Barrio Cuisine
188 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85701
Barrio Cuisine Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
188 E Broadway Blvd
Tucson, AZ, 85701 - Phone (520) 207-9221
- Website https://www.barriocuisine.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
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David W.
After exhausting the many options for excellent dining in the area, I was really looking forward to trying a new face/place that seemed to have an excellent concept and menu. It's certainly prime real estate and the venue seems extremely inviting. It wasn't crowded on a Friday night (which seemed odd given the location) but the comfortable couches and open windows made for a welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff seemed pleasant enough. I was trying to catch up with old friends so it took us some time to get around looking at the menu. The waitress came back multiple times mid-conversation. Most wait staff would look to see if you're looking or have looked at the menu before interrupting again but that was no big deal. Eventually, she said to just call her over when we were ready to order. Of course, 3 minutes later when we were ready, she was nowhere to be found. We ordered from another waitress. I ordered the brick-pressed totoi chicken, one had the chile con carne dough god, and one the nopalito salad. I told the waitress i didn't want the side salad with my meal but, of course, one came anyway. The entree's themselves came relatively quickly (like I said, only 10-11 patrons). The totoi chicken was the driest chicken I've ever had. Not just recently, but ever. I literally had to drink water with each bite just to choke 1/3rd of it down before giving up on it. Also, this was no $21 half chicken as the menu stated unless the chicken in question is the smallest chicken known to exist. Since I could barely eat 1/2 to 2/3rd of what they sent me, this may have been a blessing. This wasn't merely brick-pressed, it's as if they took a brick and literally beat the moisture and flavor out of the chicken with it before they served it to you. The roasted green chili & cilantro chutney and roasted corn were also very small sides for a $21 menu item. The worst part was, like the sahara-dry chicken, they didn't have any flavor either(!). How is this even possible? As far as flavor profiles go, I literally could not tell any difference among anything on my plate. It was all as bland as highway HoJo food in Ohio. Actually, the HoJo likely knows how to season better. With a name like "chile con crane dough god", you'd expect bold flavors. I honestly don't know how it's even possible to make any "con carne" bland but amazingly, Barrio had. The fry dough was good...but fry dough is always good, even off the side of the road. I mean, it's freaking fry dough...you don't have to go to Le Cordon Bleu to learn how to make fry dough. If you have any type of basal metabolism, you can make fry dough. It was better on it's own that trying to stuff the bland, mushy chile con carne in it. Even the napolito salad, with cold and coagulated queso fresco and iceberg lettuce, was bland. The pomegranate vinaigrette added some life back into it but really, that's about all you could taste. Napolito in general aren't very flavorful but throwing iceberg lettuce around it is like hanging out with the friend who wants to only talk about who they dated in high school 40 years after the fact...it's boring. The salad could have just as easily been made with paper towels smothered in pomegranate vinaigrette and a side of coagulated and cold queso fresco. I don't exactly know what Barrio is trying to do here. Conceptually, it's very attractive. In execution, it fails miserably. So: Great atmosphere and location...check. Friendly wait staff...check (for the most part). New, local, and fresh ethnic cuisine...ok check Flavor and culinary execution...this train has just derailed killing all passengers.
(2)Bruce D.
Been there twice. Delicious, interesting food. The staff is absolutely gracious. They couldn't be more attentive or charming. Will go back for sure.
(4)Lynne B.
Ate at Barrio Cuisine last night - what a great place! Attentive service, eclectic menu, wonderful food. This is one of those hidden gems in Tucson; we discovered it because we saw the lights from the corner of Congress, and asked someone walking by what that was; her answer was 'Barrio Cuisine, go and check it out, it's wonderful!" We're glad we did; very, very friendly greeters, explained fully about the menu creation, and then our waiter came and talked with us about the different dishes. Chose a well-priced wine from the extensive list, went perfectly with our dishes. We asked about portion sizes, they were explained clearly and found that the food was ample for the four of us. Tucsonians, go and check this out - hope it stays around, as we'll go again and eat a full dinner.
(5)Alexis R.
We had the Bario Chelada with was awesome with the Indio beer. We had the Bario Jalapeños for our appetizers (yummy)! For lunch we had the Sonoran Caesar Salad. We loved the grilled romaine. We also had the Dough God Trio. Super tasty and a great variety of toppings. My fiancé loved the tostada de Jaiba.
(5)Angela O.
The bad (always start with the bad): fry bread too small for chile dish and too oily; if you don't like calabacitas you're SOL - squash, squash, everywhere squash!; chorizo app almost too salty to consume; the door in front of the hostess stand (entering from the east) doesn't open from the outside - not too welcoming! The good (always finish with the good): the well-designed decor marries the modern spartan stainless with wood and leather rustic. The service is kind-hearted, especially the owner. The exposition of Native regional food to tourists as well as to townies is important and the menu is diverse enough to showcase the variety the desert provides. The prospect is strong. I'll return.
(4)Matthew F.
My fiance and I visited Barrio Cuisine tonight. This was the first trip for both of us. It's a normal Saturday evening, and we arrived around 7pm - prime date night dinner time. The ambience is very nice, and the food was outstanding, if a little pricey. But for a local place, I won't take points away for the cost. I was going to give Barrio four stars after our server told us the first item we ordered (the Totoi) was not available. It went to three stars when we found out a few minutes later that the beef spare rib was also not available. I think two stars is too low (I try to give benefit of the doubt), but I would put it at 2.5 stars after my fiance told me the women's restroom was out of toilet paper and hand soap. Plus, our server told us they were out of to-go boxes. How does that happen? Aren't those ordered by the hundreds (or at least dozens)? It was almost like the person who handle all the ordering of food and supplies had been out for the past couple weeks. Our server was clearly busting her rear to handle the load, and it seemed like they were under-staffed for a weekend evening. A woman stopped by as we were getting ready to leave. We assume she was the manager or owner, but she didn't introduce herself. She just asked how things were. When my fiance explained that our first two dinner choices were not available, the woman brushed it off by saying they were a "scratch-based" restaurant. We're not sure what that means, but we assume it means they make meals from scratch. That's great, but it's not really an excuse. If there's such a strong chance you won't have two of the seven entrees on your menu, maybe you should make guests aware of that. No other effort was made to make up for this, and no serious apology came for this strange situation. At some point the host staff appeared to be forewarning guests who came in the door that they advertised menu wasn't completely available. And definitely a few people walked back out. Ultimately, I would probably come back, but I might call ahead to ask what's actually available from the menu. There are too many good restaurants in Tucson to face disappointment.
(3)Sharon B.
I was in town for business and stopped in for a quick lunch. I ordered the Dough God Trio tapas plate, and it was delicious. Very flavorful. It was a relatively small portion but just the right size for lunch. I would definitely come here again.
(5)Ginger S.
Best Chelada I've ever tasted! atmosphere is incredibly inviting and the decor is very tres amigos. super cute. We shared tapas: Yaqui sliders- chorizo beef was excellent the bun was a little dry for my liking Tostadas de Jaiba- more like a crab salad w/lots mayo not lumps of crab - but tasty Barrio jalapeño- hot hot hot and oh so yummy! They made a special not on the kids menu steak and fries for my son! So sweet! Staff incredibly friendly. I'd go back for sure!
(4)Gene T.
Had the prickly pear glazed short rib. $24. Thought it should be $17.99. The salad was light and fresh. Could taste a hint of oregano. Nice touch. Anyway the boneless rib was cooked beautifully. The sauce...fabulous! Loved it. The beans were cooked well but lacked flavor. A pinch of salt would have made a huge difference. Huge! So the beans were disappointing. The kalabicitas was ok. Nothing to rave about. The place was clean. Bathrooms were nice. Drink selection was wonderful. The staff was very friendly. Service was good.
(4)Aaron R.
I really enjoy this place. Its fancy enough for a nice date, but it isn't so fancy that you feel like you have to dress up. They have an interesting island in the middle of the restaurant that seats quite a few people and has a fire lit in the middle. They only light the fire on the weekends The service was prompt and our server was very attentive which I appreciate. We stopped by because we had a guest in town and it was their birthday. We chose Barrio because they have Native American dishes that you can't find anywhere else. I got the tacos which are like a hamburger patty inside a taco. They tasted pretty good, but I probably wouldn't order them again. The kalbacitas were very good as a side. The chorizo and queso was super good because the chorizo isn't over-powering. Lastly, I have to recommend the fry bread. It doesn't have much flavor but it is light and fluffy and isn't super greasy. The only downside to Barrio Cuisine is that it gets a bit pricey.
(4)Nina P.
Their margaritas are very good and have a unique spin on the original. The Rosemary margarita is made with a house-made rosemary-infused simple syrup, and the Pulpa Margarita is flavored with natural orange and tamarindo simple syrup. They are normally $9-10 but only $5 during happy hour! For an entree I got the Red Chili Con Carne Dough God. It's excellent. It's a big, hearty, dish and I would recommend sharing with a friend and getting couple appetizers.
(4)Dawn K.
About 3 weeks ago my husband and I saw a write up in the latest( Nov/Dec) issue of edible Baja Arizona, of a new restaurant with contemporary Native American food. We immediately drove straight to it and it was closed with no hours posted. Not to be deterred we called every few hours until they confirmed their hours ,when someone answered the phone. We went for late lunch the next day, Sunday and had tapas and cocktails; although we came right when lunch was ending and dinner service was about to start; we basically had the ability to choose the lunch, tapas or dinner menu. We went with their tapas and I confirmed their hours, posting it to YELP. We started by ordering their version of a michelada called the Barrio Chelada, which is made with Indio beer; we both loved it. Light and refreshing. They have a craft cocktail menu that I can't wait to order through. I have since had pineapple serrano cilantro cocktail which was bright and refreshing. We then proceeded to order a ton of items off of their tapas menu: Cholla Pico Ceviche Tostadas de Jaiba- a chilean crab meat tostada Dough God Trio: Fry bread base- three tacos of indian fry bread(WIN WIN WIN) Barrio Jalapeños with soy lime vinaigrette Topping off all this with two desserts: Roasted corn and Poblano Brulée ( not at all like Crème brûlée) Yaqui Bread Pudding The first visit was a wonderful success as the food was a delightful new array of tastes, however I do not agree that their Roasted corn and Poblano Brûlée is a dessert, as there is no sugar topping, and it's not sweet. Seems like a starter more than a dessert; my dessert stomach was not happy. This was not how I wanted to top off my gluttony of a meal. Again loved all the tapas but each is the almost the same price as the lunch entrees so it added up quickly. The location and building is lovely to look at, open and airy with movable glass walls along Broadway, which both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine, were opened to allow in the amazing winter Arizona air. In the center of the dinning room is a huge table that seats 20 people with a huge flaming centerpiece, which I was utterly mesmerized by. Barrio Cuisine is a restaurant, bar and lounge, but soon enough I learned there is a one stall room for the lady's room and a one stall room for the men. Sadly both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine the bathroom lights were off and the light switch is not right next to the entrance door but around the corner from the entrance, so I had to hold open the door with my foot and reach along the wall for the light switch since the room was too dark to see. So if you and your pals are all going out for drinks, just be aware you and everyone dining are all sharing limited facilities.
(4)Angelica L.
Stopped in for lunch and tried three of the options from the tapas menu: Dough God Trio, the sliders, and potato nachos. I really wanted to love this place and was so excited to try it, but everything we tried was fairly disappointing with the exception of the calabasitas taco in the trio (that was delicious!). The tapas were overpriced in my opinion, especially for the portion size. I understand the concept of tapas, but even still, tiny portions for too much money. The place itself is nice and service is decent. Nothing to write home about though.
(3)Jason T.
I heard about this place opening and finally got a chance to try it last night. It's a lot bigger than I expected so at 7pm we were able to get seated right away. The ambiance is cool. They have a high top "bar" with a fire pit in the middle. There are a couple couch seating areas and a lot of 4 tops. Started off with drinks. I think the bar was slammed from a big party they had there so they took a wee bit to get them. The rosemary honey cocktail and the pulpa margarita were sweet and tasty. We wanted to try a good selection of authentic dishes so we went tapas style. The dough god trio was wonderful especially the calabacitas. Also had the Tostadas de Jaiba and that was the best thing I had. Authentic crab in a killer cilantro aioli sauce. If they made a bigger entree version of this it would be awesome. Also tried the Potato nachos which were slices of potato fried covered with yummy cheese sauce. Not the typical nachos and that was a pleasant surprise. Had to try the fry bread dessert, I guess my expectation from street fairs etc was too much. It was the only thing that was so so. Otherwise I will for sure go back there and try other things on the menu. Service was wonderful and attentive. Nicely done guys.
(4)John B.
Okay, yes, I got the Indian fry bread with red chili. However, it was the best red chili fry bed I have ever had. This place is taking some of the classics and elevating them to a whole new level. Other options on the menu looked very tempting. Chorizo burger? Yes please. The tapas and bar menu also looked delicious. Unfortunately, this was a work lunch. So, I guess I'll be going back.
(4)Melissa G.
We loved this place. I wasn't sure what Native American food would be like but it was great. The short ribs were melt in my mouth tender. I never used my knife. The veggie side dish was fresh and delicious. The beans were not my favorite but were good. Tried my partners rice and was jealous I hadn't ordered it. Wine list is limited, but good picks. Partners steak was tender and good. Pretty quiet ambiance, beautiful atmosphere. Service was quick and attentive. Give it a try!
(5)Michael A.
Had the cactus pad salad and the bread pudding. All of our food tasted very good.
(3)Kyla W.
We ate here a few times during our short stay in Tucson and was never disappointed. We even brought along some picky eaters who we very happy with their meals. I recommend this restaurant for the unique cuisine, the friendly staff and also because its locally owned.
(5)Leah B.
I am glad I waited to review Barrio until my second dining experience, as the food was WAY better. When they first opened, a friend and I went to Barrio for lunch and split the seafood tostada and the fry bread trio. In my opinion, the seafood had way too much mayo or a wet white sauce. Of the three fry bread "tacos", the chile con carne was my favorite, followed by the calabacitas and chicken with pico. It is pretty pricey for the small portions. So with that, I wasn't too excited to go back, but am glad I did!! A group of us went for dinner last night. We got there early and enjoyed some happy hour drink and food specials at the bar. I was excited to know that happy hour is even on Saturday, from 3-6pm. During happy hour, Blue Moon and Dos Equis are $3, premium cocktails are $5, including margaritas. All tapas are $2 off, so we had the bacon wrapped jalapenos ($6 for 3 during happy hour) and the chorizo-queso with chips ($7 during happy hour), the later being pretty tasty. We were later seated for the dinner (via opentable reservation). Given my experience with lunch, I opted for the chili con carne again, yet this time as an entree (see picture). I used to be a vegetarian, so this was a pretty gutsy order for me, but I am glad I did as the meat was very flavorful. All entrees are served with either soup or salad (both very small) and rice or beans. The tepary beans were excellent. My entree was also served with fry bread and a side of calabacitas. Another standout was the pineapple habenero margarita (see picture). Overall, its a beautiful large space that serves high quality, albeit small portions.
(4)Shawna F.
Unique cuisine done with a contemporary feel. The restaurant is beautiful. I loved the roasted corn and poblano brûlée.
(5)Daniel R.
Very few times have I come to a restaurant and noticed how truly disappointed I was at the food served. Barrio made that short list. First off the menu has only about 10 options on it so the excuse of maybe picking a dud dish immediately goes out the window. Ignoring the clear lack of people on a Friday night, we ordered the tacos and enchiladas. The taco shells had come out of a box and then a hamburger size piece of ground beef had been placed inside, stuffed with lettuce then artfully placed on a plate covered in flavorless marinara sauce. The enchiladas were drowned in green sauce that had to be shoveled away by the spoonful before they were spotted. The flavorless tortillas that were laid bare were a disappointment to say the least. If you are in the future forced against your will to go to Barrio restaurant, make sure to chug down a sangria which seemed to have been the only redeeming part of my meal.
(1)Fiona H.
Highly recommend!! I had the Pineapple Serrano Cilantro cocktail to start- one of the best cocktails I have ever had. Sweet with a kick but perfectly balanced. I had the Caesar salad with chicken and it was presented beautifully, and refreshing and delicious. Great take on the Caesar. I will definitely be back.. I'll be craving that cocktail! Service was great and everyone was very friendly.
(5)J. Felipe G.
WOW! I am going to be very honest with my review. I had no idea what to expect from Native American cuisine, but the chef has done an outstanding job in creating an influence of Native American cuisine. Let me give you an example, we had the burger which is made with a bread traditional to the local Native American tribes. The meat has a hint of chorizo which makes it even better. We also had a trio of tacos that were actually made with fried bread and topped with three different toppings including calabacitas and carne con chile. Sit close to the windows because they open them and give a great ambiance!
(5)Victoria M.
All around good. Great atmosphere, cocktails, service and food. Chili con carne and fry bread was awesome. I would come back. It was the best restaurant in Tucson during my 5-day stay.
(4)Melanie R.
New but not Hot. Horrible service, took 20 minutes to prepare a table that was vacant, 15 minutes for waiter to come to the table & another 20 minutes to get drinks after the order was taken. I arrived hungry & left hungry for the simple fact it took waaaaaay too long and had tickets to a performance downtown. Only come here if you have a lot of time & don't mind poor service. Very disappointed as I had expected this to be a good restaurant.
(1)Katie K.
They were a bit off their game, and the drinks took so long that we ordered the second drinks before we even started the first ones. The food was very good, but took a long time and was delivered with the wrong side dish. Maybe they were not used to being busy, as it was valentine's day.
(3)Ray L.
Barrio Cusine is a good concept--given the huge O'odham and Yaqui populations living in and around Tucson, it's embarrassing that more restaurants don't draw from their culinary traditions. Barrio Cuisine does this rhetorically but it's hard to leave the restaurant without wishing they'd push native ingredients into more prominence on their menu. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but Barrio Cuisine's menu appears to be aiming for a demographic of people who like the idea of O'odham and Yaqui food without actually wanting to try scary new flavors. So there's a cholla bud pico de gallo that features scarcely a cholla bud and a nopales salad with almost no cactus in it. There's fry bread, which is safe for even the most timid Midwestern palette, but the only bean on the menu is in the tepary bean hummus. Squash is represented a little better, but it's not too prevalent other than in side dishes. There is a lot of meat (burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken) and a few Mexican restaurant staples (enchiladas, tacos), but the tweaks to those dishes don't make them stand out as unique. If you are a food nerd and have spent time flipping through an O'odham cookbook like "From I'itoi's Garden" and wishing someone would start a restaurant that served those recipes, you'll have to keep waiting. Barrio Cuisine is not that place. But if you accept Barrio Cuisine for what it is, it's okay. Most of the dishes were very well prepared--the folks in the kitchen can execute a recipe well and know how to present a dish. The calabacitas enchiladas were better than most restaurants and the Chilean crab and aioli tostadas were excellent, though it's hard to know how they relate to traditional O'odham or Yaqui food. Is it the word "tostada"? The salad was unimpressive, but that was an issue of design rather than execution. The pico should advertise cholla buds when they're in season and leave them off the menu when they're not--the rehydrated ones are flavorless. The tepary bean hummus was rich and tasty, but nothing you couldn't do at home. Overall, the quality of the ingredients was quite high. Barrio Cuisine positions itself as a casual, yet slightly higher end restaurant and the prices and atmosphere reflect other restaurants in that category. The interior is nice, the portions aren't gluttonous, and it's a bit too expensive. A meal there certainly won't disappoint but, as of this writing, it doesn't yet live up to its full potential. Here's hoping.
(3)Emiko K.
We stopped in for a casual lunch at this restaurant, and I was pleased with the atmosphere. High ceiling and windows that open out to let the fresh air into the restaurant, as well as the open fire pit, were all welcoming elements for me. The serving portions were perfect. For three adults and a child, we ordered ceviche as an appetizer to share. For a meal, i was recommended a tamal dish, which was surprisingly tasty. My friends ordered Yaqui burger and tostada and were content with their choices. French fries and burger came with homemade ketchup that tasted fresh! Since I'm out of town, I had a glass of local ipa beer through there were many cocktail options, which featured fresh herbs! I'll definitely go back to try them. Since it was Sunday, street parking was free and there were a handful of street parking available.
(5)Jefferson C.
New American with a Sonoran twist. You may have hummus, but it's made of Teppary beans with a side of dough god (fry bread). Your steak will have a wonderful dry rub before it comes to your mouth to say hi. Everything was just a little unexpected. The cocktail menu was great. A good place to go for perfect portions of well made food that won't make you feel uncomfortably full. I want to go back.
(4)Darryl N.
I love the food and the atmosphere. A little expensive for me, but a great occasional and special place. Staff are VERY friendly and they checked regularly on both my date night and on a company lunch party. The food is Native American Cuisine and feel free to ask, as some you may not know. All of it is good.
(4)Sam C.
Overall good food but nothing spectacular. The soup and salad are really small portions. The fish soup was very tasty. The house salad was rather disappointing. For such a nice place, it's sad to see a bunch of ice berg lettuce thrown on a plate. The entrees were very good but again nothing to write home about. Other than the fried bread the menu just seemed like another Mexican food restaurant. The Pulpa Margarita was excellent. For the money, I'd rather go down the street to Penca.
(3)Steve F.
My wife and I were looking for a new downtown restaurant and Barrio came up on the radar. It was excellent. The service was spot on with great timing from greeting to drink delivery. The entrees were well thought out and their version of a green chili enchilada was arguably the best we've ever had. We were going to see a play so after letting our server know the team was very supportive to ensure we made it thorough dinner service on time. Overall we couldn't have been more please with this new addition to Tucson. Thank you Barrio!
(5)Carol K.
Went for lunch yesterday. One of the group had been before so we followed her lead. We all enjoyed our food. I had the burger with chorizo, one of the best burgers I have ever had. I wanted to try something different but I am a burger person. The service was excellent and the decor cool. They let us know that they will be having All Day Happy Hour on Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a plan...
(4)Abel R.
Small portions and pricey I left the restaurant hungry after ordering drink appetizer and entrée. Food was good but don't think I would go back.
(2)Kevin L.
Wow Tucson has been bit harsh on this wonderful restaurant. I had the most wonderful meal with top notch service yesterday night. The waiters are attentative but not overbearing. Everyone was curious, and I believe the owner/manager came by to personally say hello to make sure everything is just right (and it was!). The white wine sangria was delicious, light, flavorful, well balanced. I had the fish soup that came with the entree, and it was excellent, I would order a large bowl of it if it was an option. The stock was wonderfully made. The pork ribs was one of the best I have ever had. The meat fell off the bones, and it mixed in so well with the sauce the last bite was as good as the first. I have already made reservations to try the rest of the menu along with their desserts!
(5)Jim D.
Fairly new place, clearly feeling their way. Features regional American Indian food--Yaqui and O'odham. Went with a big group and last minute reservations and were accommodated. Great menu and very tasty food. We had potato appetizers and potato soup, prickly pear glazed beef short ribs which were excellent. Dessert was honey soaked fry bread and strawberries also excellent. The service was good but can improve, and they tried hard to keep up. Drink menu is terrific, nice decor and spacious rooms. Give them a try.
(5)Meg W.
Hidden treasure. The food was beyond incredible and amazing. I had the potato nachos and Kalabacita Wrap both is which were delicious. This is a definite return site for us. So very very good. GO! JUST GO!
(5)Tommy T.
Great space! Hostess without the mostess could be a little more inviting on arrival. No chips or bread to accompany guests when seated would be a nice addition. Mojito was good @ 8. I tried the trio dough tapas 11.00 was good. My wife had the chicken chutney dish that seemed to not have sauce or chutney anywhere? Chicken was moist but plain without any seasonings or sauce? We felt the chicken priced at 21.00 should have been much better! I hope they tweak things and get more fairly priced vs portion. I will give a another chance and update my review if they can improve.
(3)Tam G.
We sat at the large square table. Evening started out ok but quickly went south. Appetizers came out before we had our drinks. Water was never refilled. Server was horrible. Food was bland to say the least. I had short ribs, gf had enchiladas. Ribs were sub par of a crappy Chinese buffet. Appetizer was a trio of flat breads that was greasy and inedible. About a half dozen people in plain clothes came and asked how everything was, I don't know if they were managers, owners or hostesses but they didn't do anything. The review by Lily R is obviously by staff. Skip this place, it won't last anyway.
(1)Tayler S.
Great atmosphere, amazing cocktails, and food was delicious! We had the Rosemary honey cocktails, ribs, and taco dinners. Everything was great. Will definitely be back again!
(4)James D.
I actually share a courtyard with the back of Barrio so I was excited to try it after seeing the construction that's been going on more a while. The food definitely did not disappoint. The beans are amazing and the short ribs will melt in your mouth.
(4)Jennifer J.
Incredible flavors, creative food, unique dining experience! Delight for foodies. We were visiting Tucson for the holidays and found the restaurant through Open Table. Every dish was amazing - we had the baby back ribs, catch of the day, empanadas, napolito salad, tostadas, and very tasty desserts. Drinks were also incredible, very moderately priced, and so artistic. Very reasonably priced for such high quality food and creative culinary skills. Service was incredibly friendly, efficient, and attentive, and they were excited to share information about the history of the food and Native American cultures that inspired the menu. Some key ingredients even came from a co-op on reservations and many tribal members work at and own the restaurant!! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys southwest / Mexican cuisine.
(5)Francisco L.
There is potential here. The place is beautiful and big. Servers need more training on dishes, but that happens with new places. The fried bread needs big improvements. It had a bad taste and was white, probably needed more frying. Options for vegetarians are dismal and vegans have no options at all. They have gems hidden in the components, but the while dishes are not executed well. We have big hope for improvements.
(2)Tommy L.
Had dinner at this place and I have to say what an disappointing experience. The waiters seemed inexperienced, which was ok with me, everyone had to learn. Beside I value the actual food more than the service or the place's ambiance, what is the point of going to restaurant if not for the food. The food lack any portion, quality and affordability. I got some cheap looking mix of veges and in such tiny portion that makes McDonald Salad looks like heaven. Then there is the dough god, seriously for people who gave this place high star, they have never seen fried dough. These thing are fried flour, nothing else and these cost like crazy in a tiny portion in this place. Tucson's downtown restaurants are so disappointing, pricey with no satisfaction. I can assure you, it is extremely easy to have a decent looking restaurant, but it is extremely difficult to see one with reasonable price and portion.
(1)Kenneth S.
Loved our lunch, perfect portions with tons of flavor. Staff is friendly and attentive.
(5)Jenny N.
The atmosphere is great, the cocktails outstanding and the food delicious. I had the honey Rosemary cocktail which was so tasty I had two. My husband had the basil gimlet which was also tasty. The calabacitas enchiladas were great and I actually felt like I wasn't eating something bad for me, which is not usually how I feel after eating enchiladas. Definitely plan on returning.
(5)Jenn T.
Came here a couple of months ago but they weren't on Yelp yet. Tried this place on a whim and was not disappointed! We tried three different dishes and they were all very good! Ribs, tacos and steak. Steak was the table favorite. Tried the jalapeño appetizer too and they lit my mouth on fire (yum!). Love the decor and atmosphere too.
(4)Monica R.
This past Saturday stopped in the restaurant. Traditional food with a twist I loved it... Appetizers were amazing. ..the waitress was awesome the drink she recommended was so good ..a pupa Margarita. ...loved the atmosphere. ..bathroom very clean.
(4)Max F.
I went to Barrio Cuisine for dessert and had the fry bread and bread pudding. It was fantastic! The atmosphere and service was great! Two thumbs up.
(5)Cesar B.
Had lunch here for cinco de mayo and even though it was extremely busy Barrio still provided great food and great service! Tried the ceviche and sliders everything was perfect!
(5)Marcia K.
I've been here twice in 8 days. This place is so creative. Everything I've had has been delicious. They put a new twist on food I've had before plus there are things I've never had before. Best tamales I've ever had, green corn and beef, and prices are very reasonable. Cocktails are also very creative. Love the old building it's in. I can't wait to take other people there.
(5)Beau S.
Went for valentines day with my fiancée. The drinks we ordered were delicious and the atmosphere was really nice. Our poor waiter was really busy but it was a holiday after all. The food was mediocre at best. I ordered the tucson tacos which were a half beef patty in a hard shell taco. Pretty tasty but not worth the price. My fiance got the kalabacita enchiladas. Oddly enough the kalabacita tasted better on its own as a side to my tacos than it did in the enchiladas. On the side it was creamy and cheesey, but still pretty bland. It was odd that the kalabacita wasn't amazing considering it was featured in six of the eight entrées. I felt the food was not a good value. Some of it seemed like a good idea just poor excecution. I expected a lot more for 14 dollars a plate. Especially considering what a pain it is to find parking downtown and how there is much better mexican food for much cheaper. Also I get how "native american" food obviously includes mexican, but I feel like you could execute better on more than just fry bread. The drinks are worth it, the food is disappointing.
(2)R B.
The restaurant is nice and well put together. The staff was friendly and the service was good. The chorriqueso tapa didn't meet expectations. The chips seemed cold and the cheese was runny, almost watery and didn't bode well for dipping. The entrée came with soup or salad. We chose the soup but it was served in a bowl not much larger than an espresso cup. By far, the best food option is the fry bread. Not to be missed.
(2)M L.
I would rather wait for lent season and get a bigger portion for my money. Seriously not worth it. Food is not well executed. Staff is not friendly. Im going to make sure everyone reads this. Who chose the name Dough God? Sounds weird. Those giving 5 stars, are you sure you were at the same place?
(1)NativeTucsonan Y.
I really wanted to like this place, as the space is really beautiful, and right along the streetcar line. Unfortunately, the food just didn't live up to the space. For the price, portions were tiny, and not filling in the least. The flavors were exceptionally bland. On the plus side, our server was attentive and friendly, but the overall dining experience was simply not worth it.
(2)Jennifer Q.
Found it by accident walking on Broadway before a show. Made reservations for 6 for the next weekend. New, fantastic service, drinks and food. We all agreed we wanted to come back and try tapas and other menu items. We will be back many times in future.
(4)Lynne B.
Ate at Barrio Cuisine last night - what a great place! Attentive service, eclectic menu, wonderful food. This is one of those hidden gems in Tucson; we discovered it because we saw the lights from the corner of Congress, and asked someone walking by what that was; her answer was 'Barrio Cuisine, go and check it out, it's wonderful!" We're glad we did; very, very friendly greeters, explained fully about the menu creation, and then our waiter came and talked with us about the different dishes. Chose a well-priced wine from the extensive list, went perfectly with our dishes. We asked about portion sizes, they were explained clearly and found that the food was ample for the four of us. Tucsonians, go and check this out - hope it stays around, as we'll go again and eat a full dinner.
(5)David W.
After exhausting the many options for excellent dining in the area, I was really looking forward to trying a new face/place that seemed to have an excellent concept and menu. It's certainly prime real estate and the venue seems extremely inviting. It wasn't crowded on a Friday night (which seemed odd given the location) but the comfortable couches and open windows made for a welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff seemed pleasant enough. I was trying to catch up with old friends so it took us some time to get around looking at the menu. The waitress came back multiple times mid-conversation. Most wait staff would look to see if you're looking or have looked at the menu before interrupting again but that was no big deal. Eventually, she said to just call her over when we were ready to order. Of course, 3 minutes later when we were ready, she was nowhere to be found. We ordered from another waitress. I ordered the brick-pressed totoi chicken, one had the chile con carne dough god, and one the nopalito salad. I told the waitress i didn't want the side salad with my meal but, of course, one came anyway. The entree's themselves came relatively quickly (like I said, only 10-11 patrons). The totoi chicken was the driest chicken I've ever had. Not just recently, but ever. I literally had to drink water with each bite just to choke 1/3rd of it down before giving up on it. Also, this was no $21 half chicken as the menu stated unless the chicken in question is the smallest chicken known to exist. Since I could barely eat 1/2 to 2/3rd of what they sent me, this may have been a blessing. This wasn't merely brick-pressed, it's as if they took a brick and literally beat the moisture and flavor out of the chicken with it before they served it to you. The roasted green chili & cilantro chutney and roasted corn were also very small sides for a $21 menu item. The worst part was, like the sahara-dry chicken, they didn't have any flavor either(!). How is this even possible? As far as flavor profiles go, I literally could not tell any difference among anything on my plate. It was all as bland as highway HoJo food in Ohio. Actually, the HoJo likely knows how to season better. With a name like "chile con crane dough god", you'd expect bold flavors. I honestly don't know how it's even possible to make any "con carne" bland but amazingly, Barrio had. The fry dough was good...but fry dough is always good, even off the side of the road. I mean, it's freaking fry dough...you don't have to go to Le Cordon Bleu to learn how to make fry dough. If you have any type of basal metabolism, you can make fry dough. It was better on it's own that trying to stuff the bland, mushy chile con carne in it. Even the napolito salad, with cold and coagulated queso fresco and iceberg lettuce, was bland. The pomegranate vinaigrette added some life back into it but really, that's about all you could taste. Napolito in general aren't very flavorful but throwing iceberg lettuce around it is like hanging out with the friend who wants to only talk about who they dated in high school 40 years after the fact...it's boring. The salad could have just as easily been made with paper towels smothered in pomegranate vinaigrette and a side of coagulated and cold queso fresco. I don't exactly know what Barrio is trying to do here. Conceptually, it's very attractive. In execution, it fails miserably. So: Great atmosphere and location...check. Friendly wait staff...check (for the most part). New, local, and fresh ethnic cuisine...ok check Flavor and culinary execution...this train has just derailed killing all passengers.
(2)Bruce D.
Been there twice. Delicious, interesting food. The staff is absolutely gracious. They couldn't be more attentive or charming. Will go back for sure.
(4)William B.
This was an unusual dining experience as it incorporates Native American themed foods in with a kind of yuppy atmosphere. My friend and I mostly shared appetizers and such so it would take another review to full review this place. It was good but not astounding. We ordered up chips and salsa and the chips were not anything super to speak of. The potato skins doused in cheese and various garnishes were pretty good. The frybread "Dough Gods" were the real show attractions for us, mini popovers, how fun is that? I had a spicy Chelada which came with a beer (a brand called Indio) and it had cucumber and jalapeno in it, easily the spiciest meal we had. Between us the bill was around $40 something. Good service, friendly people, and I'd be curious to come back sometime for a special occasion.
(3)Marisol F.
Dough god tapas was great! Chili con carne was amazing! Just like home! Great ambiance! We also tried the chicken, fell a little flat ...completely redeemed by the dessert! Great to see an indigenous inspired / woman owned restaurant in the heart of downtown! We'll be back for sure!
(4)Shawn C.
Lot's of staff, not many patrons. Slow service. Cold food. The waitress couldn't careless and the management thanked us for letting her know the food was cold and said "I'm going to go see what's going on in the kitchen".... Reservations for 5. Party seated on time and ordered TAPAS, drinks, and meals. Entrees arrived cold at 6:15pm, TAPAS arrived AFTER the entrees. So very disappointing. Cool open windows and open floor plan though...what a shame.
(2)Kelly T.
So amazing, came for a great happy hour. The humus was fantastic, my husband had the yaqui sliders which were so good with the chorizo in the burger. I also highly recommend the rosemary honey cocktail. Everything was original and delicious.
(5)Tony M.
First time in Tucson and I found this hidden gem! Great location, food was fantastic! A MUST, Chile con carne,fry bread, kalabacitas, fresh pico. I will definitely be making a return visit! Thanks again Kelly!
(4)Phuong L.
I was there to celebrate my niece's bachelorette party. The food was okay. The service was horrible, I wouldn't blame it all the on the waitress, but definitely their chefs. Grant it we were a party of 16 but to have 3 plates come out and then another 15 minutes for the other plates to come out one at a time isn't acceptable. Also while I was going to the restroom on the other side of the restaurant, smaller parties were waiting for their food as well. I do not recommend this place unless you have patience to wait that long for their food.
(3)Shannon E.
Great friendly service. Nice choice between tapas and bigger portions. Food is excellent. Dough God Salad !
(4)Alan T.
Do. Not. Go. Awful service. Awful food. Not worth the price. We had a party of 6 on a Saturday night. We had some tapas apps (which were meh) and ordered 2 chickens, 1 baby back rib, 1 spare rib, 1 enchilada and 1 steak for entrees. After waiting an hour for our entrees, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of the spare ribs. Ok, so we added another chicken request. And continued waiting........ Next, after another 30 minutes, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of chicken and only had one order left! Who runs out of chicken! And, we needed 3 ... We should have left then. But no... We subbed out for another steak and the tacos and stuck it out to the brutal end. Only to have cold food and baby back ribs that tasted like boiled water. Bar service was even slower the entire evening with us having to actually get up and go to the bar to get drinks ourselves because our waitress was MIA on refilling the cocktails. Drinks were too small, too sweet and overpriced. Only guy in the place working hard was the guy filling the water glasses. Kudos to him. The owner was the biggest disappointment - at the end, she walks up and says " we comped your bill for the baby back ribs because you didn't like them, right?" No apology, no accountability, no nothing. This place won't be around long at this rate and we won't be going back.
(1)Andrea G.
I had my birthday dinner at Barrio Cuisine tonight and I couldn't have been happier! The staff was all super friendly, We had excellent service and the food was amazing! I will definitely be back and recommend to all my friends.
(5)Derek R.
So we moved out of Tucson but often come back to enjoy the growth and awesomeness of the emerging downtown scene. We tried out this new place and was pleasantly surprised by its open contemporary atmosphere and its unique cuisine. It is a mix of Native American southwest style food. We had to try just about everything on the menu and we ate here twice in our few days in town which speaks a lot. Dough God trio is great, jalapeño tapas are magical, chorizo infused sliders are yum, cholla pico was good but not far off from normal pico, normal chilli con carne dough God was amazing, then we had all the desserts, and the bread pudding stood out! Good times Thanks
(5)Tyler S.
Great drinks and great food. Had a barrio chelada and had to order another one it was so good. The Pineapple Serrano hit the spot after...I don't know what kind of tequila they used but it was super smooth and then had the potato nachos and some queso and chips. Apparently they have salsa night too. Definitely coming back. Nick was our server too and made some excellent recommendation along with perfect service
(5)Stacey F.
We were excited to try this new place and really wanted to love it but left feeling fairly disappointed. It has the potential to be a great addition to Tucson's restaurant scene, but isn't living up to its potential just yet. The pros: The margaritas were tasty (but, like most of the items we tried, were small and pricey). The Dough God Trio (fry bread with three toppings) was very good. The cons: Portion size (on everything!) was very small. The cups of soup just had a few bites and the ceviche serving was tiny. Many items (avocado soup, kid's hamburger) were way too salty; the cholla buds, on the other hand, were very bland. Overall, we went in excited to try something new but left ($100 later (!), for 3 adults and 2 kids) wondering whether we would want to go back. We hope they make some changes to the menu and service to give us a good reason to go back.
(2)William B.
This was an unusual dining experience as it incorporates Native American themed foods in with a kind of yuppy atmosphere. My friend and I mostly shared appetizers and such so it would take another review to full review this place. It was good but not astounding. We ordered up chips and salsa and the chips were not anything super to speak of. The potato skins doused in cheese and various garnishes were pretty good. The frybread "Dough Gods" were the real show attractions for us, mini popovers, how fun is that? I had a spicy Chelada which came with a beer (a brand called Indio) and it had cucumber and jalapeno in it, easily the spiciest meal we had. Between us the bill was around $40 something. Good service, friendly people, and I'd be curious to come back sometime for a special occasion.
(3)Leah B.
I am glad I waited to review Barrio until my second dining experience, as the food was WAY better. When they first opened, a friend and I went to Barrio for lunch and split the seafood tostada and the fry bread trio. In my opinion, the seafood had way too much mayo or a wet white sauce. Of the three fry bread "tacos", the chile con carne was my favorite, followed by the calabacitas and chicken with pico. It is pretty pricey for the small portions. So with that, I wasn't too excited to go back, but am glad I did!! A group of us went for dinner last night. We got there early and enjoyed some happy hour drink and food specials at the bar. I was excited to know that happy hour is even on Saturday, from 3-6pm. During happy hour, Blue Moon and Dos Equis are $3, premium cocktails are $5, including margaritas. All tapas are $2 off, so we had the bacon wrapped jalapenos ($6 for 3 during happy hour) and the chorizo-queso with chips ($7 during happy hour), the later being pretty tasty. We were later seated for the dinner (via opentable reservation). Given my experience with lunch, I opted for the chili con carne again, yet this time as an entree (see picture). I used to be a vegetarian, so this was a pretty gutsy order for me, but I am glad I did as the meat was very flavorful. All entrees are served with either soup or salad (both very small) and rice or beans. The tepary beans were excellent. My entree was also served with fry bread and a side of calabacitas. Another standout was the pineapple habenero margarita (see picture). Overall, its a beautiful large space that serves high quality, albeit small portions.
(4)Shawna F.
Unique cuisine done with a contemporary feel. The restaurant is beautiful. I loved the roasted corn and poblano brûlée.
(5)Daniel R.
Very few times have I come to a restaurant and noticed how truly disappointed I was at the food served. Barrio made that short list. First off the menu has only about 10 options on it so the excuse of maybe picking a dud dish immediately goes out the window. Ignoring the clear lack of people on a Friday night, we ordered the tacos and enchiladas. The taco shells had come out of a box and then a hamburger size piece of ground beef had been placed inside, stuffed with lettuce then artfully placed on a plate covered in flavorless marinara sauce. The enchiladas were drowned in green sauce that had to be shoveled away by the spoonful before they were spotted. The flavorless tortillas that were laid bare were a disappointment to say the least. If you are in the future forced against your will to go to Barrio restaurant, make sure to chug down a sangria which seemed to have been the only redeeming part of my meal.
(1)Fiona H.
Highly recommend!! I had the Pineapple Serrano Cilantro cocktail to start- one of the best cocktails I have ever had. Sweet with a kick but perfectly balanced. I had the Caesar salad with chicken and it was presented beautifully, and refreshing and delicious. Great take on the Caesar. I will definitely be back.. I'll be craving that cocktail! Service was great and everyone was very friendly.
(5)Andrea G.
I had my birthday dinner at Barrio Cuisine tonight and I couldn't have been happier! The staff was all super friendly, We had excellent service and the food was amazing! I will definitely be back and recommend to all my friends.
(5)Aaron R.
I really enjoy this place. Its fancy enough for a nice date, but it isn't so fancy that you feel like you have to dress up. They have an interesting island in the middle of the restaurant that seats quite a few people and has a fire lit in the middle. They only light the fire on the weekends The service was prompt and our server was very attentive which I appreciate. We stopped by because we had a guest in town and it was their birthday. We chose Barrio because they have Native American dishes that you can't find anywhere else. I got the tacos which are like a hamburger patty inside a taco. They tasted pretty good, but I probably wouldn't order them again. The kalbacitas were very good as a side. The chorizo and queso was super good because the chorizo isn't over-powering. Lastly, I have to recommend the fry bread. It doesn't have much flavor but it is light and fluffy and isn't super greasy. The only downside to Barrio Cuisine is that it gets a bit pricey.
(4)Nina P.
Their margaritas are very good and have a unique spin on the original. The Rosemary margarita is made with a house-made rosemary-infused simple syrup, and the Pulpa Margarita is flavored with natural orange and tamarindo simple syrup. They are normally $9-10 but only $5 during happy hour! For an entree I got the Red Chili Con Carne Dough God. It's excellent. It's a big, hearty, dish and I would recommend sharing with a friend and getting couple appetizers.
(4)Angela O.
The bad (always start with the bad): fry bread too small for chile dish and too oily; if you don't like calabacitas you're SOL - squash, squash, everywhere squash!; chorizo app almost too salty to consume; the door in front of the hostess stand (entering from the east) doesn't open from the outside - not too welcoming! The good (always finish with the good): the well-designed decor marries the modern spartan stainless with wood and leather rustic. The service is kind-hearted, especially the owner. The exposition of Native regional food to tourists as well as to townies is important and the menu is diverse enough to showcase the variety the desert provides. The prospect is strong. I'll return.
(4)Dawn K.
About 3 weeks ago my husband and I saw a write up in the latest( Nov/Dec) issue of edible Baja Arizona, of a new restaurant with contemporary Native American food. We immediately drove straight to it and it was closed with no hours posted. Not to be deterred we called every few hours until they confirmed their hours ,when someone answered the phone. We went for late lunch the next day, Sunday and had tapas and cocktails; although we came right when lunch was ending and dinner service was about to start; we basically had the ability to choose the lunch, tapas or dinner menu. We went with their tapas and I confirmed their hours, posting it to YELP. We started by ordering their version of a michelada called the Barrio Chelada, which is made with Indio beer; we both loved it. Light and refreshing. They have a craft cocktail menu that I can't wait to order through. I have since had pineapple serrano cilantro cocktail which was bright and refreshing. We then proceeded to order a ton of items off of their tapas menu: Cholla Pico Ceviche Tostadas de Jaiba- a chilean crab meat tostada Dough God Trio: Fry bread base- three tacos of indian fry bread(WIN WIN WIN) Barrio Jalapeños with soy lime vinaigrette Topping off all this with two desserts: Roasted corn and Poblano Brulée ( not at all like Crème brûlée) Yaqui Bread Pudding The first visit was a wonderful success as the food was a delightful new array of tastes, however I do not agree that their Roasted corn and Poblano Brûlée is a dessert, as there is no sugar topping, and it's not sweet. Seems like a starter more than a dessert; my dessert stomach was not happy. This was not how I wanted to top off my gluttony of a meal. Again loved all the tapas but each is the almost the same price as the lunch entrees so it added up quickly. The location and building is lovely to look at, open and airy with movable glass walls along Broadway, which both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine, were opened to allow in the amazing winter Arizona air. In the center of the dinning room is a huge table that seats 20 people with a huge flaming centerpiece, which I was utterly mesmerized by. Barrio Cuisine is a restaurant, bar and lounge, but soon enough I learned there is a one stall room for the lady's room and a one stall room for the men. Sadly both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine the bathroom lights were off and the light switch is not right next to the entrance door but around the corner from the entrance, so I had to hold open the door with my foot and reach along the wall for the light switch since the room was too dark to see. So if you and your pals are all going out for drinks, just be aware you and everyone dining are all sharing limited facilities.
(4)Alexis R.
We had the Bario Chelada with was awesome with the Indio beer. We had the Bario Jalapeños for our appetizers (yummy)! For lunch we had the Sonoran Caesar Salad. We loved the grilled romaine. We also had the Dough God Trio. Super tasty and a great variety of toppings. My fiancé loved the tostada de Jaiba.
(5)Kelly T.
So amazing, came for a great happy hour. The humus was fantastic, my husband had the yaqui sliders which were so good with the chorizo in the burger. I also highly recommend the rosemary honey cocktail. Everything was original and delicious.
(5)Tony M.
First time in Tucson and I found this hidden gem! Great location, food was fantastic! A MUST, Chile con carne,fry bread, kalabacitas, fresh pico. I will definitely be making a return visit! Thanks again Kelly!
(4)Katie K.
They were a bit off their game, and the drinks took so long that we ordered the second drinks before we even started the first ones. The food was very good, but took a long time and was delivered with the wrong side dish. Maybe they were not used to being busy, as it was valentine's day.
(3)Sam C.
Overall good food but nothing spectacular. The soup and salad are really small portions. The fish soup was very tasty. The house salad was rather disappointing. For such a nice place, it's sad to see a bunch of ice berg lettuce thrown on a plate. The entrees were very good but again nothing to write home about. Other than the fried bread the menu just seemed like another Mexican food restaurant. The Pulpa Margarita was excellent. For the money, I'd rather go down the street to Penca.
(3)Carol K.
Went for lunch yesterday. One of the group had been before so we followed her lead. We all enjoyed our food. I had the burger with chorizo, one of the best burgers I have ever had. I wanted to try something different but I am a burger person. The service was excellent and the decor cool. They let us know that they will be having All Day Happy Hour on Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a plan...
(4)Abel R.
Small portions and pricey I left the restaurant hungry after ordering drink appetizer and entrée. Food was good but don't think I would go back.
(2)Matthew F.
My fiance and I visited Barrio Cuisine tonight. This was the first trip for both of us. It's a normal Saturday evening, and we arrived around 7pm - prime date night dinner time. The ambience is very nice, and the food was outstanding, if a little pricey. But for a local place, I won't take points away for the cost. I was going to give Barrio four stars after our server told us the first item we ordered (the Totoi) was not available. It went to three stars when we found out a few minutes later that the beef spare rib was also not available. I think two stars is too low (I try to give benefit of the doubt), but I would put it at 2.5 stars after my fiance told me the women's restroom was out of toilet paper and hand soap. Plus, our server told us they were out of to-go boxes. How does that happen? Aren't those ordered by the hundreds (or at least dozens)? It was almost like the person who handle all the ordering of food and supplies had been out for the past couple weeks. Our server was clearly busting her rear to handle the load, and it seemed like they were under-staffed for a weekend evening. A woman stopped by as we were getting ready to leave. We assume she was the manager or owner, but she didn't introduce herself. She just asked how things were. When my fiance explained that our first two dinner choices were not available, the woman brushed it off by saying they were a "scratch-based" restaurant. We're not sure what that means, but we assume it means they make meals from scratch. That's great, but it's not really an excuse. If there's such a strong chance you won't have two of the seven entrees on your menu, maybe you should make guests aware of that. No other effort was made to make up for this, and no serious apology came for this strange situation. At some point the host staff appeared to be forewarning guests who came in the door that they advertised menu wasn't completely available. And definitely a few people walked back out. Ultimately, I would probably come back, but I might call ahead to ask what's actually available from the menu. There are too many good restaurants in Tucson to face disappointment.
(3)Sharon B.
I was in town for business and stopped in for a quick lunch. I ordered the Dough God Trio tapas plate, and it was delicious. Very flavorful. It was a relatively small portion but just the right size for lunch. I would definitely come here again.
(5)Ginger S.
Best Chelada I've ever tasted! atmosphere is incredibly inviting and the decor is very tres amigos. super cute. We shared tapas: Yaqui sliders- chorizo beef was excellent the bun was a little dry for my liking Tostadas de Jaiba- more like a crab salad w/lots mayo not lumps of crab - but tasty Barrio jalapeño- hot hot hot and oh so yummy! They made a special not on the kids menu steak and fries for my son! So sweet! Staff incredibly friendly. I'd go back for sure!
(4)Gene T.
Had the prickly pear glazed short rib. $24. Thought it should be $17.99. The salad was light and fresh. Could taste a hint of oregano. Nice touch. Anyway the boneless rib was cooked beautifully. The sauce...fabulous! Loved it. The beans were cooked well but lacked flavor. A pinch of salt would have made a huge difference. Huge! So the beans were disappointing. The kalabicitas was ok. Nothing to rave about. The place was clean. Bathrooms were nice. Drink selection was wonderful. The staff was very friendly. Service was good.
(4)Marisol F.
Dough god tapas was great! Chili con carne was amazing! Just like home! Great ambiance! We also tried the chicken, fell a little flat ...completely redeemed by the dessert! Great to see an indigenous inspired / woman owned restaurant in the heart of downtown! We'll be back for sure!
(4)Shawn C.
Lot's of staff, not many patrons. Slow service. Cold food. The waitress couldn't careless and the management thanked us for letting her know the food was cold and said "I'm going to go see what's going on in the kitchen".... Reservations for 5. Party seated on time and ordered TAPAS, drinks, and meals. Entrees arrived cold at 6:15pm, TAPAS arrived AFTER the entrees. So very disappointing. Cool open windows and open floor plan though...what a shame.
(2)Ray L.
Barrio Cusine is a good concept--given the huge O'odham and Yaqui populations living in and around Tucson, it's embarrassing that more restaurants don't draw from their culinary traditions. Barrio Cuisine does this rhetorically but it's hard to leave the restaurant without wishing they'd push native ingredients into more prominence on their menu. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but Barrio Cuisine's menu appears to be aiming for a demographic of people who like the idea of O'odham and Yaqui food without actually wanting to try scary new flavors. So there's a cholla bud pico de gallo that features scarcely a cholla bud and a nopales salad with almost no cactus in it. There's fry bread, which is safe for even the most timid Midwestern palette, but the only bean on the menu is in the tepary bean hummus. Squash is represented a little better, but it's not too prevalent other than in side dishes. There is a lot of meat (burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken) and a few Mexican restaurant staples (enchiladas, tacos), but the tweaks to those dishes don't make them stand out as unique. If you are a food nerd and have spent time flipping through an O'odham cookbook like "From I'itoi's Garden" and wishing someone would start a restaurant that served those recipes, you'll have to keep waiting. Barrio Cuisine is not that place. But if you accept Barrio Cuisine for what it is, it's okay. Most of the dishes were very well prepared--the folks in the kitchen can execute a recipe well and know how to present a dish. The calabacitas enchiladas were better than most restaurants and the Chilean crab and aioli tostadas were excellent, though it's hard to know how they relate to traditional O'odham or Yaqui food. Is it the word "tostada"? The salad was unimpressive, but that was an issue of design rather than execution. The pico should advertise cholla buds when they're in season and leave them off the menu when they're not--the rehydrated ones are flavorless. The tepary bean hummus was rich and tasty, but nothing you couldn't do at home. Overall, the quality of the ingredients was quite high. Barrio Cuisine positions itself as a casual, yet slightly higher end restaurant and the prices and atmosphere reflect other restaurants in that category. The interior is nice, the portions aren't gluttonous, and it's a bit too expensive. A meal there certainly won't disappoint but, as of this writing, it doesn't yet live up to its full potential. Here's hoping.
(3)Phuong L.
I was there to celebrate my niece's bachelorette party. The food was okay. The service was horrible, I wouldn't blame it all the on the waitress, but definitely their chefs. Grant it we were a party of 16 but to have 3 plates come out and then another 15 minutes for the other plates to come out one at a time isn't acceptable. Also while I was going to the restroom on the other side of the restaurant, smaller parties were waiting for their food as well. I do not recommend this place unless you have patience to wait that long for their food.
(3)Shannon E.
Great friendly service. Nice choice between tapas and bigger portions. Food is excellent. Dough God Salad !
(4)Alan T.
Do. Not. Go. Awful service. Awful food. Not worth the price. We had a party of 6 on a Saturday night. We had some tapas apps (which were meh) and ordered 2 chickens, 1 baby back rib, 1 spare rib, 1 enchilada and 1 steak for entrees. After waiting an hour for our entrees, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of the spare ribs. Ok, so we added another chicken request. And continued waiting........ Next, after another 30 minutes, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of chicken and only had one order left! Who runs out of chicken! And, we needed 3 ... We should have left then. But no... We subbed out for another steak and the tacos and stuck it out to the brutal end. Only to have cold food and baby back ribs that tasted like boiled water. Bar service was even slower the entire evening with us having to actually get up and go to the bar to get drinks ourselves because our waitress was MIA on refilling the cocktails. Drinks were too small, too sweet and overpriced. Only guy in the place working hard was the guy filling the water glasses. Kudos to him. The owner was the biggest disappointment - at the end, she walks up and says " we comped your bill for the baby back ribs because you didn't like them, right?" No apology, no accountability, no nothing. This place won't be around long at this rate and we won't be going back.
(1)Derek R.
So we moved out of Tucson but often come back to enjoy the growth and awesomeness of the emerging downtown scene. We tried out this new place and was pleasantly surprised by its open contemporary atmosphere and its unique cuisine. It is a mix of Native American southwest style food. We had to try just about everything on the menu and we ate here twice in our few days in town which speaks a lot. Dough God trio is great, jalapeño tapas are magical, chorizo infused sliders are yum, cholla pico was good but not far off from normal pico, normal chilli con carne dough God was amazing, then we had all the desserts, and the bread pudding stood out! Good times Thanks
(5)Tyler S.
Great drinks and great food. Had a barrio chelada and had to order another one it was so good. The Pineapple Serrano hit the spot after...I don't know what kind of tequila they used but it was super smooth and then had the potato nachos and some queso and chips. Apparently they have salsa night too. Definitely coming back. Nick was our server too and made some excellent recommendation along with perfect service
(5)Stacey F.
We were excited to try this new place and really wanted to love it but left feeling fairly disappointed. It has the potential to be a great addition to Tucson's restaurant scene, but isn't living up to its potential just yet. The pros: The margaritas were tasty (but, like most of the items we tried, were small and pricey). The Dough God Trio (fry bread with three toppings) was very good. The cons: Portion size (on everything!) was very small. The cups of soup just had a few bites and the ceviche serving was tiny. Many items (avocado soup, kid's hamburger) were way too salty; the cholla buds, on the other hand, were very bland. Overall, we went in excited to try something new but left ($100 later (!), for 3 adults and 2 kids) wondering whether we would want to go back. We hope they make some changes to the menu and service to give us a good reason to go back.
(2)Emiko K.
We stopped in for a casual lunch at this restaurant, and I was pleased with the atmosphere. High ceiling and windows that open out to let the fresh air into the restaurant, as well as the open fire pit, were all welcoming elements for me. The serving portions were perfect. For three adults and a child, we ordered ceviche as an appetizer to share. For a meal, i was recommended a tamal dish, which was surprisingly tasty. My friends ordered Yaqui burger and tostada and were content with their choices. French fries and burger came with homemade ketchup that tasted fresh! Since I'm out of town, I had a glass of local ipa beer through there were many cocktail options, which featured fresh herbs! I'll definitely go back to try them. Since it was Sunday, street parking was free and there were a handful of street parking available.
(5)Angelica L.
Stopped in for lunch and tried three of the options from the tapas menu: Dough God Trio, the sliders, and potato nachos. I really wanted to love this place and was so excited to try it, but everything we tried was fairly disappointing with the exception of the calabasitas taco in the trio (that was delicious!). The tapas were overpriced in my opinion, especially for the portion size. I understand the concept of tapas, but even still, tiny portions for too much money. The place itself is nice and service is decent. Nothing to write home about though.
(3)Jason T.
I heard about this place opening and finally got a chance to try it last night. It's a lot bigger than I expected so at 7pm we were able to get seated right away. The ambiance is cool. They have a high top "bar" with a fire pit in the middle. There are a couple couch seating areas and a lot of 4 tops. Started off with drinks. I think the bar was slammed from a big party they had there so they took a wee bit to get them. The rosemary honey cocktail and the pulpa margarita were sweet and tasty. We wanted to try a good selection of authentic dishes so we went tapas style. The dough god trio was wonderful especially the calabacitas. Also had the Tostadas de Jaiba and that was the best thing I had. Authentic crab in a killer cilantro aioli sauce. If they made a bigger entree version of this it would be awesome. Also tried the Potato nachos which were slices of potato fried covered with yummy cheese sauce. Not the typical nachos and that was a pleasant surprise. Had to try the fry bread dessert, I guess my expectation from street fairs etc was too much. It was the only thing that was so so. Otherwise I will for sure go back there and try other things on the menu. Service was wonderful and attentive. Nicely done guys.
(4)John B.
Okay, yes, I got the Indian fry bread with red chili. However, it was the best red chili fry bed I have ever had. This place is taking some of the classics and elevating them to a whole new level. Other options on the menu looked very tempting. Chorizo burger? Yes please. The tapas and bar menu also looked delicious. Unfortunately, this was a work lunch. So, I guess I'll be going back.
(4)Melissa G.
We loved this place. I wasn't sure what Native American food would be like but it was great. The short ribs were melt in my mouth tender. I never used my knife. The veggie side dish was fresh and delicious. The beans were not my favorite but were good. Tried my partners rice and was jealous I hadn't ordered it. Wine list is limited, but good picks. Partners steak was tender and good. Pretty quiet ambiance, beautiful atmosphere. Service was quick and attentive. Give it a try!
(5)Michael A.
Had the cactus pad salad and the bread pudding. All of our food tasted very good.
(3)Kyla W.
We ate here a few times during our short stay in Tucson and was never disappointed. We even brought along some picky eaters who we very happy with their meals. I recommend this restaurant for the unique cuisine, the friendly staff and also because its locally owned.
(5)Marcia K.
I've been here twice in 8 days. This place is so creative. Everything I've had has been delicious. They put a new twist on food I've had before plus there are things I've never had before. Best tamales I've ever had, green corn and beef, and prices are very reasonable. Cocktails are also very creative. Love the old building it's in. I can't wait to take other people there.
(5)Jefferson C.
New American with a Sonoran twist. You may have hummus, but it's made of Teppary beans with a side of dough god (fry bread). Your steak will have a wonderful dry rub before it comes to your mouth to say hi. Everything was just a little unexpected. The cocktail menu was great. A good place to go for perfect portions of well made food that won't make you feel uncomfortably full. I want to go back.
(4)Darryl N.
I love the food and the atmosphere. A little expensive for me, but a great occasional and special place. Staff are VERY friendly and they checked regularly on both my date night and on a company lunch party. The food is Native American Cuisine and feel free to ask, as some you may not know. All of it is good.
(4)J. Felipe G.
WOW! I am going to be very honest with my review. I had no idea what to expect from Native American cuisine, but the chef has done an outstanding job in creating an influence of Native American cuisine. Let me give you an example, we had the burger which is made with a bread traditional to the local Native American tribes. The meat has a hint of chorizo which makes it even better. We also had a trio of tacos that were actually made with fried bread and topped with three different toppings including calabacitas and carne con chile. Sit close to the windows because they open them and give a great ambiance!
(5)Victoria M.
All around good. Great atmosphere, cocktails, service and food. Chili con carne and fry bread was awesome. I would come back. It was the best restaurant in Tucson during my 5-day stay.
(4)Melanie R.
New but not Hot. Horrible service, took 20 minutes to prepare a table that was vacant, 15 minutes for waiter to come to the table & another 20 minutes to get drinks after the order was taken. I arrived hungry & left hungry for the simple fact it took waaaaaay too long and had tickets to a performance downtown. Only come here if you have a lot of time & don't mind poor service. Very disappointed as I had expected this to be a good restaurant.
(1)Steve F.
My wife and I were looking for a new downtown restaurant and Barrio came up on the radar. It was excellent. The service was spot on with great timing from greeting to drink delivery. The entrees were well thought out and their version of a green chili enchilada was arguably the best we've ever had. We were going to see a play so after letting our server know the team was very supportive to ensure we made it thorough dinner service on time. Overall we couldn't have been more please with this new addition to Tucson. Thank you Barrio!
(5)Aaron R.
I really enjoy this place. Its fancy enough for a nice date, but it isn't so fancy that you feel like you have to dress up. They have an interesting island in the middle of the restaurant that seats quite a few people and has a fire lit in the middle. They only light the fire on the weekends The service was prompt and our server was very attentive which I appreciate. We stopped by because we had a guest in town and it was their birthday. We chose Barrio because they have Native American dishes that you can't find anywhere else. I got the tacos which are like a hamburger patty inside a taco. They tasted pretty good, but I probably wouldn't order them again. The kalbacitas were very good as a side. The chorizo and queso was super good because the chorizo isn't over-powering. Lastly, I have to recommend the fry bread. It doesn't have much flavor but it is light and fluffy and isn't super greasy. The only downside to Barrio Cuisine is that it gets a bit pricey.
(4)Matthew F.
My fiance and I visited Barrio Cuisine tonight. This was the first trip for both of us. It's a normal Saturday evening, and we arrived around 7pm - prime date night dinner time. The ambience is very nice, and the food was outstanding, if a little pricey. But for a local place, I won't take points away for the cost. I was going to give Barrio four stars after our server told us the first item we ordered (the Totoi) was not available. It went to three stars when we found out a few minutes later that the beef spare rib was also not available. I think two stars is too low (I try to give benefit of the doubt), but I would put it at 2.5 stars after my fiance told me the women's restroom was out of toilet paper and hand soap. Plus, our server told us they were out of to-go boxes. How does that happen? Aren't those ordered by the hundreds (or at least dozens)? It was almost like the person who handle all the ordering of food and supplies had been out for the past couple weeks. Our server was clearly busting her rear to handle the load, and it seemed like they were under-staffed for a weekend evening. A woman stopped by as we were getting ready to leave. We assume she was the manager or owner, but she didn't introduce herself. She just asked how things were. When my fiance explained that our first two dinner choices were not available, the woman brushed it off by saying they were a "scratch-based" restaurant. We're not sure what that means, but we assume it means they make meals from scratch. That's great, but it's not really an excuse. If there's such a strong chance you won't have two of the seven entrees on your menu, maybe you should make guests aware of that. No other effort was made to make up for this, and no serious apology came for this strange situation. At some point the host staff appeared to be forewarning guests who came in the door that they advertised menu wasn't completely available. And definitely a few people walked back out. Ultimately, I would probably come back, but I might call ahead to ask what's actually available from the menu. There are too many good restaurants in Tucson to face disappointment.
(3)Sharon B.
I was in town for business and stopped in for a quick lunch. I ordered the Dough God Trio tapas plate, and it was delicious. Very flavorful. It was a relatively small portion but just the right size for lunch. I would definitely come here again.
(5)Ginger S.
Best Chelada I've ever tasted! atmosphere is incredibly inviting and the decor is very tres amigos. super cute. We shared tapas: Yaqui sliders- chorizo beef was excellent the bun was a little dry for my liking Tostadas de Jaiba- more like a crab salad w/lots mayo not lumps of crab - but tasty Barrio jalapeño- hot hot hot and oh so yummy! They made a special not on the kids menu steak and fries for my son! So sweet! Staff incredibly friendly. I'd go back for sure!
(4)Gene T.
Had the prickly pear glazed short rib. $24. Thought it should be $17.99. The salad was light and fresh. Could taste a hint of oregano. Nice touch. Anyway the boneless rib was cooked beautifully. The sauce...fabulous! Loved it. The beans were cooked well but lacked flavor. A pinch of salt would have made a huge difference. Huge! So the beans were disappointing. The kalabicitas was ok. Nothing to rave about. The place was clean. Bathrooms were nice. Drink selection was wonderful. The staff was very friendly. Service was good.
(4)Nina P.
Their margaritas are very good and have a unique spin on the original. The Rosemary margarita is made with a house-made rosemary-infused simple syrup, and the Pulpa Margarita is flavored with natural orange and tamarindo simple syrup. They are normally $9-10 but only $5 during happy hour! For an entree I got the Red Chili Con Carne Dough God. It's excellent. It's a big, hearty, dish and I would recommend sharing with a friend and getting couple appetizers.
(4)Angela O.
The bad (always start with the bad): fry bread too small for chile dish and too oily; if you don't like calabacitas you're SOL - squash, squash, everywhere squash!; chorizo app almost too salty to consume; the door in front of the hostess stand (entering from the east) doesn't open from the outside - not too welcoming! The good (always finish with the good): the well-designed decor marries the modern spartan stainless with wood and leather rustic. The service is kind-hearted, especially the owner. The exposition of Native regional food to tourists as well as to townies is important and the menu is diverse enough to showcase the variety the desert provides. The prospect is strong. I'll return.
(4)Phuong L.
I was there to celebrate my niece's bachelorette party. The food was okay. The service was horrible, I wouldn't blame it all the on the waitress, but definitely their chefs. Grant it we were a party of 16 but to have 3 plates come out and then another 15 minutes for the other plates to come out one at a time isn't acceptable. Also while I was going to the restroom on the other side of the restaurant, smaller parties were waiting for their food as well. I do not recommend this place unless you have patience to wait that long for their food.
(3)Shannon E.
Great friendly service. Nice choice between tapas and bigger portions. Food is excellent. Dough God Salad !
(4)Dawn K.
About 3 weeks ago my husband and I saw a write up in the latest( Nov/Dec) issue of edible Baja Arizona, of a new restaurant with contemporary Native American food. We immediately drove straight to it and it was closed with no hours posted. Not to be deterred we called every few hours until they confirmed their hours ,when someone answered the phone. We went for late lunch the next day, Sunday and had tapas and cocktails; although we came right when lunch was ending and dinner service was about to start; we basically had the ability to choose the lunch, tapas or dinner menu. We went with their tapas and I confirmed their hours, posting it to YELP. We started by ordering their version of a michelada called the Barrio Chelada, which is made with Indio beer; we both loved it. Light and refreshing. They have a craft cocktail menu that I can't wait to order through. I have since had pineapple serrano cilantro cocktail which was bright and refreshing. We then proceeded to order a ton of items off of their tapas menu: Cholla Pico Ceviche Tostadas de Jaiba- a chilean crab meat tostada Dough God Trio: Fry bread base- three tacos of indian fry bread(WIN WIN WIN) Barrio Jalapeños with soy lime vinaigrette Topping off all this with two desserts: Roasted corn and Poblano Brulée ( not at all like Crème brûlée) Yaqui Bread Pudding The first visit was a wonderful success as the food was a delightful new array of tastes, however I do not agree that their Roasted corn and Poblano Brûlée is a dessert, as there is no sugar topping, and it's not sweet. Seems like a starter more than a dessert; my dessert stomach was not happy. This was not how I wanted to top off my gluttony of a meal. Again loved all the tapas but each is the almost the same price as the lunch entrees so it added up quickly. The location and building is lovely to look at, open and airy with movable glass walls along Broadway, which both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine, were opened to allow in the amazing winter Arizona air. In the center of the dinning room is a huge table that seats 20 people with a huge flaming centerpiece, which I was utterly mesmerized by. Barrio Cuisine is a restaurant, bar and lounge, but soon enough I learned there is a one stall room for the lady's room and a one stall room for the men. Sadly both times I dined at Barrio Cuisine the bathroom lights were off and the light switch is not right next to the entrance door but around the corner from the entrance, so I had to hold open the door with my foot and reach along the wall for the light switch since the room was too dark to see. So if you and your pals are all going out for drinks, just be aware you and everyone dining are all sharing limited facilities.
(4)Alexis R.
We had the Bario Chelada with was awesome with the Indio beer. We had the Bario Jalapeños for our appetizers (yummy)! For lunch we had the Sonoran Caesar Salad. We loved the grilled romaine. We also had the Dough God Trio. Super tasty and a great variety of toppings. My fiancé loved the tostada de Jaiba.
(5)Leah B.
I am glad I waited to review Barrio until my second dining experience, as the food was WAY better. When they first opened, a friend and I went to Barrio for lunch and split the seafood tostada and the fry bread trio. In my opinion, the seafood had way too much mayo or a wet white sauce. Of the three fry bread "tacos", the chile con carne was my favorite, followed by the calabacitas and chicken with pico. It is pretty pricey for the small portions. So with that, I wasn't too excited to go back, but am glad I did!! A group of us went for dinner last night. We got there early and enjoyed some happy hour drink and food specials at the bar. I was excited to know that happy hour is even on Saturday, from 3-6pm. During happy hour, Blue Moon and Dos Equis are $3, premium cocktails are $5, including margaritas. All tapas are $2 off, so we had the bacon wrapped jalapenos ($6 for 3 during happy hour) and the chorizo-queso with chips ($7 during happy hour), the later being pretty tasty. We were later seated for the dinner (via opentable reservation). Given my experience with lunch, I opted for the chili con carne again, yet this time as an entree (see picture). I used to be a vegetarian, so this was a pretty gutsy order for me, but I am glad I did as the meat was very flavorful. All entrees are served with either soup or salad (both very small) and rice or beans. The tepary beans were excellent. My entree was also served with fry bread and a side of calabacitas. Another standout was the pineapple habenero margarita (see picture). Overall, its a beautiful large space that serves high quality, albeit small portions.
(4)Shawna F.
Unique cuisine done with a contemporary feel. The restaurant is beautiful. I loved the roasted corn and poblano brûlée.
(5)Daniel R.
Very few times have I come to a restaurant and noticed how truly disappointed I was at the food served. Barrio made that short list. First off the menu has only about 10 options on it so the excuse of maybe picking a dud dish immediately goes out the window. Ignoring the clear lack of people on a Friday night, we ordered the tacos and enchiladas. The taco shells had come out of a box and then a hamburger size piece of ground beef had been placed inside, stuffed with lettuce then artfully placed on a plate covered in flavorless marinara sauce. The enchiladas were drowned in green sauce that had to be shoveled away by the spoonful before they were spotted. The flavorless tortillas that were laid bare were a disappointment to say the least. If you are in the future forced against your will to go to Barrio restaurant, make sure to chug down a sangria which seemed to have been the only redeeming part of my meal.
(1)Jefferson C.
New American with a Sonoran twist. You may have hummus, but it's made of Teppary beans with a side of dough god (fry bread). Your steak will have a wonderful dry rub before it comes to your mouth to say hi. Everything was just a little unexpected. The cocktail menu was great. A good place to go for perfect portions of well made food that won't make you feel uncomfortably full. I want to go back.
(4)Darryl N.
I love the food and the atmosphere. A little expensive for me, but a great occasional and special place. Staff are VERY friendly and they checked regularly on both my date night and on a company lunch party. The food is Native American Cuisine and feel free to ask, as some you may not know. All of it is good.
(4)J. Felipe G.
WOW! I am going to be very honest with my review. I had no idea what to expect from Native American cuisine, but the chef has done an outstanding job in creating an influence of Native American cuisine. Let me give you an example, we had the burger which is made with a bread traditional to the local Native American tribes. The meat has a hint of chorizo which makes it even better. We also had a trio of tacos that were actually made with fried bread and topped with three different toppings including calabacitas and carne con chile. Sit close to the windows because they open them and give a great ambiance!
(5)Victoria M.
All around good. Great atmosphere, cocktails, service and food. Chili con carne and fry bread was awesome. I would come back. It was the best restaurant in Tucson during my 5-day stay.
(4)Melanie R.
New but not Hot. Horrible service, took 20 minutes to prepare a table that was vacant, 15 minutes for waiter to come to the table & another 20 minutes to get drinks after the order was taken. I arrived hungry & left hungry for the simple fact it took waaaaaay too long and had tickets to a performance downtown. Only come here if you have a lot of time & don't mind poor service. Very disappointed as I had expected this to be a good restaurant.
(1)Sam C.
Overall good food but nothing spectacular. The soup and salad are really small portions. The fish soup was very tasty. The house salad was rather disappointing. For such a nice place, it's sad to see a bunch of ice berg lettuce thrown on a plate. The entrees were very good but again nothing to write home about. Other than the fried bread the menu just seemed like another Mexican food restaurant. The Pulpa Margarita was excellent. For the money, I'd rather go down the street to Penca.
(3)Fiona H.
Highly recommend!! I had the Pineapple Serrano Cilantro cocktail to start- one of the best cocktails I have ever had. Sweet with a kick but perfectly balanced. I had the Caesar salad with chicken and it was presented beautifully, and refreshing and delicious. Great take on the Caesar. I will definitely be back.. I'll be craving that cocktail! Service was great and everyone was very friendly.
(5)Andrea G.
I had my birthday dinner at Barrio Cuisine tonight and I couldn't have been happier! The staff was all super friendly, We had excellent service and the food was amazing! I will definitely be back and recommend to all my friends.
(5)William B.
This was an unusual dining experience as it incorporates Native American themed foods in with a kind of yuppy atmosphere. My friend and I mostly shared appetizers and such so it would take another review to full review this place. It was good but not astounding. We ordered up chips and salsa and the chips were not anything super to speak of. The potato skins doused in cheese and various garnishes were pretty good. The frybread "Dough Gods" were the real show attractions for us, mini popovers, how fun is that? I had a spicy Chelada which came with a beer (a brand called Indio) and it had cucumber and jalapeno in it, easily the spiciest meal we had. Between us the bill was around $40 something. Good service, friendly people, and I'd be curious to come back sometime for a special occasion.
(3)Marisol F.
Dough god tapas was great! Chili con carne was amazing! Just like home! Great ambiance! We also tried the chicken, fell a little flat ...completely redeemed by the dessert! Great to see an indigenous inspired / woman owned restaurant in the heart of downtown! We'll be back for sure!
(4)Tony M.
First time in Tucson and I found this hidden gem! Great location, food was fantastic! A MUST, Chile con carne,fry bread, kalabacitas, fresh pico. I will definitely be making a return visit! Thanks again Kelly!
(4)Katie K.
They were a bit off their game, and the drinks took so long that we ordered the second drinks before we even started the first ones. The food was very good, but took a long time and was delivered with the wrong side dish. Maybe they were not used to being busy, as it was valentine's day.
(3)Emiko K.
We stopped in for a casual lunch at this restaurant, and I was pleased with the atmosphere. High ceiling and windows that open out to let the fresh air into the restaurant, as well as the open fire pit, were all welcoming elements for me. The serving portions were perfect. For three adults and a child, we ordered ceviche as an appetizer to share. For a meal, i was recommended a tamal dish, which was surprisingly tasty. My friends ordered Yaqui burger and tostada and were content with their choices. French fries and burger came with homemade ketchup that tasted fresh! Since I'm out of town, I had a glass of local ipa beer through there were many cocktail options, which featured fresh herbs! I'll definitely go back to try them. Since it was Sunday, street parking was free and there were a handful of street parking available.
(5)Ray L.
Barrio Cusine is a good concept--given the huge O'odham and Yaqui populations living in and around Tucson, it's embarrassing that more restaurants don't draw from their culinary traditions. Barrio Cuisine does this rhetorically but it's hard to leave the restaurant without wishing they'd push native ingredients into more prominence on their menu. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but Barrio Cuisine's menu appears to be aiming for a demographic of people who like the idea of O'odham and Yaqui food without actually wanting to try scary new flavors. So there's a cholla bud pico de gallo that features scarcely a cholla bud and a nopales salad with almost no cactus in it. There's fry bread, which is safe for even the most timid Midwestern palette, but the only bean on the menu is in the tepary bean hummus. Squash is represented a little better, but it's not too prevalent other than in side dishes. There is a lot of meat (burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken) and a few Mexican restaurant staples (enchiladas, tacos), but the tweaks to those dishes don't make them stand out as unique. If you are a food nerd and have spent time flipping through an O'odham cookbook like "From I'itoi's Garden" and wishing someone would start a restaurant that served those recipes, you'll have to keep waiting. Barrio Cuisine is not that place. But if you accept Barrio Cuisine for what it is, it's okay. Most of the dishes were very well prepared--the folks in the kitchen can execute a recipe well and know how to present a dish. The calabacitas enchiladas were better than most restaurants and the Chilean crab and aioli tostadas were excellent, though it's hard to know how they relate to traditional O'odham or Yaqui food. Is it the word "tostada"? The salad was unimpressive, but that was an issue of design rather than execution. The pico should advertise cholla buds when they're in season and leave them off the menu when they're not--the rehydrated ones are flavorless. The tepary bean hummus was rich and tasty, but nothing you couldn't do at home. Overall, the quality of the ingredients was quite high. Barrio Cuisine positions itself as a casual, yet slightly higher end restaurant and the prices and atmosphere reflect other restaurants in that category. The interior is nice, the portions aren't gluttonous, and it's a bit too expensive. A meal there certainly won't disappoint but, as of this writing, it doesn't yet live up to its full potential. Here's hoping.
(3)Shawn C.
Lot's of staff, not many patrons. Slow service. Cold food. The waitress couldn't careless and the management thanked us for letting her know the food was cold and said "I'm going to go see what's going on in the kitchen".... Reservations for 5. Party seated on time and ordered TAPAS, drinks, and meals. Entrees arrived cold at 6:15pm, TAPAS arrived AFTER the entrees. So very disappointing. Cool open windows and open floor plan though...what a shame.
(2)Kelly T.
So amazing, came for a great happy hour. The humus was fantastic, my husband had the yaqui sliders which were so good with the chorizo in the burger. I also highly recommend the rosemary honey cocktail. Everything was original and delicious.
(5)Alan T.
Do. Not. Go. Awful service. Awful food. Not worth the price. We had a party of 6 on a Saturday night. We had some tapas apps (which were meh) and ordered 2 chickens, 1 baby back rib, 1 spare rib, 1 enchilada and 1 steak for entrees. After waiting an hour for our entrees, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of the spare ribs. Ok, so we added another chicken request. And continued waiting........ Next, after another 30 minutes, the waitress came back to tell us that they were out of chicken and only had one order left! Who runs out of chicken! And, we needed 3 ... We should have left then. But no... We subbed out for another steak and the tacos and stuck it out to the brutal end. Only to have cold food and baby back ribs that tasted like boiled water. Bar service was even slower the entire evening with us having to actually get up and go to the bar to get drinks ourselves because our waitress was MIA on refilling the cocktails. Drinks were too small, too sweet and overpriced. Only guy in the place working hard was the guy filling the water glasses. Kudos to him. The owner was the biggest disappointment - at the end, she walks up and says " we comped your bill for the baby back ribs because you didn't like them, right?" No apology, no accountability, no nothing. This place won't be around long at this rate and we won't be going back.
(1)Derek R.
So we moved out of Tucson but often come back to enjoy the growth and awesomeness of the emerging downtown scene. We tried out this new place and was pleasantly surprised by its open contemporary atmosphere and its unique cuisine. It is a mix of Native American southwest style food. We had to try just about everything on the menu and we ate here twice in our few days in town which speaks a lot. Dough God trio is great, jalapeño tapas are magical, chorizo infused sliders are yum, cholla pico was good but not far off from normal pico, normal chilli con carne dough God was amazing, then we had all the desserts, and the bread pudding stood out! Good times Thanks
(5)Tyler S.
Great drinks and great food. Had a barrio chelada and had to order another one it was so good. The Pineapple Serrano hit the spot after...I don't know what kind of tequila they used but it was super smooth and then had the potato nachos and some queso and chips. Apparently they have salsa night too. Definitely coming back. Nick was our server too and made some excellent recommendation along with perfect service
(5)Stacey F.
We were excited to try this new place and really wanted to love it but left feeling fairly disappointed. It has the potential to be a great addition to Tucson's restaurant scene, but isn't living up to its potential just yet. The pros: The margaritas were tasty (but, like most of the items we tried, were small and pricey). The Dough God Trio (fry bread with three toppings) was very good. The cons: Portion size (on everything!) was very small. The cups of soup just had a few bites and the ceviche serving was tiny. Many items (avocado soup, kid's hamburger) were way too salty; the cholla buds, on the other hand, were very bland. Overall, we went in excited to try something new but left ($100 later (!), for 3 adults and 2 kids) wondering whether we would want to go back. We hope they make some changes to the menu and service to give us a good reason to go back.
(2)Angelica L.
Stopped in for lunch and tried three of the options from the tapas menu: Dough God Trio, the sliders, and potato nachos. I really wanted to love this place and was so excited to try it, but everything we tried was fairly disappointing with the exception of the calabasitas taco in the trio (that was delicious!). The tapas were overpriced in my opinion, especially for the portion size. I understand the concept of tapas, but even still, tiny portions for too much money. The place itself is nice and service is decent. Nothing to write home about though.
(3)Jason T.
I heard about this place opening and finally got a chance to try it last night. It's a lot bigger than I expected so at 7pm we were able to get seated right away. The ambiance is cool. They have a high top "bar" with a fire pit in the middle. There are a couple couch seating areas and a lot of 4 tops. Started off with drinks. I think the bar was slammed from a big party they had there so they took a wee bit to get them. The rosemary honey cocktail and the pulpa margarita were sweet and tasty. We wanted to try a good selection of authentic dishes so we went tapas style. The dough god trio was wonderful especially the calabacitas. Also had the Tostadas de Jaiba and that was the best thing I had. Authentic crab in a killer cilantro aioli sauce. If they made a bigger entree version of this it would be awesome. Also tried the Potato nachos which were slices of potato fried covered with yummy cheese sauce. Not the typical nachos and that was a pleasant surprise. Had to try the fry bread dessert, I guess my expectation from street fairs etc was too much. It was the only thing that was so so. Otherwise I will for sure go back there and try other things on the menu. Service was wonderful and attentive. Nicely done guys.
(4)John B.
Okay, yes, I got the Indian fry bread with red chili. However, it was the best red chili fry bed I have ever had. This place is taking some of the classics and elevating them to a whole new level. Other options on the menu looked very tempting. Chorizo burger? Yes please. The tapas and bar menu also looked delicious. Unfortunately, this was a work lunch. So, I guess I'll be going back.
(4)Melissa G.
We loved this place. I wasn't sure what Native American food would be like but it was great. The short ribs were melt in my mouth tender. I never used my knife. The veggie side dish was fresh and delicious. The beans were not my favorite but were good. Tried my partners rice and was jealous I hadn't ordered it. Wine list is limited, but good picks. Partners steak was tender and good. Pretty quiet ambiance, beautiful atmosphere. Service was quick and attentive. Give it a try!
(5)Michael A.
Had the cactus pad salad and the bread pudding. All of our food tasted very good.
(3)Kyla W.
We ate here a few times during our short stay in Tucson and was never disappointed. We even brought along some picky eaters who we very happy with their meals. I recommend this restaurant for the unique cuisine, the friendly staff and also because its locally owned.
(5)Carol K.
Went for lunch yesterday. One of the group had been before so we followed her lead. We all enjoyed our food. I had the burger with chorizo, one of the best burgers I have ever had. I wanted to try something different but I am a burger person. The service was excellent and the decor cool. They let us know that they will be having All Day Happy Hour on Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a plan...
(4)Abel R.
Small portions and pricey I left the restaurant hungry after ordering drink appetizer and entrée. Food was good but don't think I would go back.
(2)Steve F.
My wife and I were looking for a new downtown restaurant and Barrio came up on the radar. It was excellent. The service was spot on with great timing from greeting to drink delivery. The entrees were well thought out and their version of a green chili enchilada was arguably the best we've ever had. We were going to see a play so after letting our server know the team was very supportive to ensure we made it thorough dinner service on time. Overall we couldn't have been more please with this new addition to Tucson. Thank you Barrio!
(5)Kevin L.
Wow Tucson has been bit harsh on this wonderful restaurant. I had the most wonderful meal with top notch service yesterday night. The waiters are attentative but not overbearing. Everyone was curious, and I believe the owner/manager came by to personally say hello to make sure everything is just right (and it was!). The white wine sangria was delicious, light, flavorful, well balanced. I had the fish soup that came with the entree, and it was excellent, I would order a large bowl of it if it was an option. The stock was wonderfully made. The pork ribs was one of the best I have ever had. The meat fell off the bones, and it mixed in so well with the sauce the last bite was as good as the first. I have already made reservations to try the rest of the menu along with their desserts!
(5)Jim D.
Fairly new place, clearly feeling their way. Features regional American Indian food--Yaqui and O'odham. Went with a big group and last minute reservations and were accommodated. Great menu and very tasty food. We had potato appetizers and potato soup, prickly pear glazed beef short ribs which were excellent. Dessert was honey soaked fry bread and strawberries also excellent. The service was good but can improve, and they tried hard to keep up. Drink menu is terrific, nice decor and spacious rooms. Give them a try.
(5)Meg W.
Hidden treasure. The food was beyond incredible and amazing. I had the potato nachos and Kalabacita Wrap both is which were delicious. This is a definite return site for us. So very very good. GO! JUST GO!
(5)Tommy T.
Great space! Hostess without the mostess could be a little more inviting on arrival. No chips or bread to accompany guests when seated would be a nice addition. Mojito was good @ 8. I tried the trio dough tapas 11.00 was good. My wife had the chicken chutney dish that seemed to not have sauce or chutney anywhere? Chicken was moist but plain without any seasonings or sauce? We felt the chicken priced at 21.00 should have been much better! I hope they tweak things and get more fairly priced vs portion. I will give a another chance and update my review if they can improve.
(3)Tam G.
We sat at the large square table. Evening started out ok but quickly went south. Appetizers came out before we had our drinks. Water was never refilled. Server was horrible. Food was bland to say the least. I had short ribs, gf had enchiladas. Ribs were sub par of a crappy Chinese buffet. Appetizer was a trio of flat breads that was greasy and inedible. About a half dozen people in plain clothes came and asked how everything was, I don't know if they were managers, owners or hostesses but they didn't do anything. The review by Lily R is obviously by staff. Skip this place, it won't last anyway.
(1)Tayler S.
Great atmosphere, amazing cocktails, and food was delicious! We had the Rosemary honey cocktails, ribs, and taco dinners. Everything was great. Will definitely be back again!
(4)James D.
I actually share a courtyard with the back of Barrio so I was excited to try it after seeing the construction that's been going on more a while. The food definitely did not disappoint. The beans are amazing and the short ribs will melt in your mouth.
(4)Beau S.
Went for valentines day with my fiancée. The drinks we ordered were delicious and the atmosphere was really nice. Our poor waiter was really busy but it was a holiday after all. The food was mediocre at best. I ordered the tucson tacos which were a half beef patty in a hard shell taco. Pretty tasty but not worth the price. My fiance got the kalabacita enchiladas. Oddly enough the kalabacita tasted better on its own as a side to my tacos than it did in the enchiladas. On the side it was creamy and cheesey, but still pretty bland. It was odd that the kalabacita wasn't amazing considering it was featured in six of the eight entrées. I felt the food was not a good value. Some of it seemed like a good idea just poor excecution. I expected a lot more for 14 dollars a plate. Especially considering what a pain it is to find parking downtown and how there is much better mexican food for much cheaper. Also I get how "native american" food obviously includes mexican, but I feel like you could execute better on more than just fry bread. The drinks are worth it, the food is disappointing.
(2)R B.
The restaurant is nice and well put together. The staff was friendly and the service was good. The chorriqueso tapa didn't meet expectations. The chips seemed cold and the cheese was runny, almost watery and didn't bode well for dipping. The entrée came with soup or salad. We chose the soup but it was served in a bowl not much larger than an espresso cup. By far, the best food option is the fry bread. Not to be missed.
(2)M L.
I would rather wait for lent season and get a bigger portion for my money. Seriously not worth it. Food is not well executed. Staff is not friendly. Im going to make sure everyone reads this. Who chose the name Dough God? Sounds weird. Those giving 5 stars, are you sure you were at the same place?
(1)NativeTucsonan Y.
I really wanted to like this place, as the space is really beautiful, and right along the streetcar line. Unfortunately, the food just didn't live up to the space. For the price, portions were tiny, and not filling in the least. The flavors were exceptionally bland. On the plus side, our server was attentive and friendly, but the overall dining experience was simply not worth it.
(2)Jennifer Q.
Found it by accident walking on Broadway before a show. Made reservations for 6 for the next weekend. New, fantastic service, drinks and food. We all agreed we wanted to come back and try tapas and other menu items. We will be back many times in future.
(4)Jennifer J.
Incredible flavors, creative food, unique dining experience! Delight for foodies. We were visiting Tucson for the holidays and found the restaurant through Open Table. Every dish was amazing - we had the baby back ribs, catch of the day, empanadas, napolito salad, tostadas, and very tasty desserts. Drinks were also incredible, very moderately priced, and so artistic. Very reasonably priced for such high quality food and creative culinary skills. Service was incredibly friendly, efficient, and attentive, and they were excited to share information about the history of the food and Native American cultures that inspired the menu. Some key ingredients even came from a co-op on reservations and many tribal members work at and own the restaurant!! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys southwest / Mexican cuisine.
(5)Francisco L.
There is potential here. The place is beautiful and big. Servers need more training on dishes, but that happens with new places. The fried bread needs big improvements. It had a bad taste and was white, probably needed more frying. Options for vegetarians are dismal and vegans have no options at all. They have gems hidden in the components, but the while dishes are not executed well. We have big hope for improvements.
(2)Tommy L.
Had dinner at this place and I have to say what an disappointing experience. The waiters seemed inexperienced, which was ok with me, everyone had to learn. Beside I value the actual food more than the service or the place's ambiance, what is the point of going to restaurant if not for the food. The food lack any portion, quality and affordability. I got some cheap looking mix of veges and in such tiny portion that makes McDonald Salad looks like heaven. Then there is the dough god, seriously for people who gave this place high star, they have never seen fried dough. These thing are fried flour, nothing else and these cost like crazy in a tiny portion in this place. Tucson's downtown restaurants are so disappointing, pricey with no satisfaction. I can assure you, it is extremely easy to have a decent looking restaurant, but it is extremely difficult to see one with reasonable price and portion.
(1)Kenneth S.
Loved our lunch, perfect portions with tons of flavor. Staff is friendly and attentive.
(5)Jenny N.
The atmosphere is great, the cocktails outstanding and the food delicious. I had the honey Rosemary cocktail which was so tasty I had two. My husband had the basil gimlet which was also tasty. The calabacitas enchiladas were great and I actually felt like I wasn't eating something bad for me, which is not usually how I feel after eating enchiladas. Definitely plan on returning.
(5)Jenn T.
Came here a couple of months ago but they weren't on Yelp yet. Tried this place on a whim and was not disappointed! We tried three different dishes and they were all very good! Ribs, tacos and steak. Steak was the table favorite. Tried the jalapeño appetizer too and they lit my mouth on fire (yum!). Love the decor and atmosphere too.
(4)Monica R.
This past Saturday stopped in the restaurant. Traditional food with a twist I loved it... Appetizers were amazing. ..the waitress was awesome the drink she recommended was so good ..a pupa Margarita. ...loved the atmosphere. ..bathroom very clean.
(4)Max F.
I went to Barrio Cuisine for dessert and had the fry bread and bread pudding. It was fantastic! The atmosphere and service was great! Two thumbs up.
(5)Cesar B.
Had lunch here for cinco de mayo and even though it was extremely busy Barrio still provided great food and great service! Tried the ceviche and sliders everything was perfect!
(5)Lynne B.
Ate at Barrio Cuisine last night - what a great place! Attentive service, eclectic menu, wonderful food. This is one of those hidden gems in Tucson; we discovered it because we saw the lights from the corner of Congress, and asked someone walking by what that was; her answer was 'Barrio Cuisine, go and check it out, it's wonderful!" We're glad we did; very, very friendly greeters, explained fully about the menu creation, and then our waiter came and talked with us about the different dishes. Chose a well-priced wine from the extensive list, went perfectly with our dishes. We asked about portion sizes, they were explained clearly and found that the food was ample for the four of us. Tucsonians, go and check this out - hope it stays around, as we'll go again and eat a full dinner.
(5)David W.
After exhausting the many options for excellent dining in the area, I was really looking forward to trying a new face/place that seemed to have an excellent concept and menu. It's certainly prime real estate and the venue seems extremely inviting. It wasn't crowded on a Friday night (which seemed odd given the location) but the comfortable couches and open windows made for a welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff seemed pleasant enough. I was trying to catch up with old friends so it took us some time to get around looking at the menu. The waitress came back multiple times mid-conversation. Most wait staff would look to see if you're looking or have looked at the menu before interrupting again but that was no big deal. Eventually, she said to just call her over when we were ready to order. Of course, 3 minutes later when we were ready, she was nowhere to be found. We ordered from another waitress. I ordered the brick-pressed totoi chicken, one had the chile con carne dough god, and one the nopalito salad. I told the waitress i didn't want the side salad with my meal but, of course, one came anyway. The entree's themselves came relatively quickly (like I said, only 10-11 patrons). The totoi chicken was the driest chicken I've ever had. Not just recently, but ever. I literally had to drink water with each bite just to choke 1/3rd of it down before giving up on it. Also, this was no $21 half chicken as the menu stated unless the chicken in question is the smallest chicken known to exist. Since I could barely eat 1/2 to 2/3rd of what they sent me, this may have been a blessing. This wasn't merely brick-pressed, it's as if they took a brick and literally beat the moisture and flavor out of the chicken with it before they served it to you. The roasted green chili & cilantro chutney and roasted corn were also very small sides for a $21 menu item. The worst part was, like the sahara-dry chicken, they didn't have any flavor either(!). How is this even possible? As far as flavor profiles go, I literally could not tell any difference among anything on my plate. It was all as bland as highway HoJo food in Ohio. Actually, the HoJo likely knows how to season better. With a name like "chile con crane dough god", you'd expect bold flavors. I honestly don't know how it's even possible to make any "con carne" bland but amazingly, Barrio had. The fry dough was good...but fry dough is always good, even off the side of the road. I mean, it's freaking fry dough...you don't have to go to Le Cordon Bleu to learn how to make fry dough. If you have any type of basal metabolism, you can make fry dough. It was better on it's own that trying to stuff the bland, mushy chile con carne in it. Even the napolito salad, with cold and coagulated queso fresco and iceberg lettuce, was bland. The pomegranate vinaigrette added some life back into it but really, that's about all you could taste. Napolito in general aren't very flavorful but throwing iceberg lettuce around it is like hanging out with the friend who wants to only talk about who they dated in high school 40 years after the fact...it's boring. The salad could have just as easily been made with paper towels smothered in pomegranate vinaigrette and a side of coagulated and cold queso fresco. I don't exactly know what Barrio is trying to do here. Conceptually, it's very attractive. In execution, it fails miserably. So: Great atmosphere and location...check. Friendly wait staff...check (for the most part). New, local, and fresh ethnic cuisine...ok check Flavor and culinary execution...this train has just derailed killing all passengers.
(2)Bruce D.
Been there twice. Delicious, interesting food. The staff is absolutely gracious. They couldn't be more attentive or charming. Will go back for sure.
(4)Kevin L.
Wow Tucson has been bit harsh on this wonderful restaurant. I had the most wonderful meal with top notch service yesterday night. The waiters are attentative but not overbearing. Everyone was curious, and I believe the owner/manager came by to personally say hello to make sure everything is just right (and it was!). The white wine sangria was delicious, light, flavorful, well balanced. I had the fish soup that came with the entree, and it was excellent, I would order a large bowl of it if it was an option. The stock was wonderfully made. The pork ribs was one of the best I have ever had. The meat fell off the bones, and it mixed in so well with the sauce the last bite was as good as the first. I have already made reservations to try the rest of the menu along with their desserts!
(5)Jim D.
Fairly new place, clearly feeling their way. Features regional American Indian food--Yaqui and O'odham. Went with a big group and last minute reservations and were accommodated. Great menu and very tasty food. We had potato appetizers and potato soup, prickly pear glazed beef short ribs which were excellent. Dessert was honey soaked fry bread and strawberries also excellent. The service was good but can improve, and they tried hard to keep up. Drink menu is terrific, nice decor and spacious rooms. Give them a try.
(5)Meg W.
Hidden treasure. The food was beyond incredible and amazing. I had the potato nachos and Kalabacita Wrap both is which were delicious. This is a definite return site for us. So very very good. GO! JUST GO!
(5)Tommy T.
Great space! Hostess without the mostess could be a little more inviting on arrival. No chips or bread to accompany guests when seated would be a nice addition. Mojito was good @ 8. I tried the trio dough tapas 11.00 was good. My wife had the chicken chutney dish that seemed to not have sauce or chutney anywhere? Chicken was moist but plain without any seasonings or sauce? We felt the chicken priced at 21.00 should have been much better! I hope they tweak things and get more fairly priced vs portion. I will give a another chance and update my review if they can improve.
(3)Tam G.
We sat at the large square table. Evening started out ok but quickly went south. Appetizers came out before we had our drinks. Water was never refilled. Server was horrible. Food was bland to say the least. I had short ribs, gf had enchiladas. Ribs were sub par of a crappy Chinese buffet. Appetizer was a trio of flat breads that was greasy and inedible. About a half dozen people in plain clothes came and asked how everything was, I don't know if they were managers, owners or hostesses but they didn't do anything. The review by Lily R is obviously by staff. Skip this place, it won't last anyway.
(1)Tayler S.
Great atmosphere, amazing cocktails, and food was delicious! We had the Rosemary honey cocktails, ribs, and taco dinners. Everything was great. Will definitely be back again!
(4)James D.
I actually share a courtyard with the back of Barrio so I was excited to try it after seeing the construction that's been going on more a while. The food definitely did not disappoint. The beans are amazing and the short ribs will melt in your mouth.
(4)Jennifer J.
Incredible flavors, creative food, unique dining experience! Delight for foodies. We were visiting Tucson for the holidays and found the restaurant through Open Table. Every dish was amazing - we had the baby back ribs, catch of the day, empanadas, napolito salad, tostadas, and very tasty desserts. Drinks were also incredible, very moderately priced, and so artistic. Very reasonably priced for such high quality food and creative culinary skills. Service was incredibly friendly, efficient, and attentive, and they were excited to share information about the history of the food and Native American cultures that inspired the menu. Some key ingredients even came from a co-op on reservations and many tribal members work at and own the restaurant!! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys southwest / Mexican cuisine.
(5)Francisco L.
There is potential here. The place is beautiful and big. Servers need more training on dishes, but that happens with new places. The fried bread needs big improvements. It had a bad taste and was white, probably needed more frying. Options for vegetarians are dismal and vegans have no options at all. They have gems hidden in the components, but the while dishes are not executed well. We have big hope for improvements.
(2)Tommy L.
Had dinner at this place and I have to say what an disappointing experience. The waiters seemed inexperienced, which was ok with me, everyone had to learn. Beside I value the actual food more than the service or the place's ambiance, what is the point of going to restaurant if not for the food. The food lack any portion, quality and affordability. I got some cheap looking mix of veges and in such tiny portion that makes McDonald Salad looks like heaven. Then there is the dough god, seriously for people who gave this place high star, they have never seen fried dough. These thing are fried flour, nothing else and these cost like crazy in a tiny portion in this place. Tucson's downtown restaurants are so disappointing, pricey with no satisfaction. I can assure you, it is extremely easy to have a decent looking restaurant, but it is extremely difficult to see one with reasonable price and portion.
(1)Kenneth S.
Loved our lunch, perfect portions with tons of flavor. Staff is friendly and attentive.
(5)Jenny N.
The atmosphere is great, the cocktails outstanding and the food delicious. I had the honey Rosemary cocktail which was so tasty I had two. My husband had the basil gimlet which was also tasty. The calabacitas enchiladas were great and I actually felt like I wasn't eating something bad for me, which is not usually how I feel after eating enchiladas. Definitely plan on returning.
(5)Jenn T.
Came here a couple of months ago but they weren't on Yelp yet. Tried this place on a whim and was not disappointed! We tried three different dishes and they were all very good! Ribs, tacos and steak. Steak was the table favorite. Tried the jalapeño appetizer too and they lit my mouth on fire (yum!). Love the decor and atmosphere too.
(4)Monica R.
This past Saturday stopped in the restaurant. Traditional food with a twist I loved it... Appetizers were amazing. ..the waitress was awesome the drink she recommended was so good ..a pupa Margarita. ...loved the atmosphere. ..bathroom very clean.
(4)Max F.
I went to Barrio Cuisine for dessert and had the fry bread and bread pudding. It was fantastic! The atmosphere and service was great! Two thumbs up.
(5)Cesar B.
Had lunch here for cinco de mayo and even though it was extremely busy Barrio still provided great food and great service! Tried the ceviche and sliders everything was perfect!
(5)Marcia K.
I've been here twice in 8 days. This place is so creative. Everything I've had has been delicious. They put a new twist on food I've had before plus there are things I've never had before. Best tamales I've ever had, green corn and beef, and prices are very reasonable. Cocktails are also very creative. Love the old building it's in. I can't wait to take other people there.
(5)NativeTucsonan Y.
I really wanted to like this place, as the space is really beautiful, and right along the streetcar line. Unfortunately, the food just didn't live up to the space. For the price, portions were tiny, and not filling in the least. The flavors were exceptionally bland. On the plus side, our server was attentive and friendly, but the overall dining experience was simply not worth it.
(2)Jennifer Q.
Found it by accident walking on Broadway before a show. Made reservations for 6 for the next weekend. New, fantastic service, drinks and food. We all agreed we wanted to come back and try tapas and other menu items. We will be back many times in future.
(4)Beau S.
Went for valentines day with my fiancée. The drinks we ordered were delicious and the atmosphere was really nice. Our poor waiter was really busy but it was a holiday after all. The food was mediocre at best. I ordered the tucson tacos which were a half beef patty in a hard shell taco. Pretty tasty but not worth the price. My fiance got the kalabacita enchiladas. Oddly enough the kalabacita tasted better on its own as a side to my tacos than it did in the enchiladas. On the side it was creamy and cheesey, but still pretty bland. It was odd that the kalabacita wasn't amazing considering it was featured in six of the eight entrées. I felt the food was not a good value. Some of it seemed like a good idea just poor excecution. I expected a lot more for 14 dollars a plate. Especially considering what a pain it is to find parking downtown and how there is much better mexican food for much cheaper. Also I get how "native american" food obviously includes mexican, but I feel like you could execute better on more than just fry bread. The drinks are worth it, the food is disappointing.
(2)R B.
The restaurant is nice and well put together. The staff was friendly and the service was good. The chorriqueso tapa didn't meet expectations. The chips seemed cold and the cheese was runny, almost watery and didn't bode well for dipping. The entrée came with soup or salad. We chose the soup but it was served in a bowl not much larger than an espresso cup. By far, the best food option is the fry bread. Not to be missed.
(2)M L.
I would rather wait for lent season and get a bigger portion for my money. Seriously not worth it. Food is not well executed. Staff is not friendly. Im going to make sure everyone reads this. Who chose the name Dough God? Sounds weird. Those giving 5 stars, are you sure you were at the same place?
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