La Gitana Cantina

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  The cantina is as tried and true as it gets. It's open every day and every night but if you miss even a moment, something will have happened while you're away. Something is always happening here.
  
  There's a big jukebox which stands proudly in the corner of the bar by the pool table and you will hear everything from Linkin Park to Alan Jackson to Pat Benatar to Al Green. And you will more than likely be surprised at who chooses these tracks as you see 60 year-old hippies playing air guitar to Guns'N'Roses. This place keeps you on your toes.
  
  There's a pool table and on Thursday nights, there are tournaments. Hop on in, don't be shy, but beware of the sharks (they are a plenty).  There's also free internet (the only place in town with wifi except for the Arivaca Library).
  
  If you're hungry this is going to be your best bet to grab something to eat in Arivaca, though know that the bartender is also the bouncer, cook, technical support, and counselor of the establishment so be patient. The burger will all the fixins is a good staple with cheese, bacon, veggies, and green chile. All your food will be microwaved but it's surprisingly good.
  
  The Cantina also doubles as a liquor store so if you need to buy a bottle or six-pack of something, you can do that here and leave with it. It also doubles as an ATM - if you're paying with a credit card, they will charge you a flat 20 dollars but then give you cash back. They don't get charged a fee and you get cash. Win win.
  
  Most everyone at the Cantina is going to be welcoming and down to earth. Note that there are some (mostly harmless but annoying) drunkards. Also, there's a pretty good mix of people which means that on any given night there will be a Rebel, a hippie, a butch lesbian, a cowboy, an african-american-german, a New York Lawyer, a No More Deaths activist, and an ex-military dude. I'm not sure how everyone gets along but they mostly do. If you disagree with someone you can talk to them and everyone is open to a conversation and will tone it down if they're offending you. (this town is pretty much free of Border Patrol and militia due to some rough history a ways back - the town did a good job of making them feel unwelcome).
  
  You really have to come here at least once. In the winter you can even build a fire outside and in the summer you can people-watch on the patio and catch some live bands.
  
  This place is absolutely nuts but if you're a little nuts (and I am) you'll feel right at home.

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  Posted on 03.13.13 Sam G.

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  Live music, cold beer, generous shots, sports, pool... what more could you want? The Halloween party is, well, bananas. Half the town and many people from out of town show up in costumes and dance the night away. The live music is great, from CCR to NOFX, you have no idea what song is coming on next. There's always someone to talk to, always someone to greet you, always someone to to toast or cheers. I can't think of a bar in Tucson that is this much fun!

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  Posted on 01.23.13 Chad D.

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  This place is a real treat!  Don't be surprised when locals approach you to welcome and/or attempt to figure out who you are. Music and dancing on weekends can be a lot of fun. Chuck Wagon & The Wheels frequent the music venue there. It seems like a long drive from interstate 19 to  Arivaca, and you will probably see your fair share of military vehicles from the border patrol Homeland Security people, but in the end you will look back at it as a real adventure off the main road on your way down to old Mexico.

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  Posted on 09.11.12 Mac M.

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  I drove for miles through open range, on twisting roads to find Arivaca, Arizona. As I drove down the tiny main street, I found a handful of buildings: a decaying adobe once used as a school, a post office, a mercantile, an artists' co-op store and a bar. I chose to park in front of the bar. Live blues came from the building, as good as anything Stevie Ray Vaughn ever played. Sun-weathered locals entered through the patio, their panting dogs on leashes. I headed toward the patio, where patrons sat under awnings, surrounded by beer cap mosaics, enjoying cold beers and icy cocktails. My fellow imbibers were incredibly friendly and shared stories about their lives in the small desert town. The Cantina was listed in Esquire Magazine as one of the 100 best bars in the US. It has a reputation for attracting characters, both as customers and employees. I was told there's a bartender who'll crack your back as you lie on a table - he once stretched a local customer out on the bar and pulled a troublesome tooth. No, this isn't a trendy club - this is a bar, a beer joint, a local watering hole. Its patio walls are colorful, though not as colorful as the characters who spend time there every afternoon. The interior is small and simple - a bar and a few tables. The walls have photos of past events and customers, including the hippies who, in the early 70s occupied a local ghost town until they were tossed out for littering. The drinks are generous, the surroundings are old-west cool and the company is great. This is a classic bar and worth a visit.

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  Posted on 07.09.12 Rita L.

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