A decade ago, owner Patricia Schwabe introduced the city to Penca Restaurante and all of its unique flavors and ingredients of Mexico City. Known for putting its own twist on classic dishes and cocktails, Penca comfortably remains one of the top dining choices in downtown Tucson.
On Wednesday, August 23, Penca unveiled its brand-new Happy Hour menu, which is available from 4 – 6 p.m. on Wednesday – Sunday (the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday).
“We are super excited to give an option to people who are already downtown,” said Schwabe. “It’s great for those who need a midday cap before going home — or to get them started for the evening.”
The new Happy Hour menu comes equipped with great sharable options (botanas) like the vegan Pozole Blanco — a mix of hominy, radish, lime, salsa de chipotle, and a flour tortilla — and Aquachile, which is salsa verde marinated shrimp, radish, avocado, green onion, and chips.
Plus, there are a few tacos to choose from like Lengua (beef tongue), Carnitas, Pescado, and on the Guarniciones menu you’ll find a few non-meat options like Calabcitas and Nopales (grilled prickly pear cactus).
The cocktails are also on point for the season and are definitely not an afterthought. The crafted and proprietary mixes are unique to the restaurant’s vision, infusing new tastes into well-loved classic drinks. For example, the visually stunning Jicara is a mezcal-based drink infused with burned elote and orange bitters.
Oh, and with $2 off glasses of wine, you’ll surely work up an appetite. Take a gander at the new Happy Hour menu below.
Penca Happy Hour Menu (4 – 6 p.m.)
Food
Botanas
- Ensalada Mixta ($10)(VE) – baby leaf lettuce, carrots, jicama, corn, roasted squash, pepitas, lemon vinaigrette
- Escabeche ($7)(VE) – pickled vegetables and housemade chamoy
- Aquachile ($12) – salsa verde marinated shrimp, radish, avocado, green onion, and chips
- Chicharrones ($8) – Penca spice, lime, avocado, and a crema
- Nachos ($12) – chorizo queso sauce, pickled onion, pickled jalapeño, green onion, cotija
- Esquites ($11)(V) – sweet corn, lime, serrano, cotija, hibiscus pickled red onion, aioli
- Pozole Blanco ($7)(VE) – hominy, radish, lime, salsa de chipotle, and a flour tortilla
- Empanada ($3 each) – potato and beef, squash epazote (VE), or mushroom (VE)
Tacos
- Rajas Con Hongos ($4)(VE) – grilled poblano chile, caramelized onion, roasted mushroom, cashew crema
- Pescado ($4) – grilled fish, jalapeño lime crema, cilantro, cabbage
- Guajolote ($4) – turkey, red cabbage, avocado, chipotle crema
- Carnitas ($4) – slow-roasted pork, caramelized onion, garlic, salsa verde, cilantro
- Lengua ($4) – beef tongue, pico de gallo, cilantro
Guarniciones
- Nopales ($4)(VE) – grilled prickly pear cactus, caramelized onion, garlic
- Frijoles Negros ($4)(VE) – black beans
- Calabacitas ($4)(VE) – Mexican squash, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic
- Arroz Poblano ($4) – white rice, roasted poblano, chile, corn
Drinks
Cocktails
- Bourbon & Tepache ($10) – bourbon, house tepache, sweet vermouth, falernum, angostura
- Jicara ($10) – elote mezcal, lime, agave, orange bitters
- Pina Colada ($8) – Hamilton rum, pineapple coconut puree, ginger cordial
- Diablo ($10) – beet-infused blanco tequila, fresh ginger, lime, seltzer
- Classic Margarita ($8) – blanco tequila, housemade triple sec, lime, salt
- Sonoran Gimlet ($10) – bacanora, blanco tequila, lime cordial, tonic wine
- Jardinero ($10) – gin, cucumber, bitter orange liqueur, lemon
- Jamaica Margarita ($8) – blanco tequila, lime, housemade triple sec, hibiscus cordial, Tajín
- Humo Liquido ($10) – bone marrow fat washed sotol, nixta corn liqueur, serrano cordial, lime, smoked sea salt
- Paloma ($8) – blanco tequila, grapefruit, lime, agave
Cerveza
- Draft ($5 pints/$9 jars) – Estrella Jalisco or Pueblo Vida Brewing’s brew on tap
- Bottled Beer ($5 each) – Bohemia, Modelo Especial, Model Negra, or Carta Blanca
- Tepache & Beer (mixed together)($7 pints/$12 jars) – fermented pineapple beverage, lager, and lime
Sangria
- Garnacha ($8 glass/$20 jar) – grapefruit cordial, brandy, sherry, cinnamon syrup, red wine, lemon
- Blanca ($8 glass/$20 jar) – mirepoix shrub, honey pisco, pennyroyal pisco, white wine, lemon
- Rose ($8 glass/$20 jar) – herb macerated rose wine, pisco, sherry, grapefruit cordial, chardonnay reduction
Wine
- House red and white – $2 off all wines by the glass
Penca Restaurante is located at 50 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information, visit pencarestaurante.com or call (520) 203-7681. Penca is also a Tucson Foodie Restaurant Partner.
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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.
