Guadalajara Original Grill (Photo by Jackie Tran)

Restaurant of the Week: Guadalajara Original Grill


August 21, 2024
By Matt Sterner

Each week, we want to highlight one of our favorite restaurants in Tucson!

Just a couple of years ago, Guadalajara Original Grill celebrated its 20th anniversary here in Tucson.

At that time, they estimated that they had made at least five million handmade tortillas!

Owner Emma Vera at Guadalajara Original Grill (Photo by Jackie Tran)

Owner Emma Vera, who owns the two “Original Grill” locations in Tucson at 1220 E Prince Rd. and 7360 N. Oracle Rd., crunched the numbers one day and figured that the team makes around 269,000 a month.

Multiply that by 20 years and you’re sitting somewhere way more than five million tortillas. They’ve been open for 22 years now — that’s more tortillas than I can count on my fingers.

When entering either of the Original Grill locations, the beautiful murals will definitely grab your attention, but it’s also easy to get distracted by the whiffs of table-side salsa being created right before an eater’s eyes.

Tableside salsa at Guadalajara Original Grill on Prince Road (Credit: Jackie Tran)

Vera brought her passion for food, vibrant colors, and Mexican culture with her when she moved to the U.S. from Guadalajara.

A couple of decades ago, she then constructed a menu full of traditional recipes and innovative twists, utilizing crafty seafood dishes and specialty plates to ingrain her Mexican influence into other culinary realms.

The menu is so large that it requires multiple visits — this just means more margaritas, too. Their House Margarita is one of our favorites in Tucson.

Queso Fundido at Guadalajara Original Grill (Photo by Jackie Tran)
Tucson Foodie Insiders

Guadalajara Original Grill is also a Restaurant Partner, meaning that Tucson Foodie Insiders can score $10 off their meal four times a year.

For $20 a month, Insiders get a stack of cash vouchers to local restaurants worth over $5,000, free tasting events at local restaurants every month, access to members-only monthly dinner series with local chefs, discounts on events, and monthly mixers with other members. Learn more and join!

Guadalajara Original Grill is located at 1220 E Prince Rd. and 7360 N. Oracle Rd. For more information, visit guadalajaraoriginalgrill.com

Tucson Foodie is a locally owned and operated community. Thanks to our partners and members, we are able to offer paywall-free guides and articles. We value your support and invite you to become a Tucson Foodie Insider today.

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