A guide to the trucks and taquerias of Tucson's south side
- Updated
21 places to stop in Arizona's most exciting Mexican food neighborhood. More at tucson.com/tacos
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
You'll know you're there when you see the abandoned TV rental place that's covered with decaying wall art. In the dirt lot next door, there's a bright yellow taco truck with a sign that reads "Tacos de cabeza 99 cents." The business run by Guaymas-native Rosario Palomares is called El Ta' Comiendo. Because, eating luscious, meaty tacos is what you'll want to do ...
It's all very simple. Four meats — cabeza, birria, asada and adobada — topped with your choice of diced onions, cabbage, radiant red chile and a vegetal green tomatillo salsa. Hearty tortillas from Alejandro's Tortilla Factory just down the street are barely enough to hold in the stew of tender shredded beef known as birria. The juice is going to seep out all over the plate, and probably your face while you're eating. But you will keep going, and it will be the highlight of your day.
Weird fact: You can also order big cups of cabeza and birria and take them to-go.
Location: Southwest corner of South Twelfth Avenue and West Drexel Road.
Phone: 520-304-1242
Hours: 6 a.m. to around 3 p.m. every day
Payment: Cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Before Rosa Rojas came to operate the little Taqueria La Guera food stand behind the Circle K on Valencia Road, she spent 22 years cooking it up in the suburbs of L.A. Now she's making some of the softest, most wonderful chicharron tacos in human comprehension.
To obtain a silky, melt-on-your-tongue texture that's the polar opposite of your regular crunchy pork skin, she simmers it in a pot with homemade chile de arbol salsa. It comes out fatty and gelatinous and beautiful, the perfect foil for the raw crunchy cabbage and onions on top. It's a little out there and I'm not sure I'm doing it justice with my description, so let me say this: I was worried when I saw it, but it really was the best taco I had all week.
Weird fact: I had a bit of a zen moment, eating this phenomenal taco in the blowing wind and staring at the gorgeous hill across the street. The closest I come to actually enjoying nature ... Also, props to the very cool old Winnebago parked next to the stand.
Location: Turn at the $1 tacos sign on West Valencia Road and South Camino de Oeste.
Phone: 520-272-6575
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
It was 2 p.m. and the vendors at the Tohono O'Odham swapmeet were all packed up, so we followed our noses to a little white building covered in yellow signs. You can smell the smoke pouring off the grill at Los Mezquites from a block away, an exquisite foreshadowing of the crispy charred meat that's about to enter your life.
But what I got, I honestly hadn't expected: long tubes of bouncy tripa, not to be confused with the spongy white honeycomb tripe you might find in a bowl of Vietnamese pho. These are actual intestines from a cow, which get thrown over an open flame and then chopped up right in front of you on a plank of mesquite wood. They come to the table naked in all their gristly gooey glory, topped with nothing but the crisp, desert air.
Weird fact: The inside of this place is seriously cute, especially for a building that lacks a floor. If they put it up for sale, I would pay good money for that large '80s Southwestern landscape painting of the glistening river stream ...
Location: 5721 S. Westover Ave.
Phone: 520-272-4179
Hours: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; closed Tuesdays; 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
There are stellar tacos to be had in the salmon-hued booth by the window, underneath the massive hanging basket plant. That's where we sat, flipping through the sizable menu of chile relleno combo platters, enchiladas de camaron and burros topped with bright salsa bandera.
Crossroads Restaurant co-owner Aracely Gonzalez wanted to add some vegetarian options to the mix, so she decided to do a taco de papa, without the meat. To make her Azteca tacos, the kitchen takes mashed potatoes, adds a little shredded cheese and slaps the shaped patties into corn tortillas. The tacos go into the fryer until they're absolutely irresistible: velvety and rich on the inside with that luscious melty cheese and just a little kick of cilantro, encased in a hot crackling crunchy shell.
They tasted, well, like something you'd break your diet for. But when you're having this much fun, who cares?!
Weird fact: Is that a cardboard cutout of The Most Interesting Man in the World over there by the bar? And why is he holding a mariachi guitar?
Location: 2602 S. Fourth Ave.
Phone: 520-624-0395
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays
Payment: Accept debit and credit
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Say it loud and proud, "One Taco Cheese, please!" But be prepared to receive something completely unexpected ... The little soft taco from Whatachon food truck is smothered with a meaty blanket of finely-chopped carne asada. And the queso itself? None other than the light, luscious melted Mozzarella ...
It's almost like a pizza, except instead of tomato sauce you get a zippy red chile salsa. And in place of buffalo wings, a thin roasted guero chile that starts off like heavy earth and then erupts into a sizzling peppery burn.
Weird fact: Their name is a play on the word huarache, which signifies both a sandal and a lovely fried masa snack. But how they got from that word to Whatachon, I honestly don't understand ...
Location: I caught up with them on the southwest corner of West Irvington Road and South 17th Avenue. But they're moving over to Irvington and 13th ...
Phone: (520) 406-3939
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
We came for the music. But we left with bellies full of beef cabeza and crispy chunks of steak charred on a mesquite grill.
In between? Well, that was interesting ...
The little rock-and-roll-themed restaurant Tacos Apson has been going strong for 14 years on South Twelfth Avenue, turning out freshly grilled meats and a few under-the-radar Sonoran specialties. One of them is the costilla de res, an enormous beef rib that gets slapped on a little corn tortilla.
As far as I know, it's also the only restaurant in town that serves huevo becerro criadillas. This is the kinda thing you might see on a cattle ranch in northern Mexico: squishy little testicles from a calf that get chopped up and thrown on the flattop. They come out kinda crispy on the outside, with the springy texture like a hot dog and a flavor that reminds me of chopped liver.
They were more palatable than I thought, but I admit, I had to steal half my lunchmate's cheesy carne asada caramelo. Which wasn't actually a big deal, because it was enormous. Overall, a five-star experience!
Weird fact: The restaurant is named after Los Apson Boys, a Mexican band that covered oldies tunes like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones and "Under the Boardwalk" by The Drifters.
Location: 3501 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-670-1248
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
So this happened. A mound of gelatinous pig skin piled onto a tortilla, spewing out so much soup that you have to spear it with a fork then slurp up the strips like noodles. I was sitting next to a pile of winter squash, underneath some wooden beams that were supposed to make the place look like a Mexican ranch.
But it was really a supermarket, a Food City in fact ... And wow, how cool is that?! The sizable sit-down deli Dos Ranchitos whips up a whole menu in addition to their fried chicken and prepared supermarket salads. They do four different types of pig skin, including the chicharron guisado rojo stew that I had the pleasure of consuming. But next time, I'm skipping this taco business and going straight for the menudo!
Insider's tip: Avocados are five for a dollar right now! I made some wicked guacamole when I got home ...
Location: In the Tucson Spectrum, 1221 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-434-6920
Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Down on South Sixth Avenue across the street from the rodeo grounds, there's a little white building that you probably don't remember. It's the kind of place you usually just drive by ... But I'm saying right now, take a chance on this one.
Asadero y Taqueria Sonora does a little bit of everything, but its specialty is the mariscos. On the back of the menu, you'll spot a range of seafood dishes like the bacon-wrapped Camarones Fantasias, pescados done Veracruz style or steamed in foil, and of course the beloved ceviches and shrimp cocktails.
I was hungry and alone, so I ordered three tacos: Two of them were steamy seafood specials filled with all manner of shrimps, octopus disks and a true Sonoran specialty, manta ray. (More on this one later in the series, but let me just say, this shredded version tasted like a darker, gamier tuna fish.)
But the ready-for-showbiz taco of the bunch was the camaron empanizado, shrimp sliced lengthwise and then breaded and fried until crisp. With that bright stack of lettuce, tomato and avocado, it was a sight to behold. But you know what? This whole place is cute, once you're in the building ...
Weird fact: The restaurant is owned by Ramon Bohon of El Merendero. And just so you know, the sign outside actually says Restaurante y Mariscos Sonora.
Location: 24 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-807-6200
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
There is unbelievable chicharron in this town, and much of it is coming out of a south-side taco truck parked across the street from a QuickTrip. The truck is called Geronimo, and it's owned by Hugo Leanos, a native of the central Mexican state of Nayarit. Leanos has been doing the mobile food truck thing since 2006, but has only been on this corner of Valencia and Camino de la Tierra for the past couple months.
You'll notice right away, his chicharron taco comes loaded up with two thick slices of ripe avocado. Wait a second to pick it up, or you'll burn your fingers on the two springy corn tortillas, which are "hot as hell," according to the lady next to me. Inside? An everyman's pork product, little crispy bits mixed with gratifying chunks of salty shredded meat. Goes down easy, but be careful with that deceptively light red tomatillo salsa: It's a wallop!
Insider's tip: The truck is only a few blocks away from Casino del Sol, and it's open until 1 a.m. on the weekends. So go wild!
Location: The truck is located on the northwest corner of West Valencia Road and South Camino de la Tierra.
Phone: 520-891-3976
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays.
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The truck's specialty is the Percheron: A heaping hot burrito packed with carne asada, avocado and mozzarella cheese. But I think people really come here for the pepperoni.
Diego Armando, who's been running this stationary taco truck What A Burro on South Twelfth Avenue for the past couple years, says Italian burritos are common where he's from in Hermosillo. He brings one out, unrolled with all the ingredients intricately layered like a casserole: carne asada, pepperoni, mushrooms, avocado and mozzarella cheese.
They don't do this on the tacos, so I got the Percheron piled high with plump cuts of diesmillo and topped with avocados and a sprawled out green chile. Gosh, I love carne asada. As far as regional specialties go, we've got it pretty good up here in Sonora, the land of juicy soft steaks with that perfect crunch. Put whatever you want on them, they're gonna be great.
Weird fact: They've also got a calzone quesadilla with pepperoni and mushrooms.
Location: northwest corner of West Irvington Road and South 12th Avenue
Phone: 520-272-5490
Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
There are soft tacos, and then there are these tacos: Soaked in shiny red salsa and thrown in a steamer before they come to your table, they're slippery and wild little things. And they are unbelievably delicious.
They're called tacos al vapor, which means steamed in Spanish, and they're kind of a riff on the steamy canasta tacos that street vendors sell from little baskets. You don't see al vapor much around here, unless of course you get over to Taqueria Porfis.
The destination spot started out as a push cart in Nogales, Sonora, and has been in this nondescript strip mall on South 12th Avenue for 15 years. On my recent visit, it was 3 p.m. and 105 degrees outside, and every table was full.
The place sells all manner of tacos, mini chimis and tortas, but the showpiece is the al vapor: Shredded beef and potatoes are wrapped in a corn tortilla that's made special for the steamer, so it comes out hearty and suave with just a touch of firmness. After that, it's stuffed with lettuce, tomato cubes and a brush of bright white creamy mayo.
Three bites. That's all it took and the thing was gone. But wow, what a memory ...
Insider's tip: The tacos are $1 on Tuesdays.
Location: 3553 S. 12th Ave., Suite 117. But they also have a taco truck at First Avenue and Fort Lowell.
Phone: 520-882-4724
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit, credit and EBT
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
There are a lot of tire shops and car places on South 12th Avenue, but this is the only one I know of with a taco truck. Los Dos Potrillos serves "la mas rica birria estilo Sonora": fragrant bowls of stewed beef in a spicy red soup.
But they also do a taco dorado ahogado, a fried taco stuffed with shredded beef and potatoes, and then "drowned" with the soup from the birria beef. It's a simple little thing with a nice crunch, despite the sauce. And it only gets crazy when you pour on some of that toasted habanero chile oil from the plastic bottle on the table. I could drink that smokey stuff, but I resisted ... Trying to be classy here.
Interesting tidbit: The owner Samuel Rubio also owns the car wash next door.
Location: 3425 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-203-4603
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
2015 is the year of the goat. But even though el chivo is one of the most widely-consumed animals in the world, I could only find it at one place in Tucson: an Irvington taco truck pulled by a refurbished ambulance.
El Chivo de Oro, or Golden Goat in Spanish, serves goat birria: a spicy rich stew that originated in Jalisco, Mexico. (They're also big on the beef cabeza, as well as Sonoran hot dogs.) The truck serves the stew in big bowls spiked with cilantro, but they also do it taco-style with spongy corn tortillas that reminded me of injera bread.
The meat itself isn't gamey in the slightest; it's actually very mellow shredded in its sauce with just a touch of sweet. The fun is adding all the toppings that come along with the plastic-bag wrapped plate: the onions, the cabbage, the herbaceous chile de arbol salsa laden with seeds. No big deal here, just a snack!
Insider's tip: They stay open late on Thursdays because they do $1 hot dogs.
Location: Just off South 12th Avenue at 463 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-909-9123
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
I know where everyone's at on South 12th Avenue: They're holed up in a room lined with brown bricks, eating fat bulbs of crispy fried shrimp with chipotle sauce.
People around here all seem to know about this Ensenada-style seafood place Taco Fish, despite its tucked-away building and the fact that the inside kinda looks like a redecorated public swimming pool.
That's half the fun. But the real draw is the restaurant's equivalent of the combo plate, the Taco Gordo, stacked with three specialties: fried fish, a scoop of shredded red marlin studded with soft onions, and a single curled shrimp on top, cherry style.
This is one of the finest things I've consumed in my journeys. (And possibly the largest taco I've eaten in my life.) It's all about the crisp bubbly batter, so rich without being too heavy, giving way to a perfectly-cooked piece of fish. A masterpiece of the fryer fit for the finest gourmet restaurant; best consumed at the table in the back, while tapping your foot on the pavement.
Weird fact: This place started out as a food truck, and was so popular the owners built up a brick-and-mortar on the same spot.
Location: 4841 S. 12th Ave., but they also have a taco truck at 250 E. Grant Road.
Phone: 520-777-6235
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
El Merendero sits at the south end of a street filled with food trucks and taquerias, almost like it's the capital building. The sprawling pink adobe has been here since the '60s when it was an A&W drive thru, and it's the only major sit-down dinner spot on South 12th Avenue.
They're big on the oysters and shrimp, but the restaurant's real specialty is the milanesa, a large slab of battered and fried beef with beans and French fries. The tacos here are old school tasty: crunchy fried shell, meat filling, lots of lettuce and Monterrey Jack cheese. My carne desebrada was filled with soft shredded beef that had been stewed in tomatoes and green chiles until it was plump and tangy. When I bit into it there was a nice crunch, followed by a torrent of juices spilling out all over my plate.
Interesting fact: The restaurant is owned by Ramon Bohon and his family, who also own Asadero y Taqueria Sonora on Irvington and South Sixth Avenue.
Location: 5443 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-294-1522
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
If someone can eat at the same restaurant for 50 years, it's gotta be decent, right? After a very convincing phone recommendation, I headed over to El Torero to check it out.
Walking into that faded pink building nestled into a parking lot off of South Fourth Avenue, my first thought was, how does this exist? The dimly lit room looks like a time capsule from 1953, with a busted up vintage jukebox and faded paintings of Spanish toreadors on the walls.
The place serves a plate of beef patty tacos, which they push out to the table on an old rolling cart. It was a showy spread with three large crisps, loose and curling out at the edges, behind a thin canopy of salty Cotija cheese. The ground beef was cooked to a delicate medium rare, not heavily spiced, but just perfect inside that snappy tortilla. Definitely retro, but in a sense, refined.
Weird fact: Owner Brad Hultquist painted the building "31 shades of pink" like Baskin-Robbins, because he wanted to stand out from the business next door. He figured they'd never follow suit on the odd color choice, and he was right!
Location: 231 E. 26th St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, closed Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 12 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Phone: 520-622-9534
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Beauty on the borderlands: At the corner of South Sixth and 22nd Street near the gateway to South Tucson is a white taco truck called Cocteleria La Palma. The owners, Esther and Mario Romero are from the coastal state of Sinaloa and run what one might consider your typical shrimp cocktail joint.
But they also make a thing so scandalous it should only be spoken of in hushed tones, a fantasy food they call the taco quesadilla. It is like it sounds: half battered shrimp taco, half quesadilla with mozzarella cheese. It is a monster of a thing with a loosely folded flour tortilla that crackles away with each bite, revealing fluffy balls of crispy shrimp and gooey cheese that spews out the side. There is also avocado and a lot of lettuce, and some light chipotle cream sauce somewhere in there. In short, it is a show.
You eat the thing under a tarp with a silver fan that spews out a thick, hazy mist into the air. Through it, you can see a tire shop, a hot dog cart and the historic Santa Cruz Catholic Church. It was truly a moving experience.
Weird fact: Their Seven Mares seafood soup is apparently "the cure" for hangovers. That's why they're open on Sundays.
Location: 1137 S. Sixth Ave.
Phone: 520-270-4067
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, closed Tuesdays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
We live in the heartland of carne asada: right next door to the cattle ranches of Northern Mexico and in the middle of the Sonoran desert, which provides a steady supply of mesquite wood for grilling.
But even here, the real deal can be hard to find. If you're really serious about your grilled steak, you need to get down to El Taco Rustico in the Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet. Unlike other restaurants that cook their steaks on a flattop or with charcoal, Rustico uses a real mesquite grill that spews a heavy cloud of meaty smoke into the morning air.
Owner Juan Almanza has been doing barbecue for 25 years, and perfected his mesquite-cooking technique on the Terraza patio at Hacienda del Sol resort. The vibe down here is a little more "rustic" — it's not much more than a tarp and some chairs — but the grill is a site to behold. If you're there early, Almanza piles on everything from racks of rib to tripas and buche, sliced pig stomach that was actually pretty nice and crunchy.
The carne asada here doesn't come heavily spiced or adorned with cheese or accoutrements. It's basically just fat chunks of Angus chuck steak — much thicker than other places around town— plump and juicy with some smokiness and a hint of mesquite flavor. Very simple, but as Almanza says, "You can taste the difference."
Stay tuned for more tacos from foodie paradise, the Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet ...
Insider's tip: While you're there, you've gotta try the sandia agua fresca, with big chunks of watermelon. They serve it in a Burger King cup, but it's totally homemade.
Location: Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet, 5721 S. Westover Ave.
Phone: 520-891-7346
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Payment: cash only
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Everyone has their spot. This is mine: Taqueria Pico de Gallo sits in that funky orange building with the cartoon chicken on South Sixth Avenue. It's a cozy place with three little rooms and a counter at the front, which serves some of the best corn tortillas in town.
If it's not too busy, peek around the counter into the kitchen and you might see Elizabeth Terez pressing fresh tortillas from a ball of masa. They are fluffier and bendier than others around town, with a good sear to them that reminds me of a pancake.
It's the tortillas — not necessarily a particular filling — that make Pico de Gallo's tacos outstanding. On my last visit I got a plate with bubbly battered fish, chunky lengua in salsa verde and a fiery carne asada with chopped jalapeños and tomato pico. So many bright flavors, each different, all wrapped in the same hearty blanket of warmed corn that feels just right. After eating all these unique tacos in every corner of town, this my comfort food.
Weird fact: You've gotta check out the episode of "Bizarre Foods," where Andrew Zimmern takes Chris Bianco to Pico de Gallo for some white menudo. In true Zimmern form, he calls it "gamey rectal stomach happiness." (Starts about the 10-minute mark.)
Location: 2618 S. Sixth Ave.
Phone: 520-623-8775
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
For the past eight years, Guadalajara-native Ramon Becerra has run a full-fledged taqueria from a converted house off South Park Avenue. The brick building that houses Maico is mostly a patio, decorated with wooden tables and potted plants. Most days you'll find Ramon's son, Ramon Jr., working the counter. Ask him what his favorite is, and he'll say the chicken taco ...
I got three: A battered fish taco, the standard crispy chicken taco with shredded lettuce and a pork adobada taco on corn tortillas. The style is like a saucier al pastor, with a spice mix of chile, oregano, cloves, garlic and more. This one also had soft chunks of onions, almost caramelized, that gave it a savory hit. I usually order adobada through the drive-thru window at about 2 a.m. But as it turns out, it also makes a great lunch!
Weird fact: I took several coworkers over here during a power outage in the Star newsroom. Thank goodness it's right down the street!
Locations: 835 E. 22nd St.
Phone: 520-294-2836
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Micha's, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height, of every taco in my sight. I love thee's chimichangas, and thee's green chile enchiladas. The beef machaca, the chicken tostada, and the carne asada. (Wow, it's easy to rhyme things with "A"!) Sometimes the parking lot can be a pain in the neck. But I shall but love thee better after the check.
I made this into a poem because this Tucson institution has been written about for decades, and most of what I can say has already been said. But here it is anyway ... If you want to know what Tucson Mexican food tasted like before the foodie scene brought in all the gourmet and the hyper-regional, this is it: "Pattie" beef tacos, with the ground beef shaped into a crumbly hamburger, fried to a beautiful crackle with a storm of shredded yellow cheese on top.
This is Sonoran food. It is not healthy and it is not fancy, but it's extremely well-executed. And dare I say it, freaking delicious!
Weird fact: The ground beef patty tacos are actually an original recipe from Micha's co-founder Artemisa "Micha" Mariscal. The family has been serving them ever since they opened the restaurant in 1976.
Location: 2908 S. Fourth Ave.
Phone: 520-623-5307
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
You'll know you're there when you see the abandoned TV rental place that's covered with decaying wall art. In the dirt lot next door, there's a bright yellow taco truck with a sign that reads "Tacos de cabeza 99 cents." The business run by Guaymas-native Rosario Palomares is called El Ta' Comiendo. Because, eating luscious, meaty tacos is what you'll want to do ...
It's all very simple. Four meats — cabeza, birria, asada and adobada — topped with your choice of diced onions, cabbage, radiant red chile and a vegetal green tomatillo salsa. Hearty tortillas from Alejandro's Tortilla Factory just down the street are barely enough to hold in the stew of tender shredded beef known as birria. The juice is going to seep out all over the plate, and probably your face while you're eating. But you will keep going, and it will be the highlight of your day.
Weird fact: You can also order big cups of cabeza and birria and take them to-go.
Location: Southwest corner of South Twelfth Avenue and West Drexel Road.
Phone: 520-304-1242
Hours: 6 a.m. to around 3 p.m. every day
Payment: Cash only
Before Rosa Rojas came to operate the little Taqueria La Guera food stand behind the Circle K on Valencia Road, she spent 22 years cooking it up in the suburbs of L.A. Now she's making some of the softest, most wonderful chicharron tacos in human comprehension.
To obtain a silky, melt-on-your-tongue texture that's the polar opposite of your regular crunchy pork skin, she simmers it in a pot with homemade chile de arbol salsa. It comes out fatty and gelatinous and beautiful, the perfect foil for the raw crunchy cabbage and onions on top. It's a little out there and I'm not sure I'm doing it justice with my description, so let me say this: I was worried when I saw it, but it really was the best taco I had all week.
Weird fact: I had a bit of a zen moment, eating this phenomenal taco in the blowing wind and staring at the gorgeous hill across the street. The closest I come to actually enjoying nature ... Also, props to the very cool old Winnebago parked next to the stand.
Location: Turn at the $1 tacos sign on West Valencia Road and South Camino de Oeste.
Phone: 520-272-6575
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays
Payment: cash only
It was 2 p.m. and the vendors at the Tohono O'Odham swapmeet were all packed up, so we followed our noses to a little white building covered in yellow signs. You can smell the smoke pouring off the grill at Los Mezquites from a block away, an exquisite foreshadowing of the crispy charred meat that's about to enter your life.
But what I got, I honestly hadn't expected: long tubes of bouncy tripa, not to be confused with the spongy white honeycomb tripe you might find in a bowl of Vietnamese pho. These are actual intestines from a cow, which get thrown over an open flame and then chopped up right in front of you on a plank of mesquite wood. They come to the table naked in all their gristly gooey glory, topped with nothing but the crisp, desert air.
Weird fact: The inside of this place is seriously cute, especially for a building that lacks a floor. If they put it up for sale, I would pay good money for that large '80s Southwestern landscape painting of the glistening river stream ...
Location: 5721 S. Westover Ave.
Phone: 520-272-4179
Hours: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; closed Tuesdays; 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Payment: cash only
There are stellar tacos to be had in the salmon-hued booth by the window, underneath the massive hanging basket plant. That's where we sat, flipping through the sizable menu of chile relleno combo platters, enchiladas de camaron and burros topped with bright salsa bandera.
Crossroads Restaurant co-owner Aracely Gonzalez wanted to add some vegetarian options to the mix, so she decided to do a taco de papa, without the meat. To make her Azteca tacos, the kitchen takes mashed potatoes, adds a little shredded cheese and slaps the shaped patties into corn tortillas. The tacos go into the fryer until they're absolutely irresistible: velvety and rich on the inside with that luscious melty cheese and just a little kick of cilantro, encased in a hot crackling crunchy shell.
They tasted, well, like something you'd break your diet for. But when you're having this much fun, who cares?!
Weird fact: Is that a cardboard cutout of The Most Interesting Man in the World over there by the bar? And why is he holding a mariachi guitar?
Location: 2602 S. Fourth Ave.
Phone: 520-624-0395
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays
Payment: Accept debit and credit
Say it loud and proud, "One Taco Cheese, please!" But be prepared to receive something completely unexpected ... The little soft taco from Whatachon food truck is smothered with a meaty blanket of finely-chopped carne asada. And the queso itself? None other than the light, luscious melted Mozzarella ...
It's almost like a pizza, except instead of tomato sauce you get a zippy red chile salsa. And in place of buffalo wings, a thin roasted guero chile that starts off like heavy earth and then erupts into a sizzling peppery burn.
Weird fact: Their name is a play on the word huarache, which signifies both a sandal and a lovely fried masa snack. But how they got from that word to Whatachon, I honestly don't understand ...
Location: I caught up with them on the southwest corner of West Irvington Road and South 17th Avenue. But they're moving over to Irvington and 13th ...
Phone: (520) 406-3939
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Payment: cash only
We came for the music. But we left with bellies full of beef cabeza and crispy chunks of steak charred on a mesquite grill.
In between? Well, that was interesting ...
The little rock-and-roll-themed restaurant Tacos Apson has been going strong for 14 years on South Twelfth Avenue, turning out freshly grilled meats and a few under-the-radar Sonoran specialties. One of them is the costilla de res, an enormous beef rib that gets slapped on a little corn tortilla.
As far as I know, it's also the only restaurant in town that serves huevo becerro criadillas. This is the kinda thing you might see on a cattle ranch in northern Mexico: squishy little testicles from a calf that get chopped up and thrown on the flattop. They come out kinda crispy on the outside, with the springy texture like a hot dog and a flavor that reminds me of chopped liver.
They were more palatable than I thought, but I admit, I had to steal half my lunchmate's cheesy carne asada caramelo. Which wasn't actually a big deal, because it was enormous. Overall, a five-star experience!
Weird fact: The restaurant is named after Los Apson Boys, a Mexican band that covered oldies tunes like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones and "Under the Boardwalk" by The Drifters.
Location: 3501 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-670-1248
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit
So this happened. A mound of gelatinous pig skin piled onto a tortilla, spewing out so much soup that you have to spear it with a fork then slurp up the strips like noodles. I was sitting next to a pile of winter squash, underneath some wooden beams that were supposed to make the place look like a Mexican ranch.
But it was really a supermarket, a Food City in fact ... And wow, how cool is that?! The sizable sit-down deli Dos Ranchitos whips up a whole menu in addition to their fried chicken and prepared supermarket salads. They do four different types of pig skin, including the chicharron guisado rojo stew that I had the pleasure of consuming. But next time, I'm skipping this taco business and going straight for the menudo!
Insider's tip: Avocados are five for a dollar right now! I made some wicked guacamole when I got home ...
Location: In the Tucson Spectrum, 1221 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-434-6920
Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
Down on South Sixth Avenue across the street from the rodeo grounds, there's a little white building that you probably don't remember. It's the kind of place you usually just drive by ... But I'm saying right now, take a chance on this one.
Asadero y Taqueria Sonora does a little bit of everything, but its specialty is the mariscos. On the back of the menu, you'll spot a range of seafood dishes like the bacon-wrapped Camarones Fantasias, pescados done Veracruz style or steamed in foil, and of course the beloved ceviches and shrimp cocktails.
I was hungry and alone, so I ordered three tacos: Two of them were steamy seafood specials filled with all manner of shrimps, octopus disks and a true Sonoran specialty, manta ray. (More on this one later in the series, but let me just say, this shredded version tasted like a darker, gamier tuna fish.)
But the ready-for-showbiz taco of the bunch was the camaron empanizado, shrimp sliced lengthwise and then breaded and fried until crisp. With that bright stack of lettuce, tomato and avocado, it was a sight to behold. But you know what? This whole place is cute, once you're in the building ...
Weird fact: The restaurant is owned by Ramon Bohon of El Merendero. And just so you know, the sign outside actually says Restaurante y Mariscos Sonora.
Location: 24 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-807-6200
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
There is unbelievable chicharron in this town, and much of it is coming out of a south-side taco truck parked across the street from a QuickTrip. The truck is called Geronimo, and it's owned by Hugo Leanos, a native of the central Mexican state of Nayarit. Leanos has been doing the mobile food truck thing since 2006, but has only been on this corner of Valencia and Camino de la Tierra for the past couple months.
You'll notice right away, his chicharron taco comes loaded up with two thick slices of ripe avocado. Wait a second to pick it up, or you'll burn your fingers on the two springy corn tortillas, which are "hot as hell," according to the lady next to me. Inside? An everyman's pork product, little crispy bits mixed with gratifying chunks of salty shredded meat. Goes down easy, but be careful with that deceptively light red tomatillo salsa: It's a wallop!
Insider's tip: The truck is only a few blocks away from Casino del Sol, and it's open until 1 a.m. on the weekends. So go wild!
Location: The truck is located on the northwest corner of West Valencia Road and South Camino de la Tierra.
Phone: 520-891-3976
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays.
Payment: cash only
The truck's specialty is the Percheron: A heaping hot burrito packed with carne asada, avocado and mozzarella cheese. But I think people really come here for the pepperoni.
Diego Armando, who's been running this stationary taco truck What A Burro on South Twelfth Avenue for the past couple years, says Italian burritos are common where he's from in Hermosillo. He brings one out, unrolled with all the ingredients intricately layered like a casserole: carne asada, pepperoni, mushrooms, avocado and mozzarella cheese.
They don't do this on the tacos, so I got the Percheron piled high with plump cuts of diesmillo and topped with avocados and a sprawled out green chile. Gosh, I love carne asada. As far as regional specialties go, we've got it pretty good up here in Sonora, the land of juicy soft steaks with that perfect crunch. Put whatever you want on them, they're gonna be great.
Weird fact: They've also got a calzone quesadilla with pepperoni and mushrooms.
Location: northwest corner of West Irvington Road and South 12th Avenue
Phone: 520-272-5490
Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays
Payment: cash only
There are soft tacos, and then there are these tacos: Soaked in shiny red salsa and thrown in a steamer before they come to your table, they're slippery and wild little things. And they are unbelievably delicious.
They're called tacos al vapor, which means steamed in Spanish, and they're kind of a riff on the steamy canasta tacos that street vendors sell from little baskets. You don't see al vapor much around here, unless of course you get over to Taqueria Porfis.
The destination spot started out as a push cart in Nogales, Sonora, and has been in this nondescript strip mall on South 12th Avenue for 15 years. On my recent visit, it was 3 p.m. and 105 degrees outside, and every table was full.
The place sells all manner of tacos, mini chimis and tortas, but the showpiece is the al vapor: Shredded beef and potatoes are wrapped in a corn tortilla that's made special for the steamer, so it comes out hearty and suave with just a touch of firmness. After that, it's stuffed with lettuce, tomato cubes and a brush of bright white creamy mayo.
Three bites. That's all it took and the thing was gone. But wow, what a memory ...
Insider's tip: The tacos are $1 on Tuesdays.
Location: 3553 S. 12th Ave., Suite 117. But they also have a taco truck at First Avenue and Fort Lowell.
Phone: 520-882-4724
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit, credit and EBT
There are a lot of tire shops and car places on South 12th Avenue, but this is the only one I know of with a taco truck. Los Dos Potrillos serves "la mas rica birria estilo Sonora": fragrant bowls of stewed beef in a spicy red soup.
But they also do a taco dorado ahogado, a fried taco stuffed with shredded beef and potatoes, and then "drowned" with the soup from the birria beef. It's a simple little thing with a nice crunch, despite the sauce. And it only gets crazy when you pour on some of that toasted habanero chile oil from the plastic bottle on the table. I could drink that smokey stuff, but I resisted ... Trying to be classy here.
Interesting tidbit: The owner Samuel Rubio also owns the car wash next door.
Location: 3425 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-203-4603
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day
Payment: accepts debit and credit
2015 is the year of the goat. But even though el chivo is one of the most widely-consumed animals in the world, I could only find it at one place in Tucson: an Irvington taco truck pulled by a refurbished ambulance.
El Chivo de Oro, or Golden Goat in Spanish, serves goat birria: a spicy rich stew that originated in Jalisco, Mexico. (They're also big on the beef cabeza, as well as Sonoran hot dogs.) The truck serves the stew in big bowls spiked with cilantro, but they also do it taco-style with spongy corn tortillas that reminded me of injera bread.
The meat itself isn't gamey in the slightest; it's actually very mellow shredded in its sauce with just a touch of sweet. The fun is adding all the toppings that come along with the plastic-bag wrapped plate: the onions, the cabbage, the herbaceous chile de arbol salsa laden with seeds. No big deal here, just a snack!
Insider's tip: They stay open late on Thursdays because they do $1 hot dogs.
Location: Just off South 12th Avenue at 463 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-909-9123
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays
Payment: cash only
I know where everyone's at on South 12th Avenue: They're holed up in a room lined with brown bricks, eating fat bulbs of crispy fried shrimp with chipotle sauce.
People around here all seem to know about this Ensenada-style seafood place Taco Fish, despite its tucked-away building and the fact that the inside kinda looks like a redecorated public swimming pool.
That's half the fun. But the real draw is the restaurant's equivalent of the combo plate, the Taco Gordo, stacked with three specialties: fried fish, a scoop of shredded red marlin studded with soft onions, and a single curled shrimp on top, cherry style.
This is one of the finest things I've consumed in my journeys. (And possibly the largest taco I've eaten in my life.) It's all about the crisp bubbly batter, so rich without being too heavy, giving way to a perfectly-cooked piece of fish. A masterpiece of the fryer fit for the finest gourmet restaurant; best consumed at the table in the back, while tapping your foot on the pavement.
Weird fact: This place started out as a food truck, and was so popular the owners built up a brick-and-mortar on the same spot.
Location: 4841 S. 12th Ave., but they also have a taco truck at 250 E. Grant Road.
Phone: 520-777-6235
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
El Merendero sits at the south end of a street filled with food trucks and taquerias, almost like it's the capital building. The sprawling pink adobe has been here since the '60s when it was an A&W drive thru, and it's the only major sit-down dinner spot on South 12th Avenue.
They're big on the oysters and shrimp, but the restaurant's real specialty is the milanesa, a large slab of battered and fried beef with beans and French fries. The tacos here are old school tasty: crunchy fried shell, meat filling, lots of lettuce and Monterrey Jack cheese. My carne desebrada was filled with soft shredded beef that had been stewed in tomatoes and green chiles until it was plump and tangy. When I bit into it there was a nice crunch, followed by a torrent of juices spilling out all over my plate.
Interesting fact: The restaurant is owned by Ramon Bohon and his family, who also own Asadero y Taqueria Sonora on Irvington and South Sixth Avenue.
Location: 5443 S. 12th Ave.
Phone: 520-294-1522
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
If someone can eat at the same restaurant for 50 years, it's gotta be decent, right? After a very convincing phone recommendation, I headed over to El Torero to check it out.
Walking into that faded pink building nestled into a parking lot off of South Fourth Avenue, my first thought was, how does this exist? The dimly lit room looks like a time capsule from 1953, with a busted up vintage jukebox and faded paintings of Spanish toreadors on the walls.
The place serves a plate of beef patty tacos, which they push out to the table on an old rolling cart. It was a showy spread with three large crisps, loose and curling out at the edges, behind a thin canopy of salty Cotija cheese. The ground beef was cooked to a delicate medium rare, not heavily spiced, but just perfect inside that snappy tortilla. Definitely retro, but in a sense, refined.
Weird fact: Owner Brad Hultquist painted the building "31 shades of pink" like Baskin-Robbins, because he wanted to stand out from the business next door. He figured they'd never follow suit on the odd color choice, and he was right!
Location: 231 E. 26th St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, closed Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 12 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Phone: 520-622-9534
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
Beauty on the borderlands: At the corner of South Sixth and 22nd Street near the gateway to South Tucson is a white taco truck called Cocteleria La Palma. The owners, Esther and Mario Romero are from the coastal state of Sinaloa and run what one might consider your typical shrimp cocktail joint.
But they also make a thing so scandalous it should only be spoken of in hushed tones, a fantasy food they call the taco quesadilla. It is like it sounds: half battered shrimp taco, half quesadilla with mozzarella cheese. It is a monster of a thing with a loosely folded flour tortilla that crackles away with each bite, revealing fluffy balls of crispy shrimp and gooey cheese that spews out the side. There is also avocado and a lot of lettuce, and some light chipotle cream sauce somewhere in there. In short, it is a show.
You eat the thing under a tarp with a silver fan that spews out a thick, hazy mist into the air. Through it, you can see a tire shop, a hot dog cart and the historic Santa Cruz Catholic Church. It was truly a moving experience.
Weird fact: Their Seven Mares seafood soup is apparently "the cure" for hangovers. That's why they're open on Sundays.
Location: 1137 S. Sixth Ave.
Phone: 520-270-4067
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, closed Tuesdays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
We live in the heartland of carne asada: right next door to the cattle ranches of Northern Mexico and in the middle of the Sonoran desert, which provides a steady supply of mesquite wood for grilling.
But even here, the real deal can be hard to find. If you're really serious about your grilled steak, you need to get down to El Taco Rustico in the Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet. Unlike other restaurants that cook their steaks on a flattop or with charcoal, Rustico uses a real mesquite grill that spews a heavy cloud of meaty smoke into the morning air.
Owner Juan Almanza has been doing barbecue for 25 years, and perfected his mesquite-cooking technique on the Terraza patio at Hacienda del Sol resort. The vibe down here is a little more "rustic" — it's not much more than a tarp and some chairs — but the grill is a site to behold. If you're there early, Almanza piles on everything from racks of rib to tripas and buche, sliced pig stomach that was actually pretty nice and crunchy.
The carne asada here doesn't come heavily spiced or adorned with cheese or accoutrements. It's basically just fat chunks of Angus chuck steak — much thicker than other places around town— plump and juicy with some smokiness and a hint of mesquite flavor. Very simple, but as Almanza says, "You can taste the difference."
Stay tuned for more tacos from foodie paradise, the Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet ...
Insider's tip: While you're there, you've gotta try the sandia agua fresca, with big chunks of watermelon. They serve it in a Burger King cup, but it's totally homemade.
Location: Tohono O'Odham Swapmeet, 5721 S. Westover Ave.
Phone: 520-891-7346
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Payment: cash only
Everyone has their spot. This is mine: Taqueria Pico de Gallo sits in that funky orange building with the cartoon chicken on South Sixth Avenue. It's a cozy place with three little rooms and a counter at the front, which serves some of the best corn tortillas in town.
If it's not too busy, peek around the counter into the kitchen and you might see Elizabeth Terez pressing fresh tortillas from a ball of masa. They are fluffier and bendier than others around town, with a good sear to them that reminds me of a pancake.
It's the tortillas — not necessarily a particular filling — that make Pico de Gallo's tacos outstanding. On my last visit I got a plate with bubbly battered fish, chunky lengua in salsa verde and a fiery carne asada with chopped jalapeños and tomato pico. So many bright flavors, each different, all wrapped in the same hearty blanket of warmed corn that feels just right. After eating all these unique tacos in every corner of town, this my comfort food.
Weird fact: You've gotta check out the episode of "Bizarre Foods," where Andrew Zimmern takes Chris Bianco to Pico de Gallo for some white menudo. In true Zimmern form, he calls it "gamey rectal stomach happiness." (Starts about the 10-minute mark.)
Location: 2618 S. Sixth Ave.
Phone: 520-623-8775
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
For the past eight years, Guadalajara-native Ramon Becerra has run a full-fledged taqueria from a converted house off South Park Avenue. The brick building that houses Maico is mostly a patio, decorated with wooden tables and potted plants. Most days you'll find Ramon's son, Ramon Jr., working the counter. Ask him what his favorite is, and he'll say the chicken taco ...
I got three: A battered fish taco, the standard crispy chicken taco with shredded lettuce and a pork adobada taco on corn tortillas. The style is like a saucier al pastor, with a spice mix of chile, oregano, cloves, garlic and more. This one also had soft chunks of onions, almost caramelized, that gave it a savory hit. I usually order adobada through the drive-thru window at about 2 a.m. But as it turns out, it also makes a great lunch!
Weird fact: I took several coworkers over here during a power outage in the Star newsroom. Thank goodness it's right down the street!
Locations: 835 E. 22nd St.
Phone: 520-294-2836
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
Micha's, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height, of every taco in my sight. I love thee's chimichangas, and thee's green chile enchiladas. The beef machaca, the chicken tostada, and the carne asada. (Wow, it's easy to rhyme things with "A"!) Sometimes the parking lot can be a pain in the neck. But I shall but love thee better after the check.
I made this into a poem because this Tucson institution has been written about for decades, and most of what I can say has already been said. But here it is anyway ... If you want to know what Tucson Mexican food tasted like before the foodie scene brought in all the gourmet and the hyper-regional, this is it: "Pattie" beef tacos, with the ground beef shaped into a crumbly hamburger, fried to a beautiful crackle with a storm of shredded yellow cheese on top.
This is Sonoran food. It is not healthy and it is not fancy, but it's extremely well-executed. And dare I say it, freaking delicious!
Weird fact: The ground beef patty tacos are actually an original recipe from Micha's co-founder Artemisa "Micha" Mariscal. The family has been serving them ever since they opened the restaurant in 1976.
Location: 2908 S. Fourth Ave.
Phone: 520-623-5307
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
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