One of the oldest restaurants in Tucson, Lerua’s Fine Mexican Foods, is closing its location at 2005 E. Broadway Blvd. on Saturday, January 19.
“The business isn’t closing,” said Michael Hultquist Jr., chef and co-owner of Lerua’s. “It’s the location.”
After about 34 years on-and-off negotiating with the city of Tucson, the Hultquist family came to an agreement for the city to buy out the building. However, it still isn’t an ideal situation for the family.
“Nobody buys a home to lose on it,” Hultquist said. “It’s a tough decision.”
While the family would have loved to keep the location open and reach its centennial mark, they needed to move forward so that the city could continue with its Broadway Boulevard expansion project.
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Lerua’s opened in 1922, establishing a local reputation for its exceptional green corn tamales over the next several decades. To illustrate the magnitude of that side of the business — they have their own corn broker who supplies 250 dozen ears of corn every two days.
At age 23, Hultquist finished culinary school in San Diego and returned to the family business with some new ideas. While tamales and burritos were still a main draw, Hultquist earned a loyal local following with gourmet daily specials ranging from fresh fish to A5 wagyu beef.
Even though the location is in its final days, “it’s been a good business,” Hultquist said. “We’ve got a good clientele.”
The restaurant served 2,000 customers from January 4 – 5. During December, they were averaging 15 caterings a day.
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While Lerua’s hasn’t figured out where to relocate yet, Hultquist is planning on re-opening sister restaurant El Torero in early February. In addition, El Torero might even be a temporary home to Hultquist’s gourmet daily specials, so stay tuned for additional details.
Lerua’s Fine Mexican Foods is located at 2005 E. Broadway Blvd. Keep up with Lerua’s Fine Mexican Food on Instagram. For more information, visit leruasfinemexicanfoods.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
