Tacos Apson

I was in Tucson for several days on a business meeting. I found Tacos Apson and went there four times during my 5 day trip!! The tacos easy rasurado and beef rib plate were absolutely phenomenal. I’ve been to Mexico City and even the tacos there pale in comparison to this gem. I didn’t like Tucson at all because of the heat, but I’d move there just to have these tacos daily. Best taco shop in Tucson bar none.

Arrived just in time when I came here! This place is legit so no wonder it gets packed so fast! I finally got the chance to stop by as it was on my list to try. I had heard several people recommend the place for their amazing choices in different meats all seasoned and cooked great. My husband’s order included to Apson taco. Must be the #1 item we would recommend to try when stopping here. It’s a covered outdoor seating area and you get to grab your own toppings of choice. Would come here again. It was all very delicious and the price is great for the quality and amount of food you get.

Off the beaten path walk up taco shop with outdoor tent seating. The meat was cooked to perfection and the salsa bar is on point! I was too excited to eat the tacos so i forgot to take a picture of them haha. No beer but they do have coke and horchata.

Just get the tacos Hass. They are awesome. This place is pricey. The torta was $18!

The Conyers of the burrito is so bomb no fat in the carne comes freaking with nothing else you can put your own condiments just can't go wrong.

Los Tacos Apson 3501 S 12th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713 $25 for four tacos and two Mexican Coke  I recently indulged in a satisfying meal at Apson Tacos in Tucson, following a recommendation from my Facebook friends. The restaurant's setup was unique, with the kitchen housed inside and the dining area located outdoors, where a few fans efficiently kept the area cool and inviting. While the quality of the meats in the tacos was decent, I found the price point to be a bit high for what was offered. However, the standout feature of my dining experience was the salsa salad bar. The salsa salads were exceptionally fresh and well-prepared, elevating the overall enjoyment of the tacos. Coming from Chicago, where I have a particular way of enjoying my food, akin to how I like my hot dogs topped with a salad, the addition of the fresh and flavorful salads to the tacos was a delightful surprise. Looking ahead, I envision the salad bar expanding its offerings to include pickled carrots and jalapeños, which would further enhance the dining experience. Despite my minor qualms about the pricing, the exceptional quality of the salads ensures that I will definitely return to Apson Tacos in the future.

Had tacos. Asada, Pastor, and Barabacoa. All three were great. Salsa bar reminded me of street tacos in Ensanada with all the sides.

Tacos were delicious 😋 I tried the Apson (my fave by far), Pastor, lengua, cabeza and Asada. All were very good paired with the salsas and pickled onions. The 6 hour drive from San Diego was beautiful, and the tacos capped it off beautifully and so worth it!!!! I was disappointed with the rib, many reviewers and Mark Wiens raved about them..... mine was dry and lacking any real meat- tough/ dry and really a let down for sure 😞 Maybe it was luck of the draw, and I got a bad one. 🤷‍♂️ Next time I'm in Tucson, I'll be stopping by for more tacos for sure tho!!!!!

And I'm going to drive out of my way EVERY TIME to eat here Why?!?! I'll tell you ! Fresh food Cold salsa and sides Fun music Kind staff Outside seating (not summer friendly but imma still go) Near public transportation Easy freeway and city access to all of Tucson

Update on an old Favorite -- Taco's Apson on S. 12th. Simple frijole taco on flour tortilla X 3 is a great small lunch! The simplicity of these tacos is sneaky; the taste of crazy good. The hot tacos beg to be enjoyed by aroma before you get 'em back to a seat from the counter. Taste is unique; simple but SO frigin' good. Available condiments such as pico de Gallo are good to add but not really necessary.

Always a fan favorite. Today I got an asada caramelo and the meat had a ground texture, it was very weird. It's been super greasy the last few visits as well. I also got a piece of buttered pan cause it's my favorite. Service was quick and they salsa bar was generously stocked. Plenty of seating but lots of flies too!

Delicious and authentic. Love the tacos. Always good service. I go whenever I am close by. Highly recommend!

Dropped by the day after xmas and it's packed!! We couldn't even get a seat indoor. We got asada, pastor, barbacoa, cabeza, tripa, Apson,lengua, Castillos (ribs). I love love love the pastor, ribs and apson, my partner loved the lengua. We were both not a fan of the tripa (even tho we both r big intestine lovers) The ribs are very delicious I will be dreaming about it for a long time. The seasoning is sooooo on point. And it's not oily at all. Everyone there is very nice! They gave us some complimentary bean taco thing on the house! They do take card payments! The salsa counter is also pretty good! The place is not small but it fills up crazily fast. Will come back again in the future

After a long week at work this is the best way to kick off the weekend. You do it with a carne asada torta.

Coming from Alaska I was looking for legit authentic tacos. Well, Tacos Apson nailed it. This place was highly recommended by local friends and I knew it would be good if it was one of their favorites. This place did not disappoint! Diverse authentic options for Tacos, Burros, and Tortas. The Asada was perfectly seasoned. La Cabesa was tender and juicy. I even tried the Ubre / tripes de leche which was surprisingly delicious. The salsa was, excuse the vernacular, on point.

Amazing: speed, prices, food, and salsa bar. I got 5 tacos and an horchata for around $26. It was so speedy which was nice since it was hot ! The parking is always a little hard here but usually you're in an out. The food is always 10/10 and my favorite is the taco haas. I tell all my visitors we need to go here. There's no ac since it's an outdoor establishment but they can give you foil if you want to take it to go!

Great Sonoran tacos, the outdoor sitting was well covered and the ambiance allowed for friendly hang out for our group of seven. Order at the window and pick up service once they call your name. Recommend the Lorenza, the Rasurado, and the bean and cheese burrito on flour tortilla! But don't seat down once you pick up your food, make sure to hit that salad bar to choose some must add-ons ranging in variety of salsas. A must go if you're in the Tucson area. Definitely looking forward to my next trip out here.

Visiting from the east coast with a very loose grasp of Spanish. The menu made no sense to me, so I asked the guy what he recommended. He said a lot of words I didn't understand. I said I'll take two. What I got were two of the tastiest tacos I've ever had, east or west coast. Satisfying, too. Five stars for the food. The setting is essentially a glorified food truck, so don't go there if you're looking to be pampered or waited on.

It's an outside establishment, so lots of flies and humid/hot, it's expensive $3.55 for ONE taco! Tacos were greasy, and small for that price. I do want to say that they keep the floors and tables clean. But the amount of flies and price of the food is gonna be a No for me. $14 for a burrito! And the staff did not seem like they liked working. The lady taking our order was rushing us and looked annoyed.

I love this place so much that Tacos Apson was the location of our Valentine's Day dinner! Tacos Apson has improved the outdoor dining experience by enclosing it in a nice, heavy duty plastic enclosure with a split curtain entrance which means any fly problem has been drastically decreased. I know the prices are a little high for a taqueria but they do not skimp on loading their tacos or burritos. You can't beat the taste of the food at Tacos Apson!

Excellent food and service! Great signature items and we were very pleased with everything we ordered. We tried about half the menu.

This place will make you sick please check this place of business. Not clean or sanitary. I'm disappointed of this place .

Food was decent, don't go during the day as they don't have air conditioning and the seating area is outdoors. You're looking at about $5/ taco for average tacos. Not bad but wouldn't recommend.

The taco Apson was so unique and amazing I see why this place named for that taco. You should definitely try this taco.

Got 4 tacos and a Carmelo. This was the worst meat I've ever tried to eat.. on all items. The food is inedible, and the bag and tacos dripped grease. I understand good food can be greasy.. but I wonder if they poured the grease trap in it. Disgusting. Would never eat here again. Yuck. Nice enough ppl working there.

This place was voted best tacos in Mesa and I can see why. A very authentic Mexican experience with a wide variety of items to choose from. The staff is very friendly and sorry. Plus there's a salsa bar which everyone loves.

Best tacos that I've tasted since I've move to Tucson from California. The carne Asada tacos are full of flavor, and tthe meat is tender !!! the amount they serves is worth your buck. My fiancé got the Sonora hotdog and loves the homemade sauce they put inside. And my son got the caramelo (quesadilla with meat ) he gave it 5 stars!! lol great customer service they greet you with a smile and hellos and they are very clean and love how they are an outside establishment and yet the customers are still in a cool environment love how they set that up. We will be going again to try something new !!!

Staff was friendly enough. But these were probably the worst tacos I've ever had. In one or both nof mine there was something so hard it seemed like bones. Maybe it was just overly cooked tiny chunks of fat or meat but it could have broken my teeth. You have to add toppings yourself from probably very dirty utensils.

Beans were nasty. Meat was greasy af. Tortillas were good. Condiment options were bunk and lemons were dry or old. Horchata was good. Vibes were not it. My brother said it's usually not like that, but idk. I was not impressed tbh

I have heard a lot of people say this place was fire. It was mediocre. The Barbacoa meat had good flavor. The carne asada and carnitas were ok. Carne Asada had no flavor and was dry the carnitas were real greasy. Service was quick and location was very basic for a taco joint. Still looking for the best carne asada tacos in Tucson.

Visited Tacos Apson and mainly wanted to try their asada rib tacos! We ended up getting an order of Al pastor, carne asada, Lorenza, taco apson, Lengua, and Rasurado (the asada rib taco!) Each taco costed about $4.25-$5.00 but the meat portions are generous! The pile of meat almost covers the whole taco. There wasn't a time where meat didn't spill out when we took a bite. You can choose between corn and flour tortillas as well. The salsa and toppings bar is awesome. They had 3 types of salsa and a lot of available toppings like lime, onions and cilantro, pickled red onions, minced cabbage and pico de gallo. Each taco was pretty solid! We especially enjoyed the rasurado! The meat was crispy and delicious. Unfortunately the lengua we had was really salty and soggy; we couldn't eat more than two bites. The restaurant seating is outdoors with the clear tarp and has a small lot up front. A talented gentleman came to sing while people were eating. Overall I would recommend this restaurant if you're a fan of tacos!

Have been going here for years and it is consistently good. Love the papas and they have GREAT beans!! Try the costillas for sure!!! Go with a crowd and try everything in the menu slathered with homemade salsas and other offerings from the salsa bar. Can't go wrong with this local fave.

best tacos i've had in tucson, still have more research to conduct however. generous portions of meat along with a condiment bar that boasts the hits. flour tortilla option is valued and they are very good. cabeza and lengua tacos are by far the best in my opinion and bursting with juice. service is prompt and easy. only downside is a little pricey especially for lengua but is still very much worth your time and effort, haven't had anything better in the city. A++

Wow I was surprised to find such good tacos, better than anything I've had in the South Bay Area in California and up to par with LA tacos. The meats had a slight smokiness go them. I love tacos with stewed meat. My favorite was the lengua and cabeza. The salsas were kind of bland, so the meat carries the flavors through. The ribs were chewy and beef jerky like, so if that's what you enjoy, go for it. The service was friendly, even though I came 10 minutes till closing. I'll definitely be back!

Authentic street tacos with not your typical menu items. I appreciate how they had tripe, cebesza, and even cow balls. Eeek. The cow balls tasted like liver however may it be for those non liver eaters. The asada tacos were delicious! I'll give this place a good review. Tables are outside. Parking is limited. Over all good customer service and food.

tl;dr don't be overwhelmed by the extensive menu at this hole-in-the-wall Tucson taqueria -- order plenty of costillas tacos and thank me later Tacos Apson is a well-regarded, Sonoran-style taco shop that's been in operation for over 2 decades. Owner Francisco Durazo named the restaurant after Los Apson, the Mexican rock-and-roll band that his father performed in. Since opening, very little has changed about Apson, and Durazo continues to take pride in his traditional ingredients and transparent preparation process. The record-and-guitar-themed logo is painted directly onto the white brick wall. Industrial fluorescent lighting and large fans hang above the semi-enclosed patio, and plenty of bright-red tables with built-in benches are scattered around the space. The black, white, and red menu is plastered next to the order counter, with a supplementary banner running underneath a window that peers into the kitchen. A compact, stainless steel salsa bar is well-stocked in the back. Spanish language music plays quietly around the space. My partner and I arrived for weeknight dinner, and Tacos Apson boasted a steady stream of customers, all locals and regulars. We opted for Horchata and 4 tacos: Cabeza, Apson, Costillas, and Gringa Tacos. Within minutes, we were handed a black cafeteria tray laden with styrofoam dishes. Notably, each taco was flavorful enough to enjoy without any fix-ins, but the salsas each rocked. Further, the medium-sized flour tortillas were served warm but slightly gummy. Far and away, our favorite was the costillas, loaded generously with juicy, savory meat. My only complaint was that the meat defaulted to pre-chopped, rather than on-the-bone. We also enjoyed the rich albeit slightly chewy cabeza, as well as the quesadilla-esque Gringa and it's flavorful but fatty carne al pastor. In contrast, we were less fond of the Apson-style, filled with a clashing blend of carne asada, queso, chile verde, onion, bacon, and mushrooms. Finally, the horchata was largely forgettable, overly sweet, and not particularly cinnamony. Each tortilla is generously filled, and tacos run approximately $3-5 each, and our meal worked out to about $25 total. While most of our tacos ranged between good and mediocre, I'll be dreaming about the costillas -- it alone is reason enough to visit Apson.

I've heard from local Tucsonans that Taco Apson is a must go if you want good street tacos, but to be honest I think I had my expectations too high because I wasn't super impressed. Don't get my wrong, they are one of the few taco places i've been to so far that has a wide variety of meat options. I ordered the cabeza, lengua and tripa tacos. Lengua is my absolute favorite taco meat, so I had no complaints at all. Cabeza was also delicious. The only one I really didn't like was the tripa. They had a slight gritty feeling in the mouth that I wasn't a big fan of. It was seasoned well but I'm weird with food texture and wasn't a fan. I also ordered a Horchatta which was delicious.

The sbest tacos you can get in Tucson. The service is always fast and on point. The ambiance is great you will even get people walking up selling goods

Such a great taco spot, the meat was amazing and flavorful. They have a topping bar that you can choose your favorite salsas at to make your taco exactly how you like it. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Only downside was that the seating was outside and there were a lot of flies but it was worth it. Definitely one of the more authentic tacos I've had in tucson.

Just ok. The meat all tasted the same. I think the most standout taco was the Apson one. Otherwise meat was tender and juicy with the only outstanding flavor being salt. The condiments didn't add much either, the red onion was very tame and had no flavor. The salsas were all great and elevated the tacos a lot. Horchata was refreshing and sweet. Overall expensive for what I ended up with, will probably not return.

This has been on my to-visit list for quite a while, as multiple people have raved that these are the best tacos in town but it is a bit of a drive from where I live. I finally ended up going when a friend wanted to try a new taco place. It is right across from a school, so I can imagine that after school this plan would likely get quite busy. I have now come here twice and both were during off hours. We were lucky and able to snag a seat both times. I feel that the lengua, cabeza, and costillas are excellent picks. The meat for all three of these was succulent, flavorful, and something I would definitely order again. To be honest I feel like I couldn't tell which one was which. I also enjoyed the apson tacos which have some mushrooms mixed with the meat. The al pastor was also decent. I admit I ordered the huevos becerro and at th time I did not realize it was calf testicles. I actually planned to try that organ meat at least once, since I enjoy things like stomach and intestines in Mexican and Chinese cuisine (and I swear a master chef episode said that's a delicacy??) The flavor actually reminded me of liver. Would I get it again? No, no, no. I don't have the balls to knowingly order that (pun fully intended). The salsa bar is self serve and delicious, so you can happily load up your tacos. I'd be wary to utilize the salsa bar on a hot day, however. The food is decent but I feel it is comparable to several other places around town. The prices also aren't as low as I expected them to be, but that may be inflation playing a part as well. If I'm in the area or if someone wants to go there specifically, I would happily go. However, if I was alone craving tacos, I wouldn't make the drive out there.

4 1/2 stars huh?! OK, maybe I came in on an off day, but with four different tacos? We watched the video of Mark Wiens visit where he tried the rib tacos and he loved them. Before that I read an article from a Phoenix publication about Tacos Apson. We ordered two rib tacos, cabeza, Lengua, and two carne asada tacos. The rib tacos were hard and dry with no flavor. I don't know how long ago the ribs were cooked. The lengua taco was overcooked to the point of mushy. The cabeza taco was just downright gross. I couldn't eat it. The carne asada tacos were OK, but I expected more of a char/smoky flavor because of the type of oak they used. There was none. We came to Tucson because we heard if we want delicious authentic tasting Mexican food, we had to go to Tucson. So far we tried two places and they're no better than Phoenix metro. We still have two more days. Wish us luck!

All you need to get here is the Alambre. It's essentially all the filling that comes in an Apson taco, only it's an entire plate of it. It comes loaded with carne asada, chile verde, onions, bacon and mushrooms all brought together by melted cheese and man is it GOOD. You can make about five tacos out of it, depending on how you fill your tortilla. One of the best things I've had in my more than four years of living in Tucson. I was not a big a fan of the beef rib with chewy, jerky-like meat, but it might be for others. Barbacoa, pastor and tripa were decent. But that's why all you need is the alambre!!!

Great Norteño Style Mexican Tacos! Rustic but friendly service...try the mixed meat tacos or burritos if you're a meat lover..

These are in my opinion the BEST Carne Asada tacos in town. The Apson itself is amazing. It's got a mesquite taste that is to die for. Not lying. The way it works, is you get in line and order from the window. She gives you your drink and your #. You get your food and can go to a salsa bar where you can embellish your food. It's a seat outside under a patio type place. Serve yourself and take your trash to the trash can with your plate when you are done eating. I have been here 4x. in the past mo. Brought both my sons here when they were home from school.....made hubby go to. The place gets busy and the toppings bar can get congested. It's so good though. By far one of the best examples of Tucson tacos.

I read about this restaurant in the July/August issue of a popular cooking magazine...what a disappointment. My daughter and I had the rasurado tacos...the meat was obviously burnt, so not very tasty or tender (the cook/ waitress didn't notice? My daughter also had a sonoran dog ...this might be a personal preference, but we have eaten many of these as we live in Tucson...no Jalapeño salsa or any type of salsa on the dog we will not try any location in the future. We were at the Marana location. We LOVE Mexican food...probably the 2nd restaurant review I have ever written.

Locals come here and was recommended by many Influenster. I get the hype and how they have specialty's that others done have. I would skip the costillas (rib) very tough to eat and hefty price of $4.35 for a hole in the wall. The caramelon was my favorite - quesadilla with asada and cheese. Cooked to perfection and very crispy. Tacos ranged from 3.75 to 4 which you can get cheaper at other places. The Hass was my favorite since it was peppers and meat. Outdoor seating with lots of flies. Might not be ideal . Quick service.

Ribs were really tough, perhaps bad day although I'd argue, it's Friday dinner service. I came here through Mark Weins YouTube video, just happen to be in town for work. I can't distinguish the difference in quality vs other Mexican restaurants. Anyways, I'm Chinese so whatever value this has to you. It's good-okay food overall. Cheers

Note: Everything is self-serve - from ordering, to fetching your food, to bussing your own table. I asked the guy in charge to pick any four tacos. He selected: Asada; Apson; Pastor; and Lorenza. The total with tax/tip was just over $21.... steep for 5 inch street tacos. They were ready at the window less than 5 min later and, other than the Apson (which includes mushrooms, cheese, green chili) they all arrived as plain meats. There is a substantial amount of protein on each: edge-to-edge on the small tortillas. Fat/gristle were average-to-minimal. And there is a very organized, clean, self-serve salsa and condiments bar in the middle of the patio seating area. I loaded up the three plain tacos with green salsa, pico, and onions. My favs were the Apson(!) and the Asada. The Lorenza was too plain (I should have tried Cabeza) and the Pastor lacked sufficient pastor-spicing. Given the over all cost, especially for 100% self-service, no indoor seating or restrooms, it's a solid 4-star recommendation. Tucson has mui competition when it comes to stellar tacos.

Ok this place rocks! I always try to stop here when working in Tucson. It's just a little place with only outdoor seating. Lots of flys and not super clean but the tacos are great! I usually get the rasurado (sp?) or asada tacos. They give you a lot of meat so it's pretty filling. There is also a condiment cart with hot sauces and veggies to add on. I definitely recommend this place. Maybe get it to go so you won't have to deal with the flies.

This was recommended to me by a friend- brought visiting family here straight from the airport. The food was fast, affordable and so many interesting meats to put in a taco! There is a topping station with everything from guacamole crema to cabbage to limes. It might be crazy during a school day, since there is a high school right across the street. I can imagine the outside picnic table style seating would be very popular with the students (it certainly would have been for me when I was in high school). I will definitely be back!

We came here late one night after a baseball game and you could tell by how busy it was at 11pm that the food was going to be good. Just like most really delicious taquerias, the outside isn't anything special, but you don't come here for the ambiance, you come for the FOOD. I got a barbacoa taco, a taco chino and a Lorenza. You really can't find barbacoa at most taquerias and it was absolutely so flavorful. As other reviews have said, the salsa bar is small and doesn't accommodate more than 1-2 people at a time, which can be annoying if you go during a busy time. The food comes out very quickly, which makes it easy to order more after you quickly finish the most delicious tacos. I highly recommend the taco chino, it seems like nothing, just beans on a flour tortilla but it is the most amazing couple of bites you'll have

Always amazing tacos. Best in town. Been around forever. What else is there to say. Great food.

We tried many of the items. The taco apson was very good, especially if you like mushrooms. The al pastor tacos were good. The burrito with al pastor was OK but that's all that's in it. I guess I was suppose to add the cabbage and salsa from the salsa bar. They ran out of onions. It was a very busy time. I do wonder how hygienic the salsa bar is. The place is small and seating limited. It is outdoor and not so clean but hey this was a very authentic experience. Try the caramelo, it was good.

You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. This is a really cool place to hang out and get extraordinarily amazing Mexican food. It's a bit pricey for what you get, but the taste will make you forget all about that.

Wow. What a disappointment, Always get beef ribs. But this time ribs are super small and half burnt. Buyer beware. Very tiny. Bathroom filthy

If you're looking for authentic Mexican tacos this side of the border, Tacos Apson is your place. It's one of those hard to find spots that is off the beaten path, but when we arrived late on a Friday night (11:45 pm) and the line was down the block, I knew it was legit. It's located sort of in the middle of a neighborhood, so make sure you have good directions on your phone before setting out. This place serves legit, grease soaked tacos. Their specialty is carne asada, so don't even think about ordering anything but that. They have a few other options (check out the menu online), but we stuck with the asada. Note that English is sort of spoken here, but it definitely helps if you have a working knowledge and minor grasp of Spanish. We ordered in Spanish and it was a lifesaver, as the men taking orders didn't seem to speak English much at all. The dining area is all outdoors under an awning, so we found a booth and took a seat. Make sure you hang close if you don't know numbers in Spanish, because they will call out your order and you may miss it. Our food was ready within 10 minutes, and it was a feast! We had several tacos and two asada quesadillas. It was a pile of food that was likely the result of miscommunication, but we ended up eating almost all of it. The beef was good, but a little underseasoned. It was ridiculous greasy, like the kind of food where grease literally drips down your chin with every bite. Thankfully we had a roll of paper towels in the car (I went to get them because the napkins provided by the restaurant were way too thin). The tortillas were very thin and excellent, but the salsas added all the flavor. You have to ask for them, so get extra. They only sell Mexican sodas, so we drank Coke Zero out of our cooler that we hauled along on our road trip. If you don't want super sugary drinks, bring your own like we did. They didn't seem to mind. The prices aren't as cheap as you'd expect (or as inexpensive as they should be) for a hole-in-the-wall taco joint, but the food is tasty. This is a VERY local place with a VERY local clientele, so I would say it's for adventurous eaters only. It's pretty dirty, and we got a few weird looks as the only gringos there. No matter, we love to eat! About 10 minutes after we sat down, the local ice cream man pulled up in his truck. I thought he was going to set up shop, but he was coming to eat, LOL. After he ate, he actually DID open up his truck for business! Almost everyone there went running to get in line for after dinner helado!