Karichimaka Restaurant

I've been looking for the best place to take people who visit and this is it. Locally owned business who you can tell work there as well and I'm a local Tucsonan and just haven't made it out here but I'm so glad I did. The chips and salsa are delicious that's for one, I'm very picky on salsa and chips because it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the meal. My friend and I shared a cheese crisp which was HUGE and delicious! We definitely did not finish it this would feed 4-6 people easily. The FOOD I got a shredded beef enchilada and the meat was flavorful, moist and tender. The red chile was delicious and had a kick and traditional rice and beans. Huge servings and overall AMAZING authentic Mexican food. Definitely my favorite in Tucson thus far.

Came her for lunch. I had the "chicken and rice soup with cheese quesadilla" lunch special (I added chicken to the quesadilla). Soup was good and had Rice, chicken, peas, and carrots. The bread of the quesadilla was buttery and crisp and good as well.Chips and salsa (I didn't like the salsa. Reminded me of spaghetti sauce and I didn't like the taste or texture)I love Cinnamon tea and had to try it here. It was okay, but I would have liked it sweeter. Service was slow. I think they only had one waiter working.

It's been at least 25 years since I have been here. I recently moved back from Texas and we decided to give it a try today. So glad we did. Sonoran Mexican food. Our favorite. So many restaurants around here are going to interior Mexico, Oaxan, and a few other styles. Service was on point. We ordered a cheese crisp (something they don't have in Texas), I had a shredded beef chimichanga and hubby had a chile relleno. They didn't do those right in Texas either. Everything was great. Large portions, reasonable prices and excellent food. The building is the same it's been since 1949. Maybe some new paint, but although tired, it's clean. What a great lunch and brought some home.

Ever since my bf and I moved to Tucson, we've always wanted to try this place. 2 years passed and finally we went and are so glad we did. (We were on our way to Taco Giro, which is also good) .The restaurant has that typical Tucson charm that comes to my mind when I think of Tucson - south western vibe.When we were served the tortilla chips and the salsa as a starter, we already had a good feeling about this place coz the chips were delicious!And their refried beans!!! What do they put in there?! It was so good! Flauta and Carne asada were both delicious.As for service, it was great also. I didn't realize til I saw down but they were about to close in 20 mins or so. I hate going to a restaurant that is about to close but the server still treated us very well and she didn't show any sign of rushing, which I really appreciate.

I've lived in Tucson my whole life but until recently I had never heard of this place. Boy was I missing out! It's a small unassuming restaurant that looks like it was once a hose. Even the large dirt parking lot is no frills. But the food is anything but unassuming. Staring with the chips and salsa; chips are the perfect thickness to be crispy but still stand up to being dipped (and double dipped) into the flavorful salsa. On to the meal. My BF had a large bowl of Caldo de queso. It's his favorite soup and one he's very picky about. Everywhere we go where he gets it he compares it to his nana's. After his first three bites without a word given between, he declared it "almost as good as my grandmothers but a little salty" but once he squeezed a couple limes in it, he gave it the thumbs up signal. While he was making me look bad by only ordering a bowl of soup, I got the #1 combo plate which consisted of a cheese enchilada, Sonoran (aka flat) enchilada, and a beef taco and rice and beans. There are few things that ruin a Mexican restaurant for me quicker than bad beans, luckily these were delicious! Great taste and consistency, the enchilada was a perfect balance of cheese and sauce. Enough to me moist but not drowning, the taco was patty style. I respect the fact that they make these the old fashioned way by cooking the meat in the tortilla at the same time. They did a really good job getting it perfectly crispy but not greasy (a skill I haven't mastered). The Sonoran enchilada was also a good balance of crispy on the outside masa patty dressed with just the right amount of sauce, cheese and diced onion. Since so many people mention the chili relleno we had to give one a try. I have to admit neither of us are relleno experts, by bf's family never made them and I had only eaten one once when I was younger and wasn't impressed but I have to say, it was really good the batter wasn't as heavy as the one I had before and it was filled with lots of green chili and cheesy goodness. I'll definitely be getting another next time I'm here. Tucson has a lot of Mexican restaurants but I have to say, I think this rates as one of my top 5

This place was so awful and I would never go back to this place ever again! You be very disappointed with the service, food and staff. The ground beef taco was a burger patty cut in half with absolutely no seasoning, the enchilada sauce was actually spoiled and tasted bad, the bean tostada was not bad. I tried to explain to the manager that they should check the enchilada sauce but he didn't want to listen and just said he would take the plate off the bill. I wouldn't be surprised is someone got sick from eating it. I will never go back to this place and hope no one else does either.

We had the pleasure of trying Karichimaka for the first time last night. Really Awesome Food! Mouthwatering beans and the chicken chimi was so delicious! Great portions. Best dinner we've had in a long time.We will go back for sure. We had great Service starting with the very courteous hostess to our very attentive server. Ambiance needs some updating but it feels cozy and a bit charming. No music or loud atmosphere. Peaceful place to eat. Feels like eating at home.

Hate to write a review because it is already hard to get a seat! I guess if you want to see a good movie look for the longest line. Any complaints that are listed in other reviews is because people have unreasonable expectations, or don't know sonoran food from tex mex. Where some will see the delapidation, others will see character.

It is a charming place that has delightfully delectable food and it's reasonably priced. First came the best warm, crispy tortilla chips with red sauce to dip. They were so perfect, we were really looking forward to the food. Chile relleno plate was superb. Difficult to decide if the refried beans or chile rellenos are more delicious. Yes, the refried beans were that good. I go to a restaurant for the FOOD, but this place has very nice servers and comfortable decor. Friend got a chicken salad(!) that she said was much larger than it looked and filled with chicken and avocado. Sister got the chile relleno/cheese enchilada plate. We found the enchilada sauce a bit smokier than we're used to. Margarita pie for dessert.

Food was either too bland or too hot. Sour crème was served frozen and quac. Was all salsa and little avocado. Chips were not fresh. Average at best.