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. βPart of the inspiration is from Prep & Pastry β they have an all-white interior β then we added a colorful touch,β said Julio.
Julio references the brunch juggernaut, I suspect, because he is ambitious and has studied the Ares Collectiveβs success in Tucson. (Not only has he spent his life in the restaurant industry, but βIβve spent 15 years working on this concept with my wife,β he said.)
Buendia is owned and run by chef Jael Garcia (left), and front-of-house manager Julio Garcia. They have been working on the concept for 15 years.
But Buendia is more than a restaurant with a Mexican spin on a brunch menu β itβs a place where you can find excellent home-cooking and an atmosphere inspired by the folklife of Nogales, Sonora.
βIf you go to Nogales, youβre going to see people walking, laughing, talking to each other on the street. We wanted to bring that part of Mexico to Tucson,β Julio said.
The refrigerator cake pastel de galleta is made with Maria milk cookies and a yogurty custard.
Julio aspires for Buendia to be more than a place with good food, but a reflection of Tucsonβs community. βThatβs why we didnβt do any radio advertisements,β he said. βWe wanted the community to invite their own people. If you like it, youβre going to bring your family and friends.β 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. βIβve been here four times, and everything Iβve had is good,β 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. βEverything is good,β Julio said. βItβs all made from scratch. But the stuffed poblano is one of our own creations.β Foodie writer John Birdsall said on Instagram that it was one of the βmost tastiest things Iβve eaten in a while,β and I wanted to confirm for myself. He didnβt exaggerate: each element is excellent and complementary.
Buendia's Cafe de Olla is a spice-tinged blend that uses EXO Roast beans.
The tamale is made by the family friend who made tamales for the Garciasβ 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. Itβs 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), youβll 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. Itβs tangy and not too sweet. Youβll 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.
This shaker filled with Alegria! is a tiny metaphor about joy.
Each table comes with a cork place setting with salt, pepper, a succulent and a little shaker filled with rainbow pompoms. Itβs labeled βAlegriaβ with a smiley face youβll see drawn on each of the to-go containers, too. Julio, wearing a βGood Vibes Onlyβ hat that, for once, feels encouraging rather than preachy, explained βAlegriaβ like this:
βWhen you gather to have some food, breakfast or anything, itβs not only about eating. Itβs about enjoying the moment. For that little moment in the day, youβre going to disconnect from everything else and just enjoy the good food and good people. If youβre happy, hopefully you can enjoy that. But if you walk in unhappy, youβll hopefully leave the restaurant more joyful.β
Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe
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.
