El Charro Cafe

311 North Court Avenue Cuisines: Mexican, American

About

El Charro Cafe has opened several locations throughout the Tucson area, but the downtown location on Court Avenue remains a favorite for locals and visitors seeking an authentic Tucson dining experience. Established in 1922, El Charro famously bills itself as the oldest family-run Mexican restaurant in continuous operation in the United States. It's not hard to see why the restaurant has survived for so many decades: the menu blends classic, never-out-of-style Sonoran-style cooking with Tucson-style Mexican creations. A local favorite, and perhaps the unofficial dish of Tucson, is the Carne Seca plate (literally "dried meat"), marinated lean Angus beef that is dried beneath the Sonoran sun, and then shredded & flash-grilled with green chile, tomato & onions. Served with guacamole, Pico de Charro salsa, beans or rice, and handmade flour or corn tortillas. If this sounds like your kind of dish, eat up while you're here. You'll be hard-pressed to find Carne Seca on any menu outside of Tucson.