El Caliente Nightlife

Friday, 09 April 2010 14:07

El Caliente Nightlife

Here are some of Tucson’s hottest nightclubs for the 21+ crowd. These spots are great when you want to dance your heart away, sit back and enjoy the music, take down some margaritas and tequila shots and let loose for a night of Salsa dancing and Latin themed fun.

El Centro

El Centro in downtown Tucson has one of the best Latin nights in Tucson, called “Matador Thursdays”, sponsored by Tecate. Thursday nights at Centro include a live Spanish rock band in addition to the DJ playing only Latin and Reggaeton music all night long. Drink specials are also great with $3 Tecate and Tecate Light, $2 Mexican Mother F’ers, and $3 Matador cocktails.

El Centro

1 E. Congress St.

(520) 445- 2937

Level Bar & Lounge

Level is one of the smaller clubs in Tucson, but your night will not suffer because of it. This club has a theme for nearly every night of the week, which includes: F*ck the Recession Wednesdays, Therapy Thursdays, Energy Fridays, Privilege Saturdays, and Sunday Lounge. Although each night differs with its themes and drink specials, a mix of Latin music, hip hop, and pop remains a constant every night.

Level Bar & Lounge

4280 N. Campbell Ave.

(520) 615- 3835

Maloney’s Tavern

Located just off Fourth Avenue, Maloney’s Tavern is commonly known for being one of the more popular college bars in town. Although it is just that, it is also a great place to experience many different genres of music. When you go to Maloney’s, the lack of connection between the songs in queue might throw you off at first. However the extreme mix - which also features Latin music - is a nice change from the same old stuff played at most other places. The best night to experience Maloney’s is always, of course, Thursday nights.

Maloney’s Tavern

301 E. Stevens Ave

(520) 388- 9355

Pearl Night Club

Pearl is a great nightclub for many different age groups. Friday nights, called “Forbidden Fridays” at Pearl, has two separate dance floors and an outside patio. Although this club is 21 and up, Friday nights are usually for the younger, college-age crowd. Sunday nights, called “Sin Sunday”, are usually for the more mature audience. No matter which night you go, you are sure to have a great time with a mix of Latin, Hip-Hop and Pop music.

Pearl

445 Wetmore Road

(520) 888- 8084

Rusty’s Family Restaurant and Sports Grille

From the name of this place, I’m sure nightclub is not the first thing that comes to mind. But I found an unexpected surprise one Saturday night at Rusty’s. After 10 p.m., this sports bar becomes a semi- nightclub. There is a DJ who plays Latin, Hip-Hop and Pop music in addition to the $.50 well drinks for ladies. I know this may not mean much to the men out there, but $.50 ladies nights means plenty of women to go meet and mingle with.   

Rusty’s Family Restaurant and Sports Grille

2075 W. Grant Road

(520) 623- 3363

Sam Hughes’ Place Championship Dining

Sam Hughes’ Place Championship Dining, more commonly referred to as Champs, is yet another double-life place in town. By day, Champs is a lush, modern restaurant with great food and excellent service. Once nightfall hits, this laid back restaurant becomes a bar of wild things with great music and great drink specials. This is a great place to enjoy yourself with friends on Tuesday nights, and especially on Saturday nights after home games during football season.

Sam Hughes’ Place Championship Dining

446 N. Campbell #150

(520) 747- 5223

Sapphire Lounge

Just up the street from Centro, Sapphire Lounge is one of the newest clubs to the Tucson area. Located in the heart of downtown Tucson, Sapphire Lounge is extremely rich in culture. Spanish club music can be heard pretty much any night of the week. If Salsa dancing is your cup of tea, Thursday nights at Sapphire Lounge is the place to be. So if you don’t have to wake up too early on Friday, I suggest giving Salsa night a whirl.

Sapphire Lounge

61 E. Congress St.

(520) 624- 9100

Sur Real: Latin American Cuisine

Sur Real is a great spot to experience both night and day. During the day, Sur Real is a great, upscale Latin American restaurant with new-age modern décor. This restaurant can make anyone feel high-class. At night, the restaurant transforms into a low-key nightclub and lounge. Sunday nights are the most popular. Latin music is played all night long and you can either mingle on the dance floor or kick back with a bottle of tequila for some privacy in one of the private rooms.

Sur Real

3001 E. Skyline Drive

(520) 529- 2644

Zen Rock

Zen Rock is another club in downtown Tucson that is relatively new to the scene. This nightclub is a favorite. Although the Latin music is only played in sections, this club presents a wide range of different music genres. If you are not interested in anything other than Latin music, you can sit back and enjoy the club’s many drink specials. I recommend going on Thursday nights for $1 draft beer and $1.50 shot specials. Take a tequila shot and a pint of XX Lager and enjoy the scenery.

Zen Rock

121 E. Congress St.

(520) 306- 8116

Written by Laurann Julia Faye Robinson You are reading El Caliente Nightlife articles