Guadalajara Original Grill

We have been here several times in the past year. We are from Los Angeles and try not to compare to Mexican food in L.A. The salsa was outstanding because it was made fresh in front of you at your table. I ordered the Carne Asada tacos and the meat was fresh and tacos were outstanding. The beans were very too as well.
Because it was a Saturday the restaurant was packed, but it still had a nice vibe to it.

After getting my drink on at the craft beer crawl in downtown, we came here. The la bandera is a margarita that is frozen and colored like the Mexican flag! Cute touch. The fresh salsa that is made in front of you really put me over though. Wow! I’ve never been somewhere where they do that. And it was some delicious salsa! We ordered carne asada chimis and those were fried deliciousness! They come with sour cream and guac for dipping. I ordered the carne asada tacos which were great, too. My one complaint is that the service was a little slow, but I was also drunk. Who knows honestly. Lol.

This is the second time coming here, it is easily one of the best Mexican food places overall with big portions, reasonable prices with fun décor and live music (Mariachi band), and, of course, fresh salsa made at the table side. All of these things make for a nice outing for a date or taking friends/​family from out of town to for a fun and tasty experience (especially weekend evenings with live Mariachi band playing).
We got the molcajete with shrimp, quesadilla, chips and salsa, and it was honestly a lot of food and possibly too much — eye clearly bigger than stomach.
Be careful of the wait on the weekend evenings at peak hours (6 – 8 pm) without a reservation because it can take a short while (30 minutes for 3). Parking is a bit of a problem, but there is plenty of overflow parking surrounding the restaurant, so don’t be discouraged! Making a reservation is probably a good idea if you want to be seated sooner during peak hours.

We like to think of ourselves as Mexican Food specialists. And when it came to Guadalajara Original Grill, I can’t stop saying how unreal the food was! I think I told the server like 4 times how the food was the Best Mexican Food I’ve ever had! So, here are the highlights:
1) The table side salsa! They ask you how you like it… mild, medium or hot. We went with medium just to be safe and let me tell you! It was outstanding to say the least. Not too runny, not too thick. Just perfect! It’s complimentary, but it’s nice if you tip the person making it for you. And freshly fried tortilla chips too boot!
2) The margaritas! I am not a big Tequila guy, but I had a few healthy sips of my wife’s and it was very tasty!
3) Our food… I don’t even know where to start. I got the carnitas burrito, Kyla got the carne asada chimichanga, and Christi got the lobster enchiladas. They were ALL spectacular and perfectly cooked.
It’s a few miles out of the way, just about 4 miles from UofA, but well worth the drive. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

I really have no complaints with this place. Showed up around 2 on a Saturday and it wasn’t very busy which was a good thing. Of course the salsa was delicious. In fact everyone enjoyed their dishes. I had the portobello fiesta which I’ve never heard of before. And it was worth it. Very flavorful crème sauce and the humongous mushroom was cooked just right. The service was excellent. Careful attention was made to our needs without ever being either pushy or forgetful. This place is now on my «must eat here» list whenever I’m in town.

It’s food. Shove it down and move on
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Peace

Check out the pictures… you wish you had a computer with aroma, now don’t you?! The food here is beyond amazing… try the fajitas, subtle seasoning with the tenderest cuts of meat, seafood, or combination. Try the tableside guac or salsa… Made just the way you like it, with your choice of heat. The menu has an extensive list of every kind of Mexican… you are bound to find something to tempt your palate on each visit. There is live music with a roaming marriachi band and a nice bar area… when it’s a little warmer, outdoor seating is also available.

The service was fantastic as was the platter of potato tacos they made for me. I loved the table side salsa. They were willing to give me vegan and vegetarian options I ate at the bar. I liked that the servers wanted to make sure I enjoyed what I ordered. I will for sure be back next time I am in Tucson. The drinks were really good also.

One of if not the best Mexican food in Tucson. If they are busy (and they usually are) it can take a while to get seated. Call ahead.
And the food may not be hot so tell them or send it back. Margaritas are delicious and not sour. Prices reasonable. Table side custom salsa mix is their trademark.

Came here out of recommendation from a coworker of mine. We came here for lunch last Thursday. I ordered a Plato Pancho Villa. This was enough to feed two people! The flavor and temperature were definitely present. Each bite was pure happiness as the Mexican food in Colorado is just OK. So glad I got to fly into Tucson for business! Our drinks were always quickly refilled and our waitress was very friendly. I would recommend this place but not sure I would come back as there are many other places around town.

Loved this Restaurant. Very friendly. Clean and loved our dinner.
Sat at the bar.
Loved it !!!

Best Mexican place we have found in Tucson. The salsa made at your table is delicious and the $ 4 house margaritas for happy hour are pretty good. Kids loved the placemat to color.

We have been going to Guadalajara for at least 10 years. We know Mexican food very well. Lived and worked in Mexico, native Arizonans, and kitchen professionals. Moved from Tucson in 2008 and it was our go to spot for the best food when visiting (in addition to tacos apson and ghetto canelo). However, the last 2 times we visited, we had EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING experiences at Guadalajara. We know they are trying to expand their locations, and it is clear they have let quality go as a result. My partner gets the veggie fajitas every time we go. That is 10 years eating the same menu item, so it gives a good point of comparison. It was undercooked and over salted. The vegetables were basically raw, where they use to be sizzling well sautéed mushrooms and zucchini. In fact, everything we ordered was WAY over salted. I got the chimi and there was basically no enchilada sauce on it.
Honestly, Guadalajara is probably a middle of the line 3 star restaurant now. We give it 1 star though because it use to be a 5 star spot, and to see how far they let themselves slip is very sad.
sorry Guadalajara. We have you a few chances before posting this but enough is enough.

This was my first time here and the service was great but we weren’t there during dinner when things can get out of control for some restaurants.
We liked the chips which tasted fresh and the salsa had a touch of heat but not enough to cause lightweights any pain. Our chimi had a good flavor but again it was soft on spice.
We’ll go back to try other things.

This time we did the lunch menu. Great chimi’s chile verde, husband had carne asada chimi. Way big platos.
waitress rocks LIZ LIKE LIZ

This place has an awesome reverse Happy Hour. It starts at 10 pm. That was kind of weird because they lock the door at 10 pm, so if you are not inside before happy hour starts don’t bother coming. Happy hour include two dollars off select appetizers which was yummy. Chips and salsa are great, but savor them because you only get one refill. Use it annoys me when Mexican restaurants do this. However, the salsa is homemade here so I can understand it. The best part of happy hour is the $ 5 margaritas. They are huge and strong. You only need one to feel great!

Let the party begin! This place is loud, busy, crowded, festive… my kind of Mexican place!
Every table was packed with U of A folks, locals and tourists alike. Luckily, we had 6pm reservations, and were seated promptly in the mural room. We ordered the obligatory fresh salsa (half mild/​half spicy with extra cilantro) and ordered our food: a combo of three enchiladas (lobster, cheese, veggie) and potato flautas. Then we waited and ate more chips.
And we waited and ate more chips.
And we waited and ate more chips… you get the picture. After about 65 minutes the food arrived. It was fresh, large serving, and had the usual rice, beans, sour cream and guacamole. It bordered on the bland side but hey, we had our custom fresh hot salsa to use.
As a «tourist» visiting from Phoenix, this place hit the fun, authentic Mexican spot I was trying to fulfill.
*thx Unilocaler Dawn K for the recommendation.

Maybe I’m a little biased because this place is walking distance from my house, but I really love Guadalajara Grill! My wife and I come here pretty often after work for happy hour (ends at 6pm) where the house margaritas are only $ 3 (for a big, cool looking glass of it), and appetizers are half off.
I really like the fresh, made-​at-​your-​table salsa that can be ordered mild, medium, or hot — just be sure to bring a buck or two to tip the salsa-​lady!
My favorite meal is the Green Chili Chimichanga, enchilada style with the white sauce. It’s pretty huge so the wifey and I usually split it.
It does get really busy here Thursday-​Saturday nights so make sure to make reservations or plan on waiting a little bit. They are good about turning out tables though.

I have been to Guadalajara Grill twice with my family. It a family friendly restaurant and the food is very good and not too pricey. The table side salsa is a treat however the salsa is just ok. I enjoy my salsa a little bit cold and because it is made table side it is more room temperature. The salsa is still good just my small complaint.
The positives for the restaurant is that the food comes out fast. This is a plus for families so the kids aren’t waiting for their food causing tantrums.
The food is good. I have gotten the chimichanga, burritos, fajitas, and queso. They have never disappointed. The fajitas are hot and fresh. The tortillas they give you are huge and fresh I love them. The quest is interesting. It is like melted pizza cheese in a bowl. It is good just not your traditional queso sauce.

I could eat salsa here all day … wow. Chips are very good as well.
The chicken fajita was okay. The vegies seemed to be cooked separately from chicken and the flavors did not blend.
Tasty Horchata … a bit on the sweet side.
Nice spacious setting and clean.
Fresh tortillas … hellooooooooo.

I went here with my cousin and some friends for a girls night out because they touted the margaritas and because they have live mariachis on Wed nights, but i have to say, other than the mariachis (who were really good!) this place did not live up to the hype.
First off, the parking situation here is just out of control! I arrived 10mins early for our 6:30pm reservation and spent almost 15mins looking for parking because there was a «lot full» sign and the parking attendant was not helpful at all in suggesting other places to park as the adjacent business strip was all full and the «gated» thrift store across the street did not have any visible available parking. I ended up having to park at the church almost a .25mi trek away. Not to say I mind walking, but it is not in the best neighborhood and you have to cross a busy street, so not ideal, especially when making the hike by yourself after dark.
Secondly, at $ 9 a pop ($ 8 on the rocks) for their margs, I was expecting a top shelf caliber margarita experience and to at least get a buzz going. The first one I had my cousin ordered for me because they had never tried the tamarindo on the rocks before. For that price, I should at least be able to taste some kind of tequila… my margarita was very watered down and as far as tamarindo goes, everyone at the table agreed, this was not as advertised. The frozen prickly pear marg, on the other hand, was delicious, but again very light on the tequila and definitely not worth $ 9!
As far as the food goes, I was kind of disappointed. It was not very authentic to me (I had a shrimp quesadilla, which was light on the shrimp, and my cousin, who shared some of her dish, had the fried chimis) and again, very overpriced.
Other than the food and the margs, this place is puro Jalisco. They did a great job w/​the décor (the murals on the wall, especially of the cathedral in Guad are impressive) and the salsa that is made table side is pretty spot on (you can even get it in varying levels of heat). The mariachis, though, redeemed the lackluster food/​drink sitch here for me. They stroll through the restaurant and give a genuine performance. One of the mariachis, Martin, has just an amazing voice!
But, to be honest, when I walked out of there with a $ 30 tab for mediocre food and overpriced drinks, I turned into a mariachi, myself, and ay-​ay-​ayayayay-​ed all the way home!

I stopped here for a late lunch mainly to try the Jalapeño Margarita that had been reviewed in the Daily Star a couple of weeks ago, and not really expecting the food to be anything special.
Wrong! First, the salsa was great, but could have been even greater if I’d been paying attention as she made it and customized it a bit more for my own tastes (I like it super hot, but easy on the onion and cilantro). For my entrée I ordered the Plato Bandera (one each of pork chile verde, beef chile rojo, and white sauce chicken enchiladas), honestly not expecting to love all of them, but much to my surprise each was as good as the next — really, really tasty. And waaaaaay more than I could eat — I took home half to enjoy the next day. Since i was dining alone, there was quite a bit of salsa left over and I really appreciated that they packed that up for me to take home as well.
The Jalapeño Margarita that I came for was just okay. I liked it, but didn’t love it as much as I thought I might.
I can’t wait till the Kolb location re-​opens as it’s only a mile from home and I will definitely be a regular.

I returned here post burned-​down kitchen, hoping this restaurant would be improved, but unfortunately there was no such luck. The waitress we had screwed up our drink and food orders repeatedly. My friends ended up with the wrong meat on their burrito bowls and no guacamole (after repeatedly asking for it), and two of our margaritas came out incorrectly — mine without tequila. Yuck.
Every time we come here, the service is lackluster and the food is overpriced. I think I may have finally reached my limit. Sorry Guadalajara Grill.