Carlotta Flores – Executive Chef/Owner, El Charro Café, Charro Steak & Del Rey, Charro Vida, Barrio Charro, The Monica
The matriarch of Tucson’s Mexican food scene, Carlotta Flores, ACF, is the third generation overseeing El Charro Café, the country’s oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Recent additions to the family business include Charro Vida, Barrio Charro and in March 2022, The Monica.
She’s the author of “El Charro Café: The Tastes and Traditions of Tucson” and “El Charro:Café: Flavors of Tucson From America’s Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Restaurant.”
Her award-winning recipes have been reviewed by nationally recognized critics from the LA Times to Gourmet Magazine. A USA Today poll voted El Charro Café as one of the best restaurants in the country. In 2019 the restaurant was named a James Beard Award semifinalist.
