Love this place the food is great. The service is great and sitting in the courtyard is absolutely wonderful.
Liz C.
We got seated right away. It was busy for lunch mid week. Excellent food and excellent service. Their chicken enchilada was the best I have ever tasted. Looking forward to trying the other amazing food on their menu.
Emily Hannon
Felt forgotten
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Casie Kamph
Absolutely LOVED El Charro! What delicious food, fun service, and great atmosphere! I will say the wait is insane, so make sure to get your name on the list early! We got the table side guac, queso, and then I got some carnitas tacos!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Greg D
I can speak to the burritos and the chimichangas, as that's what the 4 people had at our table. And the beer (IPA) was awesome as well.Super service and atmosphere, as well !Parking: Pay by App or card
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wayne Linder
You come here for the food, not the atmosphere. We were seated at the table right next to the kitchen doors. I think they had a door to the outside open, because it felt like a hurricane coming out of those kitchen doors. That said, the amazing food made it worth it. We literally ate there every night of our vacation – luckily, not at that same table. ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
YC CountOn Hahn
I visited here on Saturday afternoon for the lunch, and got seated after around 50 min wait. The Chimichengha woth sun dried beef was great, and the salsa was good too. But the chip was stale, and the margaritas was very light. The worst part was the steel chair they provided in the front area of the restaurant. The chair was very bad, thus my back hurt, and the seat cover was very dirty. I may take out the food to the hotel or to the car next time. Is it worth the visit and the hassle? Yes, but only one time. I would not visit again for my next trip to Tucson.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Jeff Zenno
I thought the signature beef patty taco was interesting and good, but not something for every visit. I felt the prickly pear margarita just tasted like sugar so maybe go for another one. I'd like to definitely try other things on the menu.
Allison V.
Loved the pineapple paloma! The cheese crisp was a little overdone, but the other food was good. Long wait so get there early.
Patrick M.
Not good. Been there twice and very disappointed at any price, and it is not cheap. Best thing I can say about the place is the atmosphere, nice looking place. The service was OK, although had to actually ask for table service and napkins . THE FOOD was very DISAPPOINTING. The meat in the Carne Seca Platter and the El Charro Carne Seca with Enchilada style red sauce was very dry, tough and devoid of any flavor. The red sauce was as bland as I have ever tasted. Even with a sharp knife I had to struggle to cut through the thing. And, the menu price for the El Charro Carne Seca Enchilada said $18.95 with your choice of sauce and cheese. When the bill came they charged me $20.20 plus $2.95 for the sauce. Needless to say, I will not be recommending this place to anyone.
We made reservations. We needed them. Service, food, decor, wonderful. I love Chili Rellanos, next time I'll want two. The Mango Margaritas were too tasty. Meaning-amazingly good, not too sweet, perfect.
Rick S
The quintessential Tucson and Mexican fare. 100+ years in biz. Any questions?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Maya Saren
VERY long wait time, even on a weekday. We literally had margaritas in our hand at the Oro Valley location by the time we got the text that our table was ready. Would definitely just drive the extra distance to the other location to avoid the wait and crowd.
Lisa L.
Visiting Tucson from Iowa last week and knew we needed to try the original El Charro while in town. I'm always on a quest to find the best tamales and the best margaritas. These tamales were by far the best I've had. The masa was soft and oh so flavorful and the meat was tender and mouth-watering. 5-stars for my meal! The margarita on the other hand, was very mediocre. That's the only reason for the drop to a 4 star review. The restaurant was clean, the staff super friendly and the food outstanding. You have to try it!
J.P. W.
I like this space a lot. Some of the area is a little crowded but up by the fireplace and the "John McCain plaque" is very enjoyable. The server seemed a little hurried but was quite friendly. To be fair, they were very busy so I get the hurried part. Food was excellent, as was the menu selection. I really enjoy the vibe and location and I look forward to going back.
Love this place the food is great. The service is great and sitting in the courtyard is absolutely wonderful.
We got seated right away. It was busy for lunch mid week. Excellent food and excellent service. Their chicken enchilada was the best I have ever tasted. Looking forward to trying the other amazing food on their menu.
Felt forgotten
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Absolutely LOVED El Charro! What delicious food, fun service, and great atmosphere! I will say the wait is insane, so make sure to get your name on the list early! We got the table side guac, queso, and then I got some carnitas tacos!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can speak to the burritos and the chimichangas, as that's what the 4 people had at our table. And the beer (IPA) was awesome as well.Super service and atmosphere, as well !Parking: Pay by App or card
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You come here for the food, not the atmosphere. We were seated at the table right next to the kitchen doors. I think they had a door to the outside open, because it felt like a hurricane coming out of those kitchen doors. That said, the amazing food made it worth it. We literally ate there every night of our vacation – luckily, not at that same table. ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visited here on Saturday afternoon for the lunch, and got seated after around 50 min wait. The Chimichengha woth sun dried beef was great, and the salsa was good too. But the chip was stale, and the margaritas was very light. The worst part was the steel chair they provided in the front area of the restaurant. The chair was very bad, thus my back hurt, and the seat cover was very dirty. I may take out the food to the hotel or to the car next time. Is it worth the visit and the hassle? Yes, but only one time. I would not visit again for my next trip to Tucson.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
I thought the signature beef patty taco was interesting and good, but not something for every visit. I felt the prickly pear margarita just tasted like sugar so maybe go for another one. I'd like to definitely try other things on the menu.
Loved the pineapple paloma! The cheese crisp was a little overdone, but the other food was good. Long wait so get there early.
Not good. Been there twice and very disappointed at any price, and it is not cheap. Best thing I can say about the place is the atmosphere, nice looking place. The service was OK, although had to actually ask for table service and napkins . THE FOOD was very DISAPPOINTING. The meat in the Carne Seca Platter and the El Charro Carne Seca with Enchilada style red sauce was very dry, tough and devoid of any flavor. The red sauce was as bland as I have ever tasted. Even with a sharp knife I had to struggle to cut through the thing. And, the menu price for the El Charro Carne Seca Enchilada said $18.95 with your choice of sauce and cheese. When the bill came they charged me $20.20 plus $2.95 for the sauce. Needless to say, I will not be recommending this place to anyone.
Restaurantji Recommends
We made reservations. We needed them. Service, food, decor, wonderful. I love Chili Rellanos, next time I'll want two. The Mango Margaritas were too tasty. Meaning-amazingly good, not too sweet, perfect.
The quintessential Tucson and Mexican fare. 100+ years in biz. Any questions?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
VERY long wait time, even on a weekday. We literally had margaritas in our hand at the Oro Valley location by the time we got the text that our table was ready. Would definitely just drive the extra distance to the other location to avoid the wait and crowd.
Visiting Tucson from Iowa last week and knew we needed to try the original El Charro while in town. I'm always on a quest to find the best tamales and the best margaritas. These tamales were by far the best I've had. The masa was soft and oh so flavorful and the meat was tender and mouth-watering. 5-stars for my meal! The margarita on the other hand, was very mediocre. That's the only reason for the drop to a 4 star review. The restaurant was clean, the staff super friendly and the food outstanding. You have to try it!
I like this space a lot. Some of the area is a little crowded but up by the fireplace and the "John McCain plaque" is very enjoyable. The server seemed a little hurried but was quite friendly. To be fair, they were very busy so I get the hurried part. Food was excellent, as was the menu selection. I really enjoy the vibe and location and I look forward to going back.