The Tucson Food Guide: Where to find the best margaritas

Where exactly is Margaritaville? Is it a state of mind or someplace tropical where you can soak your toes in salty sea water? Or — hear me out — is it Tucson?

If there’s one thing Tucson’s eateries and cantinas know how to do right, it’s making a perfectly potable margarita. Whether you like yours classic with fresh lime, spicy with a tajín rim, blended with fresh fruit, or shaken with top-shelf tequila, this desert city has as many options as it does opinions about its margaritas.

So, where can you get the best margarita in town? What makes the best margarita the best? We asked for your feedback in a recent readers’ poll, and over 500 locals chimed in to let us know the best places to get a margarita in Tucson. While that is a lot of feedback, only two places got the majority of the vote.

2. El Charro Café

311 N. Court Ave.

The oldest Mexican restaurant in the U.S. that’s been continuously operated by the same family, El Charro not only makes a mean margarita, but also won the title for best birria in this year’s readers’ poll. It’s said that they invented the chimichanga. Plus, some of the original menu items from 1922 are still available to sample. 

El Charro has been serving their timeless margaritas for longer than most of us have been alive. Their margaritas are classic and potent. They don’t do bottled syrups, but they do offer fresh crushed fruit options, delicious fruit nectars, and tajín rims for a unique kick. But their original margarita is just great tequila, fresh lime, and a splash of sweetness. You don’t need a 15-ingredient margarita when the old-school option is on point. 

Run by the Flores family for over 100 years, El Charro has seen Tucson grow, change, and fall head over heels in love with Sonoran cuisine. You can’t leave without sampling one of Tia Monica’s original dishes, and the chile rellenos are worth the trip alone.

Who doesn’t love sipping a cocktail in a century-old building that once served as a boarding house? If you’re a food history buff like me and love the feeling of eating food that connects generations, or if you love a restaurant that doesn’t chase trends, El Charro Cafe is the place.

Photo courtesy of Guadalajara Grill

1. Guadalajara Grill

1220 E. Prince Rd. + 4901 E. Broadway Blvd.

What pairs best with an amazing margarita? Tableside salsa? Live mariachi music? A night out with friends? The answer, of course, is all of the above. If you haven’t had a Guadajara Grill margarita yet, get down there and try one!

When Guadalajara Grill won first place in last year’s readers’ poll, nobody here was surprised. And when they repeated the win this year, our readers made it clear: this is Tucson’s best margarita, period.

The margarita menu at Gudalajara Grill has all the classics, house specials, and flavored favorites — including seven signature varieties and five flavored options. Whether you want a classic house margarita or something fancy with muddled jalapeños, blood orange purée, or smoky mezcal, this place has you covered.

Let’s not pretend you’re just drinking here. Guadalajara Grill also happens to serve some of Tucson’s best Sonoran-style Mexican cuisine. Their portions are generous, and the flavors are bold and authentic. Must-try menu items include the tableside salsa, the molcajete ultimo, the fajitas, the Mexican paella, and the lobster enchiladas.

Indeed, Guadalajara Grill has the full package: killer margaritas, fantastic food, and live mariachi, not to mention great service and a warm vibe. Whether you’re heading out for a date night, a girls’ night, or you just to wind down from your work day with happy hour, Guadalajara Grill always delivers.

READ MORE: The best birria in Tucson