Each week, we want to highlight one of our favorite restaurants in Tucson!
Just a couple of years ago, Guadalajara Original Grill celebrated its 20th anniversary here in Tucson.
At that time, they estimated that they had made at least five million handmade tortillas!
Owner Emma Vera, who owns the two “Original Grill” locations in Tucson at 1220 E Prince Rd. and 7360 N. Oracle Rd., crunched the numbers one day and figured that the team makes around 269,000 a month.
Multiply that by 20 years and you’re sitting somewhere way more than five million tortillas. They’ve been open for 22 years now — that’s more tortillas than I can count on my fingers.
When entering either of the Original Grill locations, the beautiful murals will definitely grab your attention, but it’s also easy to get distracted by the whiffs of table-side salsa being created right before an eater’s eyes.
Vera brought her passion for food, vibrant colors, and Mexican culture with her when she moved to the U.S. from Guadalajara.
A couple of decades ago, she then constructed a menu full of traditional recipes and innovative twists, utilizing crafty seafood dishes and specialty plates to ingrain her Mexican influence into other culinary realms.
The menu is so large that it requires multiple visits — this just means more margaritas, too. Their House Margarita is one of our favorites in Tucson.
Tucson Foodie Insiders
Guadalajara Original Grill is also a Restaurant Partner, meaning that Tucson Foodie Insiders can score $10 off their meal four times a year.
For $20 a month, Insiders get a stack of cash vouchers to local restaurants worth over $5,000, free tasting events at local restaurants every month, access to members-only monthly dinner series with local chefs, discounts on events, and monthly mixers with other members. Learn more and join!
Guadalajara Original Grill is located at 1220 E Prince Rd. and 7360 N. Oracle Rd. For more information, visit guadalajaraoriginalgrill.com.
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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.
