (2 skewers, they were chewy and cooked a little too long) and lamb chops (3 chops) both lamb starters came with a garlic butter/sauce on the side. We also had the paella basquiera that has chicken and chorizo (the chorizo was sliced like pepperoni and a little tougher than I liked, but the dish was flavorful and I definitely recommend you try one of the paellas if you go!) I think this is a great location, it's right across from a parking garage and they have a full bar. For dessert I had the cheesecake. Again, great service, full bar, good location. I plan to come back and try different dishes

Came in on a Saturday night to check out this new downtown spot. It was busy and bustling - the environment was bright and lovely. We were seated outside on the patio and our server came to take our order right away. We ordered the Patatas Bravas, Bacalao Pil Pil, and Shrimp Pintxo to start. Would recommend the patatas and shrimp! The potatoes were crisp and delicious with a paired garlic aioli. Shrimp were grilled to perfection and delightful with a squeeze of lemon. The bacalao (cod) was a bit soggy and lacking flavor. I think it would be better served without the bread. We then got the seafood paella which was mediocre. I was hoping for it to be more well spiced and for more seafood included. Overall, I recommend checking out this spot for something unique in Tucson.

Basqueria just recently opened and I wanted to check it out. I ordered an Aperol Spritz as I was by myself and I would rather try the sangria with friends. For food, I tried the Lamb Pintxo which came out juicy and tender. It's a shareable for two people with lighter appetites but I enjoyed it all on my own. Decor looks great and the staff were friendly and had the desire to leave a great first impression. I finished off my meal with a Barrio Blonde beer which hit the spot. Prices were decent although they could encourage items like the different Pintxos on a discount for happy hour which would be great. Overall, I really enjoyed my light dinner here. I'm of the mindset that any tapas that charges for food isn't a real tapas like it's done in spain, but that's too high a standard for the U.S. Considering how tasty the food was and that they are incorporating a Basque theme and food items, I am grateful for this kind of place being here in Tucson.

The food was amazing! It's what Tucson has been missing, authentic Spanish cuisine. Shrimp Pintxo cooked to perfection along with the herbed butter sauce. Sautéed Chicken moist tender in butter sauce and bread to mop it all up. Patatas Bravas and Mayo was light and flavorful. We ordered a carafe of Red Sangria which was delicious, next time trying the white sangria. The service was a bit awkward and slow, but considering their opening was earlier in August. I'm confident they will hit their stride in no time. Everything and everyone was pleasant and decor was well appointed. I feel this location will need to expand due to its upcoming popularity. I'm planning my next visit as I write this review!

Amazing food and friendly service! The flavors brought me back to my visit to Madrid and Valencia!

Excellent service! Excellent food! We got there an hour before they opened for brunch, and the chef came out and apologized due to some miscommunication on the website, and offered us a couple of pastries to hold us over, so went and grabbed coffee, ate our pastry's, and came back in an hour! It's cute inside, and they will be opening up the patio and having live music in the evening! Our waitress Delaney was so helpful and nice! She helped us navigate the menu, and talk to me about bringing a group here in the future. We tried the eggs basquez with chorizo, and the classic basque breakfast - both were fantastic! The eggs in the basquez could have been cooked just a bit more, they were pretty runny, but the flavors in everything were beautiful. We loved the tomato spread that came with the baguette in the classic breakfast. I loved the clay pots that everything came in too! I can't wait to bring our Camino group back for pintxo's! This is a great way to try some Basque food in Tucson!

Fred opened Basqueria 3-4 months ago. EXCELLENT Spanish cuisine! Had the tomato spread with bread crust, deviled egg, patatas bravas & chicken basquez. Basque cheesecake for dessert. Cool, casual vibe in downtown Tuscan. Will be back!!!

servers greeted us & were very nice! best flan i've had tasted more like a crème brûlée. sangria was good as well, I recommend!

Overall the food was just average. we were expecting better. The seafood did not taste fresh, especially the shrimp. Fresh seafood makes the difference. The service was very good. The drinks were good. It's a cool place and we liked the vibe. May have to try this place again.

The food was great, but I was hoping for more of an authentic Spanish tapa bar experience and I feel like it was too modern and Americanized as far as ambiance. I was also disappointed that I ordered a red wine that tasted great, but was served in a plastic wine glass, especially when I could see at the bar that not all wine glasses were plastic.

From service, to ambience, to food, everything was perfect. 9 of us tried Basqueria for the first time tonight. Between us we had a variety of tapas and everyone was excited about their choices. Nico our server did a great job getting our drinks then pacing the food to make the dining experience enjoyable. Finished the evening with a variety of their desserts to end a perfect evening. Convenient parking across the street a definite plus.

Delicious!!!! Amazing tapas. Try the Basque whisky. Or the Pork Iberico UNBELIEVABLE!!!

The food was the best!!! I am a picky eater and still devoured everything! The Ropa Vieja was amazing (beef and rice), the patatas bravas were beyond great! My other personal favorite was the sautéed chicken was phenomenal!

HORRIBLE! I was so so excited when I heard about this place, and wow I couldn't have been more disappointed. Save yourself the disappointment and go next door to Obon, Charro Steak, or any of the other restaurants downtown. Came here with my gf last weekend and ordered 6 of the tapas plates and a pitcher of sangria. We received 3 of the 6 tapas after 45 minutes, and 1 after an hour and 15 minutes. We never received 2 of the dishes. The pitcher of fruit punch that they called sangria came after an hour. I noticed it sitting on the bar for a period of time, and reminded our server about it. I should have left it at the bar, because it was the grossest sangria we have ever tried. The frozen potatoes bravas were gross, and the Russian salad tapa was completely inedible. We didn't eat more than half of the food that we were actually served, as well as the sangria. The owner was going around and greeting some tables, and walked right by our table without a care in the world. This place has NO chance of lasting in Tucson. Head over to El Charro if you want delicious sangrias.

Only opened 6 weeks ago. Very loud with all the windows open on Congress St. was looking for some good tapas, these guys made Americanized food. Lacked individual flavor. They seem to be catering to bland American palate not Spanish. I hope they get it together.

One of the tastiest tapas bars I have been to in recent memory! The ambiance was spot on, the service was prompt and effective

My family is from Basque Country and we're so excited to try out Basqueria!! The food is very authentic and delicious. Couple of hiccups with being fresh on the food scene, but the owner/manager Freddie was very kind and generous and communicative. The inside and outside was very clean and fun! Got to people watch on the patio. We had a wonderful time! Most definitely will be back!

We had a great meal on NYE early evening. The service was very accommodating and quick. We ate a paella and meat/cheese board that were very well put together. I can't say it's the best I've ever had but it was pretty darn tasty. Great happy hour!!!

We tried the white sangria, tomato spread, chicken basquez, and dessert platter. Everything was really good! My absolute favorite was the pistachio cake on the dessert platter. I would go back again just for that. Service was efficient and wait staff were all very friendly!

Nice ambience, great Spanish music. Tried this restaurant first time. Service was great. Hostess friendly. Food was tasty. I had their Shrimp Pintxo, Bacalao Al Pil Pil- very flavorful piece of cod with sauce. Also paired everything with patatas bravas. Very reasonable pricing. Will revisit.

I got the Ropa Vieja as anyone who knows me knows I like spicy so it was an easy choice. However, the description is deceiving It must've been an off night for the cook because there was no flavor to this beef. Also got a Patatas Bravas the potatoes had some kind of seasoning on it, which didn't seem to give off much flavor, but the aïoli sauce that came with the patato dish I will recommend I end up putting the aïoli all over my meat it definitely helped. Watch out for your bill as the owner charged me for someone else's table. He said he would take care of it on the following day however, I checked my bank card. The full amount went onto my card. I usually check my bill but I guess I thought he knew his business lesson learned always check the bill balance y'all. lol

First time for Basque Tapas in Tucson and we were greeted with enthusiasm by Freddy. Clearly an international experience. The party next to us enjoyed several cold and hot tapas. Oh believe me we just had to get some of them too. Although it's a modern setting and the music was quite mixed, we enjoyed the bolero. The sangria and Spanish beer were perfect accompaniments. We will definitely be back!

I had the pleasure of attending a private event last night which was catered by Basqueria. The food was absolutely outstanding. (Tucson, the city of gastronomy, is full of restaurants that you want to go to. Once.) If the food at Basqueria's restaurant is as good as what was catered last night, it just may be the best food in Tucson. I cannot wait to head downtown to try out the restaurant.

Everything about Basqueria is so great! The food, the service, the location, the setting and ambiance, is stellar. Joel and Freddie are a great team!

I love this place. Open late. I love the portion sizes. Perfect for sharing and not getting too full so you can try everything. And i love that have authentic Spanish cocktails. Definitely try this place.

An absolute must-try! the food, drinks, and service was phenomenal. Specifically the lamb chops and the patatas bravas were delicious. The music, environment, and general experience was something everyone should experience when visiting downtown tucson.

Willie was my bartender and absolutely amazing. Great customer service AND he recommended the best desserts I've ever had. Seriously I couldn't have been happier drinking or eating here. Perfect for day time fun or evening shenanigans.

Came here on a date night. The Shrimp Pintxo is really good. But the 5 star service from Willie is what made the experience. From being overly polite and professional to giving us his personal recommendations from the menu; it was impossible for the night to go wrong. I tried the Patatas Bravas and Bacalao Pil Pil as well. All so good. I already want to go back and try the rest of the menu