Charro Chico

I lived in Tucson for almost 5 years and never discovered this restaurant until the day I was moving out. Huge shame because this place is a hidden gem. Both the food and the service was excellent, and at a very good price. The salsa bar was a nice bonus with tons of options. I wish I had found this spot before I moved because I would’ve been a regular.

I stopped in and only had one item which was the chicken tortilla soup. So I can only speak for the soup. When it came, it had fresh avocados, amazing cheese, great taste, black beans, squash and other real food. I was pleased that it was quality food.

This is a hidden gem, food was authentic and had very good flavor. Tamal's were not over cooked and the meat was well seasoned. Good selection from the salad bar and the orange wedges with a dash of cinnamon was a nice touch.

Love this place! Great food and amazing salsa bar! I crave their avocado lime salsa so often. They also have a new salsa that they switch out every time I’ve gone so you have always have something new to look forward to. The chips are definitely worth getting as well. They are two kinds of chips, flour tortilla chips and blue corn chips, salted generously(but never too much). They come out warm too! For entrees, I love their breakfast tamales, as well as their breakfast burritos. They also have delicious pork adobado tacos and you can get cheese melted on the tortilla which is so so tasty with the adobado marinade. Their chimichangas have beans and rice inside, which I don’t prefer but they are still really good because they balance the flavors well. They have my favorite refried beans in the area that I’ve tried so far. I just wish they would give you more because they’re so good.

OMG. Gracias Adios. The plate came to the table, piping hot and beautiful scene to enchiladas, covered with red sauce and green sauce, shrimp and chicken rice and beans. My first bite was fantastic. All the flavors came alive. I added some habanero though made it even more spicier this place is for the real Mexican Spicy and fantastic tortilla soup authentic just like my Nana / grandmother made love this place. You gotta try it out let me know Post very nice staff.

This place is growing on me. They are not trying to be a fancy restaurant or anything over the top, which is great. Chill environment where you order up front, grab salsa from the bar, and wait for your food. Food is delicious and well priced. The menu has a lot to offer but isn't over whelming. There are some sleeper items like the summer special tacos. Good shrimp tacos as well. Salsa bar has everything you'd want. I do wish they had something more spicy but I understand most people do not like super spicy. Pickled onion and garlic is great of course and fresh onion with cilantro to your liking. The bowls are a solid choice for the cost and fresh enough. Black beans and rice are nothing amazing but pretty good. The toppings and seasonings for the meats are what make it great. Especially when its more food and cheaper than Chop Shop and others similar. Service is always friendly and accommodating. Food comes out fast. The environment isn't exactly a place I would wont to hangout at but I am fine eating there. A combination of pillowed booths with thin metal barn chairs isn't really my style but it works for the place. I recommend the tacos, bowls, and try their breakfast items. Mix up the flavors and give it a shot a few times. It'll grow on you too.

I have never eaten here before & although this is a fast food type restaurant the food was delicious. I had their chilaquiles. They were made with a green sauce & tasted like the ones I have in Mexico. The toppings were perfect & plentiful. The salsa bar was not so great as they were not keep full so the salsas were dry. They did not have any spice at all & the taste was just alright for my palate. They chips were made fresh with Blue & Yellow Corn Tortillas. They were warm & delicious. I brought my left overs home & had them for dinner. They were that good!

Loved the cute ambiance and layout. They sure pack a lot of character into a small location. The food was very good, as you’d expect from a Charro location. We took advantage of the “kids eat free” promotion (which ends soon!). The bakery items were ok to good. Overall we’d definitely come back, but it would probably be just with the wife and I. The kids were not super impressed.

I love the atmosphere. Service was exceptional. Thank you Ximena for such great service. Special thanks to the Chef Israel. I highly recommend the tortilla soup. The flavor was incredible. We also had the chicken enchiladas. Again, Terrific atmosphere, great service and delicious food.

What a great experience! Took advantage of the taco Tuesday $3 tacos. Rice and beans different and good Loved the AMAZING chips and salsa bar!!

Popped in here in a Thursday evening. You walk in and place your order at the counter then pick a seat. They have a self serve salsa/toppings bar with about 14 different options (about 4 of the options were empty). It looked to be about 3 people working and they were super busy and on the go. They also have a self serve soda/drink area next to the toppings bar. I ordered the birria tacos (2) that comes with rice and beans (the rice was very dry). And we got a steak bowl (black beans, rice peppers, onion, corn and meat selection- we picked charro beef). We also had the mini chicken chimis that came with a cheese sauce. To drink we skipped the fountain drinks and each did a bottle of pineapple and tamarind Jarritos.

Had a Si Charro gift card I wanted to use and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my meal. I find the Si Charro restaurants to really be a hit or miss for me both with food and with service but I really enjoyed this meal. The prices are too high in my opinion and I wouldn't eat there without a gift card/ deal but the serving size of the burrito I got was definitely large. I really enjoyed the salsa bar and it had a really big variety of interesting and yummy options. I got a Burrito with the 3 sisters picadillo (vegan chickpea chorizo, calabacitas and black beans), refired pinto beans, and cilanto rice served elegante style with X-mas chiles, vegan dairy free cheese (Violife) and guacamole. It was delicious! I REALLY enjoyed the 3 sisters picadillo. The service was also good.

Charro Chico has become one of my favorite lunch spots. The portions are generous, service fast and friendly and I love the salads and bowls. My favorite is the pollo asado, bowl and chopped salad, but I also have a weakness for the mini chimis. I love the mint green tea and the salsa bar is next level. Don't sleep on Charro Chico!

Maybe an off night with staff and training. I got excellent food for a reasonable price point. I arrived about 5:50ish. I ask the counter person if it's still happy hour after waiting a few minutes in a restaurant with only 2 other people. She says no. I said is 550 something, I think I have a few minutes before it's over at 6 PM. I ordered a beer at happy hour price, chips & salsa, and two birria tacos. The place is quaint for strip mall dining. The tacos are on a summer discount of $5 each. Normally it runs about $12 for 2 tacos. I get my beer quickly and go to the salsa bar thinking chips should be up in a minute. I return with my dinner served. It looks and taste great. Chips come a few minutes later after I asked about it. So maybe off timing. Chips are pretty much made unless I'm missing something. I'm seated for a few minutes and a couple is turned away before 615. I'm thinking I barely got in when the hours showed open until 8 PM. Please see the screen shot of hours after the visit. They mentioned the internet says 8 PM. They leave politely. The food is great, but I feel like a jerk eating after what I believe to be closing hours a few minutes after 6 PM so I hurry and ask for a to go box. I noticed my bill was off so I asked. The server said I missed happy hour and I show her the time stamp. We wrapped up the transaction before 6 PM, the end of happy hour. She gets help to fix the issue with chef/manager. I asked about the closing time as I saw 8 PM online. He said today management decided 630 PM would be closing time. I said I saw two customers turned away before then. I was leaving about 630. The server didn't know closing time due to another employee telling them something different. The system doesn't have built-in happy hour pricing. I'll try them a try again if I'm in the area, but won't travel to eat there as we're in a crowded Mexican food market. So by no means a well oiled machine, but good food at a reasonable price.

We LOVE this place. The food is so fresh and I love all the beverage and salsa choices at the salsa bar. Loved the bowl/salad I got. It was HUGE! Love that you can also get cafe de olla hot or iced. Pro tip- mix in some horchata!

Dined here for lunch and really enjoyed it. Service was friendly. You order at the counter and get a number. I had the salad with pollo asado. It didn't blow me away but I enjoyed it. I prefer more toppings and less lettuce and the chicken was a little dry. We also got the carne asada tacos, a kids cheese quesadilla, and the charro beef bowl. The bowl was definitely the best choice out of everything, it was huge and a better version of Chipotle. The salsa bar had a ton of yummy options. I see negative comments about the prices which I don't understand. I thought the prices were reasonable and comparable to other places with this kind of food. There's a patio outside and lots of seating inside. They also serve alcohol and have a self serve soda station.

My second time coming to this location came for a yelp event, and I had to return because the food is amazing fresh and delicious, love the salsa bar you get a variety great sources, with a number chart that tells you what each salsa that way you can pick and choose and discover your favorite. Mine happens to be the chipotle cream. Got some mini chicken chinos as well as the bean ones excellent looking forward to returning and tasting other food items

Tried out Charro Chico for the first time for Sonoran Restaurant Week. At $15 per person, for a drink, a taco plate, and a cookie, it was one of the better deals this year. Like all of the El Charro family restaurants, the food was delicious. I got the Al pastor tacos on flour tortillas and chose the refried beans. My daughter loved the chicken--not too spicy or overpowering. It was just right. We also got an order of the mini chimis--because you just have to get those! Got bean and cheese and they were soooo good--also loved the cheese dipping sauce. The cookie, while small, was baked to perfection. Like all El Charro restaurants, the service needed a little assistance. It's an order at the counter place and we waited a little bit to order. Service was friendly, but the ice machine was out of ice, some of the drink options were completely empty, and the ladies bathroom was out of paper towels. These aren't things that would prevent me from coming back, but it definitely makes the experience fall short of 5 stars. I had been here when it was Barrio Charro and this concept doesn't seem vastly different so I'm not really sure the reason behind the rebrand or redesign. Barrio Charro had an awesome map of Tucson on the wall, but they sadly got rid of that in this new iteration. Overall though the food is absolutely delicious and I will definitely be back. It was also a very easy to navigate restaurant to bring little ones. So glad to have this option--a more casual way to enjoy the amazing cuisine of El Charro!

If you're a fan of the Charro restaurants around town (I am!), you'll be happy that Charro Chico, a fast-casual counter-service option, has joined their ranks! The menu is more limited, taking a "build-your-own" approach with a few variables that can be combined in different ways. We stopped in for lunch and got chips (so we could try all the different salsas in the salsa bar!), a bowl, and tacos. The bowl comes with black beans, cilantro rice, grilled vegetables, pico salsa, & calabacitas, and we added carne seca to it. For the tacos, we got one pollo al pastor and one carne asada, with rice and black beans on the side. For me, the pollo al pastor was the star of the day! It was very bright and tangy, and felt a lot lighter and less greasy than a lot of the typical al pastor options that feature pork. I will absolutely be getting the pollo al pastor again, in whatever form -- taco, burrito, bowl, etc. -- that strikes me that day! The salsa bar was a nice aspect of the experience. A lot of restaurants around town have them, so it was fun to see what Charro Chico had to offer. It included some standards (such as onion & cilantro, pickled onions, tomatillo salsa), some known favorites (the delicious salsa that comes with the chips at El Charro), and some unique options (piña & blueberry). It was very quiet when we went -- surprisingly so, to be honest -- and the whole space was very bright and open. Charro Chico is a quick, convenient option!

I found the concept similar to another fast casual restaurant down the street. The only difference is the carne seca from El Charro. For the price, I was expecting more meat, more rice, etc. service was ok. I had a Barrio Charro gift card and they would not accept it which I thought was not right since El Charro is still the owner.

New concept for the El Charro restaurant group - you order at the counter and choose an entree (taco, enchiladas, burritos, bowls, quesadillas) then a "recipe" aka a protein. There are also starters, tamales, salads, and chile rellenos and all day brunch. There is a self-serve salsa bar so recommend getting some chips so you can try all the different salsas. My husband and I shared a carne asada quesadilla and a chicken tinga bowl; I preferred the quesadilla because of the flavor of the carne asada and felt that the chicken tinga was a bit overwhelming for the bowl. My friend got the tamales which she said is her go to here. For drinks, I had their horchata which was delicious. Good for stopping by for quick service lunch.

Bright clean place. Lots to choose from on the menu. The service was great. And the food was good as well... Felt a little pricey, but isn't that every restaurant these days?

Eh. It was Okay. Overpriced Chopotle. 1 burrito, 2 tacos, 2 small pepsi's = 40 dollars. I had Carne Asada. My issue is how can you get dry Carne Asada in Tucson? I have had the most amazing carne on S 12th. This was dry and flavorless. I did like the black beans and the refried beans. It was clean and the employees all friendly. I guess my only issue was it's blandness. In another city this place would have a line around the block. ( think someplace like Kansas or Kalamazoo) but like I mentioned. It was exactly the same as chopotle. :( Husband liked his Carnitas taco. The Salsa bar was also a plus.

My husband and I stopped here for dinner after a near by appointment. The place is super cute and the staff were very friendly and answered any questions we had. I had the pollo al pastor bowl. I didn't realize until I was leaving that there were no calabacitas as stated on the menu. I love calabacitas, so was excited to try these. The chicken was super tender and full of flavor. The grilled vegetables were a nice addition. The chips tray is plentiful and the salsa bar has many options. The chips were a bit salty for our taste, but we were able to shake some of the salt off. We will be back to try other menu items and I'll make sure I get my calabacitas next time .

Unfortunately, my first visit to Charro Chico was a bit disappointing. Arrived early for dinner -- around 4:30 -- excited to give this place a try. The young folks working there were friendly indeed -- it's a simple order at the counter sequence... you're given a number and a cup for drinks and you seat yourself. We ordered two tamales, two tacos, chips and guacamole, and two beers. Our food arrived swiftly enough. The carnitas tamale was spicier than expected but the carnitas themselves didn't have much flavor, I'd describe it as flat, which was disappointing. The corn tamale was better but the sauce they put on it sort of tasted a little off, just not balanced... perhaps too acidic for the plain corn tamale. The carnitas tacos were, like the tamale, just sort of flat and tasted like plain or unseasoned pork... absolutely no hint of what makes good carnitas such a savory delight. We both left a good portion of our meals on our plates, just disappointed in what we'd hoped we would experience. As well, it was about $50... which wouldn't be too bad if the tacos and tamales were good, but we were only happy with the guacamole and beers... so it seemed a bit expensive for what we had. I might give it another try down the road, but there are so many excellent Mexican restaurants in Tucson I expect it will be some time before returning to Charro Chico.

This restaurant was previously recommended to during one of my prior trips to Tucson. The ownership has since changed from 2 partners down to 1. But the food is still amazing. I ended up getting a tamale combo and added an asado enchilada. The food was delicious.

Charro Chico has quietly opened so I was eager to visit. I was hoping for fish tacos because, well, I'm always hungry for fish tacos; however, they aren't on the menu here. I opted for shrimp tacos and calabacitas tacos. While waiting, I was hoping that this wasn't going to be a gringo take on Mexican cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised by the shrimp tacos. When not done well, shrimp tacos are the most boring in the taco pantheon. Here, the sauce was dark, savory, and rich. The tacos were delicious. The calabacitas tacos were okay by comparison and I hope the recipe will get more refined in the future to elevate the flavor. The treat was the dessert: a simple bunuelo. A flat, round cinnamon crisp topped with horchata whipped cream. It was perfect.

Salad Series! I ordered the vida chopped with chicken! It was so delicious! Plenty of chicken and full of flavor. The dressings were so tasty. I loved all the fresh ingredients. Highly recommend!

Well I stopped in to use a $10 gift I got at a Yelp Elite event. I ordered the rice bowl which features cilantro rice, black beans, a grilled vegetable mix, pico said and calabasitas..I added the chipotle shrimp. However, I requested the chipotle on the side but it wasn't. So the side was real but not too bad, it was delicious. The mini Chimis came with queso dip and it was scrumptious as well! Everything was still hot by the time I got home. The young lady at the register was kind and greeted me as I came in. My food came out pretty quickly but I took it to go. There was only one family dining in and it was rather quiet. I'll def go back, maybe enjoy a meal on their patio!

I ate here recently with a group of friends. You order at the counter near the entrance, then they bring you your food. It took a fairly long time to get to the front of the line, but after that service was good. The place was not too noisy so our group of seven people, all over 60, was able to converse. I ordered the Pollo al Pastor bowl ($14), which I enjoyed. I also tried my friend's carne seca taco. He thought it tasted funny; I thought it just was heavily spiced or maybe had too much cilantro. There is a good salsa bar in back with a lot of different kinds of salsa and a few kinds of veggies plus lemon and lime wedges.

Stopped in for lunch on a whim today, and shared the nachos elegante from the shareable menu, we added the chicken al pastor - it was huge! And so full of flavor! There was a tiny bite, and lots of flavored chicken chunks, also a delicious melty queso and a pile of guac to top it off! We saw some friends there, who had some fantastic looking cheese enchiladas, I'll have to try those on my next visit as it's one of my favorites! I felt the Tucson vibe, as we saw chef Gary, who is also so nice to us, and Carlotta Flores stopped in for lunch too, and we saw friends there, this is why I love Tucson! There was also a well-stocked salsa bar and of charro tamales to go!

Avoid this place at all costs!!! $15 for a carne seca burrito that would have been 3o% rice had I not chosen 'no rice'.... Was 50% beans, due to my missing the fact that the beans and rice were NOT sides - they were contained IN the burrito! Ordered 2 'Green Corn Tamales'..... Got 2 questionable crumbly, tasteless tamale things with GreenChile sauce dumped on them. DEFINITELY NOT Sonoran Green Corn Tamales! For their tauting of "El Charro Carne Seca", it had to be the WORST representation of this classic meat I've EVER had in my home town....

I've been here twice. And both times the food was delicious. The first time I ordered the potato and short rib burrito. It was really good. I think a bit more short rib would be nice, but the flavors were fantastic. Today I ordered the 3 Birria taco platter, a side of guacamole, and a tea. Absolutely delicious. The tacos were nice and full, the favors were perfect. Paired with the delicious salsas and pickled onions (from the salsa bar), and it was just excellent. The service was great both times. Friendly and accommodating staff. The food was plated nicely, and the restaurant was very clean. Highly recommend.

A little pricey for tacos, but they were very tasty and the salsa bar makes up for it! I really like the environment of the shop. There is a nice bench alongside the north wall of the building which gives some cafe vibes, so I stayed for a while after finishing my meal to do some work. However, I couldn't seem to get the Wi-Fi working, so I just used my hotspot.

It's the soft opening, so surprisingly quiet on a Saturday night for a Charro concept. The decor was clean and minimalist with pops of color. You order at the front and they bring out your food, which was fairly quick to arrive. The food was simple, tacos and burritos, but the flavors were good. I enjoyed the salsa bar too. I did wish that they doubled up my corn tortillas because it fell apart when I bit into it. They do have desserts and tamales for sale too.

The chilaquiles were OK...nothing special. Service was good. Ambiance was pleasant. I wouldn't return.

Food is great. Quick service and a fully loaded salsa bar with something for every spice level, I enjoyed it just as much if not more than the original El Charro downtown which is the Mom to this chico.

Despite stating on the menu that you have a choice of beans or breakfast papas, you only have a choice of beans with the chilaquiles. It wasn't my fault that they have an error on the menu, and I would have expected them to honor my wish of breakfast papas.

I recently used Charro Chico to cater a wedding . The food was the best I've ever had from EL Charro. They delivered the food to my home, it was hot and delicious. It came on time and they set it all up. I cannot recommend them any more highly. Thank you Chef Tibi!

Prior to the changes this used to be a lunch favorite. The charro Chico menu is quiet different from barrio before. The service was friendly and prompt. The venue got a modern facelift. I had the bowl with protein option. The bowl had nice, healthy vegetables, but overall was very bland and flavorless . The quesadilla was average, no complaints but nothing memorable either. The salsa bar is a great fun addition, those salsas are

This cute place, one of the El Charro restaurants, serves the best chicken burrito I have ever had. Ordering the Pollo Asado with black beans ( no rice...my choice) was the right choice. I believe the difference in taste was the mesquite charred chicken after it was "ancho" marinated. The flavor was delicious and their salsa bar was great too even though this was fine with no additions. My fellow diner had 3 Sisters Picadillo...very good also. Friendly staff as well. Keep it up. We definitely are adding this to our list of 'bests'.

So a friend told me to go there and get chicken tortilla soup! So I went in and ordered 2 to go @ $10 ea. I waited wht seemed like 20-30 minutes and it finally came when I got home and open the cup they were barely 3/4 full. Very disappointed. Especially since it was barely a cup for $10 each!

Comfortable fast casual Mexican food with fun selections, including both signature Charro dried beef and vegetarian options.

Tonight was was my first visit to this fantastic neighborhood secret spot. Wow! My sister highly recommended we eat there. First, the service was outstanding, such friendly staff. Now let's discuss the food... Mom loved her margarita & she's picky about her margys! We had the quesabirria tacos and the cheese enchiladas with rice & refried beans. All were outstanding & that dip for the tacos, oh my, delish. Prices were very reasonable. Locals tip: don't miss the rare opportunity of topping off your meal with delicious homemade buñuelos.

Delicious food great variety clean spot fantastic Salsa bar is off the hook with a great Salsa Legend. Great service by Shelsy with her recommendations did I mention the awesome salsa Legend?

Like many locals who mourned the closing of Barrio Charro, my husband and I made a point to get dinner at Charro Chico when we happened to be on that side of town. Hubby ordered a carne chimichanga, I got a beef enchilada with red sauce and our daughter got a chicken tamale. All plates were served with sides of rice and beans. We had high hopes and ultimately were left underwhelmed, especially for how expensive this was. Hubby's carne was dry and tough, my enchilada was soggy and not anything special. Our daughter inhaled her tamale and said it was amazing so there was one fully satisfied customer at our table. The salsa bar was loaded and I will say their pickled onions rival my personal favorite in town at BK's. The beans and rice were a solid "B" but not particularly memorable. The service was fine; girl behind the counter was friendly and the food was prepared in a relatively quick fashion. Personally, I found the new "modern" decor makes the place feel like a cafeteria. Over-bright lighting, minimal decorations and orange everywhere...it's a far cry from the authentic charm and ambiance of Barrio Charro. At least we were able to watch a basketball game on one of the several TVs up on the walls. I know concepts change and evolve but this feels like a step backwards for the Flores team after the uniqueness of its previous iteration. For the price and product served, I don't think we will return when there are so many other great Mexican restaurants to choose from. Charro Chico should have been better than "meh".

I initially heard about this restaurant after reading that someone threw a brick through the window. . After eating there I now know why. All of the food was luke warm at best, guacamole was brown, and they forgot tortillas. It was about 60 for three dishes so totally not worth it. Unfortunately I could never see is returning my

We love this place! Great tacos--large variety to choose from & you can mix & match . Great chips (warm!) & guac. Great tamales!!!! Great calabacitas!

Charro Chico is a neat concept and I'm glad they tried something new after Barrio Charro closed. Overall, I felt like the food was expensive for a taco plate. The flavors were good and their team was kind and fast. However, there was some miscommunication when I ordered tacos without cilantro and they didn't let me know the rice also had cilantro. I hope in time they come up with some smaller portions for a cheaper price.

Flores family does it again! Great service, charro quality food! Can't wait to go back and try more dishes! The charro beef with potatoes is amazing. The salsa bar has many options too.

WOW!!! What an amazing addition to Campbell Avenue. The tortillas and the salsa bar are so fresh, you can see the lady in the back making them by hand. We had the pastor tacos and the huevos rancheros, both were very flavorful and served very fast! 10 out of 5 stars!!! We will be back for brunch this weekend.

Ordered a carnitas burrito "chimi style", a green corn or veggie tamale, and a flan. Latter two were pretty good. The burrito filling was rather dry and stringy. My bigger issue is the preparation. I guess I'll give them credit for saying "chimichanga -style-" as in, sort of like a chimi, but not a chimi. Not fried long enough to make the tortilla brown and crispy. Like maybe 60 seconds in the oil or just waved the thing over a vat of oil and called it good. So, why am I'm ranting about this? Because El Charro is supposed to have invented the chimi. If I ever make it back, I will request it be fried extra crisp.

My husband and I got the pollo asado and carne asada tacos and they were delicious! The beans were great too but unfortunately the rice was a bit bland and crunchy. Very friendly staff, great decor, comfortable seating and clean bathrooms. We would definitely go here again!

Beautiful dining area, cocktails, and great vegan options. The vegan burrito was my favorite. Don't skip the salsa.

Ok but more like glorified fast food. It was tasty and inexpensive. The staff was friendly and the place was clean.

Good tacos. Lots of salsas to choose from. Cool vibe. I'll be back to try more my date had the bowl and it looked good too

$50 lunch for two. Food was ok but not special. The tamales were spiced a bit but not anywhere top notch. We will not go back.