Tucson isn´t really known for it´s BBQ. There were a few places downtown growing up, but I expect they´re long gone now. In college, I used to frequent Big Ray´s BBQ, but they no longer exist. There are tons of great restaurants though. One standby that I always try to get to is La Parrilla Suiza. It has become a chain. I believe I used to order the 23 and the 46 :becky:, but that was over 20 years ago. I´ve been a few times since and it is still good. It is a completely different style of Mexican food and not typical of the area. The Mexican food I grew up with in Tucson is not available so much anymore. The meats are mixed with beans and rice, for instance. Growing up, this wasn´t the case.
Many great places have since been overrun. For instance, in the Northwest, there is a restaurant called Li´l Abners. This used to be a bar with about 5 tables in it. I remember it being a long way out of town and we used to have to drive on a dirt road to get there. They served a one pound T'bone and a 2 pound porterhouse -- that was it. The bar was filled with old dusty crap that I found fascinating. Usually, it was just us eating and a few old farts sitting at the bar getting drunk. They expanded a bit and added ribs and chicken to the menu by the time I was in college. I went back about 10 years ago and it was huge. There was a banquet hall, outdoor patio, lots of extra buildings, and farkin´tour buses! :shock: Oddly, the original building with the bar and seating that we used to eat at was still there, but all this other stuff was built around it. I don´t know if I recommend it or not. :noidea: Pinnacle Peak on the other side of town is always good for a laugh.
I believe the last restaurant I ate at was Vivace´s on Campbell and River Rd, and it was quite good.
As expected, La Parrilla Suiza has changed their numbering
http://www.laparrillasuiza.com/menu.html
They have great chilaquiles, and I used to love the parrillada de filete (heck, it was all pretty good).