Skip to Content

El Charro Cafe

Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:41

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail

  Tucsonans may be surprised to know that Monica Flin, the founder of El Charro Café, is of French descent, not Mexican.

After the death of her second husband, Flin left Mexico and decided to come to Tucson and open a Mexican-inspired restaurant.

Josue Limon is the manager of the El Charro Café located at 7725 N. Oracle Road. He shares the history of the nation's oldest family-operated Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Ariz. Monica Flin, a Mexican Sonoran started the restaurant in 1922 with only four tables.


After a few years of struggling to get the restaurant off the ground, Flin moved the business to her parent's home on Court Street, where it exists today.

El Charro Café, owned by the grandniece of the founder, is celebrating eighty-nine years in business. Carlotta Flores works hard to continue her aunt's legacy.

The same bloodline still serves the food that Flin first prepared when the restaurant was first opened in 1922.

This restaurant is known for serving the people of Tucson with its famous Sonoran enchiladas, and El Charro beef tacos, "which are typical of this area," Limon said. According to Limon, El Charro Café changes their recipes about once a year.

The restaurant was once located at what is now the Tucson Convention Center and has since expanded to seat 350 people. Today, there are five restaurant locations in Tucson.

When asked why people choose El Charro over other Mexican restaurants, Limon said, "They've heard the history and know we've been doing something right."

People continue to crave the dishes Flin original dishes like "the chimichanga, which we are known to have invented," according to Limon.

"It's who we are," he said. "The family environment adds the charm, not treating them as a number."

Written by Jillian Roggen You are reading El Charro Cafe articles

News

Culture

People

Education

Health

Sports

Food

Related Items

Stalk us at:

Border Beat on Facebook


Border Beat Blogs

Educación en la Frontera

By: Shannon Maule

A look at higher education in regard to those who have and have not been able to travel from various countries to the United States. Stories from people in the higher education world relating to the border.

A Mosaic America

By: Rachel Kolinski

"Exploring Diversity one Face at a Time"

Dancing in the Desert

By: Hope Jamieson

Explore dance throughout the borderlands.

A City of Musical Diversity

By: Maria Teracena

Tucson musicians influence and are influenced by the sounds of the world.

Culture Crossing

By: Chelsey Barthel

American borders are crossed every day by cultures of all kind. These stories tell the personal experiences of people from different lands, offering further insight into the difference of cultures.

Borderfilmbeat

By: Lauren Inouye

A look at Mexican and Latin films that reflect culture, politics, and society --  reviews, research and analysis.

CaPOWera

By: Charles Misra

Stories about martial arts and combat sports with a cultural twist, all finding a home in America's southwestern borderlands.

Border People

By: Jamie Turow

Profiles of English language learners.

Tear Down Borders

By: Jessica Hoerth

Meet some of the people in Tucson who have made the journey across the border as they share what they came in search of and what struggles they may have encountered along the way.

Border Couture

By: Lauren Urratio

Fashion and how it is impacted by the border and international cultures.

Crossing the Line

By: Lucy Valencia

News from along the border with Mexico

The Border Project

By: Melissa Guz

"The Border Project" is an art showcase located in the University of Arizona's Museum of Art. It has over 40+ art pieces related to border issues.

Athletics and the Border

By: Preston Fawcett

Get to know high school coachs and athletes from Arizona border towns or from Mexico and their struggles to get to where they are.

Border Personalities

By: Audrey A. Fitzsimmons

The Southwest boasts of diverse ethnic backgrounds and a wealth of interesting personalities. Border Personalities is dedicated to the people of the Southwest and their stories.

Border Beats

By: Jeff Kessler

U.S. - Mexico border issues, current events, and interesting local stories

Music of the Border

By: Steven Schiraldi

Music reviews of musical works by Mexican or other ethnic artists.

The Border Wall

By: Brett Haupt

A visual exploration of America’s last frontier -- pictures and videos from different areas of the wall and fence that separate two different worlds and insight into what really stands between the United States and Mexico, ramifications of wall building and what it means for the average citizen.

Border Athletes

By: Lauren Sokol

Meet international student athletes at the University of Arizona, a look at the recruiting process that helped them find a temporary home in the desert, and culture changes that the athletes might have endured.

Journey Across the Border

By: Emily Kjesbo

Spotlighting Mexico’s top travel destinations, as well as a few of its hidden gems.

Border Shots

By: Keith Perfetti

A photojournalist looks at how other photographers have viewed the border and shoots lesser known spots of the southwest.


MLS Soccer comes to the Desert

By: Jeff Kessler

All about the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup,  a 10 day exhibition soccer tournament featuring four Major League Soccor teams coming to Tucson.


News

Culture

Education

People