Kayli H.
Google
Extremely Disappointed — Not the El Charro We’ve Known for Decades
As a Tucson native and longtime patron of El Charro, it truly pains me to write this review. This restaurant has always been a place we’ve loved and trusted, which is why this experience was so shocking and disappointing.
We arrived at 4:30 PM and were placed on a waitlist at 4:37 PM for a party of four. This immediately confused us, as there were multiple open tables visible inside, several of which could easily seat four people. Despite the cold weather, we agreed to wait outside as instructed.
We were told the wait would be about 20 minutes. During that time, we observed at least 11 people leave the restaurant, while an additional 13 people walked in and were seated immediately. After the initial 20 minutes passed, we continued waiting another 7 minutes before going inside to ask for an update. At that point, I took note that there were still several empty tables available.
When we asked how much longer it would be, we were met with two very different responses from staff—one employee was kind and apologetic, while another was noticeably rude and dismissive. We were then told it would be another 5–10 minutes. When we asked if the people being seated ahead of us had reservations, we were told, “Yes, all people with reservations will be seated first prior to any people without a reservation.”
This was alarming. Not only were we standing outside in the cold with no offer of heaters or alternative seating, but we have been loyal customers for decades and even have family who have worked for El Charro. This “policy” was never communicated upfront, nor have we ever experienced it this way before.
Ultimately, we decided to leave and eat elsewhere. The restaurant we chose was about an 8-minute drive away, and after we had already arrived there, we finally received the text from El Charro stating our table was ready—well beyond the original quoted wait time.
We were incredibly let down by this entire experience. We have never been treated with rudeness here before—until today. We have never had to leave without eating—until today. And we have never had poor service at El Charro—until today.
It makes me genuinely sad to feel that management or operations may have changed. I’m sharing this not out of spite, but to be honest and to warn others: if you see people waiting outside, be aware this may be the experience you face as well.
We hope El Charro reflects on this, because Tucson deserves the level of hospitality this restaurant was once known for.