Longtime Sonoran hot dog and carne asada stand Karamelo King quietly opened a brick-and-mortar location at 5224 E. Pima St. in March.
The space previously housed Carniceria La Pima and Carniceria La Noria.
Ciudad Obregón, Sonora native Rafael Gastelum moved to Tucson in 1995 and helped start BK Tacos. Once he learned the trade, he left BK and started Karamelo King as a hot dog stand at 3752 E. Grant Rd. in 2000.
From taco stand to taco shop
Once business took off, he expanded the menu with tacos, burros, and quesadillas. The stand became a go-to for Fridays and Saturday nights after drinking around the Grant and Alvernon neighborhood. It’s also a Tucson Foodie pick for Sonoran hot dogs and carne asada tacos.
The new restaurant features a minimal interior decorated with prints of lotería cards. Customers order at the counter and help themselves at the salsa bar.
Proud, simple cuisine
Gastelum cooks his carne asada simply — using salt on a mesquite grill. He also spoons on a brothy tomato sauce — for extra juiciness — just before serving. Make sure to eat the taco swiftly — you don’t want it to get soggy.
Naturally, Karamelo King makes superb caramelos. Try one with juicy birria on a corn tortilla. If you can handle the heat, try the creamy-looking red salsa; it’s the hottest one there, loaded with fiery chile de arbol.
While the menu is mostly the same with tried-and-true classics, the new location also features an array of Mexican snacks and sweets.
The freezer showcases 10 flavors of hielitos, which are Mexican frozen desserts in hand-sized plastic bags. Flavors range from mango chamoy to galletas Marias.
Once business picks up, the fridge will also offer slices of Mexican cake.
Karamelo King’s beloved stand at Grant Road is still operating at night to take care of your drunchies, by the way.
Karamelo King is located at 5224 E. Pima St. from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday and at 3752 E. Grant Rd. from 4 p.m. – midnight Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (520) 849-6682. Keep up with Karamelo King on Instagram.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
