Casa Del Rio...Draft Beer served at 41-degrees

In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I have dined at Casa Del Rio over 200 times. The mexican restaurant located at 1060 S Pantano Road has been a regular stop for our family over the last fifteen years. We are on a first name basis with the owner and hostess, and the long time wait staff has watched our daughter grow from infancy to a tall and lanky third grader.

There is a reason our family has patronized Casa Del Rio so many times. There is a reason we celebrate so many of our milestones at Casa Del Rio. There is a reason the parking lot at the shopping center at 22nd and Pantano begins to fill up at around 4:30 every afternoon. There is a reason that every table and booth at Casa Del Rio is usually occupied even though the owners expanded to two new rooms a few years ago including a separate entrance and counter exclusively for take out. The reason, I would say, is that Casa Del Rio has the best Mexican food on the east side of Tucson.

I ordered a Miller Lite draft beer that the waitress brought to the dining area from the small bar located in the restaurant. It was served in a glass mug at 41 degrees.

Our meal started with homemade tortilla chips and a delicious and zesty salsa. I love the salsa at Casa Del Rio. My daughter says the salsa is too hot, but that can be considered a good thing for true mexican food afficionados.
I ordered the sopa de albóndigas which consisted of a half a dozen, ping pong ball size, meat balls in a rich vegetable stock with rice and cilantro. The soup is served with a large, warm flour tortilla which I systematically tore apart and dropped in the bowl. Part of the fun is to make sure that the last scrap of tortilla coincides with the last spoonful of broth. I also ordered a delicious carne asada taco which was served with cubed beef and chopped onion, tomato and lettuce on a soft flour tortilla.

The machaca chimichanga was a favorite of my dining companions as well as the tamales, and the machaca taco. Everyone enjoyed their meals which for some included a container for left overs.

The decor at Casa Del Rio is simple and functional and includes a black and white photograph of the owner with funnyman Garry Shandling holding an empty bowl of tortilla chips.

William Ackerley
coldestbeerintucson.com