Elvira's

Stopped in here for dinnerFirst off what an amazing atmosphere The food is very goodI ordered a mole with chicken and it was fresh and full of flavorWe also had a quesadilla that was good as wellIf your looking for a great meal in the area of Tubac you will not be disappointed with this choice

I'm sure restaurant managers hate to see a review start out with, "I used to run a restaurant" but I did.The ambience was insanely eye-popping! If only the food lived up to the decor. Not a big fan of mole so went with our "go-to" selections; chili relleno for my wife and the pork chop for me.We didn't have reservation, but they said we could dine on the patio. No problem. There was a gorgeous patio on the west side in the evening sun with lots of table heaters. That's not were we were sat. They took us to the rear entrance where three small tables and a broken table heater were crammed onto a stoop in the breeze. They couldn't get the heater to work so we moved inside to the bar. Not sure why the front patio wasn't an option.Our appetizer, the Taquitos de Papa were ok, but the sauce was inundated with cilantro and soggy. A great herb, but I guess they just can't help but overuse it. The potato filling was bland, not "seasoned" as per the menu.My wife loves a great chili relleno. This wasn't it. First of all, for the price the plate looked quite empty with just one chili on it. Covered with a dull sauce it just wasn't something to brag about.The pork chop was an amazing plate to behold! Two pork chops piled up high with a rich somewhat spicy sauce and a fistful of parsley. My wife wanted to taste it so I started to cut off a bite for her. Turned out I had to saw off a piece! Both chops were overcooked, tough and dry.I really should have complained. Whatever your specialty may be, get your basics right or don't offer them at all.I will say that my wife said her Margherita was excellent and, having run restaurants, the bartender was very good at his job. Handling an endlessly running printer of orders for the waitstaff, drinks and dinner orders for six at the bar AND having several tables in the dining room; he was never in the weeds.Not interested in going back. Even for the molé. Just don't want to chance having the chicken breast treated the same as the pork chop. A disappointing dinner for two for a $129.00 tab just doesn't add up.

In the movie "Groundhog Day" the main character wakes up and relives the same day over and over again. If that happened to me, the amazing day I visited Elvira's is the day I would want to repeat again and again. Everything was so perfect and breathtakingly beautiful. Perfect service, lovely people, the most delicious and well plated food, and a great tequila menu.We made a reservation and arrived a little before our table was ready. Just walking into the restaurant is an epic experience. The decor is absolutely magical with glass bulbs hanging from the ceiling and regularly changing colors. A long table in the middle featured large candles with melted wax overflowing. I felt like a tourist in a big city, just starring at everything and trying to take it all in. We found seats at the bar, which is in the back of the restaurant. They have a hefty tequila menu with a variety of price differences. I love that they list each tequila they offer with the corresponding prices. I wish all restaurants did this. We met some nice locals that are regulars. We even had the opportunity to meet the owner who seems to be there quite a bit. Our table was ready quickly and we were seated.Our server was fantastic, but I did forget his name. He knew every dish like the back of his hand, and gave great advice. He made the evening perfect. We started with taquitos. Sounds boring and like frozen food right? Not here! They were so tasty! Taquitos will never be the same for me. For dinner we had the Rib Eye Azteca and the Chile Frida Kalh. Absolute perfection. And both dishes were plated beautifully. We ate as slowly as we could to relish all of the flavors. I was a little too full for dessert, but I also did not want to leave, so we had the flourless chocolate cake and it was divine. The restaurant is on one side of the building and then a gorgeous interior design store is on the other. We went back the next day to look around. I hope to get back to Elvira's soon, because this really was the best experience.

Elvira's has been on my bucket list for years now. It's one of the most raved about restaurants on this side of town and has been open since the 1920s (moved from Nogales to Tubac). Finally had the chance to come for a late lunch this Saturday.I'd highly recommend making a reservation if you are coming at peak lunch or dinner hours. With a reservation we got right in at 1:30pm but it was crowded. But again if you go off hours you should be okay, by the time we were leaving at 2:30pm/3pm it was pretty dead.The restaurant is visually stunning 10/10 for decor and ambiance. They have hundreds of hanging icicles in all different colors hanging from the ceiling. It's seriously stunning and beautiful. This restaurant is Instagram worthy. We sat by the bar and it was a comfortable experience.Service was pretty good. Our waiter I forgot his name was lovely and very personable. He was sweet and attentive when he could be, he also juggled making cocktails. Good vibes and friendly. There were tiny shortcomings like forgetting to bring us water refills when we asked but again little, he made up for it with his friendless and he definitely makes a good drink.The menu has a large cocktail and bar selection. This is definitely a good spot to stop in for a drink. I had just their classic Margarita and it was heavenly. Super lime flavored like I would normally want. 5/5 for cocktails for sure, my table was happy.The food menu in my opinion didn't outright speak to me at first. It was a little hard to pick. I'd say their primary focus is chile rellenos, moles, and shrimp dishes. While they looked good many looked spicy so was hard for me to choose. Ended up going with their flat iron molcajete dish which definitely had some spice for me with the salsa verde but it was still really good. Aside from the meat I loved the nopales and cheese inside. Nice little side of beans and tortillas too, would rate a 4.5/5. My friends were all happy with their meals as well.It's safe to say this is slightly more upscale Mexican food. You aren't going to find tacos and such on the menu. It's also a little pricy but the prices matches the ambiance and atmosphere. Cocktails are close to $20 a pop and the meals range $35-40 each. So most of us paid $50-$60 for our lunch. Not cheap but a good experience and so good id come back.Lastly, Elvira's has an awesome home goods store next door. Stunning bar ware and furniture and art. It's a miracle I got out of there without dropping more $$ but definitely worth checking out, especially if you liked the glasses and such in the restaurant.

We came for the day with a guest to shop and have an early dinner. Exlnt meal and service.

This is a beautiful Mexican restaurant! Lots of ambiance. Pricey but the lovely decor and the focus on higher scale food made it worth it. I went there for the moles and ended up ordering the tongue with two sauces so I could sample more than one. Before the entrees arrived 3-4 fried tortillas and salsa was on the table. My friend was delighted to see chili en nogado as a specialty entree. This savory sweet stuffed pepper doused in a cream sauce is a specialty dish that is hard to find. Theirs was well done snd s lovely presentation.The portions are not huge which allows you to order an appetizer or dessert. The only disappointment was we were told only one dessert was made in house.

I wanted to like Elvira's, especially because we were treating our hosts from Tubac. But its reach exceeds its grasp. Ambitious menu but none of the dishes were standouts. Long waits for water, drinks, and a check really marred the experience even though our waiter was charming when he eventually showed up. Obnoxious music with an irritating bass beat. At these prices it should have been better.

This restaurant was really neatly decorated and the shop on the side was full of art and glass work. We were super excited to try the restaurant, but I have to say the hostess was super cold and rude and made our experience very weird. She told us we basically only had 40 minutes until she needed our table back and she kept asking every guest if they had a reservation upon them walking in. Not a hi, or a hello or a welcome... It was definitely strange and why I'm rating this at 3 stars. HOWEVER, our server was super nice and the service after the fact was great. Salsa and food were delicious and we loved the addition of pumpkin seeds on the guac.

A hidden gem located in the tiny town of Tubac, nestled near the back among the few establishments they have. I say gem, because the ambiance of this place unlike any other. Immediately upon entry, you're blown away by the dramatic decor that surrounds the restaurant. Hundreds & hundreds of glass fixtures suspend from the ceiling, w/ special lighting reflecting on them, that allows them to change color every few minutes. Make your way around to the back, and suddenly you're in a beautiful one of a kind furniture & decor store.We came for dinner on a Saturday night without reservations, and were immediately seated by the very friendly hostess. Our female server was extremely rude, and was completely taken a back by her snobby attitude. Any question I had about the menu, she gave short, rude answer and basically felt like "I should've known the answer to this". Not the kind of behavior I would expect formid-semi upscale restaurant.Anyways, let's get to the food! They provided "chips" and salsa which was actually just a few basic tostadas...salsa was a green tomatillo, very subtle but with flavor. I had the Chile Relleno in chipotlè creamè sauce and it was really good! Very flavorful and you could taste the very rich broth of the roasted tomatoes and suiza used to make this. It came with a side of rice and beans, the rice was hard & flavorless and the beans were 100% from a can...didn't even look appetizing in the slightest. My mom had the Frida Kahlo which was also a chilè relleno which is stuffed with assorted vegetables similar to calabacitas made with a chipotlè bean sauce apparently. But it too was really good & loaded with flavor, but her side of rice also lacked flavor. Overall, I do see myself returning if I'm ever in the area, but now I know what to expect. I hope they better train their servers & they work on their side dishes, as there is certainly much room for improvement. Honestly only thing bringing me back here is the ambiance.

First of all, absolutely gorgeous decor!! Beautiful ambience. It took a while to be served after we sat down but once the server came, everything went smooth. I didn't get his name but he was very proper and provided service like a 5-star restaurant. As for food, I came here for their mole. Okay the mole was good but their Steak was AMAZING!!!!!! So good I forgot to take a picture Had a flan for dessert. It wasn't too sweet and just perfect to finish off the meal.Overall great dining experience!