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What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

topic posted Mon, July 25, 2005 - 8:46 PM by  Robert
We've got a whole slew of Mexican restaurants here in Tucson. What are your favorites?

Personally I really dig La Parrilla Suiza and Mi Nidito. Mmm.

Los Caramelos is a great taco stand if you're looking for some late night munchie action. I think I like it even more than El Guero Canelo.
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Robert
offline Robert
Tucson
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  • Paul...
    Paul & Denise
    offline 14

    Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

    Wed, July 27, 2005 - 4:43 AM
    Last time I was at La Parilla Suiza on a weekend they had a fantastic mariachi band, and I hate mariachi! But these guys rocked; kind of a big band sound playing light classical and some pop tunes - very different and very accomplished players. Of course the service and quality of food is the best, and this is the place I always take our visitors to.
    Mi Nidito isn't bad, but they've definitely seen better days and the dining experience feels rushed. I think they're more interested in volume now.
    For fast food nobody can beat Nico's with 4 or 5 locations. Their shredded beef is magnificent and the prices are dirt cheap when you factor in the size of the portions. They could work on their salsa roja but the salsa verde is rich and spicy.
    Crap, now I'm hungry.

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    • Robert
      Robert
      offline 8

      Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

      Wed, July 27, 2005 - 7:25 AM
      Mmm... La Fuente. Delish Sunday brunch. Mariachi band. They make the guacamole at your table---mmm, fresh.

      Los Caramelos seriously puts Nico's to shame. They're in a bigger sized taco stand outside of PDQ/Arizona Mall (Dodge/Grant) area late in the evening/night. Eventually they got enough business to open up their own place on Pima... but the stand is still the best.
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      • Bare...
        Barely Vertical
        offline 280

        Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

        Tue, August 9, 2005 - 4:45 PM
        [Quote]Los Caramelos seriously puts Nico's to shame. They're in a bigger sized taco stand outside of PDQ/Arizona Mall (Dodge/Grant) area late in the evening/night. Eventually they got enough business to open up their own place on Pima... but the stand is still the best. [Quote]

        When I lived in Tucson I shopped PDQ all the time and that stand is soooooo good. I truly miss it.

        So I have one thing to say to all of you in Tucson.....




        PLEASE PLEASE Go buy some good mexican food and jump on a plane and head to Portland I miss the food down there. I cannot stand when someone up here tells me that the mexican restaurant down the street is great and probably as good as the places I ate in Tucson. I tell them to fuck off as I eat store bought refrieds and tortillas. Nasty cardboard shit. I so miss the mexican food down there.
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  • Archer
    Archer
    offline 27

    Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

    Wed, August 10, 2005 - 6:09 PM
    Martin's Comida on Fourth Avenue just north of Sixth Street.

    Yes. Martin makes amazing things. The best restaurant salsa and the best calabacitas in Tucson.

    Little Cafe Poca Cosa (7:30AM to 2:30PM M-F) at the corner of Alameda and Stone where the Main Downtown Tucson-Pima Public Library is.

    Yep. I've been a long-time addict of that freshness.

    Taqueria Pico de Gallo.

    Yes. Fish. Yea.

    Mi Nidito.

    Wow. The best flat enchiladas in the US. Like little corn hamburgers. So savory. The rest of the menu ain't that hot.

    I am looking forward to trying Nico's, Cafe Mosaic, La Fuente (where is it?) and the stand outside PDQ record store. The rest of the stuff mentioned here isn't that great.
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    • Unsu...
       

      Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

      Mon, August 15, 2005 - 5:08 PM
      La Fuente is on Oracle south of Grant right hand side... enjoy!
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      • Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

        Thu, December 27, 2007 - 5:37 AM
        i had to revive this old thread bc i'd just about die for mosaic or any decent mexican food right now.
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        • Wolf...
          Wolflette
          offline 121

          Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

          Thu, December 27, 2007 - 10:51 AM
          It probably needs to be by catagory as there are all kinds of Mexican Food, for example La Parilla and Nicos have almost nothing in common.
          Personally I am all about what is in my hood and old school Tucson, I have been going to El Torero for over 30 years and it has always rocked (I am estimating over 1800 meals there easily!) Also Laruas has amazing tamales. There are tons of great places on the south and west sides that no one has mentioned. St Marys Mexican Food is super cheap and fabulous for take out. La Herradura if you eat meat.
          We buy from the Tamale lady at least once a week usually at the Nugget or Nancys pub she hits both every night, you can catch other members of her family selling fresh tortillas and tamales in front of the Walgreens on St. Mary's and Silverbell.
          As for new restaurants we love the Taco Bron on 1st and Fort Lowell, so cheap and so yummy.
          Most of all my own kitchen when my 10th generation Tucsonan Hispanic boyfriend and his family are cooking!!! I am so spoiled which is why we have a treadmill and an eliptical!!
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          • Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

            Thu, December 27, 2007 - 11:45 AM
            you are indeed a lucky girl. my sister's brother-in-law moved to portland from mexico with his wife -she'd been teaching english in mexico- and they say that i can't learn how to make mole sauce and should just buy some jar stuff when i'm in the u.s. - but i'm not in the u.s. and i am craving mole, among other things. is there a way to make really good mole at home or are they right? they say there are like 30 ingredients and good recipes are guarded family secrets.
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        • Jinx
          Jinx
          offline 195

          Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

          Fri, December 28, 2007 - 1:25 AM
          it depends on what you want- there are so many types of mexican food to choose from in tucson from fresh veg, to traditional, to cheesy greasy goodness...

          my fav is traditional style... lili's- they have absolutely to DIE for mole... seriously.

          I wanna say 39th and 4th... somewhere around there. weird hours- open for lunch and early supper, but not late dinner
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          • Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

            Fri, December 28, 2007 - 4:12 PM
            thanks for letting me revive this thread and for all the good tips. i am going to try to make mole - can't let the man get me down!
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            • AzurA
              AzurA
              offline 8

              Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

              Fri, December 28, 2007 - 4:26 PM
              making your own has got to be better than something you'd get in a jar, no? go for it!
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              • dave
                dave
                offline 37

                Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

                Fri, December 28, 2007 - 9:17 PM
                i keep seeing martin's on 4th mentioned here, but i've never heard anything good about the place from anyone in person.

                lately i love the molca's tent on grant & 7th.

                someone mentioned la herradura-agreed.

                i recently tried el guero canelo (how do i do umlauts on this confounded contraption? & i'm guessing they don't call them umlauts in spanish...) for the 1st time after hearing about them for years. i was told to get the sonoran hot dog. whatever. it was ok.

                nico's? no fucking way. i'll never eat there again. i don't care how late it is, how drunk i am, etc. there's just no point.

                the lady at the taco stop (i think it's called) gave me cake for my birthday. yay!

                i'll have to check out some of these other places.
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                • Charlie
                  Charlie
                  offline 12

                  Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

                  Sat, December 29, 2007 - 2:28 PM
                  OK, not exactly Mexican but if you want good mole try Maya Quetzal. Yum! Down on 4th ave.
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                    Insp...
                    Inspector
                    offline 63

                    Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

                    Sun, December 30, 2007 - 10:16 PM
                    You all rock... My first Mexican food experience, when I moved here, was Casa Molina (and that was not good).

                    So I ask this: where is the HOT Mexican food, with the crazy Hatch green chilies?
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                    • Charlie
                      Charlie
                      offline 12

                      Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

                      Tue, January 1, 2008 - 1:30 PM
                      Well, it is a bit of a drive but if you want those hot Hatch chilis then the Pecos River Cafe in my hometown of Carlsbad, NM. If you order the hot huevos rancheros you better be ready to sweat. Damn they are good, and so firggin hot! Hard to find anything near this in Tucson as far as I know. Most of the restaurants are homogenized for the tourists. But if you are ever in Carlsbad for a visit to the Carlsbad Caverns don't miss those huevos rancheros de infierno.
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  • brock
    brock
    offline 210

    Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

    Wed, January 2, 2008 - 1:09 PM
    its not mexican but that little guatemalan joint on 4th ave across from the coop,i think, is amazing i try and make it there whenever i'm in tucson....see you in february.
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    • Jinx
      Jinx
      offline 195

      Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

      Mon, January 7, 2008 - 5:25 PM
      That one is maya quetzal.... soooo very good... their heavos rostidado (okay- my spelling is atrocious) is worth a drive, a flight, whatever... but then, I am addicted to potatoes.
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      • rube...
        rubenruben
        offline 121

        Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

        Fri, January 11, 2008 - 5:01 PM
        maya quetzal used to have these potatoe tamales cooked in banana leaves instead of corn husk. is that what you're referring to?
        anyways, when i first moved to tucson, i used to live off of their black beans and rice (in those days it was like less than $3) and they'd give you a huge bag of chips with salsa.
        lots of their stuff has meat, but oh so good.
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        • Charlie
          Charlie
          offline 12

          Re: What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?

          Sun, January 13, 2008 - 10:53 AM
          Ah yes, Maya Quetzal’s black beans and rice are hard to beat. And anything they serve wrapped in a banana leaf is heaven. Yum. And Wendy's beautiful smile is always a treat. She and her mom Sandra are great people.

          If ya’ll are ever heading out my way we have some great restaurants out here along hwy 77. Casa Rivera in Oracle is great and Alicia’s in Mammoth is just the best in the area. Cassandra's in Mammoth is also quite good. The only downside is they don’t serve beer. Sometimes a man just needs a cold frosty one to wash down that green chili chimi.
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