REVIEW: Chacho's Hot Dogs!!!

At the risk of sounding biased, I have meant to stop at Chacho's Hot Dogs for a long time now. Was it worth all the build up and anticipation?

I have lived in Sahuarita for 2 1/2 years, and drove by it hundreds of times, but was always somewhat put off by the fact that Chacho's is in somebody's front yard. Literally, in the front yard, but closed off with a chain-link fence. See for yourself:

Chacho’s certainly is not much to look at. It is basically the front yard of a house, fenced off with chain-link with a gate. If the gate is open, then Chaco's is open. If the gate is closed -- no hots dogs for you.

Inside the gate is a hot dog cart underneath a tent-like tarp. There are surprisingly enough tables to seat a good amount of customers in the Tecate labeled chairs.

Take a seat, place your order, and wait impatiently for the food to arrive. Chacho’s is a different kind of Sonoran-style hot dog. There differences are minor variations in ingredients, but the payoff is that they completely change the taste of the hot dog. The usual pinto beans, tomatoes, mustard and mayonnaise are there, but Chacho’s uses guacamole instead of jalapeno sauce, and there is a strip of nacho cheese running parallel with the bun on top. Hot sauce is in the slightly grilled bollilo somewhere, too. Instead of the usual steamed bun, Chacho’s Sonoran Dog comes packed into a grilled. slightly sweet bollilo, which is a small change but greatly improves the already delicious flavor of the bun. In addition, the actual hot dog, usually the most neglected part, is the best tasting hot dog you will find in any Sonoran Dog in Tucson. So yes, there are slight changes to the formula, but they work. It might not be the most traditional ingredient list, but it certainly works and tastes amazing. It might be one of the best Sonoran hot dogs in Tucson. Chacho’s also graciously includes a humungous grilled pepper, included in the $2.50 price per dog.

The one downside about Chacho’s is the location and appearance from the street. The restaurant is sandwiched between a Raspido cart and an old man selling boots and other random junk on the side of the road. In addition, Chacho’s looks dirty. It is literally in a front yard, which I assume is Chacho’s yard. Some people may hesitate to stop, venture through the chain link fence, and order food. Inside the tent, there is an ancient television and air conditioner, and everything has been beaten down from the desert dust. Everything looks straight out of an old movie, and eating there is like eating in a time long gone.

However, after a tip off from a very kind regular customer about Chacho's excellent health inspection record, I dug around on the internet and found that it was true; Chacho’s has an extremely clean record with the Pima County Health Department. In fact, as recently as March 2011, Chacho’s Hot Dogs received an Excellent rating during a no-notice inspection. The food is as safe to eat as anything else in Tucson.