New Tucson brunch cafe Buendia will make your soul (and your stomach) happy

Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe quietly filled the space left vacant by Asian Sofrito, just north of Grant Road and First Avenue, in November 2021.

In the meantime, husband-wife team Julio and Jael Garcia had transformed the space, installing stained cactus ribs across the ceiling and whitewashing the insides. Tables are covered with white tablecloths, run across are striped Mexican blankets. “Part of the inspiration is from Prep & Pastry — they have an all-white interior — then we added a colorful touch,” said Julio.

Julio references the brunch juggernaut, I suspect, because he is ambitious and has studied the Ares Collective’s success in Tucson. (Not only has he spent his life in the restaurant industry, but “I’ve spent 15 years working on this concept with my wife,” he said.)

But Buendia is more than a restaurant with a Mexican spin on a brunch menu — it’s a place where you can find excellent home-cooking and an atmosphere inspired by the folklife of Nogales, Sonora.

“If you go to Nogales, you’re going to see people walking, laughing, talking to each other on the street. We wanted to bring that part of Mexico to Tucson,” Julio said.

Julio aspires for Buendia to be more than a place with good food, but a reflection of Tucson’s community. “That’s why we didn’t do any radio advertisements,” he said. “We wanted the community to invite their own people. If you like it, you’re going to bring your family and friends.” He rejoices when customers talk to each other while waiting for food, or for the check. I experienced this firsthand.

One of the people at the table closest to me had an allergy to bell peppers, and Julio brought out a platter of all the peppers they use in the kitchen, so the customer could point out which were safe for her to eat. When they finished eating, they asked me what I ordered and we gleefully compared notes. “I’ve been here four times, and everything I’ve had is good,” she said. Jael, the chef and co-owner, uses recipes passed down from her grandmother, as well as her own. 

I ordered one of Buendia's signature menu items, the poblano pepper stuffed with a green corn tamale. “Everything is good,” Julio said. “It’s all made from scratch. But the stuffed poblano is one of our own creations.” Foodie writer John Birdsall said on Instagram that it was one of the “most tastiest things I’ve eaten in a while,” and I wanted to confirm for myself. He didn’t exaggerate: each element is excellent and complementary.

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The tamale is made by the family friend who made tamales for the Garcias’ neighborhood growing up. You can taste the mild sweetness of freshly ground masa. The poblano adds heat (more farther up, closer to where the seeds were) and a perfectly fleshy bite. The sauce is very rich and impossibly bright green. It’s amazing.

The cafe de olla is also a harmony: of Exo Roast coffee, cinnamon and clove. With its festive fragrance (and the two delicate Maria milk cookies that come on the side), you’ll never bat an eye at a Pumpkin Spice Latte again. They make a freezer cake out of these cookies, layered and suspended in a yogurty custard. It’s tangy and not too sweet. You’ll definitely have room.

Buendia's clever chilaquiles "divorciados" allows you to taste both red and green chilaquiles, divorced with a ramekin of their house-made refried beans. They do traditional American brunch too, including pancakes and bacon and eggs.

Each table comes with a cork place setting with salt, pepper, a succulent and a little shaker filled with rainbow pompoms. It’s labeled “Alegria” with a smiley face you’ll see drawn on each of the to-go containers, too. Julio, wearing a “Good Vibes Only” hat that, for once, feels encouraging rather than preachy, explained “Alegria” like this:

“When you gather to have some food, breakfast or anything, it’s not only about eating. It’s about enjoying the moment. For that little moment in the day, you’re going to disconnect from everything else and just enjoy the good food and good people. If you’re happy, hopefully you can enjoy that. But if you walk in unhappy, you’ll hopefully leave the restaurant more joyful.”

Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe

2530 N. First Ave.

Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday | Closed Monday.

For more information, check out their Facebook page.