El Charro Café Downtown
Long-standing Mexican cafe with a colorful vibe offering a menu of Sonoran-style fare.
About El Charro Café Downtown
El Charro Café Downtown is a Tucson Mexican cafe with a colorful atmosphere and a long history rooted in Sonoran and Northern Mexican cooking. Established in 1922 by Monica Flin, the restaurant describes itself as the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Its original Downtown location occupies the family residence built in 1896 by Monica's father, Jules, whose stonework can be seen throughout Tucson's Historic District. That building on Court Avenue remains part of El Charro Café's story and its place in the city.
Monica Flin came to Tucson via France in the 1800s, when Jules was commissioned to build St. Augustine Cathedral. El Charro's history says Monica was an entrepreneur and chef who ran the early restaurant as a one-woman operation, serving as hostess, waitress, and cook. The family tradition continues under the guidance of Carlotta Flores, described by the restaurant as Monica's great-grandniece, chef, and author. The restaurant's own account also notes that the business has developed across three generations, connecting its food and family history to Tucson's culinary past.
The menu features traditional Northern Mexico and Sonoran-style dishes alongside innovative Tucson-style Mexican food. The restaurant highlights enchiladas, tamales, mini chimichangas, and carne seca among its offerings, along with hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and local ingredients. El Charro also identifies itself as the home of the chimichanga, sharing a family story in which Monica accidentally dropped a burrito into a frying pan while preparing tacos. The resulting dish, and the name she used in place of a stronger word, became part of the restaurant's enduring lore. Menus include regular selections, desserts, and a brunch menu, with brunch noted as available at the Oro Valley location.
El Charro Café has also adapted its menu and services over time. Its history describes efforts to maintain traditional quality while developing recipes with lower trans fat and dishes for guests who need to dine gluten free. The restaurant offers takeout ordering, catering, gift cards, and nationwide shipping through Goldbelly, including tamales. Its food and history have drawn attention from publications including Bon Appétit, Gourmet Magazine, USA Today, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Nation's Restaurant News. Gourmet Magazine called El Charro one of "America's 21 Most Legendary Restaurants," while Nation's Restaurant News named it one of America's 50 most iconic restaurants. The restaurant also says it received the Tucson Lifestyle Reader's Poll Gold Medal for Best Mexican Restaurant nine years in a row.
El Charro's Tucson connections extend beyond its restaurants. The United States Navy named the galley aboard the USS Tucson submarine "El Charro Down Under," a distinction the restaurant describes as placing an El Charro dining space 1,000 feet below sea level. Today, the Downtown cafe is part of a group with locations in Oro Valley, Ventana, and Tucson International Airport. Guests can visit the original Court Avenue location, review the Downtown menu, make a reservation, or order takeout online. Those outside Tucson can order selected El Charro offerings for nationwide shipping, while groups and local gatherings can inquire about catering.