BY MIKE PUCKETT

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The Cafe Margarita in downtown Tombstone is the place you want to visit when hungry for great Mexican food. While the menu at The Cafe Margarita is full of all types of food to feed your hungry appetite, the fajitas are their specialty. The Cafe Margarita in Tombstone is a local favorite and I can let you know that it lived up to the hype.

Café Margarita, like everything else in tombstone has its history. Café Margarita was formerly the Russ House and was opened in 1880 by Sal Anderson and Jacob Smith. The Russ house had a very clear view of the mine and one of the largest dining rooms in Tombstone. It was a lodging house with spring mattresses and many amenities for the time. The Russ House is also associated with “The Angel of Tombstone”, Nellie Cashman.

Well we decided to saddle on up at the Café Margarita after many folks in town let us know that it was one of Tombstone’s prime dining experiences. We started off with fresh guacamole and queso as appetizers. After a long day of sightseeing and museums we also decided to try the Prickly Pear Margarita, our new friend Steve Goldstein had mentioned to us earlier in the day. All three menu items really hit the spot after a long day. The homemade guacamole was absolutely wonderful. It had the right consistency and captured all the complete flavors you are looking for without any one standing out, bliss! The queso was a fresh inspiration for sore taste buds as well. I have been in California for so long that I think I had forgotten what it tasted like, as it is a rare commodity compared to my Tex Mex roots that I grew up on. The Café Margarita did a beautiful job with both and they both come highly recommended. And what’s not to like about the Prickly Pear Margarita? A 16 oz. bombshell of a drink. The margarita was made with lime, Prickly Pear Midori, Chambord and Grand Marnier. Absolutely delicious and paired really well with our appetizers. I recommend you stop by for one!

For the main course we decided to all get the house specialty, the sizzling hot Fajitas! Wow, just take a look at the picture and you will see what I mean. We got all beef and it came with fresh tortillas, Mexican rice and refried beans. The beef fajitas were prepared perfectly. The fresh vegetables combined with the beef were out of this world. This crew had been steered in the right direction, when told we must have dinner at the Café Margarita!

We finished our dinner off with the wonderfully sweet and creamy Flan, a sipping tequila and some nice stories about our adventures from the day. This is all while we listened to a live band in the restaurant and sat by a flaming fire. What ambiance. This will not be my last trip to the Café Margarita. You can bet that!

PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE PUCKETT