El Charro Café Downtown

Few restaurants can say their dining room used to be somebody's house. El Charro Café's downtown Tucson location sits at 311 N Court Avenue in a building the Flores family has treated as home since 1896, when stone mason Jules Flin built it. The café has run since 1922 and is widely described as the oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant in the country, with the same family still at the stove.

The chimichanga story

The restaurant's best-known claim is the chimichanga. As the family tells it, founder Monica Flin, known as Tía Monica, dropped a burro into hot frying oil while cooking in the kitchen, and when the oil splashed she blurted out "chimichanga" because the children were nearby. Whether or not the legend is exact, the fried burro has been a menu anchor ever since, and you can order one here with a sense that you are eating it at the source.

What else is on the table

The menu draws on northern Mexican and Tucson-style cooking, from enchiladas and tamales to small chimis meant for sharing. Desserts lean playful: a chocolate hazelnut tamal and an apple pie chimichanga both appear on the menu. Because the family has cooked here for generations, the plates read as home cooking scaled up for a restaurant, rather than a themed concept.

The room

The downtown location is the original family residence, converted to a restaurant in 1969, so the layout feels like a series of homey rooms, not a single hall. Run by women of the Flores family from the beginning, with Carlotta Flores now serving as owner and head chef, it keeps a sense of continuity that newer restaurants cannot copy.

Common Questions

What are El Charro's downtown hours?
The downtown location is listed as open 11 AM to 9 PM daily. Confirm before you go, especially on holidays.

Who invented the chimichanga?
El Charro credits founder Monica Flin with inventing it, and the story is part of the restaurant's identity.

Is this the original El Charro?
Yes. The downtown house on Court Avenue is the original family home, and the restaurant opened in 1922.

Who owns it now?
The Flores family still owns it. Carlotta Flores, a grand-niece of the founder, is owner and head chef.

Is there more than one location?
Yes, the family runs other Tucson-area locations. Check floresconcepts.com for menus and addresses.