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  • Photo by Paul Sableman, under Creative Commons license

Heading into La Cocina or possibly just wandering downtown, you might have walked by the painted wall above for El Rapido Mexican Food, formerly a great place to get a tamale, but vacant for awhile. However, if you have $325,000 and probably a lot of money to spend on renovations, the building at 220 N. Meyer Ave. could be all yours. The online MLS listing has 32 photos to scroll through, showing the various parts of the complex, which still has a stove hood and a dishwashing station, for either your commercial or somewhat ambitious residential needs.

From the listing:

Seller Motivated!! Rare 1880’s Presidio Adobe home, beauty parlor and restaurant just North of the Tucson Museum of Art. Stunning original live work space includes famous Tucson tamale locale: El Rapido on W Washington. 13′ ceilings, glorious zaguan room, original wood floors, windows, trim, several entrances on Meyer, corner lot where everything that still stands is Tucson’s history. Call Listing Agents for Easy Appointments to Show. Zoned HC3 with multiple possibilities in the Center of Historic Tucson.

If you interested in buying the property (for me or selfishly for your own needs), contact the agent, Patty Sue Anderson.

This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2014.

The editor of the Tucson Weekly. I have no idea how I got here.

6 replies on “Let’s Get Some Money Together and Buy the El Rapido Property”

  1. Yes. A piece of Tucson history. The best red chile burritos on the planet once upon a time. I’m certain there are poltergeist there…buyer beware!

  3. “Let’s get some money together”. Sounds like a Andy Hardy movie from the 1940’s. Hey kids let’s put on a show. Maybe you should ask for some investors. “Hey guys why not invest some money?
    I would hope that someone could want to invest in a place that made some decent Mexican food.

  4. Bemoaning the fact that there are no decent Sonoran style food back east. Concur on the red chili burros. The beef/cheese and green chili burros were also a favorite and Tony Peyron was the best neighbor! 15 years gone and miss El Presidio everyday.

  5. Fond memories of working as a temp downtown in the 80s. Nearly flat broke, would go stand in line (which ran outside the door and down the street at lunchtime) and get a El Rapido fantastic burrito on the cheap, then go over to the courtyard at the Museum and chow down.

  6. My name is Tony Peyron. I was the owner of El Rapido. I would like to be the chef of El Rapido again, and make the food taste better and much healthier. I dream of making the red chile and green corn tamales delicious and healthy. I’ve been trying to hit the power ball to make my dream come true and make El Rapido come back and see all my old friends that I used to see every week! We all have dreams and wish they come true. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004465997025

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