Every longtime Tucsonan has a story or two about the dining scene back in the day.
Tucson always has been a restaurant town. Just ask a couple of longtime Tucsonans where they used to eat, and you’re bound to hear some interesting tales.
These three restaurants provided the setting for many of these tales:
Mexico Inn
2640 E. Speedway Blvd.
Open: 1955-1990
What’s there now: The proverbial parking lot
I worked at this tiny little spot in the mid ’70s, left, and then returned a few years later when I needed a job. Rachelle and Alfonso Araneta were great in that way: They were always willing to help people in need, and they treated staff members like me as if we were their daughters, even though they had three of their own.
There wasn’t anything fancy about the place. A few booths in faded pink vinyl lined the outside wall that was made up of huge windows overlooking the small parking lot in front. A seldom-used counter separated the dining room from the kitchen. A jukebox stood on one wall; a huge picture of a famous bullfighter hung above the jukebox.
The Aranetas were ahead of their time in so many ways. Many menu items were vegetarian, something unheard of in the mid ’50s when the Mexico Inn first opened. Special menu items were named after their daughters–Rowena, Ginger and Michelle–other employees and even regular customers.
“Every time I watch the Food Channel or some chef,” says youngest daughter Michelle Araneta, a deputy Pima County attorney, “one of their catchphrases is, ‘I put so much love into my cooking.’ The slogan on their business cards (at the Mexico Inn) was ‘Made With Love.’ That was ages before it became a catchphrase.”
Rachelle made sure we made salsa the right way. Al sorted through the dry pinto beans, one bean at a time, making sure only the best made it into his secret-recipe refried beans. We weren’t allowed in back while they cooked; Al didn’t want us to know his secret ingredients. (Eventually, we discovered his trick, but I won’t tell.) The beans were some of the best in town. The enchilada sauce set a standard.
When time permitted, Rachelle and Al would stop by tables to make sure the customers were happy. And they were.
Al taught classes at Pima Community College for a while, and both Al and Rachelle were active in the community after they closed the place in 1990. Al and Rachelle are gone now, but the fond memories of that loving food are not.
The Palomino
2959 N. Swan Road
Open: 1942-1948, 1968-1994
What’s there now: McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse
The Gekas family has a long and storied history in Tucson’s hospitality scene. They ran the Coat of Arms and the Cliff House, to name a few of their joints, but it is the Palomino that most old-time Tucsonans associate with them
The Palomino was the definition of Continental dining in Tucson. Dining, dancing and superb hospitality ruled the night thanks in large part to the matriarch, Mary Gekas. Mary and her husband, John, opened the Venice Garden in 1942, but several years later renamed it The Palomino in deference to the many horse ranches that dotted the area. They sold the place in 1948, but bought it back in 1968. When John died in 1982, Mary and son Jim took the reins.
Regulars talk about walking in and, within minutes of being seated, having their usual highball delivered at the table. Others remember The Palomino as the place to go for that special occasion–an anniversary, a marriage proposal, prom night. Over the years, everyone from presidents (Gerald Ford and some guy named George W. Bush, before he became famous) to movie stars to longtime Tucsonans ate there. The bouillabaisse was a house specialty, as was the rack of lamb.
Many staff members, from busboys to chefs, worked for the Gekas family for decades. Kiki Kinkade, Mary’s daughter and Jim’s sister, talks about how her mom had a special place in her heart for the busboys. “The busboys were her pet project. She counseled them. She was respected by adolescent kids. People would send their wayward children to her. She’d whip them into shape, put them to work.” When Mary died, many of those same busboys sent letters of condolence, because Mary had made such a difference in their lives.
Other stories about Mary speak of her tenacity, her business acumen and her good heart. She once fought a billboard company that had erected a sign that blocked the right of way to the restaurant; within hours, the offending structure was cut down. Another time, she opened the restaurant to help out a needy family; she raised more than $11,000.
Mary remained an active part of Tucson’s arts scene until her death.
The Palomino may no longer be around, but folks still talk about their experiences there. One couldn’t ask for a better legacy.
The Tack Room
7300 E. Vactor Ranch Trail
Open: 1965-2003
What’s there now: A gated housing development
The Tack Room went through many incarnations: It was a racetrack, a dude ranch and an alfalfa farm before it became the legendary restaurant.
The dude ranch, known as Rancho del Rio, was home to the Vactor Family: husband, David; wife, Alma; and their three children. They’d moved there in 1952 to help out Alma’s brother, Jud Kane, who received the place from their parents, Fan and Marvin Kane.
“I grew up on the property. It was our home. We worked pretty hard at it, even as kids. We’d entertain (the dude-ranch-visiting children) in the evening, square dancing or whatever. Then those kids would go to bed, and we’d still have to do our homework,” says Drew Vactor, the son of David and Alma.
Dude ranching couldn’t offer year-round income, so in 1965, the Vactors opened what some consider the state’s first fine-dining restaurant, The Tack Room.
Thanks to outstanding food and gracious service, The Tack Room received Arizona’s first Mobil Travel Guide Four Star Dining Award. Many more awards followed, including eight consecutive AAA Five Diamond Awards.
Service was seamless; anything you wanted or needed was at the table at a moment’s notice. The menu featured tableside Caesar salad, grilled escargot and Chateaubriand for two. Famous guests included everybody from Paul Newman to Frank Zappa, but there were many local regulars. Men didn’t have to wear ties and jackets, although everyone dressed nicely.
Drew became general manager in 1974. In 1984, when David died, he took over complete management. Richard Tyler would become a manager and part-owner. Alma stayed active in the business until 2000.
In 2000, after 26 years of 80-hour work weeks, Drew Vactor retired. Bob McMahon’s Metro Restaurants group ran The Tack Room for another three years, and in 2003, the place closed for good.
Today, Vactor and his wife, Kandie, spend their time traveling and teaching. Their home is filled with many mementos of the restaurant. Both are active in local charities; Alma lives across the street from them.
While Drew doesn’t miss the old, hectic life, he cherishes the memories. You can still see the old boot that was the sign on Sabino Canyon Road.
Pack ‘Em Inn
22 W. Drachman St.
Open: 1964-2003
The menu had maybe a total of five entrées. The waitresses cooked the steaks on a grill in the dining room and then served them on sizzle plates. It was the kind of place for a romantic date, a family gathering or a solo dinner.
Ports O’ Call
2201 N. Miracle Mile
Open: Originally known as Aku Aku in the 1960s; closing date unknown
Over the years, this restaurant had several names, but this is the one I knew. Happy hour included mounds of free appetizers and half-price tropical drinks. “It was the best meal I had all week,” says one longtime fan.
Ye Olde Lantern
1800 N. Oracle Road
Open: 1959-2006
With the same owner as Ports O’ Call (Dean Short, who also owned Kon Tiki, El Corral and the Cow Palace), Ye Olde Lantern’s claim to fame was red meat. A little pricier than its sister restaurants, this was a special-occasion place for many Tucsonans.
Golden Pagoda
Located next to the Grant Road Tavern, this teeny spot was not just mom-and-pop-run; the rest of the family was there, too.
Unicorn Café
Later known as the Helen Street Café, this was one of Tucson’s first real coffee houses.
Da Vinci’s
“It smells like Italy,” a friend once remarked–and he knew, having spent more than two years there. The Ali family taught Tucsonans how to “eat Italian.”
The Sixth Street Café
This was the only place in town where you could get a peanut-butter-and-pineapple sandwich. The same site later housed Leopoldo’s, an affordable place with great Italian food.
The Crying Onion
Located in a house on Fort Lowell Road, the original Crying Onion was one of those places to stop on your way home from a night on the town. The restaurant featured immense, killer omelets and Texas toast. According to Tucson lore, this is where a mysterious Mr. Jim ate every day. One night after leaving a $100 bill for a $5 meal, he left, never to return.
The Last Chance Pizza Mill
This place introduced deep-dish Chicago-style pizza to Tucson. If you could finish an OD pizza–with all the toppings–within a certain amount of time, it was gratis.
Old Adobe Inn
Later also known as El Adobe, this place was a downtown favorite due in part to the lovely and quaint patio in the back. You’d never know Broadway Boulevard was just a few feet away.
This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2008.
Really nice article, thanks so much. I remember the Saddle and Sirloin, Ash Alley, and the Old Pueblo Club, the Central, the Green Shack, the Most. My parents moved here in ’42 but we didn’t dine out frequently and my parents did not socialize so we did not have the opportunity to try a whole lot of restaurants. I liked Ye Olde Lantern for lobster on my birthdays.
I lived in Tucson from 1984 until 1989 and went to the Palomino Restaurant many times and usually had the bouillabaisse. I never think about bouillabaisse without thinking of the Palomino. It is a great memory!
I would also add the Hidden Valley Inn (circa 1985) to this list of longtime Tucson favorites that are gone. I always enjoyed the old cowboy who played the guitar near the fireplace with the picture of Clint Eastwood (as the Outlaw Josy Wales or ??) hanging over the fireplace. We would always have what they called a “Cheese Crisp” as an appetizer (a quesadilla) and always looked at the extensive dioramas they had on display ( a circus, indian camps, other?)
Last Chance was dynamite. You could go in just before closing and get free slices and whole pizzas leftover from the evening. This was in the mid-70s as I recall. The beer was always frosty cold.
My goodness, trip down memory lane.. raised in Tucson from 12 to 24, 1960 till 72.
Knew all these wonderful places, my favorite being Ye Olde Lantern with the appetizer tray, large red leather booths, fireplace and warm friendly staff.
My parents have long since passed but the first dinner we had when we visited Tucson before moving there on Xmas 59 was the Lantern. Lived near Coat of Arms and had rehearsal dinner at Cliff House, reception Coat of Arms. Great memories of so many others. Redwood Lodge, Vitos, Skyroom..Tucson has a proud heritiage of great eats. Thanks for the memories!!
Araneta’s Mexico Inn–I still consider it the best Mexican restaurant in Tucson. Their huevos rancheros and chimichangas were superb–and the salsa!!!
Brings to mind great times and all the great memories of growing up here in Tucson. The article and the comments are precious reminders of days gone by.
Neicie
I know there isn’t room to list all the old great places, but I remember going to Austin’s near Broadway Village in the early ’60’s with my dad after UofA basketball games in the old Bear Down gym. Dad wouldn’t let me try any of those other ice cream flavors, C,S & V were the only flavors of real ice cream to dad (and that was OK)
Best chocolate malts I ever had! Johnnies Fat Boy couldn’t be beat! The free sopapillas for dessert at Panchos in the old Del Ray shopping center on 22nd st. were the best. I probably wouldn’t care for them now but the simple hamburgers at Burger Chef on 22nd & Craycroft were a treat to a seventh grader (Mom would have killed me for riding my bike down there with my pals in 1965). The core of the building of El Molinito on 22nd is the old Burger Chef. Lotta memories, good one’s of Tucson.
How could you leave out Casa Molina and Scordato’s ?May have the spelling incorrect on the second one.
Golden Pagoda was own by Mr. David So for 30 years. My dad and mom bought the place in 1982. They own Golden Pagoda from 1982 to 1987. Yes, the whole family was there to help. All my cousins from my mom side of the family. Nowadays, Tucson has too many Chinese restaurants. The taste is not the same anymore. Thank you Rita Connelly and Tucson Weekly for remembering us.
East Speedway had Paulos, Vitos and Von’s which were 50’s & 60’s Continental Style. The Jet Set hung out at The Barrons on South Wilmot in the early 70’s. Wongs on 22nd was great for Chinese for quite a few years. OK Coral had some great steaks. I loved the Green Goddess at Sneaky Petes back in the late 60’s.
When “The Bistro” opened on Broadway near Kolb, it was the most expensive restaurant in Tucson. Last but not least were the two Johnie’s on Speedway. I loved those burgers and the crinkle fries. YUMMY delish!
Great article! One change – Ports O’ Call which was operating at least in 4/1967, was at 2201 W. Miracle Mile. Aku Aku was actually at 2201 N. Oracle Road. Easy to mix up, same time frame in the 60’s until 4/28/1967 when Aku Aku had a huge fire that destroyed the building. It doesn’t appear that they ever reopened. Ports O’ Call did serve a “flaming Aku Aku volcano” that sounds really cool! Thanks for the cool article, if I find any other info I’ll pass it on, love to look up the old stuff!
Ooh, another thing! Probably more than you need/want to know…in the 10/13/1973 Tucson Daily Citizen, there is a great article about the history of the Crying Onion and the neat old papers that went back to the late 1800’s that were on some old interior walls that were uncovered in some remodeling. The owner in the 70’s kept the memorabilia up for folks to read. Another article from 1960 had the owner fighting to keep the address, 3936 E. Ft. Lowell, in a business zone as she had had the restaurant since 1940! I couldn’t find any older articles, but the restaurant was in her family’s old farmhouse! Neat!
Actually, correction to prior correction (posted by cath61): 2201 N. Miracle Mile and 2201 N. Oracle Road (both N., not W. back then) were the same address: in October 1960 segments of Drachman St., Oracle Road, and Casa Grande Highway were officially renamed the “Mircle Mile Strip”; so, 2201 Oracle Road officially became 2201 Miracle Mile in Nov. 1960. Many people and businesses were slow to adopt the address change (and some never did). This is why you can find newspaper ads from the 1940s to 1960s with both 2201 Oracle and 2201 Miracle Mile listed as the address for Pago-Pago (opened 26 Nov. 1947), which became Aku-Aku in 1966, and which finally reopened as Port’s O Call in Nov. 1967 after the April 28, 1967, fire (source for all: Tucson Daily Citizen, 1947-1977).
Thanks for the correction on the address of Pago Pago, Ports O Call, and Aku Aku! I knew there had been a change over the years, but didn’t know the details, and then with the fire information I thought that definitely made it a different location. Thanks for clearing that up, great article got me into doing some research 🙂 When I worked on a survey for downtown I wasn’t aware of the change on Congress years ago when the center of town changed. Odds and evens were opposite from what they were later, gave me a heck of a problem for awhile. Appreciate the history!
As to the closing date of Ports O’Call: the owner, Dean C. Short, sold it in 1980 to one James R. Riley and Bali Hai Associates. It was renamed Bali Hai, and it operated at a loss until 1981. A subsequent legal dispute over the sale led to Short regaining ownership, and in 1983 her reopened it as the 2200 Club
(you can read about the interesting case at Leagle.com, Short v. Riley, No. 2 CA-CIV 5536). I can’t find anything after that on the 2200 Club, so I assume its operation was short-lived.
Do you know what happened to the 2200 Club and/or the building after 1983? So far the trail has run cold on that, so I’d be curious to know.
(By the way, there is a fun ad in the Tucson Daily Citizen Dec. 16, 1966, with a map of the Miracle Mile area listing popular restaurants, etc.: it’s worth checking out for research reference, or just for Trivia Fun!)
wow Trivia fun – thanks for all the info. It will come in handy for my new book called ‘The Lost Restaurants of Tucson’ soon to be published by The History Press. In the book both Pago Pago and Aku Aku are mentioned. Dean Short died about a month ago. I believe the 2200 Club was that building at onetime but the dates are a little fuzzy in my research.
cahi61 do you have that link to the Crying Onion?
New Crying Onion on Orange Agrove just East of Thornydale, very good food!
I worked at the Last Chance Pizza Mill and there were regulars, mostly drunk, hungry UofA students, who started hanging around the front door near closing to get the free pizza. The owner would sometimes go out and shoo some away if he recognized them! I could write for hours the stories that took place regarding the Last Chance! LOL. The crying Onion was amazing! The largest and best omelets on earth! My family and I first visited Tucson on our way to California from NY back in the early ’60s. My grandparents would drive there from Upstate NY each year for the winter. (Snowbirds) They parked their trailer about 4 blocks north of the turn-on Miricle Mile (I guess the turn isn’t there anymore) and for some odd reason, I remember Sambo’s was right there on the turn into Drachman.
Wow, this really takes me back, Last Chance Pizza Mill, one slice of OD was enough for me.
Burger Chef, I actually worked there in 1975.
I Settled down in America’s finest city…San Diego, CA in 1983.
I guess this dates me (old dude), but don’t forget Hoagie Ranch on 6th by the UofA. A pork tenderloin sandwich, steak fries and a draft beer for what – $7-8? My high school buddy and fellow UA alum would kill a few Friday afternoons there after lunch (plus more drafts, and a lot of quarters in the video games). THAT was higher education! LOL, and we both graduated with nice careers in business and engineering.