Situated atop a hill on South Houghton Road is a local landmark known as Tucson McGraw's Original Cantina, recognizable from the road by a modest western boot with a single red rose. An outdoor deck provides a bird's eye view of the desert and distant Santa Rita Mountains, and is a restive place to quaff a cold one when the temperature allows. Although my experience with McGraw's is fairly recent, friends who've lived here a good long time tell me the establishment did not always exude such squeaky clean family ambiance. According to these sources, McGraw's was more reminiscent of a bona fide saloon, with pool tables and a jukebox stacked with several country favorites. I could really get to like this place.
Appetizers are fairly predictable, with buffalo wings, nachos and onion rings figuring prominently.
Apart from a nagging thought that simple chips and salsa in a place like this ought to be gratis, we nonetheless enjoyed the spoils considerably. McGraw's salsa is pureed and loaded with mild tomato, tasty but perhaps too mellow for true lovers of the picante. For a table of mixed tastes, however, it was perfect. Bottled hot sauce offers extra zip for those who need more heat. Burgers are a McGraw's specialty, with 11 varieties.