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Monday Munchies: Tapas, Sangria & More at Basqueria

Basqueria (Photo by Shane Reiser)

Monday Munchies: Tapas, Sangria & More at Basqueria

Sep 16, 20241 min read

Monday Munchies is supported by Botanica.

Just a little over a month ago, Basqueria officially opened in the former Fired Pie pizza joint at 350 E. Congress St. — bringing pintxos (bite-sized dishes) found in the Basque country of Northern Spain and Southern France.

Basqueria (Photo by Shane Reiser)

Before opening Basqueria, Freddy ElMesselmani, who also operates Urban Pita, soaked up the culture and toured the Basque region including Bilbao and the North Spanish coast.

It’s a great addition to the downtown food scene, including dishes like Paella Basqueria (Saffron Arborio rice with chicken thigh and chorizo), boards (meat, veggie, cheese, or mixed), Sauteéd Chicken, and Smoked Salmon Pintxo — goat cheese on bread with smoked salmon, whipped hot honey, and pickled onions.

There are breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner menus at Basqueria. They also brings late-night bites downtown!

The current hours of operation are 4 p.m. – midnight on Tuesday – Wednesday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. on Thursday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. – midnight on Sunday, and closed Mondays. The last call for food and drinks is 30 minutes before closing time.

Basqueria (Photo by Shane Reiser)

There’s a lot to eat at Basqueria and plenty of time to do it!

Keep scrolling for a visual tour of certain menu items (all photos were taken by Shane Reiser).

A Look at Basqueria’s Menu

Basqueria is located at 350 E. Congress St. For more information, visit basqueriaaz.com and follow Basqueria on Instagram.

Article written by:

Matt Sterner

Matt Sterner

More about Matt

At 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.

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