I could live off cheese crisps.
I remember eating these a lot as a kid growing up in Tucson. I even remember eating a cheese crisp at Curuso's-- which makes me question my childhood memories! Despite being served everywhere around here, I doubt they ever served them there.
A cheese crisp was probably the first meal I ever cooked myself. And yes, I called it a meal.
If you doubt they are meals unto themselves, you probably have never been to El Minuto Cafe!
The cheese crisps here are exactly what the cheese crisp gods intended when creating them!
At El Minuto, they are a full meal.
I love this little fourth-generation Tucson-owned cafe.
It has been around for 87 years, so obviously, the food is good!
Its founder, Juan Shaar, originally from Lebanon, arrived in Tucson. His love for Mexican food led to the launching of "El Minuto" in 1936. This name stuck because he boasted that guests could get burros in no more than a minute.
Zulema Salinas is the current and 4th generation owner of El Minuto and the great-granddaughter of Juan.
The restaurant was originally located about a mile or two east of its current location, right next to the family home in Barrio Viejo. In the early 1970s, the family home had to be demolished to make way for the building of TCC, but thankfully, the restaurant, located right next door, was saved.
I love the homey, comfortable feel of this restaurant. You can just feel the history. Among the history is the iconic hand-carved front door complete with its own typo-- the door says 1939 because the carver flipped the six from 1936!
I've now been here several times and had the pleasure of meeting Zulema and her family.
Another part of El Minuto's history is the tradition of people meeting and falling in love there. Zulema's parents met at the restaurant 35 years ago, and Zulema met her husband, Arturo, there as well.
Personally, I fell in love (again) with the cheese crisps! I love them all, especially the green chili and the shredded beef cheese crisps.
They are famous for their Carne Seca but have had issues with the city regarding the drying of the meat.
At the end of this month, they are temporarily shutting down for approximately eight weeks to install a new roof and hopefully solve the carne seca drying permitting issues.
All of the food is amazing here, and so are the margaritas! So, if you haven't been before or it's a minute since you have, go before April 30th and fall in love with some incredible cheese crisps!