Wisdom’s Cafe

I have only been to Wisdom’s a few times, but I love it. The food has been delicious each time, I love the patio, the service has been great & it is just a fun place to go! I will go back any time I am in the area.

Wonderful service, wonderful people, and the best margaritas ever. I have eaten here many many times it is always my most favorite restaurant.

I’m being generous by a half a star or so. It’s OK though. What Wisdom’s lacks in top-​notch Mexican food, they make up for in atmosphere and great service.
Like my photo caption says, they fry their chips to order. They come out too hot to touch right away and perfectly salted. The best anywhere. The guacamole is just right, and their salsa is OK — not great.
My wife got fish tacos that she thoroughly enjoyed. I got an enchilada plate that was very good.
OK, so maybe it is four full stars. I’ll go back the next time I’m down in Tumacacori.

Ate at this place a couple times while vacationing in Arizona, staying in Green Valley. Not too far of a drive from there, and a perfect place to stop after a day of perusing the lovely shop filled Tubac! Food was good and satisfying. I had turkey enchiladas both times, very yummy. Interesting as I didn’t see hardly if any chicken on the menu, but instead turkey. Ah well, that’s ok, I was fine with it. Tried the oh so popular fruit burro dessert. Mine was peach. It was alright. Wasn’t inclined to order it on my 2^nd visit. I’d prefer a thinner crust, thought it was a bit thick, but good I guess. Maybe I was just too full to thoroughly enjoy.
Both times I visited were at night and the place was full each time. I was told we needed to arrive well ahead of the opening time of 5:00 p.m., or there will be a wait. So, early birds we were, both times, and there were plenty of others doing the same. A long line of hungry folks waiting outside of a still closed Wisdom’s @ 4:30 p.m. Now, packed as it was throughout our meal, both nights when we left out the door after our dinner, I never saw a long line of people dying to get in. A couple or two waiting, but that was it. I was here in January during a cold soell, and waiting outside in the chilly air, I was comforted and pleased to see how cozy it was inside with a lit fireplace/​firepit in the middle of the room.
Early birds aren’t they only birds you’re going to see visiting this place. It’s HUGELY popular among the «snow birds», and I’m suspecting partly because of its close proximity to Green Valley, a very popular retirement community for snowbirds and transplants.
I’d definitely go back to eat here again, and next time try my dad’s favorite, which he let me sample. The bacon wrapped grilled shrimp. Awesome!

Traditional, excellent. Best Mexican I’ve had visiting the Tucson area. Had the turkey taco and green corn tamale and freshly cooked chips. Salsa just ok, but overall yummy!

5 stars for the food. Had a (strong :) drink on the patio while awaiting our table. We did have a bit of a wait for a server once seated but she was very apologetic and was super attentive, friendly and fast for the remainder. The chips/​salsa/​guac, burritos (Cliffs especially), fajitas and fruit Burro Deserts all DELICIOUS! Will return each time I am in the area.

Four of us stopped for a late lunch at 2:56…4 minutes before it closed and they still served us. We had to nurse our lunch and margarita until they reopened at 5 pm to order our desert. It was fun waiting because we were able to tell all the people when they opened. Soon there were 50 people in line waiting for them to reopen. So remember on Sat. They are closed from 3 – 5.

A bunch of us (13) rode here from Tucson via Patagonia. My daughter noticed that the menu online had a fruit burrito and told me that we WOULD be getting that. The service was quick and the food was very good. I got the fish’n chips. The fries came in a tortilla bowl — that was different. The fish was good and the fries were OK. My daughter got a quesadilla and was very happy. There was too much for so I was able to grab a bite or two and it was very tasty too. We had ordered the blueberry fruit burrito — which is a burrito stuffed with pie filling, fried and coated with cinnamon and sugar along with a scoop of ice cream. How could you go wrong with that? You can’t.
Overall a great place to eat just off of I-​19 in Tumacacori.

Average food, poor service. We almost walked out because we asked several times for our check from other waitresses and it never came. We basically had to go inside and beg to pay for an average meal.

They wouldn’t seat us @ 6:30pm because they were «too busy» and there were empty seats… This place can shove it

Surprised to find Wisdom’s open for late lunch. Ate myself into a food coma. Fish tacos were great. Lovely, bright pineapple and cherries on a dark leafy green salad. Vegetarian and vegan tamale options (although we had beef). I expected more from the fruit churro but am no aficionado. Funky and fun. Ladies check out the restroom art.

Oh, I’m getting so disappointed with Arizona. Where is the good Mexican food? This is kind of a divey place along the road. Came here with a bunch of people and had a wide variety of items. All I can say is that it was mostly bland items. We also had the dessert burritos, Apple and peach. Essentially pie filling in a tortilla that’s deep fried and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, served with ice cream. They can divide into three plates if needed. You need to order first because it takes a while for them to make.

Wisdom’s Café. An institution in Tumacacori for several generations. A quirky western/​Mexican/​antiquey décor Mexican/​American restaurant. Currently owned by Herb & Irene Wisdom, who still are actively involved in the day to day operation (Herb is the bartender who makes a Margarita to die for). Much of the restaurants daily activities are managed by their son Cliff and daughter-​in-​law, Celeste. Believe they are responsible for menu changes … Added local favorites like a «Rib Dinner Night» and a «Fish & Chips» night. Along with bringing in live music on the weekends The kitchen is managed by their other son, Richard. It serves the communities if Tumacacori, Rio Rico, Carmen, Amado, Tubac and even Green Valley. You can’t come to any if these communities and not stop here to eat. Sorry closed on Sunday.
They offer daily specials and you can order most as meals or a la carte. But if you are planning on dessert, you’ve got to order a fruit burro. Which you must order the same time you order dinner because it takes a few minutes to prepare. Think of a warm crispy fruit pie, deep fried and covered in sugar served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. OMG is it delicious. Don’t even think of calories. You don’t want to know.
While it makes no difference, they don’t serve chicken, but they do cook a fresh turkey everyday for their tacos and enchiladas. Ironically outside the restaurant stands 2 huge chickens. Maybe that’s why they don’t serve them.
Reservations for groups of 5 or more. This place is always busy, so be prepared to wait, at least during the season. Open for lunch & dinner. Reasonably priced.
10 years ago when I first moved to Tubac I started to come here with our church group every Saturday night. And while I no longer live in this community I make it a point of going to Wisdoms once or twice whenever I come back for a visit.

Saturday dinner– place was busy. Service slow, very slow– food OK. Avg. for area. Expected better food based on their storied history– had a cool singing group as entertainment. Server was friendly but no where to be found! Loved the funky atmosphere. Menu was pretty short & had limited offerings– seemed as though it was designed to make restaurant easier to manage…

If you come for the margaritas, make sure you have a DD because they are strong! I don’t really remember what I ended up eating after my 2^nd margarita.
Great food, friendly service. Definitely a gem of a place. I love to visit this place when I visit family in southern Arizona.

Awesome place! I had the enchilada special which wasn’t on the menu. I saw the photo on Unilocal so I asked about it. They don’t always make it but said that they had the ingredients tonight so they could. It was a bit weird, but OK, I got them and they were AWESOME!
We were also fortunate to know someone who knew someone who could get us a table reserved. Normally, from what I understand, when the snowbirds are still around, the place stays very busy and it’s difficult to get a table without a wait.
Oh, and be sure to try the fruit burro. You have to order it before dinner as they take a while to make. It was great too!
Anyways, I’ll be back for sure on one of my future trips to the area.

What an amazing find that is rich with history (since 1944)!! We had the pineapple salad — perfect amount of greens, fruit and dressing along with and fish tacos for lunch. We shared a pomegranate margarita with salt and their famous fruit burro (chimichanga) with blueberries a la mode! The prices are reasonable and the service is great. Ladies, check out the bathroom for two surprise posters. We left feeling stuffed and happy. Ps — tues is two for one margaritas

A friend and I stumbled across this place last night after exploring the old mission at the Tumacacori National Historical Park. The place was packed when we pulled up. It took us about 20 minutes to get a table but there was plenty of room to wait at the bar. The margaritas are definitely happening drink. I had steak fajitas; Mike had the giant hamburger. Both were absolutely fantastic. Our servers were attentive, kept our drinks filled, and were very friendly. For dessert we had to try the world-​famous fruit burro — A fried burrito filled with fruit, we chose peach, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and served with a huge group of ice cream. Mercy, that was deeeeelicious.
The restaurant was founded by the Wisdom family in 1944 and is now run by and their children and grandchildren. A fascinating piece of Southern culinary Arizona history… and the food ain’t too shabby either.

Nice rustic/​vintage decorations inside and out give it a great feel.
Strong, great tasting margaritas, and the salsa that was served with the chips seemed very fresh, like it had just been mixed in the kitchen. The Santa Cruz hot sauce on the table also has great spicy flavor without numbing your mouth with heat.
I had a fish and shrimp taco each, the fish was great and the shrimp wasn’t bad either. Really wanted to try the green corn tamale but they had run out at the time.
Finished off with two raspberry cream cheese burros split among four of us. Crispy fried tortilla with fruit filling, can’t go wrong with that. And it may sound weird, but try putting a few drops of the hot sauce on it, the flavors really go well together!

Right on the main and only road of a town that’s basically just a wide spot, but not conspicuously signed and hard to find. Just north of the National HIstoric Park.
And worth stopping at. To the regional specialty of the Sonoran hot dog, which is a frank in bun topped with beans and cheese and a bunch of other stuff, they have a variant which they call, confusingly, the «Sonoran dog», which is the same extra stuff but on top of some large shrimp.
I had that, and, like the other Sonoran hot dogs I’ve had, it was bland until you added salsa. By the way, the salsa on your table that they say is hot? Believe them.
What gets this place its fourth star is the fried dessert burrito, with fruit filling (your choice). Light and crispy and not at all greasy, but covered with cinnamon sugar and really good. And big, far more than I wanted to eat at once after a meal.