El Charro Café
Founded in 1922 by Monica Flin, it claims to be the longest continuously family-run Mexican restaurant in the United States.
Housed in an old building in the El Presidio historic district downtown, it is considered the birthplace of the chimichanga. Its famous beef jerky is dried in cages on the roof and used in its dried-beef chimichanga. It also serves open-faced corn tamales, Topopo salad and cheese-and-stewed-meat chimichangas. The atmosphere is lively, making it a good introduction to Sonoran food. Open for lunch and dinner daily at a moderate price. Weekend dinners may involve a wait, and it is within walking distance of downtown.
Opening hours
Daily 11:00–21:00; Friday and Saturday may extend to 22:00
Nearby sights
- Fourth Avenue
- Barrio Viejo
- Mission Garden
- Sentinel Peak (A Mountain)
- Tucson Botanical Gardens
- Reid Park Zoo
- Tohono Chul
- Gates Pass