By Ian Davis
A plate of mofongo relleño de camarones. Photo contributed by Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy.
Tucson is no stranger when it comes to foods from around the world, all contributing to the ever-growing diversity that defines it as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. That being said, somewhere like Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy stands out among the rest of the Tucson scene as the only restaurant serving authentic Puerto Rican food.
Approaching his third year as owner and head-chef of Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy, located at 4230 N Oracle Road, Carlos Garcia continues to run his kitchen as he did working in luxury hotels – clean, organized and contemporary.
The word “batey,” which translates from the language of the Taíno indigenous peoples of Puerto Rico and surrounding islands, refers to both the court and the ceremonies, celebrations and games which it hosted. To Garcia, batey means “come on and celebrate with us,” which perfectly reflects his enthusiasm for sharing food from his heritage with the rest of the Tucson community.
The concept for Batey began following Garcia losing his job in hotels as an assembly line chef in 2020. The pandemic was picking up speed and, as a result, job insecurity was made especially prevalent in the hospitality industry.
This is when Garcia decided to invest his 401K into a food truck, which he named Boriken, and revisited the Puerto Rican cuisine which he is most familiar with.
The Boriken food truck is what brought him back to focusing on his native cuisine, but it wasn’t until he opened the storefront location when Garcia would begin really experimenting. In October of 2024, Garcia opened the doors of Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy to the public, bringing with him innovative techniques like molecular gastronomy.
“Plates I cannot do in the food truck, I do in the restaurant,” said Garcia. “The cooking here brings very authentic food but with a modern approach.”
When you walk in, the waiters are certainly not wearing tuxedoes, and there is a substantial lack of boisterous chandeliers for what you’d expect from a “modern” eating experience. Avert any and all expectations: Umbrellas hang from the ceiling and the staff is as welcoming as your favorite neighborhood diner.
A couple eating in the corner of Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy. There is a Puerto Rican Flag painted on the wall and umbrellas hang from the ceiling. Photo by Ian Davis.
As you are brought to the table, rather than the salsa and tortilla chips many of us Tucsonans would be familiar with, savory pork rinds are left to be enjoyed as you peruse the menu.
The menu takes on an interpretation of food Garcia grew up with in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Meals that have been traditionally prepped for feeding as many mouths as possible are presented in a way that embraces modern presentation while still holding true to the recipes handed down by his mother and grandmother.
Puerto Rican cuisine is a mix of Spanish, African, Taíno and surrounding influences; which is only made more intricate by the participation of Sonoran ingredients available to Garcia in Tucson. The resulting innovations include menu items like mofongo relleño de camarones, a mountain of mashed plantains and garlic bathed in a red chilé sauce and garnished with shrimp.
While some dishes may seem recognizable at first, all food made here has their flavors locked in Puerto Rico.
Take both the flan and empanada for example, where each dish comes from Spanish lineage and finds itself scattered in many parts of the Western world. The Puerto Rican flan has the same caramel sauce but is made rich with the inclusion of cream cheese, and the empanadas sampler paired with an arrangement of crab, beef and pizza filling is served aside a traditional piqué hot sauce.
Every ingredient gets the utmost respect in the kitchen– especially the plantains, which Garcia said on some weeks can have up to half of the bulk bags returned for undesirable qualities. What isn’t being prepared in the kitchen is bought strictly from local and Puerto Rican distributors.
“It’s about showing my heritage on the plate, and to do that (ingredients) have to meet my standard,” said Garcia.
For more exclusive events, Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy partners with Tucson Foodie to present a course dinner and rum pairing.
The last weekend of every month, Garcia reopens the doors from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. featuring live DJ sets, finger food, beer buckets and more for what he calls Noche Latina, or latin night.
While not open on a day-to-day basis, the Boriken food truck will be ready to serve fresh dishes like sorullitos de maiz and deep-fried cornmeal fritters at the upcoming Tucson Meet Yourself festival Oct. 16 to 18.
However intimidating it may be to explore foreign flavors, Garcia invites all to come celebrate a cuisine steeped in a complex history and innovations.
“We enjoy that we get out of our comfort zone and create a different atmosphere,” said Garcia.
Owner Carlos Garcia. Photo contributed by Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy.