When you walk into Teresa’s Mosaic Café, the first thing you notice is the smell of fresh tortillas. They’re made in the dining room, in a curved workspace, which Teresa Matias designed to be the “heart of the restaurant.” The smell draws you in, while plates of huevos rancheros, chiles rellenos, and bowls of menudo make their way to tables filled with regulars, families and first-time visitors.
Teresa and her family have been part of Tucson’s food scene since 1984, when Teresa and Alfonso Matias purchased a small restaurant called Mosaic Café on Speedway and Silverbell. At first, it mostly served sandwiches and vegetarian options, and Teresa wanted to keep those customers happy while slowly introducing her own Mexican dishes. She started adding plates like carne con chile with rice and beans, and over time the menu grew until the restaurant became Teresa’s Mosaic Café. After about seven years, the family moved down the street to a second location before eventually opening their current location in 1997.
“My mom loves the west side,” said David Matias, Teresa’s son. “She thinks Mosaic is a staple here, and she wouldn’t put a restaurant anywhere else.”
At Teresa’s Mosaic Café, the family treats every customer like part of the household.
“We never talk about the restaurant like it’s a business, but as part of us, like it’s our house, like it’s our family,” David said. “That’s how we try to run the restaurant and take care of everybody who comes in.”
The restaurant has always been a neighborhood spot, attracting locals who know the Matias family by name. But after their appearance on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay in 2010, the restaurant started drawing attention from visitors across the country, from Canada to the East Coast. Still, even on busy days, David said, “we can go outside in the dining area and we know 80% of the customers that are there and that’s a great feeling.”
The menu at Teresa’s Mosaic Café blends Sonoran tradition with Oaxacan flavors, reflecting the family’s roots. While the café features classic Sonoran dishes like crispy tacos, chimichangas and fresh flour tortillas, subtle touches such as Oaxacan oregano, cloves and peppers give familiar plates a distinct flavor.
“But everything that we make here has a little bit of Oaxaca in it, you know, because that’s what’s in our heart,” David said. “I think that’s what distinguishes us from all the other restaurants.”
Teresa and her children draw on ingredients and techniques studied in Oaxaca itself. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, David went directly to Oaxaca and studied there for months to learn how to cook.
Their huevos rancheros gained national attention after appearing on the Food Network and the dish has become such a favorite that it’s been added to their dinner menu.
“It’s a fantastic dish. It has a quality sauce with fresh tomatoes, fresh jalapeños, and fresh cilantro. It’s the simplicity that makes it stand out,” David said.
They are also very well known for their menudo, which is offered in both red and white.
“Some would say it’s among the best in town. It’s clean, full of flavor and made only with honeycomb tripe, which is considered the best you can buy,” he said. “Traditionally, menudo was a hoof-to-mouth dish, using every part of the cow. But when you serve it with premium tripe, people notice the difference. It costs a little more, but you can see and taste that quality when it’s on the table.”
And then, of course, their chiles rellenos have earned a loyal following.
“Our cheese chile rellenos here are amazing. The sauce that goes on top of it, it just makes a very beautiful dish,” David said. “I forgot, the most important thing is the tortillas. Where else are they making fresh homemade flour tortillas in front of the house like that?”
In addition to classic dishes, the restaurant also serves family-inspired creations including a dish named after their father, Alfonso.
“I think that particular dish represents us really well,” David said. The plate features a mix of steak and chicken fajitas, a combination that reflects the family’s playful approach to flavors.
Beyond the food, Teresa’s Mosaic Café is defined by its people, the family, the longtime staff and the customers who have returned for decades. David and Isaac Matias, Teresa’s sons, say many of their employees have been with them for 20 to 35 years, helping the restaurant run like an extension of the family.
“So when I see little kids in the dining room eating our menudo, I think, that’s a lifer right there,” Isaac said. “I’ve got a customer for life.”
The restaurant has faced some challenges. During COVID, they had to shift to takeout in a space designed for dine-in and a fire in 2022 forced the restaurant to remain closed for over a year.
“After the fire we were closed for 14 months and it was a bit of an ordeal,” Isaac said. “But the only way to get through it is if we all stuck together and we all did our part to reopen it.”
The family hopes to keep the restaurant in the next generation. David’s kids and Isaac’s children are already learning the ropes, bussing tables, hosting, and starting to make tortillas themselves.
The Matias family’s culinary influence doesn’t stop at Teresa’s Mosaic Café. David opened his own Oaxacan-focused restaurant, Victoria Cocina Mexicana, while his sister Victoria runs Mosaic Dos, a separate spot with its own menu, supported by the family.
“There’s plenty of work here, and we’re ready to adapt when tastes change,” Isaac said.
“Le doy gracias a Tucson que siempre ha estado con nosotros, que les gusta nuestra comida, el servicio y le gusta mi familia,” Teresa Matias said.
“I give thanks to Tucson for always being with us, for enjoying our food, the service and for liking my family.”
Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe is located at 2456 N. Silver Mosaic Dr.. For more information, visit teresasmosaic.com.
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