El Charro Cafe Ventana

We needed to try the original chimichanga and the carne seca and it was great! The chimichanga was nice and flaky, and the meat was so flavorful, I absolutely loved it. I wasn't expecting that much flavor and tomatoes. The rice and beans were good, as were the complimentary chips and salsa. Loved the fact that it was two salsas, a red and a green. Our table also had the carne seca platter and some enchiladas and everyone enjoyed their meal. We reserved ahead of time and got seated right on time. The waiter was very friendly and on top of things.

Enjoyed an amazing family dinner at El Charro during our recent trip to Tucson, AZ. The food was amazing! Lots of options for all pallets, and the quantity was huge! We definitely had leftovers. The staff were friendly and attentive. Our drinks weren’t empty, which I appreciated. We were also attended to so we didn’t really have to ask for much, which is saying something given our group size. Overall, a great dinner with the family! Check it out if you haven’t already!

First time here and all was a pleasant experience. Seven of us and all were happy with their choices. Their side of calabacitas were amazingly yummy.

I've eaten at El Charro at Sunrise, both dining in and takeout, several times over the past year. Dining in the server was friendly, service was slow, food was mid to yuck, but the atmosphere was great. Never have eaten in again but have tried takeout a few times since. I found that I liked their chicken nachos, but two out of the three times I have ordered it, they forgot to include the chicken, and I've had to drive back. The front of house staff are always lovely and apologetic but management needs to improve. For only one decent dish that isn't even correct the majority of the time, I would not recommend this location.

We had high hopes for this place, but left disappointed. After a longer than quoted wait time for a table, we were shown to a table and placed our orders. The waitress was great. She kept our beverages and chips/salsa full all evening. It took longer than expected for the food to arrive. I ordered the tacos, which I didn't like. They took a part of a hamburger patty and put a tortilla around it, and deep-fried it. I can see why tacos aren't served this way anywhere else as it's not a good option for a taco, though the menu makes it sound like a great option. My parents ordered some type of burrito. The tortillas were doughy and tough to cut. The meat wasn't hot and could best be described as overcooked and dry. The cheese on top had hardened, and the beans were runny. Neither ate their meals and sent them back. My partner ordered the mole. He liked his meal and didn't have any complaints about it. The manager stopped by and was very nice in trying to attempt a resolution. An offer was made for a gift card to return and give them another opportunity. We declined and would not choose to dine here again, even for free.

Maybe the best mole' I've ever had. My entree was a serving of two enchiladas with mole'. I recommend you share this entree because the mole' is so rich, you may not be able to eat both of them. I would've given this a five-star rating if the chicken itself was not overcooked. Take a look at the photos of the prepared at your table guacamole. It's delicious.

Great food. Great staff. We’ve had one bad experience ordering to go but other than that it’s always been great and we stopped ordering to go and only dine in. Problem solved. We called the manager when we ordered to go about our issue (missing food items) and they wouldn’t solve the problem. The food is so good that it we just eat at the restaurant from now on. We’ve been eating here over 10 years and we love it. Very kid friendly. Delicious food and margaritas. We recommend this restaurant to everyone.

I went to this restaurant after having a long and stressful day. I was extremely hungry and wanted to have food quickly and thanks to the great service at El Charro Cafe Ventana my food was not only provided quickly but also with great taste. I ordered a Chicken Reynosa and the food was delicious. The service provided was by the manager herself who’s name is Miriam and it was great as she personally delivered us our plates and gave us great suggestions on our food by suggesting specific salsas to give our food an extra taste. She also provided us with great conversation which made me and wife’s day a lot better. It was without a doubt one of the best services I have had and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes good food!

The food and service are great here. Thw food is hot and ready within minutes of ordering. I've been here a few times and there were two employees that really stuck out to me. Leslie and Dillan were wonderful. Great service extremely kind and on top of everything. Would recommend this place. "A" in my gradebook. (Also portions are big so there are enough for next day left overs!)

El Charro Café is a Tucson icon and an absolute must if you're craving authentic Mexican food with history. I visited the Sunrise Drive location and was blown away by the flavor and quality. The carne seca was incredible--smoky, tender, and unlike anything I've had before. I also tried their famous chimichanga, and it lived up to the hype: perfectly crispy with flavorful fillings, topped with fresh guac and pico. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with beautiful Mexican decor that adds to the experience. The prickly pear margarita was refreshing and paired so well with the meal. The service was friendly and attentive, and I appreciated the range of vegan and gluten-free options. Whether you're a local or visiting Tucson, El Charro Café delivers delicious food and a sense of tradition that keeps you coming back. Read the full write up on Casa Saguaro's website!

Don't get me wrong -- I really wish I could give El Charro Café a five-star review. Growing up, it was one of our favorite restaurants to visit. However, I feel like they've lost some of their spark and authenticity. Their service staff is always very friendly and attentive, and their Oro Valley and Ventana locations offer gorgeous mountain views. But the menu leaves you wanting more. If you're a certified foodie, the prices will definitely make you feel like you're paying for the ambiance rather than an authentic culinary experience. For example, their nachos are big, but they look and taste like something you'd get at Taco Bell. If what you're looking for is ambiance, beautiful views, and good drinks, this is your place. If you're after a true Mexican culinary experience, there are other spots in town that will deliver that for a comparable or even better price.

Lovely outdoor seating. Service started a bit slow, like maybe the server had just come on duty. I could have used a refill on my water but that didn't happen. However, the food made up for the so so service. My husband ordered a burger, warm red and bloody. Came out well done. He ate it anyway as it was tasty. What's nice is that the burger didn't come with a ton of bread. I had the margarita salad. This salad was totally delicious! Mangos, apples, avocados oh my! Just fantastic! It was big enough to take the rest home for dinner. Now, what was new to us is the $2.00 charge added to the bill for the cooks. In fact there's a line item on the check so noting the charge. We have never sent this before. Had we known, we would have sent back the burger to have it prepared as ordered.

Was in town for a work conference and I just had to dine at El Charro as I remember it from back in the day when I went to UofA some 25 years ago. I'm used to going to the original location downtown off of Congress, but this was a nice atmosphere for a secondary location. We walked in around 7pm and they were busy so we just sat at the bar as there was no wait to dine there. We were treated by the bartender who took our drink order and we also put in an order for the table Guacamole as an appetizer. We order dinner after the drinks were dropped off. I tried the Birria Chimichanga which was outstanding and my friend ordered the Quesadillas. We both really enjoyed our meals.

Where to start.. while in Tucson near Sabino Canyon or Ventana Canyon, a few minutes away, delicious Mexican food. Pulled up on a Tuesday night for dinner and had a 15 minute wait for a table of 4. Started with a sangria, very refreshing. I am impressed by all the vegan options! See menu photo. Vegan enchiladas, vegan burrito, jack fruit tacos. I decided on enchilada, they were good. The complimentary chips and salsa gets a shout out. Red salsa was soo good! They were refilled. Waitress Service was okay, not terrible but also not great. Eat outside , lots of tables. Pretty view of mountains!

Special Send off dinner for an old friend. When this place is full, expect to wait. Dining and paying. So since we were 8, there was. Automatic 20 pct tip. On the receipt, and the server advised us. Then there was an additional tip line(exact words) and a cook tip line (exact words). Some how, I think this is beyond the pale. On the other side, dinner was very good, and I might come back for the enchiladas, looked better than mine. We ll see....

Every single time I eat at El Charro Cafe I leave SO happy. Tummy full, attentively served and feeling my time was well spent! This place is LEGEND for reasons earned! One day I'll get to meet Carlotta. She is the visionary restaurateur and culinary impresaria behind the city's most celebrated mexican establishment - a woman whose empire of taste and hospitality redefines the very art of festive dining ...... and maybe get her to take a break and hang with us for a little while. A girl can dream! I highly suggest you make reservations and bring your whole gang to El Charro Cafe, like me, you won't be disappointed.

I normally LOVE El Charro. Last night it was meh. It's probably my fault because I normally have a Birria burrito. Always excellent. Decided to say what the heck and try their burger with fries. I'd say my only hiccup is it wasn't very busy but it sort of took forever to get drinks get our food ordered and it took about 40 minutes until our food finally arrived It sort of went downhill from there when the food arrived and I looked at the burger and was asked is there anything else we needed and I said well how about some ketchup for the french fries fries and the burger? A few minutes later, the waiter came back to say I think we're out of ketchup, but I'll keep looking. He finally came back and said yep we've been out of ketchup since yesterday and I was a little puzzled by saying there's a bashes 500 feet from this restaurant Wouldn't your manager just go over and pick up a couple bottles of ketchup or stop somewhere and get ketchup? I get it. It's a Mexican restaurant who orders a burger and fries at a Mexican restaurant but at the same time if you're gonna sell a burger and french fries 90% of the people out there are almost always gonna want ketchup for their french fries The Caldo de queso was excellent I had never had it before and thought I usually have albondigas soup and figured let me try something different To sum it up have the soup skip the burger or bring your own ketchup

FYI the sizzling summer 5$ off certain menu items each Sunday most combinations Monday fajitas Tuesday tacos Wednesday enchiladas ends July 22,2024 Two for one 100$ gift cards Christmas in July now on sale on line through July 22, 2024 then in person July 24, 24 Great deal

After reading some of the recent reviews, I was having second thoughts about picking this place for meeting up with an old friend - but afterwards I wanted to drop onto yelp to say....we had no problems! This was my first time at El Charro and it was delicious. The birria roja chimichanga with rice and beans was just how I expected it to be, the service on a Monday evening was attentive and friendly. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town.

I can't believe this place only has 3.5 stars. We were just there and I ordered the steak and chicken fajitas. My wife ordered the taquitos. Both were fantastic. The steak and chicken were cooked perfectly, we got the chicken tortilla soup so good. My wife said the taquitos were awesome as well. Great food, excellent service. What more do you want.

Service was great overall, the place was beautiful too. The food was subpar at best. We ordered the taquitos and the chicken in it tasted like unseasoned canned chicken that had been cooked so it was beyond dry even drowned in sauce. Queso fundito with chorizo was basically melted shredded cheese with what we're sure is ground beef and not even actual chorizo. Pretty disappointed.

Taco sampler was a great way to taste a variety of meats and the calabacitas. Mole enchiladas were stuffed with white meat chicken with a rich mole sauce on top. Large portion of rice and beans complemented the enchiladas.

Best margaritas! Wonderful atmosphere. Great food too! We will be back the next time we are in town.

We were excited to try the original Mexican restaurant in Tucson. We did take out. It was 45 minutes delayed. The place was PACKED, there wasn't even a seat to wait at. The hostesses were not pleasant and/or welcoming. The quesofondido seemed like it had been sitting for well over an hour. It was more like a brick and less like the gooey cheesiness we were looking forward to having. The Reynosa chicken was my main meal - it was good, the white sauce hit the spot. Would I go back? Probably not.

Delicious food, servers well trained, nice atmosphere. Very authentic Mexican food. Best Mexican food in Tucson.

El Charro never misses because the food is always amazing, but I like this northeast location better because I think the service is better. This time I had the combo #1 that includes a chicken enchilada and beef taco. I also had the mangopeño drink that has muddled mango, jalapeño, tamarindo, agave, and tajin rim. So delicious!

We've been going to this El Charro for years. The food is consistent Tex mex. Some items better than others. Portions very large. Service always warm and friendly. One odd thing the last 2 times we ordered drinks first time out of mint second time out of tonic. Kind of hard to count on a bar or happy hour without these basics, especially since they share a parking lot with a grocery store.

Hopping Saturday night which gives me a lot of understanding for the noise and long wait for a table (about an hour). This is not excuse for the food however... a plate of tacos taking over 50 minutes is unheard of. Then the taco shells were a greasy mush. The meat was grey and more resembled a beef patty than typical taco meat. Very unimpressed. These were the name sake "El Charro" tacos highlighted on the menu. Bartenders were pleasant and on top of things but food was not worth it.

Great food + great service. They do not allow reservations so the wait can be lengthy if you don't come early

Great service, sat at the bar; nice location in the foothills; amazing quality drinks and food. One of the best Mexican food spots in Tucson!

Love coming here for dinner and drinks. I always get amazing service from Tori, she's attentive, courteous, and I always end up loving her recommendations. Their tamale stuffed chicken, enchiladas, and rolled tacos are a few of my favorites and their margaritas are some of the best in town!

Food took 40 minutes and was terrible. Carne asada steak was overcoooked pieces not steak, the enchilada and Ben's were ice cold all 4 of us disappointed. They comped much of it but still terrible.

This wonderful Mexican restaurant up on Sunrise Ave. in Tucson is a family favorite for special occasions, especially our large Christmas Eve dinners, held mid-afternoon. The servers bend over backwards to make our celebration a happy one.  We especially love the seafood enchiladas! We always get their yummy cheese crisps, and the complimentary chips and hot sauce are quite good.  The restaurant has a warm, homey feel, and makes me happy to have been born and raised in Arizona, and blessed to have always had great restaurants like this to enjoy. We SO appreciate these great people! Thank you!

Food is so good we come back weekly and it's been a decade. Drinks are always on point and happy hour makes them go down that much easier! Service is beyond fast even when they're slammed, kitchen and servers are in a groove for sure. Depending on the time or where you sit depends on how loud it gets. The patio is always a nice option when it's not 110 degrees.

Chose this restaurant to have a birthday dinner. Been here couple of times in the past and typically it's good. This visit did not meet expectations. Reservation was done and confirmed but when we got there, the table was not ready. We were greeted quite bluntly. Our server had a trainee. With a trainee, we expected the server to be the best out there- however it was the complete opposite. When we were placing our order for appetizers, I had mentioned let's know place our main meals yet. Server literally took our apps order then proceeded to ask if we want to place our orders for entrees. I was kind of stunned, like did you not just hear me when I mentioned we want our apps first? Attentiveness was definitely out the window. We were never asked for refills of our drinks. Some items for our orders were missing. Server came once to check on us, when the food arrived but never again. We had other 'servers' or 'bussers' asked how we are doing or if we need any boxes. Food overall was the best part of this experience. But the service was the major disappointment. We clearly chose this restaurant for everything but unfortunately we may come back here again for groups.

We've been to the downtown El Charro and loved it. This visit was more mediocre. My husband had the carne seca chimichanga. I had carne seca enchiladas. I really liked mine. My husband didn't like his at all. We each had prickly pear marguetitas ( YUM!) and they bring you never ending tortilla chips and salsa. All of that was great. Service was very good. We did not wait long for anything. We did go a little on the early side about 11:15am.

Decided to make another visit to the El Charro Ventana location. Surprise that service and atmosphere were exactly the same as before Different server SHELBY made sure everything was right. Even though they were short staffed at opening time they all pitched in and served all the patrons with speed and accuracy Even the weekend Manager pitched in and provided excellent performance GREAT CREW!

This was the perfect example of a beautiful restaurant shooting itself in the foot. It was as if the staff had gotten together for a passive-aggressive protest of having to work on Easter Day. When I called, the hostess put me on a long hold then only harped on the fact that they were closing early at 7pm. Not much encouragement, but I wanted to check out the rumored awesome margaritas. When I showed up at 5:50pm, the server Ania was responsive but never cracked a smile during the entire meal. I made a point of ordering the $19 El Charro Silver Cadillac Margarita. Ready for greatness, I kept sipping at it hoping that maybe there was a layer of melting ice blocking the flavor. In fact, there was a punked weak mixture of lemon lime and a clear alcohol in a glass filled to the top with ice. Without the salted rim, I wouldn't have even recognized it as a margarita. The carnitas tamales were really the only high point of the evening. Before I could finish my meal--and without my request--I was handed a to-go box. It was 6:30pm! To add insult to injury, the check added a line to ask for an extra $2 for the cooks. Really?!? The sunset on the mountains was beautiful, but I was so ready to leave. And, I won't be back.

Hard to fit it all in...Great service, best refries anywhere. Food is fabulous and many choices. We've been branching out from favorites. Their Elegante margarita is a must. Cadillac if you like a bit sweeter. We buy their Christmas in July BOGO cards every year! Reservations day before only. Has a busy buzz but not too loud.

This was the first time we've eaten at an El Charro.... Greeted at the door by a young lady, she took us to our table right away. Place was very decorative and has a very nice feeling. Cozy & clean. Food was great! We had 4 different dishes and we all took some home because we couldn't stop eating those amazing chips. I don't even know how to describe them but melt in your mouth. Our server, Sebastian, was fabulous and kept us laughing every time he came to the table. He did a wonderful job & kept up on all our questions & needs. We will be back for sure! If you are ever on this side of town, you MUST try this place!

In Tucson for a couple of days, so midweek, about 3 pm, went to this restaurant. One thing that makes or breaks a Mexican restaurant is the beans and rice. Simple food, but, the flavor and taste of both were very good. The taco shell was very good, light, but a very nice crunch and didn't fall apart. I sat at the bar and the service was very good.

Applies to Sunrise Location Only: The food was terrible and the service wasn't much better. If you go on Friday, make sure and book reserved seating or you will have a long wait - around one and a half hours. We had a lot of high expectations for El Charro on Sunrise and Kolb because we've had prior good experience at the downtown location on Court. We waited the hour and a half, since we didn't have reservations, but ended up with a lot of disappointments. My beef fajitas were inedible and consisted of mostly gristle and fat. After trying a few bites, I couldn't even eat one of them. It looked they took the parts of the beef that no one eats and put some seasoning on it and served on a plate. The tortilla and cheese on the cheese crisp was cold and hardened. The other family guests with me were not impressed with what they ordered either. However, the top-shelf margarita was good, so that's why I'm giving a star at all. Would not go back for food. Maybe a drink.

I took friends from Canada to this El Charro location to impress them but we weren't impressed. The food was just average. I've had a better experience at the Oro Valley location.

Awesome food and great atmosphere. I love coming here. This place has a vibrant history here in Tucson.

It's always incredibe. Tied for best authentic Mexican food in Tucson...I don't know who else is tied for number ONE!!!

We are regulars at this family owned restaurant. Always great food and excellent service.

Not too good of experience. Carne iberria beef enchiladas were awful. Just big chunks of chuck roast. No spices or sauce in the iberria. Terrible

My wife and I went for an early dinner on a Friday afternoon. We arrived at 4:15 pm. The food here may be fantastic but we were never was served our food and so we'll never know. We ordered and waited. At 5:30 the waitress came by, and was perplexed that we were still not served our food. She went to the kitchen to check and at 5:35 p.m. we left. Truly we had a pitiful experience... I can't say dining experience as we didn't dine.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS- FOOD POISONING dined here with my family, and although we enjoyed the service, the food tasted good (I had the three enchilada sampler), and the atmosphere was lovely with live music- I later that night had the worst food poisoning of my life which lasted several days. Really such a shame, hadn't been here in years and will never be returning.

I sat outside at the bar. For a steamy, hot day, it was surprisingly cool & comfortable. The decor was really nice. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many gluten-free options! The food was really tasty. This place definitely lived up to the hype.

Great restaurant. We've been eating here for years. Everything I've had has been delicious. We love the Ventana location with the beautiful View of the mountains and the friendly service

Good food & atmosphere. The service is sometimes slow and / or spotty. We like the place overall.

Visiting Tucson for the weekend and this place was very close to our hotel. We ordered the Tortilla soup and the beef fajitas. We were in no rush and we got there after the dinner time rush (around 7:30pm) Service was awful - they didn't give us any refill on the chips, no refilling water glasses, just completely ignored and we waited about 45-50min to hail our waiter and ask about our food. 10min later our food arrives by a lady from the kitchen and nearly throws it on our table and leaves - my husband and I were just stunned and couldn't do anything but laugh. Now to the food - the tortilla soup - awful, onions in a broth with some avocado and a ball of melted cheese at the bottom of the bowl. The fajitas were very tough and the plate of rice and beans were smaller than a child's plate.

May 30, 2023 - El Charro Cafe, Tucson, AZ We came in at noon on a Tuesday. There were 4 people in our party. We were seated immediately in a spacious booth and handed menus and provided with ice water and chips and salsa. Our server, Cassandra, showed up shortly afterwards and took our drink orders. We got two prickly pear margaritas and a mango margarita. Drinks came out quickly. The chips and salsa were pretty good and the margaritas were all tasty. Five stars for those and 5 stars for the good service. We ordered the crispy charro ground beef tacos, the rolled crispy chicken tacos, the soft tortilla fish tacos, and the chopped margarita salad. The beef tacos and margarita salad we the best of the four meals. The fish tacos lacked flavor and the chicken taco meat was dry and flavorless. The taco plates all came with rice and bean and that was good. Overall, 2.5 stars for the entrees. The ambiance is nice and a good place to have a drink. They have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Food is awesome as always. Service just as good. Today & Tomorrow only they have Christmas n July. Buy a $100 gift card and get a $100 gift card. Fabulous deal. I got their chicken flautas which were great as always. My husband at the enchilada with white sauce, which the sauce was so tasty! Definitely recommend.

As authentic as it gets. I have been to El Charro many times over a 30 year span. It never changes. Old line Sonoran cooking. The beef is the specialty and has been for over a century, or more. Dried on the roof over tin plates. If you are in Tucson, go to old town and bite into history. The place is a step back in time. Good drinks and excellent service make it a great place, soaked in tradition.

AMAZING Food service !! Visiting from out of town and have been back multiple times. This is now our go to place while in town.