Barrio Cuisine

They didn’t make it. There’s a lien against the property. As someone who lives right behind the back door to the restaurant, I can tell you that there was a very high turnover ratio with staff in the months leading up to this. I hope the younger restauranteurs have better luck in their future endeavors…

Came in for dinner and drinks on an early Thursday night. What immediately stands out about Barrio is the immense openness of the restaurant. To me, it has a very strange vibe. Like walking into a furniture store or something (I dunno but thats what it felt like). I suppose it gives that sensation due to the variety of seating arrangements and how open it is. Its got a cool indoor firepit going in the center of the room. I sat myself at the bar and the bartender was fairly quick to get my drink. I ordered an old-​fashioned. While acceptable I wasn’t exactly blown away. He did ask me whether I wanted old school or new school old fashioned so maybe I should have triend the new school (whatever that means). The cool speakeasy type bars in the Tucson area just make much better cocktails. I just wanted a light dinner before going out with friends so i ordered the fried bread trio dish as an appetizer (can’t recall the name but its the most common picture on Unilocal page). Took a little while to come out but it was tasty. One of the fried breads didnt hold up well from its toppings and was very soggy. Be careful if you are trying to eat these little guys using your hands (toppings fell right off and burned my hand). My own fault really, but I got lulled into false sense of security since one of the fried dough thingys was perfect for picking up. Ah well. Anyways, Barrio is an interesting place and I would try it again but I can’t say I was blown away my first experience.

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.

My fiancé 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 fiancé 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 fiancé 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.

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.

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.

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 entrée 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.

Best Chelada I’ve ever tasted! atmosphere is incredibly inviting and the décor 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 décor 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.

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 entrée (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 entrée 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.

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 jalapeño 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.

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!

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 Unilocal. 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.

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.

Sometimes in life you stumble upon a restaurant so amazing it changes your outlook on food and the way you eat. Barrio Cuisine is one such place. My boyfriend and I wandered in on a weekday night and were pleasantly surprised to say the least, from their amazing craft brew and cocktail selection to the unique and fresh menu selections Barrio Cuisine will have your taste buds dancing and leave you wanting more. Their tapas menu is full of great selections such as the Choriqueso and Ceviche which are both out of this world in flavor and quality of ingredients. The Barrio jalapeños are a must try and the locally sourced Tepary beans are a unique change over the normal pinto bean that is used so much throughout the region.
As of this post the restaurant has been open for about two weeks and we feel that it will be here for a years to come. Make your way to Barrio Cuisine and immerse yourself in local cuisine like you’ve never had before!