New watering hole in town.

 Gerry and I watched the mass exodus from the park today and decided to join them, except we returned at the end of the day.  The first stop was at Fry's to fill up the gas tank which was empty.  That happens a lot when you hit the roads as much as we do.

 

The other day we noticed the restaurant at the corner of Escalante and Old Spanish Trail had re-opened.  The parking lot was full Saturday night and the cars were double parked all over the place.  We found out today that it was a dry run for the grand opening today.  It was for the staff members, builders, suppliers, etc and not the general public.  

 

We got there early today to check it out and were impressed.  They had a good selection of beer and mixed drinks.  Gerry said her margarita was one of the best she's had in Tucson.  Not so good on the wine selection, but it should improve as time goes by.  The menu is rather sparse, but the hamburger was pretty good and Gerry had the Empanadas.  She mentioned to the bartender that they could have put more pork on them and he agreed.  A quick trip back to the cooks and he said they would be better.  Since she made her comment, they comped her food.

 

We enjoy sitting outside and they had a nice bar there in the shade.  It was a beautiful day and we camped at the bar for a while.  They had a steady stream of customers the whole time we were there and if this is any indication of how they will do, then the place should be a great success.

 

I called Ron C to see if he could come out and play, but he couldn't for some reason.  He did mention that it was almost dinner time and they were getting ready to eat.  Hmmmm!

 

The place reminded us of a Tiki Bar in the Florida Keys, minus the water.  Did I say we love Tiki Bars?  We do.  Inside they had typical tables, while they had picnic tables on the patio.  So you had your choice of the bar, picnic tables and traditional dining inside.

 

The following article is about the place and has more information.  The picture was taken many years ago and it looks very different now.     

 

 

January 15, 2013 1:08 pm  •  Cathalena E. Burch Arizona Daily Star

Saguaro Corners from its early days. The new owners have sunk $500,000 into renovations.

Saguaro Corners, the longtime restaurant at the mouth of Saguaro Park East, will reopen this spring as a Mexican restaurant.
It will be the second restaurant for Mesquite Homes builder Jim Campbell and his business partner, chef Gabe Greenberg, who also operate Mount Lemmon’s Sawmill Run.
The pair hope to open Saguaro Corners Ice House and Taco Lounge by April 1, more than five years after Saguaro Corners closed.
Campbell bought the restaurant at 3750 S. Old Spanish Trail in 2008 and closed it after learning that it would be cost-prohibitive to bring it into compliance with Pima County health codes.
After trying for several years to sell the business, Campbell and Greenberg decided last summer to re-open it as a sister restaurant to Sawmill Run.
The restaurant is loosely modeled after the ice houses in Texas that were converted into bars, Campbell said. But Saguaro Corners will be more restaurant than bar with Greenberg’s menu of classic and inventive tacos and other Mexican fare.
Campbell’s Mesquite Homes also is the developer of the Plaza Centro student housing project downtown.