Elite Event: Gringo Grill & Cantina

OMG! I think this is one of my favorite Elite events ever! The folks at Gringo Grill & Cantina spoiled us Elites big time! Many thanks to Gringo, and Unilocal for treating us to a fabulous night!
I left this event super satisfied and completely full! As we checked in, we were happily greeted by the Gringo staff and ushered to the patio area with a stunning view of the mountains & city. There was an open bar! The bartender made the BEST margaritas! We then sampled some Sonoran Burger Sliders, Carnitas Sliders, Shrimp Ceviche Shots, Chorizo stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon and wait, that was only the beginning! After hanging out and catching up with our fellow Unilocalers, it was dinner time! We got to choose from 4 different entrees and sides for dinner. Chips, salsa, and one of the BEST guacamole were served while we waited. (I don’t think we should’ve ordered that second helping of chips & guac, cause by the time dinner came, we were already getting full. haha. Anyway, I went with the Grilled Salmon and smashed potatoes as a side. Wow, the salmon was perfect and the potatoes were yummy! As we were eating dinner, the server had mentioned to make sure we leave room for dessert! Dessert? Alrighty… we got treated to some tres leche & bread pudding. Both very tasty, but by this time I think I was bursting at the seams! Lol. We did get to take our leftovers home, so that was nice! =)
To end the night, we had our raffle giveaways! Congrats to all the winners! Also, we were given some goodies to take home too! Gringo sent us home with a bag of a seasoned rub & a coupon for a complimentary appetizer on our next visit! And our Unilocal gift was a little shot glass!
The Gringo staff was amazing! Very friendly and helpful! I look forward to coming back soon!
Whew! What a night! It’s great to be Elite! Thanks Unilocal,Bella, and Isa K. too! Well done!

Got an invite for my very first Elite Event at Gringos!
Had no idea how it worked, what to do, event etiquette, or which way to go but me and my +1 braved it excitedly.
Cocktail hour (margaritas, local wine and Four Peaks brews, woohoo!) with sliders, ceviche and bacon wrapped dates kicked started the event.
Sit down dinner (yummy guacamole w/​chips and salsa, full entrees and dessert), souvenirs, and raffle giveaways (we won a $ 25 gift certificate to Gringos!!) completed the evening.
Service was spectacularly provided by Carlos and the rest of the Gringos staff. Meeting the Executive Chef was an extra nice perk.
Can’t wait to redeem our gift certificate and review the food/​experience at Gringos.
Thanks to Bella, the wonderful staff at Gringos and of course my fellow Unilocalers for a great event!

This place has excellent Margaritas! I had their pork sirloin and Sonoran fries. Excellent service and beautiful views!

Every Unilocal event I think, «Oh, this was the best Unilocal event — definitely the best.» But now I’m starting to question my system — they are all such unexpectedly high caliber that it’s hard to really rank them against each other. Many others have detailed the incredible spread of food and drinks that we were able to enjoy (and enjoy for DAYS to come!), so I’ll remark on a few other aspects of this event.
This event, to me, had an ideal set-​up: mix & mingle with an open bar and then sit-​down and get to know some individuals more intimately. I loved that! I got to meet about half of the people at the event, but then sit down and really get to know a few people closely, who I hope to see more of at future events! Back to that open bar thing — incredible! I am not being hyperbolic when I say that those margaritas were the best classic margaritas I have ever had! I love that this restaurant carries Arizona Stronghold — it’s my favorite local wine.
The service was phenomenal. I’ve been to four Elite events and I’m always surprised by how gracious the service and managers are. I was blown away at this event by their delight and utterly amazing service.
I love a place with a good happy hour and a view of the mountains — I will definitely be back to enjoy that lovely view on the patio, once again! Thank you Bella, Isa and everyone at Gringo’s for helping to put on this great event — it was a true treat!

Tucked away into a hotel on Oracle, is this upscale Mexican restaurant. The view of Tucson is beautiful, and we got to enjoy it while enjoying drinks on the patio. Carlos, the bartender and our server for the night, did an excellent job on the margarita I ordered.
We moved inside for a sit down dinner, and it was so nice to sit with some new-​to-​me, friendly Unilocalers. There was a giant portion of guacamole, salsa, and fresh tortilla chips on the table. The guacamole was excellent, and the salsa had just the right amount of spice. I switched to wine for dinner, and my glass was never empy, which I very much appreciated. I ordered the herbivore of the moment, which was ancho chile pappardelle with roasted vegetables, and a side of smashed potatoes. Don’t judge my carb on carb meal. The pasta was delicious! It was so nice to have a creative vegetarian dish at a restaurant. I was able to sample a few other dishes at the event, and every bite I ate was great. My boyfriend got to attend the event with me, and he was also impressed with every component of the night. I’m glad too, because it validates my Unilocaling!
Thank you so much to Gringo Grill & Cantina’s excellent staff for a great night out!

I must say, if it wasn’t for this event I wouldn’t have found this hidden gem. With a great patio view of Tucson skyline and a truly remarkable wait staff, this place sure trumps all.
They did an amazing job remodeling the entire place. The new look has a very southwest feel and style; Very homey feel.
To start off the evening we had; Carnita and Sonoran sliders with a «house margaritas» to wash it down. The Margarita wasn’t too sweet or bitter — in fact it was just RIGHT! Thanks for the awesome Drinks Carlos!
After chit chatting with a few Unilocalers it was time to move the party inside where we enjoyed a family style dinner with my fellow Unilocalers. The Unilocalers at our table wanted to try everything — each person got different sides and was shared. I ordered the grilled salmon with a side of smoked mushrooms. I must say the salmon and smoked mushrooms was a great combination — almost didn’t want to share my side^_^.
Not much of a sweets kind of guy — but the tres leches cake was «OMG» delicious. A must, when coming here.
It was great seeing and meeting new elites and some plus ones. One of the best things about elite events is meeting new people and enjoying a cocktail or two over a nice random conversation.
Special thanks to Isabel k. and her staff for reaching out and getting us into Gringo. As always thanks Bella — you do such an amazing job at every event — I LOVE IT!
Until next time,
KCYE!

These guys and gals who run this «newer» kid on the block did a stellar job of making us Unilocalers overjoyed and stuffed to the gills. Lots of happy faces. Gringo’s has taken over the older Miguels which I believe had been in town for about 10 years. We had gone a few times then and it was pretty tasty. First, we were greeted by our dear Bella. The best community leader for Unilocal we could ever ask for. Then we were escorted to the back patio which overlooks the beautiful Catalina Mountains. Bartender was parked right there making fabulous margaritas, wine, beer etc. So refreshing and a good start so far. Saw lots of my Unilocaling friends from past events floating about. Made some new friends as well. On the patio we were served carnita sliders with mole verde and slaw and they were tasty, also they had sonoran burger sliders. Didn’t have any though. One of the best treats was the Chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in Bacon. Ceviche shots also served on the patio. To our surprise we all proceeded to the indoor part of the restaurant and were served a full dinner with several choices. Hubby had the Grilled pork with a side of sautéed smoked mushrooms. I had the salmon with smashed potatoes. I even had some left overs and took it home. Reason for this was the most incredible Guacamole that I have ever had. Really, I could have just dined on that alone and been a happy camper. The salsa was very tasty as well. The piece de resistance was the unexpected plate of desserts for our table of six. I believe we all left feeling very satisfied. The wait staff was extremely courteous and friendly making this an experience to remember. I personally want to thank all the people who provided us avid Unilocalers the chance to voice our heartfelt opinions to share with everyone.

Another awesome Elite event in the books. According to my fiancé this is one of the best he’s been to :) A huge thanks to Bella, Isa and all of the staff at Gringo for having us out to indulge in some awesome eats & drinks!
I loved that we started out with a cocktail hour out on the patio with some amazing views of Tucson and the Catalina’s. We enjoyed some delicious margaritas and appetizers that included ceviche, sliders and bacon wrapped dates! After socializing with some fellow Unilocalers we all headed inside for a seated dinner. We all loved the huge bowl of guacamole that greeted us at the table. Well, we thought it was huge anyways but we definitely polished it off, no problems. For dinner I enjoyed the salmon and smashed potatoes. Both we really good. My fiancé enjoyed his enchiladas and sauteed mushrooms but couldn’t finish his plate. My portion size was much smaller than his so I finished with no problem. Some of our neighbors got the pork and it looked awesome, I loved the presentation of having the pork on a wooden board. All of the «sidewinders» were served in adorable cast iron type dishes. We finished up the meal with some tasty treats, I really enjoyed the tres leche cake. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever had it!
We rounded out the evening with some really awesome giveaways… congrats to all the winners! We also each got to take home some of their house rub. I definitely want to try it on salmon and pork chops soon! Thanks again for an awesome event. Looking forward to returning to Gringo to try some of their other cocktails and menu items!

Tucson has the most amazing Elite Events and I’m not just saying this. It is true! Not only are the events fun but it is the people that are there that make up the 80% of why these events are just simply phenomenal!
Another great location chosen this time; the setting, view, staffs and the food here at Gringo Grill & Cantina all deserve an A+! The staffs that worked tonight, especially one being a former elite herself (Isabel K.), all did a tremendously great job tending to our needs and feeding our bellies. They did it all with very welcoming attitudes and were definitely informative with every dish/​drink. The service that I was received was too good to be true, I don’t know if it was just Isabel trying to make a good impression! (Just Kidding Isabel!)
For one of my most favorite dish I tried this night, it would have to be the Macaroni and Cheese! Even though we were told by the Chef that it was a simple recipe, the taste was just a great consistency of cheesiness and creaminess. I could have a second plate please! I know this is just a side but it was delicious! I ordered the «Soowee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin», which was also delicious if I shall say! Great taste and flavor and what was even better was that we were given a small bag of the rub to take home! I can’t complain there!
All in all I had a great time, it was great to mingle around and make new friends. As well as having long and fun conversations throughout the whole event. We even stayed 2 hrs after the event to just mingle and talk with other Unilocal members who decided to stay. Even the chef came out and joined out chat before heading home. I’ll definitely be checking this place in the near future!
Great job again Bella, we couldn’t have had this amazing event without you!

Wow! I have never been to an event before, but i was lucky to be a +1 to this one.
The event was perfect, from the greeting, to the food, to the drinks, the service… all of it.
I won a fabulous prize, and got to meet several Unilocal friends. Bella and the staff pampered us all night, and the patio was beautiful!
The Dates stuffed with chorizo wrapped in bacon were SO good! The sliders were tasty, and the drinks weren’t lightly poured, to say the least. Glad I wasn’t DD. LOL
The night was perfect and we WILL be going back, the Chef said they will be keeping the menu freash, and changing it up, I suggest you get there before he changes too much!
thank you so much to everyone who contributed!

Great time, really enjoyed meeting people.
Great place, interesting taste.
Recently went here for an elite Unilocal event. We got to sample the pork sliders and burger sliders as well as bacon wrapped dates and shrimp ceviche. At the dinner table we were also served guacamole and chips.
The pork sliders I didn’t really like, they were cold and had an odd taste.
The burger sliders were delicious on the other hand. I would definitely enjoy a bigger version of it.
The bacon wrapped dates were to die for! I don’t usually like dates but these were delicious. Something I would order again.
The shrimp ceviche wasn’t the best. It was watery and too tomatoey.
The quac and chips were amazing! Great flavor and warm, crisp chips. Loved it.
We were also given a palette cleanser which was essentially blueberry juice. I could have done without it. Didn’t really like it, didn’t really hate it.
For the entrée I chose the whole enchilada with dirty rice and beans and some Sonoran fries for a side.
I wasn’t impressed with the enchiladas. They were hard to cut into and were average tasting. Could definitely get the same else where for cheaper and for better flavor. The dirty rice and beans on the other hand was yummy and tasted good with the enchilada sauce. The Sonoran fries were average. Equivalent to Nico’s super fries.
For dessert we tasted the tres leches cake and bread pudding with cream cheese gelato.
The tres leches cake was tasty and well made, would order again. But the bread pudding was hard and flavorless. I did enjoy the cream cheese gelato that was placed on top though.
All in all I had a great experience and our server Chris was amazing.
The area is great and equaled with a great view. Parking was awkward taking that it’s next to two hotels and there were maybe 10 spaces just for the restaurant. We had to park in a spot in one of the adjacent hotels.
But, I would like to visit again just to see other menu options as well as grab myself another house margarita, yum!

Simply a great event! Thank you Gringo Grill and Cantina for welcoming us with open arms, and allowing us to generously sample such a variety of what you guys have to offer, and of course thanks to Bella for again organizing such an amazing event. The food here was great. My favorite starter was the bacon wrapped chorizo dates, they were sweet, salty, savory, and basically defined the word delicious. The Sonoran slider was awesome as well, it was so juicy and tasty especially with the crispy bacon. I also tasted something sweet as well in it, and even though I don’t know what that sweet element is, it definitely added a nice touch to it. I also tried the ceviche, and although it was good I think it just needed more salt, limes or more spice to kinda take it up one more notch. It just felt like it was missing something… overall not bad, but personally I think it needs just a little bit more improvement to take it further.
On to the entrees, wow oh wow I couldn’t believe it, a full entrée! What a nice change of pace from the past elite event I went to. On top of sampling the ceviche, sliders and bacon chorizo rolls. we also received full sit down service. When we sat down for dinner a nice spread awaited us, a huge molcajete filled to the brim of freshly prepared guacamole as well as nice hot chips! The salsa that accompanied that was also so delicious, nice and spicy, just the way I like it! When it finally came time to order I finally had to make the most difficult decision of that night, as I was struggling between the salmon w/​meyer lemon salsa or the freshly grilled veggies over egg noodles. I chose the salmon and it definitely did not disappoint.
Finally as if choosing an entrée was hard enough, it was almost even harder to stop myself from drooling when desert came. At this point, I honestly didn’t have any more room in my belly for any more food, but being the good Unilocaler I am. I had to soldier on. I «forced» myself to eat almost all the tres leches cake. and the gelato, because it was THAT good. I even went ahead and asked Trevor, our server about the possibility of ordering a huge cake for a potential upcoming birthday, and he said that Gringos would be more than happy to do that for me, just as long as I called in ahead of time to place the order. The cake was sweet, super moist and damn delicious… hmm hmm hmm.
Oh and I can’t forget about the «open bar» I thoroughly enjoyed my four peaks peach beer, and my plus one was overjoyed that they had his favorite, kiltlifters! Cheers to Gringo’s

Oh Gringo, you had me at chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Wait. Let me say that again. Chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Heaven.
Gringo Grill & Cantina pulled out all the stops for tonight’s Elite event. A quick check in with Bella, a raffle ticket completed and stuffed in the bucket and on to the patio! L and I found a great seat at a table at the back of the patio and the view was breathtaking. The bar offered a nice selection of beers, wine and fabulous margaritas. Carlos was our bartender and he takes the utmost pride in making a great margarita. Perfectly tart, you can taste the tequila a bit and not too sweet — Carlos has skill. The appetizers were flowing freely: carnita sliders, Sonoran sliders, ceviche shooters and the most incredible appetizer, the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Sweet, a touch of spice, savory, salty, melt in your mouth, eat ‘em like popcorn and have no regrets.
After a lovely time visiting with Unilocalers we were led indoors to the main dining room and seated at various tables and booths. L & I were lucky enough to share a booth with one of my favorite Unilocalers and his daughter. Upon sitting down we all couldn’t help but notice the massive molcajete overflowing with a delicious guacamole along with chips and a very good salsa. Our orders were taken for dinner and we were soon served full sized entrees that came piping hot from the talented kitchen staff’s hands, then passed to the capable and friendly wait staff who quickly set them in front of us to begin our feast. I ordered the grilled salmon with Meyer lemon and a side of sauteed spinach. I’m just learning to appreciate salmon as it was never my favorite fish but if all salmon is as perfectly prepared as tonight’s dish, well… I’m a huge fan now. The spinach was tasty but I felt like it needed a little pizzazz. L loved her enchiladas with dirty rice & beans. Her succotash was delicious and after tasting it, I wished I had ordered it. My table mates enjoyed their meals as well and the white bean cassoulet was given the thumbs up.
Despite filling up on appetizers, we managed to put a large dent in our entrees but soon had to push our plates away. But wait ~ they’ve cleared our dirty dishes and are now putting small plates in front of us. What’s going on? Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. It’s dessert. A gorgeous platter filled with tres leche with pecan brittle and fig bread pudding with cream cheese gelato was set before us and we had no choice but to sample the goods. Wishing I had worn my fat pants, I could only sample a bit of the desserts. I wasn’t a big fan of the texture of Gringo’s tres leche but that fig bread pudding with cream cheese gelato was the perfect combination and end to a meal.
As all good things come to an end, so did this Elite event but not before picking raffle winners (whoo hoo ~ my daughter L won brunch for 2 at the Hilton El Conquistador!!) — congratulations to all the winners! Unilocalers received a wonderful parting gift comprised of a Unilocal shot glass and a bag of Gringo’s delicious rub. Thank you!
Thank you to Bella for an outstanding event and to the entire crew at Gringo’s for welcoming, feeding us and making us feel at home.
And props to our girl, Isa ~ you were an excellent hostess and we miss you at events. Trevor, if you’re listening… you need to get back on the Elite wagon and get to more events. With Isa! LOL

Bella and the staff at Gringos really knocked it out of the park tonight with this event.
Upon checking in we are greeted by a server carrying a tray of margaritas… that’s when the food and drink started flowing and DID NOT STOP ALL NIGHT.
Making our way toward the patio still not having truly reached the event site we are approached by another server with another tray of… carnitas sliders. Tender pork with spicy salsa on mini buns.
Around the corner… ceviche shots — chopped seafood in a light (I tasted tomatillo and cilantro) sauce. Bright and refreshing; could have used a tiny bit more salt and/​or citrus but good nonetheless. Also on this table were mind-​blowingly good, yet simple, chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. These were unforgettable little nuggets of pure happiness. I may just steal that idea and impress all my friends at a gathering sometime.
Next up… Sonoran burger sliders — mini burgers topped with bacon and poblano peppers. Can’t wait to try the big brother version available on their menu.
And then… entrees — you got to choose one from this list (but wait — there’s also chips, salsa and just-​when-​I-​was-​ready-​to-​give-​up-​on-​finding really good guacamole to munch while we choose):
Soooweee rubbed pork tenderloin
Grilled Salmon with a meyer lemon salsa
Veggie Papardelle with smoked mushrooms and other stuff only chef minds think of
The whole enchilada — three chicken enchiladas with a duo of sauces.
You also got a side choice: Fries, Sonoran fries, dirty rice and beans, sauteed spinach or white bean cassoulet
I had the pork tenderloin and white bean cassoulet. I’m holding back the waterfall in my mouth just writing about it now. The pork, rubbed in the chef’s own special rub, was perfectly, perfectly cooked and was extremely moist and flavorful. My daughter, who attended the event with me, had the enchiladas but it was my pork dish she (I let her taste it) could not stop talking about all the way home… and she just had a bite. The white bean cassoulet was laced with braised-​into-​submission pork belly. That, the whole garlic cloves, whole tomatoes and white beans turned, once again, simple ingredients into something so tasty I will think about it for days.
Finally, when we were all sitting there wishing we had worn our stretchy pants… along comes dessert. A duo: Bread pudding with a cream cheese gelato and house made tres leches cake. The tres leches was a litte sweet for me. The bread pudding was not too sweet but the cream cheese gelato added the perfect accent to it and came together for a killer combo.
Margaritas, wine and beer flowed all night. The servers worked really hard to take really good care of us. The generosity and kindness of the staff here puts the Grin in Gringos. You could not possibly leave this event without a smile on your face.
The fabulous Bella, in all her wondrousness, continues to amaze. Each and every event is better than the last. I just don’t know how she does it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Those thanks go out double (I can’t possibly type Thank you one more time) to the owner, chef and staff at Gringos. We are truly privileged as Unilocalers to be welcomed as guests in their establishment and treated to events of this quality.