Francisco’s $

3843 E. Pima St., Tucson
520/881-2710
www.franciscosintucson.com [1]

HOURS: Sun.–Thurs. 5–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–midnight

COST: Most entrées less than $10

Everybody in midtown knows Frank’s [2], the small breakfast and lunch joint at Pima and Alvernon that lets diners know from the start that they’ll find “elegant dining elsewhere;” but after the sun retires Frank’s becomes Francisco’s, serving family-style Mexican food from the state of Michoacán.

The food here is on the spicier side, and you’ll always get a cebollita asada (grilled onion) with your dinner. Big plates of carne asada, birria, and pollo asada—all along side heaps of rice and beans—are served here, as well as many shrimp dishes and the usual enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and tostadas, but with regional twists (pig’s-feet enchiladas, anyone?) that you won’t find anywhere else in town.