Tucson restaurant Under $30: CHILE VERDE BY DAY
Downtown Mexican eatery offers fresh, scrumptious fare
By Jenna Davis
For the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.20.2008
If you don't feel like driving to South Tucson for some authentic Mexican food, you can always get the real deal at Chile Verde, a Downtown eatery that opened a year and half ago.
Owners Hector Jimenez and Juan Francisco Padres said their eatery on North Stone Avenue at Congress Street brought some much-needed realness to the area.
The two friends said that everything on the menu is made fresh daily, and that all of the meat is mesquite-grilled.
The vibe
Although the Tucson restaurant is open only for lunch, it morphs into a posh lounge called Centro on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Looking around, it was easy to see how Chile Verde might transform itself into an upscale nightspot. The stained concrete floors, dangling red lights and funky white chairs hinted that we might be in for a formal dining experience.
We even felt a little underdressed, but the casual counter service and salsa bar put us at ease.
Smooth jazz played softly in the background as we loaded up little plastic cups with salsa, sliced limes and pico de gallo. We seated ourselves near the back of the restaurant and watched our food being prepared through the parted beaded curtains that opened into the kitchen.
Padres and Jimenez said the restaurant holds about 75 people, and even more can dine on the back patio, which boasts a bamboo fence and strings of white lights.
The food
We ordered the Nachos Chileverde ($5), which came in a large, lime-colored bowl, smothered with cheddar cheese, pinto beans, chopped onions and diced tomatoes. We added chicken for an extra $1, and it was worth it. The plentiful chunks were tender with a hint of lime.
Another favorite at Chile Verde are the tacos. We tried the Tacos Especiales combination ($7.50), which came with two small tacos of our choosing and a small bowl of red beans.
The Gobernadores taco on a flour tortilla caught our eye. It was filled with juicy, sautéed shrimp and cilantro. We squeezed on lime for extra flavor, then devoured the whole thing in a matter of seconds. The carne asada taco came on a corn tortilla and was stuffed with chunks of — what else? — carne asada, and topped with bits of chopped cabbage. Even with the lime, we felt this taco was a tad bland, but that didn't stop us from consuming it as well.
Still hungry, we opted for a lighter dish and chose the Bandera salad ($8.50), which also came in an overwhelmingly large, colorful bowl. The mixed greens were tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette that was tart yet sweet, the perfect combination. The whole thing was topped with chicken breast, tomatoes, onions, cheese, avocado and our favorite — little, crunchy tortilla strips.
As we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant, we agreed it was probably a good thing Chile Verde didn't offer dessert.
Jenna Davis is a UA student who is apprenticing at the Arizona Daily Star. You can contact her at starapprentice@azstarnet.com.
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