Tacos, Beer and Horses.

Today I needed a change of scenery and since Mount Lemon was closed due to a fire I pointed my car in the opposite direction and headed south and a little east of Tucson to an area that is about 2000 feet higher in elevation than Tucson and a world away. Taking Interstate 10 East to Route 83 South has always been a favorite of mine ever since I was a kid. I think it’s because in less than 10 minutes you go from cactus and mesquite trees to wide open grassy plains dotted with scrub oak trees, at times you might even feel like you’re in a completely different state like Kansas or Montana. Back in the early 90’s a few enterprising folks saw this land and figured it would be good for growing grapes, and so a booming winery business has become part of the landscape of the high desert and cattle. Southern Arizona’s wine trail stretches from Wilcox to the towns of Elgin and Sonoita. I wasn’t in the mood for a wine tasting journey and with Covid I wasn’t sure how many wineries would have been open anyway. So at the crossroads of Sonoita I chose to go west and headed for the old town of Patagonia. Patagonia was a supply town for all the mines that sprung up in that area in the mid 19th century. It’s located between the Santa Rita Mountains and the Patagonia Mountains in the riparian corridor of Sonoita Creek. This area is beautiful and green with canyons and diverse wildlife .

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With a population of only 913, Patagonia is still a vibrant tourist town with funky shops, a bakery, a coffee shop, an organic food market and a few restaurants. In the summer the tourist trade slows so what you see on most store windows is a sign saying, “If you want to shop call me and I’ll be right down”. I love small towns like this , the people are friendly and a lot of the stores are unique selling local artisan’s wares. It was getting close to lunch time so I kept my eye out for something interesting. I don’t care who you are or whom you’re traveling with, if you see a handmade sign that says, Tacos, Beer and Horses, you have to be at least a little intrigued. I’ll admit that sign grabbed me and I pulled over in front of a tiny house with a covered patio that had fans and misters going. For those that don’t know, misters spray a fine mist of water into the surrounding dining area and are used in hot climates to help cool outside dining and they work wonders in dry climates like Arizona. I was excited as this was the perfect place to finally sit at a restaurant and eat. I hadn’t really thought about this, but I was actually missing the whole sitting down and dining in thing. Sometimes we take things for granted and it’s not until they are taken from us that we realize how much we enjoy them.

The open sign was lit and a young girl was playing in the front yard. She reminded me so much of myself as a young boy growing up in Arizona, cut off shorts, barefoot ,tan and dusty. Unaffected by the summer heat as she played with her neighbors dog. Even though the place didn’t look open, I figured I’d walk in and see what they had to eat. Inside there were four tables, two of which had been put together while a family of 6 was eating in the corner.On the other side was a bar where the owners were waiting to take my order. The owners were a young couple, very hip in an Arizonan way with tattoos and could have easily been the owners of chic restaurant in Brooklyn. The chalkboard menu was simple enough, it was basically tacos and drinks with an asterisk next to guacamole, which I took to mean, we have avocados today. So I ordered the guacamole and green chili tacos and a margarita. I guess sitting outside is considered take-out because they could only sell me the 32 ounce mason jar of margaritas “to go”. There may have been a lack of communication on my part but I liked the idea of getting a free mason jar. While I waited I looked around for the “horses” that were printed on the sign. First I thought they might offer trail rides or maybe the horses were out back. But then I saw the tv’s had horse racing on them. A little light went off in my head as I thought back to their sign it was a “B” with lines above it. I had to put on my cowboy hat and think about things for a second. That sign was a brand that ranchers use to mark their livestock and the lines represented a crown, so this place was the “Crown B” Taqueria. I needed conformation so I asked pointing to the TV, “are those the horses your sign is talking about?” “Yes, we breed race horses so we thought it would be a good name for the restaurant, it’s our brand.” That was all they said and nothing more was offered. I got the feeling they didn’t want to talk about the horses anymore and the food was ready so I took it outside and got a little surprise.

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I ordered the green chili tacos thinking they were the green chili that is served in Tucson. Chunks of beef simmered for hours in green chili and spices. However, they were actually made from fresh flame roasted green chilis that were chopped and mixed together with onions , cabbage, salsa and some Mexican white cheese and a little portobello mushroom. This was a fresh take on the taco! At the time of ordering I didn’t notice it but they had a fair amount of vegetarian dishes on the menu. I guess my eyes were looking for meat, but I’m glad I made this unintended choice. The guacamole was also very fresh, traditional and just needed a little hot sauce for that kick I like. It was such a nice refreshing lunch being able to finally sit at a place where I could enjoy the food and drinks and relax. The margarita was also amazing and yes, I brought most of it back to Tucson to be finished later that evening.

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If I had more time I would go back for Taco Tuesday’s as they have $1 tacos and $3 margaritas! You could be one happy camper for under $10. There are times when I question my ways of doing things. I want to give honest reviews so I’ve been showing up at restaurants as a customer, but sometimes I’d like to dive deeper and let them know I’m doing a story on their place and would like more background and a look inside the kitchen. This is one of those places that I think would have a much more interesting story if I was to go “behind the scenes”. There’s something enduring about the place , it’s not fancy, the atmosphere is lacking yet to the locals and regulars I can tell this place is like home.

As I look to the east I can see the monsoon clouds starting to gather. The weather has gotten much cooler and the winds are picking up. It’s time for me to head back to Tucson. I will be coming back to the Crown B Taqueria on my next trip out west and I will spend a little more time getting to know the place. If you’re doing the Wine Trail of Sonoita, take a little detour and grab some tacos before heading onto the next tasting. Once the weather cools off the town of Patagonia will be in full swing and as I remember from past experience they will have a few festivals that can be a lot of fun. Also Patagonia Lake isn’t far if you’re into camping boating and fishing. Remember every once in a while it’s a good idea to take the road less traveled!

Thanks for stopping by , if you have any questions or comments please leave in the box below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Until next time Boone Appétit!