El Saguarito

So my buddy and I went here a few weeks ago and I never wrote the review. We are both white people. big white people! ! Crackers, I think they call us! Lol. .we are also both fatty butts!!! we went on a Monday or Tuesday night and the last time I went I went thru drive thru and the barbacoa burrito I had was the best damn one ever! This time however, our food was not good. The first few bites I could taste SOUR. I got Carne asada. It was so weird, I told myself I was just being overly critical, but after my friend also told me his plate was off, we both knew we had been screwed. We asked for to go boxes put the rest of our sour food away to go. Which we threw out later. We were two big fat white people who were in an all mexican staffed place and the only patrons in the place at about 7pm. I had a Groupon and showed the waiter up front, I think I had a question about it. Maybe that had something to do with our terribly gross and sour food. We didn’t complain and I tipped well and left. I even bought some of thier homemade flour tortillas, unfortunately, the next day we both were sick, like throw up and yes, well I’m sure you can figure out the rest!
My assumption is that they didn’t ice the meat and let it sit out and it got sour. All I know is I’ll never go back again and I also belive we were somehow fucked with because of our size and skin color. Hey. I’m being serious here, is bullshit and my money is green so it should not matter, size, shape or skin color… but I FELT the racism and the judgement, I just did. I wonder is it ALL white people that get sour food or just the fat white people only? I’m disgusted AGAIN. what’s new?

One of my absolute favorite Mexican restaurants in Tucson! I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Great food, great service and one of the best owners in town! Amazing chimichangas, awesome chicken and beef fajitas, mouth watering homemade salsa!

I keep going back for the salsa. It’s like homemade! The food is pretty good too! But I gave it five stars based on their salsa alone, it’s important :)

Excellent food, great variety, really good service, and (oh yeah) the beer was very fresh & perfectly hyper-​chilled. Well done El Saguarito. We’re not from Tucson, but we get back pretty often & this will be one of our stops from now on.

This place was recommended for lunch by the concierge at our hotel. The service was friendly and efficient. The waiter was very helpful in making recommendations. We sat outside on their pet friendly patio. It was nice enough but the music was way too loud. I had a chicken taco salad and a beer, my husband had two tacos and an enchilada. All were good, but not spectacular. The beans were really boring. We enjoyed ourselves but wouldn’t necessarily go back.

one of the best mexican food restaurants in tucson. every bite was perfect. cabbage on the fish tacos. free fresh tortilla samples with various fun spreads as you walk in, warm, made just for you. mondays — 2 pints of beer or 2 margaritas for a dollar. and their margaritas aren’t made from a mix. their birria. their barbacoa. their beans. their service. their cleanliness. their hot salsa. their mild salsa. their tricolor chips. just, it’s a yes. seriously. we were in heaven. they have local beers. 22 or 12 ounce options. … it’s just a yes. all the way. i won’t go anywhere else if i can help it, for this sort of setting … think casa molina alternative. it’s all fresh, natural, handmade with love. nothing gloopy nothing sloppy, just perfect.

We had our first meal at the this restaurant and we were very pleased. The service was great, Surprisingly, the ‘healthy’ Mexican food claim was true, The taste was more like home cooking. I did somewhat miss the ‘unhealthy’ lard in the re-​fried beans but that is OK. We didn’t take home any tortillas but the sample was good. We ate inside to avoid the music but that is an individual preference. We will definitely go again. Mayra (spelling ?) was a great waitress.

We have been here several times with friends and the last visit featured live entertainment from a local artist singing popular ballads and he was fantastic. So, we got great food, Dos amber on tap for $ 2.50 during happy hour and professional level entertainment. Doesn’t get any better than this!

As a former Tucsonan and regular here, I still list this as one of my favorite Mexican food places of all time. … And without question, the best margaritas you’ll ever have.

While here on vacation, we were hunting around Tucson for a good Mexican food restaurant to try. We saw all the good reviews this place had, and decided to give it a whirl. I’m SO glad we did! The chips and salsa were amazing, the guacamole was delicuous, and the enchiladas were to die for. The service was impeccable. We loved this place. It’s a definite place to go!

Food was great, service exceptional, monster cookie to die do, love this place! $ 5 Monday Madness is awesome!

Always great service, always a good experience, and the food is quite good.
We went on Saturday, and I had a birria chimi, cheese and sour cream added, a mango margarita, and beans. Husband had 3 a la cart beef tacos with extra cheese.
We split a flan for dessert – which is an amazing way to end a good meal, btw.
There were mariachis playing fun music while we ate, and the service was, as always excellent.
My margarita was just what I needed!
We’ll be back!

This updated review is just over a year and a half since my original one of El Saguarito. Recently, they added weekday lunch specials that go from 11am to 4pm. Their are ten options to choose from and then you pick rice OR beans. Some other places give you both the rice and beans for their lunch specials. Each of the items are $ 6.95, making it comparable to other restaurant’s lunch deals. Some of their menu items are on-​par or lower than other Mexican places in regards to the price. Some items are slightly more expensive. It just depends on what you get.
The service may not be the best in the world, but it was pretty good. They could be a little more friendlier and smile more, but there was nothing I can say about the service. I do enjoy seeing the tortilla lady outside making this stable item hot and fresh.
Food presentation can also use improvement. It doesn’t look too appetizing on appearances. They put one chip on the side of beans, which is confusing since every table will already have chips and just putting one on the plate doesn’t make it look any better or worse than it already is. That said, the food is alright. The whole beans and rice are tasty. Chicken had decent flavor when combined with other ingredients and the salsa. Probably pass on the chips they give you at the beginning. They give you three color tortilla chips, which makes me wonder if they use food coloring to make them.
Other notes about El Saguarito: (1) This is a pet-​friendly place. They have a cool patio and you can bring your dog (or cat, but who brings a cat). (2) They can accommodate for those on a gluten-​free diet. (3) They have live music many nights of the week. (4) This is a family restaurant. (5) They have a drive-​thru.

Location:
This is located near a strip-​mall shopping center on Campbell and Prince. Not too hard to find just tucked in the parking lot of the strip mall.
First impression:
Looked like a fun place to eat. Has a nice patio area. Had two ladies out in the patio area making fresh tortillas so that was nice to see. I heard you could purchase tortillas filled with different fillings right at their station but we did not get to do that at the time. This restaurant looks like a good place to spend Happy Hour also.
Food:
Food was excellent. It tasted fresh and presentation was good. Was not a «big» fan of the «enchilada side» but did like the «zucchini» side dish. Their appetizer Salsa was very tasty with a little edge to it. They did well on their refills as any of the servers who walked by refilled their beverage (my tip is always based off not only food but refill availability and timeliness). :)
Overall:
Yes I would definitely go back. My family loved it and so did I. They usually have coupons available in mailings so that makes it even better. I think you should give this a shot if you are in the area.

Great family-​owned restaurant. Met the owner and his son. Very hard-​working crew; excellent patio that is perfect if you want to sit outside and get fresh air. The food is authentic and the margaritas are delicious!

I had high hopes for a cold one and a nice lunch until I found out how much they charge for a can of beer… come on 4.25 for a can of Tecate Light… are you kidding me? Now I know why the place was empty!

El Saguarito has self-​glossed themselves «The Healthy Mexican Food Alternative», and they probably are compared to other Mexican restaurants that shall remain nameless that use lard and artificial colors, but don’t go there expecting a strong vegan or vegetarian selection, grass-​fed beef, or portion sizes that don’t promote gluttony and cardiovascular disease.
My fellow slothful introverts will appreciate the fact that they have a drive thru and it’s not crowded, even during the lunch rush! It’s no McDonalds in terms of speed-​of-​service, but I’m guessing it’s a little faster than going inside and ordering «to-​go». The young man working the drive-​thru window was the type of employee we used to dream about back in my fast food management days. Except we couldn’t actually ever hire this guy, because showered, courteous, intelligent college kids with dental hygiene weren’t lining up to work at our joint for some reason.
The price was a little steep, but I’m getting used to that. I paid $ 8.50 for a vegetarian burrito from the a la carte menu, but it was HUGE and came with a standard side of fresh chips and kickin’ hot salsa. The side of whole pinto beans was delicious… but vegetarian? I’m not sure and I probably don’t want to know. The biggest disappointment was the burrito itself, which seemed to only have beans, zucchini, corn, and cheese. I think I’m getting to be a calabacita snob, because I’ve decided that I prefer the squash diced, blending in with the other vegetables and spices, rather than the thickly sliced, bland pieces that were included in this particular burrito.
The following day, I decided to give them another shot and ordered the bean and cheese burrito. Unfortunately, it was just overpriced Nicos/​Los Betos/​Filibertos fare. I’m starting to wonder if red chilé sauce — or any sauce, for that matter — is a TacoBellization of the traditional bean burrito and is not actually served in Mexico.
Based on two visits, my overall impression of the food is that it’s uninspired, over-​priced and not — despite their declaration — healthy. Oh well… the good part about working on Ft. Lowell and Campbell for the week is that there are a gazillion highly rated restaurants within a short driving distance.
I wonder if they would have served me a margarita through the drive-​thru window in a «to-​go» cup? Is that a thing in Arizona?

We like the good food and friendly courteous service here.
The coffee, as the owner explained, is a special blend of Mexican coffees that includes a touch (barely noticeable) of Hazelnut. This might not be Globe-​Miami Mexican food, but it is good.
Good for breakfast too.

I can’t. Even express how yummy our breakfast burritos were – Red Chile Chicken and Chile Relleno and eggs. Eddie was super sweet!!! Found a new place I will be faithful too!

Eddie is the waiter you want. Prompt, respectful, speedy with a mean right hook ;)
The food is everything Tucson. Enjoy this little spot when you can