El Charro Café Review
El Charro has been run by the same family in Tucson since 1922, which makes it the oldest continuously operating Mexican restaurant in the United States — and it’s still in the stone house that founder Monica Flin’s stonemason father built. Flin is also credited (by this family, at least) with inventing the chimichanga here, when she supposedly dropped a burrito into the fryer and bit back a Spanish curse. The carne seca is the signature: beef marinated and dried in a cage on the roof in the Arizona sun, then shredded and grilled. A hundred years in, it’s still the real thing.
| Cost | ~$15–25 |
|---|---|
| Time needed | an hour |
| Best season | year-round |
| Where | Tucson · South Alabama |
📍 Where: El Charro Café, Tucson, Arizona · 32.3078, -110.8450
Common questions
When's the best time to visit El Charro Café?
Best season: year-round.
How much does it cost?
~$15–25. Prices drift — confirm before you go.
How long should I plan for?
Plan for about an hour.
Is it actually worth the trip?
Our rating: Non-negotiable. The oldest Mexican restaurant in America, same family since 1922, with sun-dried beef you can't get anywhere else. This is Tucson on a plate.
One of 120 in Kick the Bucket List: Arizona
The full book is 120 checkable picks like this one — with a Bucket Rating on every entry telling you what's worth the drive and what to skip. A keepsake you fill in and score.
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Non-negotiableVerified 2026-07. Prices and hours change — confirm before you drive. Something wrong? Tell us.