The team at Tucson Botanical Gardens is making some changes to their on-site cafe at 2150 N. Alvernon Way. To catch you up to speed, Café Botanica closed in 2021 and Edna’s Eatery moved in, which was a partnership between the Gardens and Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa.
Just last week, it was announced that Charly’s BBQ & Grill food truck would be moving in temporarily until the Gardens opens its brand-new cafe sometime within the next two to three months.
“We will have breakfast and lunch options, as well as all of your favorites,” the folks at Charly’s BBQ shared.
Under the temporary name Porter’s Patio Café, Charly’s BBQ will be serving breakfast from 8:30 – 11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily (Garden admission or membership is required to access Porter’s Patio Café). Just head towards the Herb Garden on the west end of the Gardens and follow the arrows and the sweet smell of Sonoran-style barbecue.
The menu at the Gardens will include dishes like Sonoran Chili Cheese Fries, a Pulled Pork Sandwich, Sonoran BBQ Chili Dog, Caesar Salad, and Smoked Chicken Wings for lunch. The kid’s menu features Creamy Mac & Cheese, Grilled Hot Dogs, and Chicken Tendies.
For breakfast, a Breakfast Burrito, Buttermilk Pancake Stack, Avocado Toast, and Parfait are just a few of the bites awaiting your arrival. You can check out their full menu online.
Chances are you’ve come across Charly’s before while the truck is parked outside of local taprooms around Tucson like Caps & Corks.
Chef Carlos Guerrero is the mastermind behind Charly’s BBQ/Porter’s Patio Café. He was 17 years old when he first started creating in the kitchen. He eventually landed a position at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa as their banquet chef — he was introduced to the passion play that is proper barbecue. This is when he sprouted the idea of Sonoran-style barbecue.
Read our October 2022 article, “Charly’s BBQ: Texas-Style Barbecue with a Sonoran Twist.”
Porter’s Patio Café is open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. (breakfast is until 11 a.m.). There’s no exact date yet for when the menu will depart the Gardens but expect it to be around for the next two to three months.
As mentioned earlier, Gardens admission or membership is required to access Porter’s Patio Café.
The Tucson Botanical Gardens are located at 2150 N. Alvernon Way. For more information, call (520) 326-9686 or visit tucsonbotanical.org.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
