Si Charro is getting back to its Mexican food roots when it opens Charro Chico on Sept. 15, the newest concept for the family-owned Tucson restaurant group behind El Charro and The Monica.
“We kind of want to get back to a simple approach to food,” said Ray Flores, president of his family’s restaurant company.
Charro Chico takes the place of Barrio Charro at 3699 N. Campbell Ave., the fast-casual sandwich-leaning restaurant that closed at the end of July after 2½ years. Flores said Barrio Charro, a collaboration between the Flores family and James Beard Award-winning Tucson baker Don Guerra, struggled to find its post-lunchtime footing among the restaurants crowding the area.
“It’s impossible to get the dinner crowd for sandwiches,” Flores said, noting the restaurant growth along North Campbell that includes newcomers Flower Child and Doughbird, which opened last spring just a mile from Barrio Charro.
“Campbell is really hot right now with all the big chains coming,” Flores said, ticking off a handful of restaurants set to open on North Campbell, including First Watch coming to 2943 N. Campbell Ave. “There’s really not a lot of Mexican. We think putting a little Mexican back on Campbell and focusing on a little faster and customizable, where people could build their own, would be fun to do.”
Charro Chico serves up tacos that include carne asada, pollo asada and pescado verde.
Charro Chico takes its biggest culinary cues from El Charro, the 100-year-old flagship of the family’s restaurant portfolio, and Charrovida, matriarch Carlotta Flores’s four-year-old “Plant+” healthy-leaning restaurant on the northwest side. It also incorporates mesquite grilling inspired by Si Charro’s downtown Charro Steak & del Rey and incorporates some of the desserts from The Monica downtown, Si Charro’s fast-casual restaurant that honors El Charro founder Monica Flin.
Diners order at the counter, choosing an entreé from tacos, burritos, enchiladas, bowls, flat iron grilled corn tamales or quesadillas, then customize it from a selection that includes Charrovida’s three sister vegan calabacitas, pollo asada, pollo al pastor, carnitas, slow roasted short rib beef, mesquite-grilled carne asada, beef birria or charro alambre (grilled steak, bacon, mushroom, onion and poblano chile).
The menu also includes appetizers inspired by all of the Si Charro restaurants, including street corn salad, potato skins and chips served with salsa or fresh-made guacamole or queso. A meal-size salad can be topped with meat or seafood, and El Charro’s famous mini chimis are front and center. The menu also has seafood, including fish and shrimp tacos and ceviche.
On weekdays, Charro Chico will have daily specials, including mushroom chorizo tacos from Charrovida on “Meatless Monday;” El Charro’s beef tacos on “Charro Taco Tuesday;” Sonoran hot dogs on “Hot Dog Hump Day;” chicken or beef tortas on “Torta Thursday;” and cerveza fish tacos on “Friday Fish Fry.”
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Charro Chico will offer a weekend brunch featuring breakfast tacos and burritos, Charro French toast and so-called “brunch’chiladas,” enchiladas topped with eggs and served with either beans or house breakfast potatoes.
An original door from El Charro Café in downtown Tucson has taken up residency in Si Charro’s newest restaurant, Charro Chico, 3699 N. Campbell Ave.
Charro Chico’s hours beginning Sept. 15 will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Get details at charrochico.com.
El Charro Café and the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa were filming locations for the recent "Top Chef: Houston" episode "Cactus Makes Perfect," which aired May 26. The show's finale, airing June 2 on Bravo, was filmed at Tanque Verde Resort and will feature the final three contestants competing for $250,000. Video courtesy of BravoTV.
