Topopo Salad at Rosa's (Photo by Isaac Stockton)

Monday Munchies: Topopo Salad at Rosa’s Mexican Food Restaurant


July 8, 2024
By Matt Sterner

Monday Munchies is supported by Botanica.

I had my first taste of Rosa’s Mexican Food Restaurant in 2015. I was working at Rainbow Guitars on Campbell Avenue and occasionally went on food runs for myself and the other guys I worked with in the repair shop. Rosa’s was a common go-to spot for the crew and I’m thankful for the experience.

Now, not every Monday Munchies needs to be an over-the-top culinary creation that leaves heavy-feeling effects on your belly.

If you’re looking for munchies that include some greens, give the Topopo Salad at Rosa’s a chance!

Topopo Salad at Rosa’s (Photo by Isaac Stockton)

Rosa’s Topopo Salad includes a heap of lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and then your choice of shredded beef or chicken. Plus, there’s a little bit of crunch hiding underneath all of those ingredients — a bean tostada.

For an additional fee, you can upgrade your protein choice to carne seca.

Brief History of the Topopo

The Topopo Salad is a large, mountain-like salad.

The Sunset Mexican Cookbook calls the topopo a “counterpart for our hearty chef’s salad,” but adds that it “takes the much more dramatic shape of a mountain or volcano,” and that it is “typical of the cuisine shared by the northern state of Sonora and next-door Arizona.”

Local foodie, Edie Jarolim, once described the Topopo Salad as “nachos on a health kick.”

Check out her June 2022 article “The Topopo Salad’s Footprint on Southern Arizona & Beyond.”

Rosa’s Mexican Food Restaurant is located at 1705 E. Fort Lowell Rd. #164. For more information, visit tucsonmexicanrestaurant.com.

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