BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon

I'm not gonna lie. I was pretty underwhelmed by my experience at Boca. As a fan of Top Chef I was looking forward to sampling Maria's cuisine, but the entire experience fell flat. Serve was okay, not super attentive, just mediocre. He asked if we wanted chips and salsa and we said sure, and even though it was Happy Hour, he brought us and charged us for the full price chips and salsa instead of the smaller portion and better priced happy hour version (for only 2 of us dining). Nor did he ask us. This felt a bit shady and disappointing. The food didn't blow me away. Some of the salsas in the assortment were really unique and delicious and others were unique but missed the mark, just meh. I ordered 3 tacos and they were stuffed full of filling which was nice! So portions are pretty good and hefty. That being said, the flavors were just basic. I've had much more flavorful tacos in Rhode Island where I'm from, and we aren't famous for our Mexican food. I also had much tastier Mexican food at other spots in Tucson so for what it's worth, I can't imagine I would return here.

With so many Mexican food options in Tucson, BOCA stands out as one of the best. Today did not disappoint. Not only is the food flavorful, the tortillas are are home made, and the tacos stuffed with goodness! If you get any of the fantastic appetizers, a couple of the tacos will fill you up.

We went here for lunch and arrived right when it opened. The service was excellent, and the tacos were superb. Loved all the extra sauces. Be sure to order the Boca balls. Tried to come back at dinner, but they were slammed. Don’t blame them for being successful. Just arrive early.

Delightful , fresh take on modern Mexican food. Daily fresh salsas du jour were wonderful and of varying spice levels. The mole and cauliflower tacos were fantastic. Most menu items are gluten free.

We arrived around lunch time. Hostess said 20-30 minute wait - yet there were about 5 empty tables in the restaurant and patio. No problem so we waited. 20 minutes later we got the text and headed over. The hostess asks if we wanted the window table and we said sure. Then at the table she changed her mind and said we had to sit at a table 5 feet away because it was easier for the server. Again we complied. After 15 minutes the bar tender said he would be over soon. 15 minutes later he came over for our drink order. Given the wait we gave the whole order. At 30 minutes later we said where is the food? 10 minutes after that we went to the hostess. And she said soon. Funny because in the meantime they sat the window table who arrived after us and they were served and done. Again we contacted the hostess who looked like a deer in the headlights when I mentioned we were told we could not sit at that table. Well then food came in partial orders. Some cold and at that point we were eager to get out. The waiter/bartender apologized and discounted the bill. Check out the receipt. Yikes we should have left when she said there was a wait with sooooo many empty tables. Hostess and staff need customer service training.

This great establishment was recommended to us by someone at Old Tucson. We decided to give it a try and we weren’t disappointed. The tacos were great especially the hotdog wrapped in bacon! 😝 The drinks were awesome too as was the service! We will definitely return in the future! 👍😎

I am not normally one to give a low score but I will make it clear this was more about service. Yes the tacos were good and definitely will come back for more shrimp tacos and four of the five sauces as the batter was as good as Ensenada batter if you know, you know 😊 - But I do feel there should be a system of seating and service my expectation was high coming to this place from walking into the place, being seated by the hostess but having to wait nearly 15 minutes and watching how two parties coming after us getting attention and order taken while we kept waiting. Now I want to give the benefit of the doubt here but it did feel like racial profile for a moment, if it wasn't up until the nice gentleman who took the order taking good care of us and was prompt and attentive. My suggestion to Chef Maria Mazon is to ensure that every single customer coming thru the door should be provided with the equal service and attention which makes customers come back.

This is my second review of Boca. The food and service continue to be nothing less than outstanding! We were at the restaurant for an event and Chef Maria herself created a variety of amazing salsa. Chef has an uncanny ability to prepare salsa in such a way that the primary flavors always come through! Whether you are a local or someone coming in to visit, this is a restaurant you will not want to miss!