El Antojo Poblano features a vibrant dining room with yellow walls, festive papel picado banners, and hand-painted pottery. Colorful tablecloths and warm lighting create a cheerful and inviting space for families and friends. The restaurant is best known for its authentic Pueblan flavors and welcoming atmosphere that celebrates Mexican culture.

While Tucson prides itself as a Sonoran town, El Antojo Poblano brings flavors from the Mexican state of Puebla. Rarer options include the spicy pollo en chiltepín and beefy suadero. Other popular menu items include the Cemita, Chalupas Poblanas, and Pollo en Mole.

Aqui Con El Nene’s Flowing Wells location offers a casual, open-air dining experience. The eatery features a food truck setup with a fan-cooled, semi-al fresco eating tent alongside an air-conditioned dining area.

Their take on the Sonoran hot dog stands out as a local favorite, chipilón-style with cheese melted onto the bread. Other customer favorites include the carne asada tacos, papanchas (stuffed baked potatoes), and the Taco Yaqui, which features two tortillas with a roasted green chile stuffed with carne asada, mushrooms, and melty cheese.

Birrieria Guadalajara welcomes guests with a casual and colorful outdoor dining area, featuring bright walls and festive decorations. Papel picado banners and traditional Mexican art pieces hang from the ceiling. Inside almost feels like a diner with its matching red countertop and red barstools.

With birria in the name, they naturally shine with their braised stews and soups. Gravitate towards the birria and cabeza, but don’t sleep on their carne asada tacos.

Carnitas La Yoca features a spacious dining room with neutral walls, tiled floors, and a large mural of a Mexican lakeside scene. While it is a humble taco shop, if you arrive early Sunday morning, be prepared to wait in a long line of regulars dressed in their Sunday best.

Pork is prince here, so order the classic carnitas with their fresh house-made corn tortillas. For a gelatinous combination of textures from different cuts, order the mixto.

(05/27/2024 note: they are closed for the summer and plan on reopening in August)

La Chaiteria offers a vibrant and eclectic atmosphere that reflects its cultural roots. The interior features colorful murals, including one of Anthony Bourdain and one of Kristen Stewart wearing a Tumerico shirt and eating a taco. The space also includes a salsa bar and a selection of retail Mexican items.

With the blackboard menu changing often, find specials ranging from mahi mahi tacos to vegan Cuban tacos. Its westside location makes it a convenient destination after a Tumamoc Hill hike. La Chaiteria also offers a selection of unique lattes, such as Mole, Mazapan, Saffron, and Chai.

El Chivo de Oro operates from a food truck under a large canopy, offering open-air picnic table seating for guests. Bright, colorful banners display the menu, creating a lively street-food atmosphere. The casual, outdoor setup invites customers to relax and enjoy a true Tucson food truck experience.

Try not to get carried away with $1 cabeza tacos on fresh handmade tortillas. For a little more funk, get the birria made with a blend of beef and goat. Beware — the red salsa can be brutally hot.

Cocteleria La Palma Mariscos Y Mas in Tucson offers a casual vibe at 22nd Street and Sixth Avenue under a large canopy with picnic tables next to the food truck.

Don’t be scared by the thought of seafood in the desert; they source well to keep their ingredients cold and fresh. While their base shrimp and fish tacos are more than good enough, you can indulge with the Taco Quesadilla stuffed with fish, shrimp, or both. Just be aware they close before dinner time.

La Indita offers a cozy and culturally rich atmosphere that reflects its heritage. The interior features wooden chairs and tables, with walls adorned by murals depicting rural indigenous life. This setting honors the restaurant’s roots in Mexican, Tarascan, and Tohono O’odham traditions.

The menu showcases a variety of popular dishes, including the Tarascan Tacos — corn masa filled with options like cheese, beef, or spinach, sealed and served with enchilada sauce, cheese, cabbage, beans, and rice. Other favorites are the Indian Taco, featuring fry bread topped with beans, beef, chile, salad, and cheese, and the Chicken Mole, with a rich mole sauce using cacao beans from Chiapas. La Indita also offers a selection of vegetarian and vegan options, such as spinach and nut enchiladas with mole sauce, catering to diverse dietary preferences.

Food truck-turned-brick-and-mortar restaurant Las Originales Carnitas El Michoacano now features a spacious indoor dining area with colorful walls and festive decorations.

The restaurant is best known for its carnitas, done in the style of their namesake Michoacán, homeland of carnitas. Take advantage of the vibrant, well-stocked salsa bar filled with salsas and pickled things to cut through the richness of the pork.

The dynamic duo of Patricia and Ron Schwabe brought this concept to life in 2013, serving up traditional Mexico City-inspired cuisine with a dash of Spanish and French influences. Make sure to try the rajas y papas (queso, chipotle crema, avocado crema, green onion) or the guajolote (turkey, red cabbage, and chipotle crema).

The Quesadillas invites diners into a space with vibrant red walls, string lights, and eclectic art. Colorful paintings and whimsical vegetable décor create a warm vibe throughout the restaurant. The casual dining area features a mix of tables and chairs, making it a welcoming spot for friends and families.

Despite their distance from the Mexican cuisine-dense south side, their mesquite-grilled carne asada holds its own against Tucson’s best. Chopped into small dice, find the tender bites in the name sake or on tacos. Also order a rib-eye taco and al pastor taco. Make sure to take advantage of their salsa bar — grab some of their salsa seca (chili oil) for the beef and some pineapple chiltepín salsa for the al pastor.

Rollies Mexican Patio features a lively dining space with bold murals, bright teal walls, pink flooring, and strings of colorful lights. The cheerful décor, along with local art and playful details, gives the restaurant a fun, playful vibe.

Enjoy their siganture birria in cheesy tacos, on top of a burger, in a bowl of ramen, or in a Pizzadilla.

Tacos Apson welcomes guests with a straightforward outdoor dining space filled with bright red booths and simple tables. The covered patio, shielded by bold signage and plastic walls, offers plenty of shade and a casual environment. Inside, the classic counter seating with red barstools faces the open kitchen, allowing diners to watch beef on the hand-cranked grill.

Their mesquite-grilled beef and costillas have a magnetic hold on even fancy pants chefs like Janos Wilder and world-class foodie Ruth Reichl. Sleeper hit: the taco chino, stuffed beans in a lightly fried flour tortilla.

El Taco Rustico offers a vibrant and authentic atmosphere that reflects its roots in Coahuila, Mexico. The exterior features a colorful mural depicting mariachi musicians, while the interior boasts a cozy setting with checkered floors and a chalkboard menu highlighting specials.

The restaurant is renowned for its quesabirria tacos, featuring tender, slow-braised beef and melted cheese tucked into crispy corn tortillas, served with a rich consommé for dipping. Other popular dishes include the costillas (mesquite-grilled beef ribs), carne asada burritos, and the Malinche tostada topped with guacamole, meat, and jalapeño crema. Chef Juan Almanza’s dedication to authentic flavors has earned El Taco Rústico recognition among Yelp’s top taco spots in the country.

Tacos de Cabeza Estilo Cajeme offers a relaxed, open-air dining experience beneath white canopy tents with folding tables and chairs.

This south side taco truck naturally specializes in cabeza tacos. They even offer funky brain (referred to as sesos, definitely an acquired taste) and other offal such as eyeballs (ojos), lips (labios), and even roof of mouth (paladar).

Taqueria Juanitos welcomes diners with a spacious, recently renovated interior featuring bright orange walls, colorful chairs, and a lively atmosphere. The open kitchen and digital menu boards keep the energy up, while wall-mounted decorative sombreros add a Mexican touch.

They blend Michoacán and Los Angeles street Mexican cuisine for their own style. Here, the tacos al pastor and carnitas to show off their skill with pork. However, they are also known for their carne asada tacos and generously portioned burritos.

Taqueria Pico de Gallo welcomes diners with a bright, decorative tiles with their rooster mascot at the counter. The simple dining area features sturdy tables, black chairs, and white walls adorned with colorful Mexican art near the entrance.

The restaurant is renowned for its thick, soft house-made corn tortillas. For tacos filling, go for the fried seafood or braised meats. Make sure to grab a cup of their lush horchata.

La Yaquesita Mexican Cuisine welcomes guests with a warm, inviting interior featuring wood-paneled ceilings, earthy brick walls, and cozy lighting. Large windows and patio seating create an airy feel, while the bar area glows with blue accent lights and rustic charm. The restaurant’s festive patio, strung with twinkling lights, offers a spot for people-watching a busy Fourth Avenue intersection.

The menu is best known for its quesabirrias. Also, don’t sleep on the chips and salsa.